Designated hitter
From BR Bullpen
The Designated Hitter is commonly referred to as DH. A player in the batting order to hit only but not play defense. He hits in place of the pitcher. If the DH is replaced by a player who then takes a position, the pitcher must bat in the designated hitter's place.
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[edit] Use in Major League Baseball
The Designated Hitter is used only in the American League (since 1973) and was never adopted in the National League. The rule allowing a DH has always been controversial since some want the rule eliminated, some want the rule adopted in both leagues and some want the rule to remain in its current state. NL teams use a DH in road games during interleague play, while AL teams have the pitcher bat in road games in interleague matchups.
While critics of the DH suggest that it was designed to allow poor fielders to remain in the game despite their defensive flaws, it has not always been used that way. Many Designated Hitters have been players who were capable fielders who were injury prone and kept from fielding to preserve their health. Paul Molitor, the first Hall of Famer to play more games as DH than any other position, fell into this category. Some teams don't even have a regular DH and instead use it to give their regular position players a break from fielding.
Ron Blomberg of the Yankees was the first player to bat as a designated hitter.
[edit] Use in Minor League Baseball
The DH was first used in the American Association in 1969. Usage in the minors changed over time - originally, individual organizations had some say in whether their teams used the DH or not. At other points a team would have their pitcher bat while their opponent used a DH. Since the late 1980s, usage has become the following: in AA and AAA games, the DH is used unless both teams are farm clubs of NL teams, in which case pitchers bat. In class A or lower games, the DH is always used. Though it is officially a AAA league, the Mexican League uses a DH in all games.
[edit] Use in Japanese Baseball
In Japan, the Pacific League adopted the DH in 1975. In 1988, the minor league Eastern League and Western League used it, but Central League farm clubs are allowed to opt out. The Central League never used the DH until interleague play began in 2005, when they used a DH on the road against Pacific League teams.
[edit] The DH Rule
There are a few peculiarities to the DH Rule (rule 6.10 of the Major League Baseball Rules):
- The DH is optional. A team may decide to bat its pitcher and not use a designated hitter in a game where it would normally be used. A few instances were Ferguson Jenkins on October 2, 1974 for the Texas Rangers at Minnesota, Ken Brett for the Chicago White Sox on July 6, 1976 against the Boston Red Sox, and Brett again on September 3, 1976 for Chicago against the Twins. Rick Rhoden, a pitcher, was a DH on June 11, 1988 for the Yankees against the Orioles.
- The DH can play in the field, but once a manager decides to play him on defense, the pitcher immediately takes over the batting spot of the defensive player which the DH replaced (unless there are multiple substitutions, in which case the manager can decide where the pitcher will bat). The team then forfeits the use of the DH for the rest of the game. This happens a few times every season, and sometimes results in a pitcher being forced to bat in an AL game.
- The DH spot is locked in the order. If the DH bats, for example, fifth in the order, no substitution can be made to move him to fourth or sixth, or anywhere else.
- Any substitute for the DH, including pinch hitters and pinch runners are automatically considered to be the new DH, and the restrictions outlined above apply to them as well. These substitutes are listed in the boxscore as "Smith ph-dh" or "Smith pr-dh". This is how a number of AL pitchers end up with games as DH in their statistics: these are almost always the result of being used as a pinch-runner for the DH.
[edit] The Phantom DH
The DH listed in the starting line-up must bat at least once before being substituted, unless there is an injury or the opposite team's starting pitcher has been changed. This rule was added after the 1980 season to close a loophole discovered by Baltimore Orioles manager Earl Weaver: he would list one of his inactive starting pitchers in the starting line-up as a phantom DH, and then, when his first time to bat came up, Weaver could decide which of a number of players to use as a pinch hitter for his DH, depending on the situation (for example if there were men on base, if he needed a base-runner, etc). Pitchers Steve Stone and Dennis Martinez were used most often in this capacity. Boxscores from that time would list the pitchers as having played a game at DH, but after the amendment to the rule was adopted, these "appearances" were erased from these pitchers' records.
[edit] Links
A site advocating the abolition of the DH
| Baseball positions | |||
|---|---|---|---|
| Outfielders: | 
| Left field | Center field | Right field | |
| Infielders: | 3rd base | Shortstop | 2nd base | 1st base | ||
| Battery: | Designated hitter | ||
