The Use of the DH in MLB

The above photo is of Hank Aaron, George Brett, Wade Boggs, Paul Molitor, Tony Gwynn, Carl Yastrzemski, Willie Mays, Al Kaline, Eddie Murray, Dave Winfield, Rod Carew, Lou Brock, and Robin Yount. Out of these 13 players, 6 of them played as a DH during their careers. Who from this list would you not want to see play as long as they did?

The Pros:

• It prolongs the careers of some of the games best hitters

• It makes the AL a tougher league for pitchers to pitch to

• Pitchers don’t have to hit, they are usually a sure out these days

The Cons:

• Pitcher don’t get to hit and they no longer work at it. They have become a sure out in most cases due to the DH rule

• Players like David Ortiz can no longer play the field without it affecting them after just a few days (or was this just because of his injuries in 2007)

• It takes away some of the intricate strategies that make the game of baseball great
  • Like a double switch, for example

My personal opinion is that it should stay. Granted, I grew up in an AL city so I admit that I may be a bit biased, but here are my reasons why I like the idea. We have gotten to watch the great careers of players such as Carl Yazstremski, Reggie Jackson, Paul Molitor, Eddie Murray, Dave Winfield, Harmon Killebrew, Al Kaline, Frank Robinson & Hank Aaron (over 20 of his career HRs were hit as a DH). We are now entering the stage where career DH’s will be eligible for election into the Hall of Fame (see Edgar Martinez in 2009). Plus, just think of how this distinct difference feeds the natural rivalry between the American and National leagues.

My question to you is, would you prefer the likes of the Hall of Famers listed above to have retired earlier than they actually did? Without the DH rule, all of those players would have probably retired earlier than they did, robbing us (the fans) the privilege of watching these men for just a little longer.

My name is Peter Schiller. I am the creator/owner of Baseball Reflections.com. I’m also a contributing writer. To read more of my work at Baseball Reflections just click HERE!