In baseball, the designated hitter rule is the common name for Major League Baseball Rule 6. Baseball is a Bat-and-ball Sport played between two teams of nine players each 10^[1], an official position adopted by the American League in 1973 that allows teams to designate a player, known as the designated hitter (abbreviated DH), to bat in place of the pitcher. The American League of Professional Baseball Clubs, or simply the American League ( AL) is one of two leagues that make up Major League Baseball in In Baseball, the pitcher is the player who throwsthe baseball from the Pitcher's mound toward the Catcher to begin each play with the goal of Since then, most collegiate, amateur, and professional leagues have adopted the rule or some variant; MLB's National League and Nippon Professional Baseball's Central League are the most prominent professional leagues that have not. Baseball is a team sport which is played by several professional leagues throughout the world The National League of Professional Baseball Clubs, or simply the National League ( NL) is the older of two leagues constituting Major League Baseball Nippon Professional Baseball or NPB is the highest level of Baseball in Japan. The or is one of Japan 's two major professional Baseball leagues the winner of which plays the Japan Series against the winner of the other league the

Contents 1 The rule 1.1 The rule in practice 2 Background and history 3 Criticism 4 The designated hitter outside Major League Baseball 4.1 Amateur baseball 4.2 International baseball leagues 4.3 Minor leagues 5 Quotes about Designated Hitter 6 The designated hitter in popular culture 7 See also 8 References 9 External links

The rule

The designated hitter cannot be used for any other player but the pitcher (however, see below regarding different rules in amateur play). Use of the DH is optional. The manager must designate a DH prior to the start of the game; failure to do so forfeits the right to use the DH, and the pitcher must then take his turn at bat. The designated hitter may not play a field position and he may only be replaced by another player not currently in the lineup. However, the designated hitter may change positions to become a position player at any point during the game; if he does so, his team forfeits the role of the designated hitter and the pitcher, another player, or a pinch hitter must bat in the newly-opened spot in the batting order. For other uses see Pinch hitter (cricket. In Baseball, a pinch hitter is a substitute batter. The designated hitter could also become the pitcher, in which case the pitcher or a pinch hitter must hit when that spot in the batting order comes up again. Likewise, if a pinch-hitter bats for some other player (such as, hypothetically, the first baseman) and then remains in the game as the pitcher, the team would forfeit the use of the DH for the remainder of the game.

In addition, unlike other positions, the DH is "locked into" the batting order and no multiple substitution may be made to alter the batting rotation of the DH. In other words, a double switch involving the DH and a position player is not possible. In Baseball, the double switch is a type of player substitution For example, if the DH is batting fourth and the catcher is batting eighth, the manager cannot replace both players so as to have the new catcher bat fourth and the new DH bat eighth. Once a team loses its DH under any of the scenarios discussed in the previous paragraph, however, the double switch becomes fully available, and may well be used via necessity, should the former DH be replaced in the lineup.

In games where a team from a league using the DH rule plays against a team from a league not using the DH rule (e. g. , interleague play, the World Series), the rules of the home team's league apply to both teams. Interleague play is the term used to describe regular season Major League Baseball games played between teams in different leagues introduced in. For other events named "World Series" see World Series (disambiguation.

The rule in practice

In practice, it is very rare for a team to forfeit its right to a DH, even by substitution. During the 21st century, only one American League team has lost the right to use the DH during a normal American League game (not counting interleague play) and was forced to send the starting pitcher to have at least one plate appearance. In Baseball statistics, a player is credited with a plate appearance (denoted by PA) each time he completes a turn batting In the second game of a doubleheader between the Minnesota Twins and Chicago White Sox on July 6, 2007, the Twins initially used their starting catcher, Joe Mauer, as the DH because Mauer had started the first game at catcher. Doubleheader is the term used to describe two Baseball games played between the same two teams on the same day The Minnesota Twins are a professional baseball team based in Minneapolis, Minnesota. The Chicago White Sox are a professional Baseball team based in Chicago, Illinois. Events 1044 - The Battle of Ménfő takes place 1189 - Richard the Lionheart is crowned King of England Year 2007 ( MMVII) was a Common year starting on Monday of the Gregorian calendar in the 21st century. Joseph Patrick Mauer (ˈmaʊɚ born April 19 1983 in St Paul MN) is a Major League Baseball Catcher for the Minnesota Twins The starting catcher for the second game, Mike Redmond, however, was forced to leave the game in the first inning due to injury after accidentally being struck in the head by the bat of Jim Thome, and Mauer had to take the field as the replacement catcher. Michael Patrick 'Mike' Redmond (born on May 5, 1971 in Seattle Washington) is a Major League Baseball catcher James Howard "Jim" Thome (ˈtʰoʊˌmeɪ born August 27 1970 in) is a Major League Baseball Designated hitter for the Chicago White Sox Twins starting pitcher Matt Garza thus was forced into the batting order and became the first American League pitcher to bat in a regular-season American League game since Hipolito Pichardo on July 31, 2000. Matthew Scott Albidrez-Garza (born November 26, 1983 in Selma, California) is a right-handed Starting pitcher for the Tampa Bay Hipólito Antonio (Balbina Pichardo (born August 22 1969 in Esperanza Valverde, Dominican Republic) is a former right-handed Pitcher Events 30 BC - Battle of Alexandria: Mark Antony achieves a minor victory over Octavian 's forces but most of his army subsequently 2000 ( MM) was a Leap year that started on Saturday of the Common Era, in accordance with the Gregorian calendar. ^[2] The Twins' batting order appeared as follows in the box score as to order and position (ignoring the standard format for statistics given that the purpose here is to illustrate the operation of the DH rule). ^[3] The highlighting illustrates departures from customary American League play.

There have been times when a manager may willingly surrender the DH position late in a game. During the 2005 American League Division Series between the New York Yankees and the Los Angeles Angels of Anaheim, New York had Bernie Williams slated as the designated hitter. The American League Division Series ( ALDS) the opening round of the 2005 American League playoffs began on Tuesday October 4, and ended on The New York Yankees are a professional baseball team based in the borough of The Bronx, in New York City, New York. The Los Angeles Angels of Anaheim are a professional baseball team based in Anaheim, California. Bernabé Figueroa Williams (born September 13 1968 is a Puerto Rican former Major League Baseball Outfielder and a Guitar -playing ^[4] Late in the game, manager Joe Torre took Williams out of the DH and put him in center field because of Williams' superior defensive play. Joseph Paul Torre (ˈtɔɹi born July 18, 1940 in Brooklyn New York) is the current manager of the Los Angeles Dodgers and a former Major Since the Yankees already had the lead, not giving up any more runs was more important to Torre than having a better hitter hit for the pitcher in the game at the time, Yankees closer Mariano Rivera. Mariano Rivera (born November 29, 1969 in Panama City, Panama) is a Professional baseball player Because a double switch was used, it was not necessarily a negative situation to have Rivera bat. Rivera's place in the order would only come up if the Yankees had batted around, which would have automatically increased their lead very late in the game, giving more cushion for the Yankees' best relief pitcher to close out the game.

On May 19, 2008, the Minnesota Twins surrendered their DH position in a game vs. Events 1535 - French explorer Jacques Cartier sets sail on his second voyage to North America with three ships 110 men and 2008 ( MMVIII) is the current year in accordance with the Gregorian calendar, a Leap year that started on Tuesday of the Common the Texas Rangers in Minneapolis. Twins Manager Ron Gardenhire had to use rookie pitcher Bobby Korecky as a hitter in the 11th inning of the game, who had only pitched in five games prior and obviously never had an at-bat. Ronald Clyde Gardenhire (born October 24, 1957 in Butzbach, Hesse, Germany) is a manager in Major League Baseball Robert John Korecky (born September 16, 1979 in) is a Major League Baseball Relief pitcher for the Minnesota Twins. However, Korecky hit the first pitch he saw into right field for a single, becoming the first Twins pitcher to get a hit in an American League game. The inning ended with Korecky stranded at 3rd base with the bases loaded. Korecky ended up getting his first major league win in this game as the Twins won 7-6 in 12 innings, as well as picking up his first major league hit.

On June 11, 1988, New York Yankees manager Billy Martin made the unusual choice to insert a starting pitcher into the DH slot, Rick Rhoden, who was known as a superior hitting pitcher. Events 1184 BC - Trojan War: Troy is sacked and burned according to the calculations of Eratosthenes. Year 1988 ( MCMLXXXVIII) was a Leap year starting on Friday (link displays 1988 Gregorian calendar) The New York Yankees are a professional baseball team based in the borough of The Bronx, in New York City, New York. Alfred Manuel "Billy" Martin Jr ( May 16 1928 &ndash December 25 1989) was an American Second baseman and Richard Alan Rhoden (born May 16, 1953) is a Professional golfer and was a Major League Baseball pitcher Rhoden went 0 for 1 with a groundout and a sacrifice fly to right field, earning him an RBI. In Baseball, a batted ball is considered a sacrifice fly if the following four criteria are met There are fewer than two outs when the ball is hit He was pinch hit for by José Cruz in the Yankees' 8-6 victory over the Baltimore Orioles. José Cruz (born August 8, 1947 in Arroyo Puerto Rico) is a former Outfielder and currently the first base coach in Major League The Baltimore Orioles are a professional baseball team based in Baltimore, Maryland. ^[5]

There were three occasions where a team elected not to start a designated hitter in an American League ballgame. The pitchers for those games were Ferguson Jenkins on October 2, 1974 for the Texas Rangers at Minnesota,^[6], Ken Brett for the Chicago White Sox on July 6, 1976 against the Boston Red Sox,^[7], and Brett again on September 3, 1976 for Chicago against the Twins. Ferguson Arthur "Fergie" Jenkins CM (born December 13 1943 in Chatham, Ontario, Canada) is a right-handed former Events 1187 - Siege of Jerusalem: Saladin captures Jerusalem after 88 years of Crusader rule Year 1974 ( MCMLXXIV) was a Common year starting on Tuesday (link will display full calendar of the 1974 Gregorian calendar. The Texas Rangers are an American professional baseball team based in Arlington Texas, United States, representing the Dallas-Ft Kenneth Alven ("Kemer" Brett ( September 18, 1948 - November 18, 2003) was a Major League Baseball pitcher and Events 1044 - The Battle of Ménfő takes place 1189 - Richard the Lionheart is crowned King of England Year 1976 ( MCMLXXVI) was a Leap year starting on Thursday (link will display full calendar of the Gregorian calendar. The Boston Red Sox are a Professional baseball team based in Boston Massachusetts, and are the reigning (2007 World Series Champions. Events 36 BC - In the Battle of Naulochus, Marcus Vipsanius Agrippa, Admiral of Octavian, defeats Sextus Pompeius Year 1976 ( MCMLXXVI) was a Leap year starting on Thursday (link will display full calendar of the Gregorian calendar. ^[8]

Background and history

The rationale for the designated hitter rule is that, with a few exceptions — most notably Babe Ruth, who began his career as a pitcher with the Boston Red Sox — pitchers are usually weak hitters who ordinarily perform once every four or five games. George Herman Ruth Jr (February 6 1895 &ndash August 16 1948 also popularly known as " Babe " " The Bambino " and " The Sultan of The Boston Red Sox are a Professional baseball team based in Boston Massachusetts, and are the reigning (2007 World Series Champions. The designated hitter idea was first floated by Philadelphia Athletics manager Connie Mack in 1906. The Oakland Athletics are a professional baseball team based in Oakland, California. Connie Mack can refer to three different people Connie Mack (baseball (1862–1956 Hall of Fame baseball manager player owner Connie ^[9] In the late 1920's, National League president John Heydler made a number of attempts to introduce a 10th man designated hitter as a way to speed up the game, and almost convinced National League clubs to agree to try it during spring training in 1929. The National League of Professional Baseball Clubs, or simply the National League ( NL) is the older of two leagues constituting Major League Baseball John Arnold Heydler ( July 10 1869 - April 18 1956) was an American executive in Major League Baseball. ^[9] However, momentum to implement the DH did not pick up until the pitching dominance of the late 1960’s. In 1968, Denny McLain won 31 games and Bob Gibson had a 1. Dennis Dale "Denny" McLain (born March 29, 1944, in Chicago Illinois) is a former American professional Baseball player Pack Robert "Bob" Gibson (born November 9, 1935 in Omaha Nebraska) is a former right-handed Baseball Pitcher for the 12 ERA, while Carl Yastrzemski led the American League in hitting with a . Carl Michael Yastrzemski (jəˈstrɛmski (born August 22, 1939) nicknamed "Yaz" then moved him to the Minneapolis Millers for the post-season The American League of Professional Baseball Clubs, or simply the American League ( AL) is one of two leagues that make up Major League Baseball in 301 average. After the season, the rules were changed to lower the mound from 15 to 10 inches and change the upper limit of the strike zone from the top of a batter's shoulders to his armpits. In addition, in 1969 spring training, both the American League and National League agreed to try the designated pinch hitter (DPH), but they did not agree on the implementation. Most NL teams chose not to participate. On March 6, 1969, two games utilized the new DPH rule for the very first time. Two newly formed expansion teams, the Montreal Expos and the Kansas City Royals would participate in one such game, and the New York Yankees and Washington Senators in the other. Franchise history Creation of the franchise In 1960 Montreal lost its International League team the Montreal Royals (an affiliate of The Kansas City Royals are a Major League Baseball team based in Kansas City, Missouri. The New York Yankees are a professional baseball team based in the borough of The Bronx, in New York City, New York. On March 26, 1969, Major League Baseball nixed the idea for the time being. Like other experimental baseball rule changes of the 1960's and 70's, the DH was embraced by Oakland A's owner Charlie O. Finley. Charles Oscar Finley ( February 22 1918 - February 19 1996) nicknamed Charlie O or Charley O, was an American On January 11, 1973, Finley and the other American League owners voted 8-4 to approve the designated hitter for a three-year trial run. ^[9]

On April 6, 1973, Ron Blomberg of the New York Yankees became the first designated hitter in Major League Baseball history, facing Boston Red Sox right-handed pitcher Luis Tiant in his first plate appearance. Events 46 BC - Julius Caesar defeats Caecilius Metellus Scipio and Marcus Porcius Cato in the Battle of Thapsus Ronald Mark Blomberg (born August 23, 1948, in Atlanta Georgia) nicknamed Boomer, is a former Major League Baseball Designated Luis Tiant (/luˈis tiˈant/ born November 23, 1940 ? in Marianao, Cuba) (then part of Havana Province, born Luis Clemente Tiant In Baseball statistics, a player is credited with a plate appearance (denoted by PA) each time he completes a turn batting "Boomer" Blomberg was walked. A base on balls ( BB) is credited to a batter and against a pitcher in Baseball statistics when a batter receives four pitches that the umpire

Naturally, the result of the first season of the DH was that the American League posted a higher batting average than the National League, something which has remained consistent to this day.

The designated hitter offers American League managers two options in setting their teams' lineups: they can either rotate the role among players (for example, using a left-handed hitting DH against a right-handed pitcher and vice-versa) or they can employ a full-time designated hitter. It also allows them to give a player a partial day off. The adoption of the designated hitter rule has virtually eliminated the use of the double switch in the American League.

At first, the DH rule was not applied to the World Series. For other events named "World Series" see World Series (disambiguation. In 1976, it was decided the rule would apply to all games, regardless of venue, but only in even-numbered years. The 1976 World Series matched the defending champion Cincinnati Reds of the National League against the New York Yankees of the American League This practice lasted until 1985. The 1985 World Series began on October 19 1985 and ended October 27. The next year, the rule was adapted to its current format of only applying in games played in the American League team's stadium. The 1986 World Series pitted the New York Mets against the Boston Red Sox.

Similarly, there was initially no DH in the All-Star Game. The Major League Baseball All-Star Game, also popularly known as the "Midsummer Classic" is an annual Baseball game between players from the National League Beginning in 1989, the rule was applied only to games played in American League stadiums. When this occurs, fans are allowed to select an AL player to start at that position, while the NL's manager decides that league's starting DH. When regular season interleague play was introduced in 1997, the rule was, and continues to be, applied in the same fashion. Interleague play is the term used to describe regular season Major League Baseball games played between teams in different leagues introduced in. Champions Major League Baseball World Series: Florida Marlins over Cleveland Indians (4-3 Liván Hernández, On June 12, 1997, San Francisco Giants outfielder Glenallen Hill became the first National League player to be the DH in a regular-season game against the American League's Texas Rangers at The Ballpark in Arlington, when they met in interleague play. Events 1381 - Peasants' Revolt: in England, rebels arrive at Blackheath. Year 1997 ( MCMXCVII) was a Common year starting on Wednesday (link will display full 1997 Gregorian calendar The San Francisco Giants are a Major League Baseball team based in, that currently play in the National League West Division. Glenallen Hill (born March 22 1965 in) is a former outfielder in Major League Baseball who played for 13 seasons The National League of Professional Baseball Clubs, or simply the National League ( NL) is the older of two leagues constituting Major League Baseball The Texas Rangers are an American professional baseball team based in Arlington Texas, United States, representing the Dallas-Ft Rangers Ballpark in Arlington is a ballpark in Arlington Texas, located between Dallas and Fort Worth Texas. When the Milwaukee Brewers moved from the AL to the NL in 1998, the Brewers no longer used the DH on a regular basis; thus, as also usually happens when a minor-league pitcher joins an NL team, their pitchers needed to take batting practice. The Milwaukee Brewers are a Major League Baseball team based in Milwaukee, Wisconsin, which plays in the Central Division of the National League Year 1998 ( MCMXCVIII) was a Common year starting on Thursday (link will display full 1998 Gregorian calendar)

Occasionally National League teams utilize the designated hitter during spring training games, usually when a player is recovering from an injury.

In recent years, full-time DHs have become less common, and the position has been used to give players a partial off-day, allowing them to bat but rest while the other team is batting. Only a handful of players compile over 400 at-bats as a DH each year.

Criticism

Baseball purists, and fans of the no-DH National League, argue that use of the designated hitter destroys the symmetry of the game. When the pitcher bats, all nine players take turns at the plate and in the field. With the DH, there are, effectively, three different classes of players, distinctly separating pitchers from other fielders and designated hitters. The use of the DH introduces an element of offensive and defensive specialization more akin to American football. American football, known in the United States and Canada simply as football, is a competitive Team sport known for mixing strategy with

While the DH is batting in what would be the lineup spot for the pitcher, the pitcher may be inserted into another spot in the lineup when the DH role is terminated, inconsistent with the principle that a player's position in the lineup is fixed for the entire game.

The designated hitter rule also changes manager strategy in late innings. Traditionally, a manager must decide when to let a pitcher bat or remove him, as well as who to pinch-hit with and where or if that player should take the field afterward. When the decision to remove a pitcher is made, the manager may also elect to double switch, delaying the new pitcher's turn at bat. In Baseball, the double switch is a type of player substitution

On the opposite side, a manager in a close game may have to choose whether or not to pitch around a DH in the late innings, possibly granting an intentional base on balls to avoid a potentially hard-hitting slugger in place of a relatively weak pitcher, while an NL manager will not have to choose whether or not to give up a base runner (and the associated wear and tear on his pitcher's arm) to avoid a DH. A base on balls ( BB) is credited to a batter and against a pitcher in Baseball statistics when a batter receives four pitches that the umpire

Advocates of the DH^{[10] [11]} point to the fact that it has extended many careers, and, in a few cases, created long, productive careers for players who are weak fielders or have a history of injuries, such as Edgar Martínez. For the other professional baseball player named Edgar Martínez see Edgar Martínez (pitcher Edgar Martínez, born January 2, Moreover, Hall of Fame members George Brett, Carl Yastrzemski, and Paul Molitor were able to extend their prolific careers by a few years as designated hitters. George Howard Brett (born May 15, 1953 in Glen Dale West Virginia) is a former Major League Baseball player for the Kansas City Royals Carl Michael Yastrzemski (jəˈstrɛmski (born August 22, 1939) nicknamed "Yaz" then moved him to the Minneapolis Millers for the post-season Paul Leo Molitor (nicknamed Molly or The Ignitor) (born August 22 1956 in Vadnais Heights Minnesota) is a former American Baseball player Dick Stuart, a notoriously poor fielder, played before there was a DH rule. Richard Lee Stuart ( November 7, 1932 - December 15, 2002) was a Major League Baseball First baseman from 1958 to 1969 Critics of the DH reply that creating or extending the careers of poor fielders is not necessarily a good thing, because they say it merely promotes 'batting cage' players whose only real skill is their ability to swing the bat. A batting cage is an enclosed cage for Baseball players to practice the skill of Batting.

Fans of the DH rule argue that pitchers are able to play deeper into games than they otherwise might, by removing the manager's incentive to remove a pitcher from play in order to attain a short-term offensive advantage, and that since a pitcher's typical offensive "contribution" is at best to get out and at worst as a rally-killing double or triple play, it improves the play of the game to remove an "easy out" player from the batting order (AL fans also point out that the only baseball strategy removed by the addition of the designated hitter is the double switch; if anything, modern AL baseball with its dizzying array of specialist pitchers and batting styles is much more complex than baseball before 1973). This article is about Baseball. For double play Magnetic tape, see Audio tape length and thickness. In Baseball, a triple play (denoted by TP) is the rare act of making three outs during the same continuous play in baseball In Baseball, the double switch is a type of player substitution Some National League baseball fans also claim that the designated hitter encourages beanball wars by removing the pitcher from the batting order, where he might be subject to retaliation. " Beanball " is a colloquial sports term for a ball thrown at an opposing player with the intention of striking him such as to cause harm often connoting a throw at the player's

Another perspective is that there is a significant difference in the preparation required between hitting and pitching. A pitcher is quickly worn down by his position and can only start every 4-5 days or pitch 1-2 innings of relief for 2-3 consecutive days. Sports like basketball, football, hockey, and soccer offer no equivalent where one position is much more physically taxing than all others. A hitter hits better when he is able to play regularly and fine tune his swing, judgment of the strike zone, and comfort with different pitchers and pitches. This is especially important early in hitters' careers and hitters who could be valuable to their major league club as reserves are often kept in the minors so they can play every day and develop their skills. Pitchers need rest, hitters need reps. Occasionally a pitcher can be effective on short rest in the playoffs or an NL pitcher or pinch hitter who only appears once every five games can post good statistics with limited at bats, but those are not common. Even most full time pinch hitters or utility players are former major or minor league regulars who had years to develop their hitting skills. The DH rule does not just extend the careers of aging sluggers, it also saves pitchers from the overwhelming difficulty of being asked to perform the task of batting with 8 batters who bat about 5 times as often.

There is considerable debate over whether the designated hitter rule should be continued. ^[10][11] Some ^[10]have even argued that the National League should adopt it full time. The National League of Professional Baseball Clubs, or simply the National League ( NL) is the older of two leagues constituting Major League Baseball There are also fans who enjoy the fact that the different leagues use different rules, arguing that there should be some differences between the American and National Leagues and the Designated hitter is a fine example of that. Two generations of fans of American League teams have grown up with the Designated Hitter rule being in place, and for them, the DH is as much a traditional part of baseball as the pitcher batting is for fans of National League teams.

Critics also allege that, with this rule, the quality of play suffers because the home teams automatically receive a significant unnatural advantage no matter what league's rules are in effect. To combat this, Major League Baseball Commissioner Allan H. "Bud" Selig has proposed that the road team's rules would be followed for interleague games. The Commissioner of Baseball is the chief executive of Major League Baseball. Allan Huber "Bud" Selig Jr (born July 30, 1934 in Milwaukee Wisconsin) is the Commissioner of Major League Baseball and has ^[12] It has proven to be an unpopular proposal.

The designated hitter outside Major League Baseball

Amateur baseball

The use of the designated hitter rule in amateur baseball is nearly universal. The primary difference between the DH in the professional and amateur games is that the DH may bat in place of one player in any position in most amateur baseball leagues such as those that use National Federation of State High School Associations (NFHS) rules. The National Federation of State High School Associations is the body that writes the rules of competition for most high school sports and activities in the United States Baseball rules differ slightly from league to league but in general share the same basic gameplay Most high school coaches use a designated hitter in place of the weakest hitter in the lineup, if they use one at all. In amateur baseball, many pitchers are also good hitters and will often play another position (or even DH) when not pitching. Professional pitchers usually focus exclusively on improving their pitching, thus their batting skills often deteriorate compared to their teammates. However, in Canada, the DH must bat for the pitcher still.

One notable exception to the NFHS designated hitter rule in youth baseball is American Legion baseball. For other uses of American Legion see American Legion (disambiguation The American Legion was chartered by the U Legion rules exactly follow those prescribed in the Official Baseball Rules, which allow the DH only to bat for the pitcher. Prior to 1995, the use of the DH was not allowed in Legion baseball.

In college baseball, NCAA rules state that the designated hitter must hit for the pitcher, but in many instances the pitcher is also a good hitter, and the coach may elect to let the pitcher bat in the lineup. College baseball is Baseball as played on the intercollegiate level at institutions of Higher education, predominantly in the United States. The National Collegiate Athletic Association ( NCAA, often pronounced "N-C-Double-A" is a voluntary association of about 1200 institutions conferences organizations If the pitcher opts to bat for himself, he is treated as two separate positions — a pitcher and a designated hitter (abbreviated P/DH on the lineup card) — and may be substituted for as such (i. e. if he is removed as the pitcher, he may remain as the designated hitter and vice versa). However, if a player who starts a game as a P/DH is relieved as the starting pitcher, he may not return to the mound even if he remains in the game as the DH, and he may not play any other defensive position after being relieved as the pitcher. Conversely, a player who begins the game as the DH, but not as the pitcher, may come into the game as a reliever and remain as the DH (in effect becoming a P/DH), be relieved on the mound later in the game but continue to bat as the DH.

International baseball leagues

The DH is used in most professional baseball leagues around the world. One notable exception is the Central League of Japan, where pitchers bat as they do in the National League. The or is one of Japan 's two major professional Baseball leagues the winner of which plays the Japan Series against the winner of the other league the Japan's Pacific League adopted the designated hitter in 1975. The or is one of Japan 's two major professional Baseball leagues the other being the Central League. Year 1975 ( MCMLXXV) was a Common year starting on Wednesday (link will display full calendar of the Gregorian calendar.

Minor leagues

Most, if not all, of the minor leagues have adopted the designated hitter rule for use in their games. Part of the History of baseball series Minor league baseball is a hierarchy of Professional baseball leagues in North Generally, the only exceptions are at the triple-A and double-A levels, and then only in games where two National League affiliates play each other. As players move up and get closer to reaching the majors, teams prefer to have the rules mimic (as closely as possible) those of the Major Leagues. Single-A and Rookie leagues use the DH in all games.

Quotes about Designated Hitter

"The average fan comes to the park to see action, home runs. He doesn't come to see a one-, two-, three- or four-hit game. I can't think of anything more boring than to see a pitcher come up, when the average pitcher can't hit my grandmother. Let's have a permanent pinch-hitter for the pitcher. " - A's Owner Charlie O. Finley

"I'm not an advocate of the Designated Hitter Rule; I'm only an advocate of seeing the truth and telling the truth. What the truth comes down to here is a question of in what does strategy reside? Does strategy exist in the act of bunting? If so the Designated Hitter Rule has reduced strategy. But if strategy exists in the decision about when a bunt should be used, then the DH rule has increased the differences of opinion which exist about that question, and thus increased strategy. . . [the research shows] that there is more of a difference of opinion, not less, in the American League. " - Bill James in The Bill James Historical Baseball Abstract (1986)

"Everyone in the world disagrees with me, including some managers, but I think managing in the American League is much more difficult for that very reason (having the designated hitter). In the National League, my situation is dictated for me. If I'm behind in the game, I've got to pinch hit. I've got to take my pitcher out. In the American League, you have to zero in. You have to know exactly when to take them out of there. In the National League, that's done for you. " - Jim Leyland ^[13]

The designated hitter in popular culture

In the movie Bull Durham, Crash Davis (played by Kevin Costner) says he believes (among other things) that "there should be a constitutional amendment outlawing astroturf and the designated hitter". Bull Durham is a 1988 American movie about love and Baseball. Kevin Michael Costner (born January 18, 1955) is an American Actor, producer and Academy Award -winning director AstroTurf is a brand of Artificial turf. Though the term is a Registered trademark, it is sometimes used as a generic description of any kind

In the movie, Loaded Weapon 1, Destiny Demeanor (played by Kathy Ireland) is asked about the DH rule by Sgt. National Lampoon 's Loaded Weapon 1 (also known as Loaded Weapon 1) is a 1993 Comedy film, directed by Gene Quintano Kathy Ireland (born March 20, 1963) is an American model, Actress, businesswoman and CEO of her Eponymous brand product marketing Jack Colt (played by Emilio Estevez), in a parody of the famous interrogation scene of Basic Instinct. Emilio Estévez (born May 12, 1962) is a Golden Globe - and Screen Actors Guild (SAG Award -nominated American Actor Basic Instinct is an American thriller / Neo-noir film directed by Paul Verhoeven and written by Joe Eszterhas Destiny replies, "I hate it. It takes away the purity of the game. "

See also

• MLB designated hitter statistics
• List of notable designated hitters

References

External links

• Rule 6.10, the Designated Hitter Rule, from MLB's Official Rules
• Abolish the Designated Hitter (anti-designated hitter website)
• The Etiology of Public Support for the Designated Hitter Rule, by Christopher Zorn and Jeff Gill, June 1, 2006
• The Designated Hitter as Moral Hazard, by Daniel H. Pink, December 12, 2004
• [1] Bill "The Spaceman" Lee, Red Sox Left-hander, discusses the DH on The Chris & Rob Show April 4, 2006

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