The Problem of the Designated Hitter

While listening to MLB Home Plate on XM this weekend, I heard a man make an argument that two different games are being played during the World Series each year because of the existence of the designated hitter. The current rules hold that the designated hitter is used when at the home of the American League club and not used when at the home of the National League club. Before the advent of inter-league play, American League pitchers didn’t have their first at-bat until the World Series. A pitcher might go years or even his whole career without an at-bat. Even with the advent of inter-league play, American League pitchers get very few at-bats.

Why then does it make sense that one league has the designated hitter and one does not? Proponents of the DH say that it gives pitchers more healthy years. Those who oppose the use of the DH say it ruins the purity of the game. They contend that it eliminates the thrill of the traditional “double switch” and other strategic managerial maneuvers late in the game. I certainly remember playing softball as a young kid and thinking that only hitting was fun. I dreaded going out on the field and couldn’t wait for my chance to hit again. Many youth leagues allow every child on the team to hit, regardless of whether they’ve played in the field or not. But I would imagine that most every child grows out of this. By the end of my softball career, I thrived on defense (but perhaps that’s because I became a pitcher). I still enjoyed swinging the bat, making contact with the ball, running my heart out to make it to first and the thrill of stealing a base, but it was no longer the only “fun” part of the game. Maybe because I had this mentality, I’ve never liked the DH. Then again, maybe it’s because I was brought up going to National League games. I once read that the only thing more obnoxious than an SEC football fan is a National League baseball fan who opposes the DH. I must be a real pain in the neck then because I’m both.

The man I heard on the radio was a proponent of switching off each year during the World Series and either using the DH or not using the DH for the whole series. He wanted both teams to be playing the same game for all 4-7 games. My research found that this was actually the way things were done from the mid-70s to the mid-80s. Of course, I don’t remember this because I was just a child then. I do wonder though why this practice was changed to the one we have today. I haven’t really found a good argument for the change, but am interested to hear one. Until then, I’ll continue to be one of those obnoxious National League fans.