NakamuraDH: Fair?
One of the most disputed rules in Major League Baseball relates to the designated hitter. Is it fair for all of the National League teams? After all, half of the interleague games are played in a national league ballpark. But at the same time, the National League teams don't get the luxury of having a player worth 10 million dollars on their bench just to hit. There is no Edgar Martinez in the national league... so why was the rule ever created?
To begin with, the DH wasn't a position created at the same time America's pastime was. It was first proposed in 1906... by a NATIONAL league manager. However, it did not catch on and the idea was postponed. But it re-arose again in 1920 from the NATIONAL league president. It was planned to be used by the NATIONAL league in 1929 during Spring Training when it was called off at the last minute. Noticing a pattern here?
When the DH rule was first implemented into MLB, it was meant to last for three years. As a trial run. That was it. It has been well over 40 years since. Many people still think the rule is flawed. So is it? Yes. Anyone who thinks the rule is fair is a blinded fool. The AL gets to have
one extra player with a large contract. They get to play everyday except for the few games of interleague play and possibly 4 games of the world series. There were four teams that missed the playoffs by six games or less. The DH rule could have played a major role in how that turned out.
Make no mistake, the American League had been around for a while. It was created in 1901, 5 years before the idea of the DH was ever mentioned. But forty years later, you have to wonder why the rule is still here. It makes it unfair. National League teams can't sign another player for that kind of money! Why? Because what will he do for the other 150 games? Pinch Hit. You don't pay somebody 10 million dollars to pinch hit. And the player signed most likely wouldn't agree due to the fact he won't start.
My proposal for the short term is this: in games between an AL and NL team, play by NL rules. It doesn't matter which ballpark they're at. This way, the advantage is minimized. Sure, the DH will still be able to pinch hit, but 1 AB makes a far lesser impact than 4. Perhaps in the future, there will be a better system. Maybe another league will be created. Whatever the case, this problem needs to be addressed. Those three years are long gone. Since the rule has been applied in 1973, the AL have won 21 total World Series. The NL isn't far behind with 19. However, with interleague play, the difference cannot be ignored. The AL have won 1,673 games with a 0.522 winning percentage to go with it. The NL, on the other hand, have won 1,534 games. That translates to a 0.478 winning percentage. That just can't be ignored.
-Written by: Nakamura. This article is copyrighted © by Nakamura and may not be reproduced, recopied, or used in any form without permission from Nakamura
To begin with, the DH wasn't a position created at the same time America's pastime was. It was first proposed in 1906... by a NATIONAL league manager. However, it did not catch on and the idea was postponed. But it re-arose again in 1920 from the NATIONAL league president. It was planned to be used by the NATIONAL league in 1929 during Spring Training when it was called off at the last minute. Noticing a pattern here?
When the DH rule was first implemented into MLB, it was meant to last for three years. As a trial run. That was it. It has been well over 40 years since. Many people still think the rule is flawed. So is it? Yes. Anyone who thinks the rule is fair is a blinded fool. The AL gets to have
David Ortiz, the DH for the Boston Red Sox
Make no mistake, the American League had been around for a while. It was created in 1901, 5 years before the idea of the DH was ever mentioned. But forty years later, you have to wonder why the rule is still here. It makes it unfair. National League teams can't sign another player for that kind of money! Why? Because what will he do for the other 150 games? Pinch Hit. You don't pay somebody 10 million dollars to pinch hit. And the player signed most likely wouldn't agree due to the fact he won't start.
My proposal for the short term is this: in games between an AL and NL team, play by NL rules. It doesn't matter which ballpark they're at. This way, the advantage is minimized. Sure, the DH will still be able to pinch hit, but 1 AB makes a far lesser impact than 4. Perhaps in the future, there will be a better system. Maybe another league will be created. Whatever the case, this problem needs to be addressed. Those three years are long gone. Since the rule has been applied in 1973, the AL have won 21 total World Series. The NL isn't far behind with 19. However, with interleague play, the difference cannot be ignored. The AL have won 1,673 games with a 0.522 winning percentage to go with it. The NL, on the other hand, have won 1,534 games. That translates to a 0.478 winning percentage. That just can't be ignored.
Edgar Martinez, arguably the greatest DH of all time
-Written by: Nakamura. This article is copyrighted © by Nakamura and may not be reproduced, recopied, or used in any form without permission from Nakamura
