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The designated hitter rule has positively influenced Major League Baseball since the American League adopted it in 1973. Not only should it be upheld in the American League, but should also be adopted in the National League. The DH rule allows a designated hitter to bat for pitchers in the batting order. One of the biggest reasons that the DH should be used is that pitchers can't hit. Who would you rather see, Manny Ramirez, who had a batting average of. 327 last season, or Randy Johnson, who only batted. 127.
The majority of baseball fans would rather see a batter that can hit the ball instead of a pitcher swinging and missing. The commissioner is in favor of abolishing the DH, but there is one problem. "The problem is that the all-mighty players' union loves the DH because it creates an extra roster spot and enables good hitters to hang on for several years after their prime. " If the players want the DH rule then we should keep it. Why get rid of something that the players don't want to get rid of. Japan and the National League are the only two places not using the DH. Another reason to keep the DH is that it does allow good hitters to keep playing baseball. Without the DH position, the careers of many great players would have been cut short.
Hall-of-famer Eddie Murray and future hall-of-famers Harold Baines and Paul Monitor finished their careers as designated hitters. Eddie Murray and Paul Monitor were able to reach 3, 000 hit plateau thanks to the DH rule, and as a result fans were able to watch them in action for years after they otherwise would have had to retire. It's almost certain that the Seattle Mariners' Edgar Martinez, who is 40 and still hitting. 331 this past season, would no longer be playing in the Major Leagues if the designated hitter rule did not exist. According to a 2002 Sports Illustrated article, "This man is an athlete, as pure a hitter as they come, and he still contributes to his team. " It is unfair to players like Martinez to abolish the DH rule. Critics say that it takes away from the way the game is supposed to be played.
The rule, actually brings out the pureness of the game. It lets the hitters concentrate on hitting and the pitchers on pitching. The game is still played the same, there are still three outs an inning and nine innings per game. The opposition might argue that it's not baseball, it's hitting. They say that there is too much hitting. They argue this because "hitting is at an all-time high right now.
In the American League, ERA's were huge this past season. After Pedro Martinez's more than phenomenal 1. 74, the second place finisher was the Yankee's Clemens, with an ERA of 3. 70. " They also argue that without the designated hitter the game becomes more strategically oriented. Managers have to take into consideration the weak hitting pitchers. They also argue that it is bad for the American League because if an AL team goes to play a NL team then the pitchers have to hit, which most of them have not done since high school.
This gives the NL teams an advantage because most of the pitchers have batted recently. Then you flip it around, the NL teams that come and play an AL team still has the advantage because now their pitchers don't have to bat they can have another good hitter bat. I guess you could agree with the opposition, but look at it this way, to win a baseball game you have to hit the ball. If you can't hit the ball you are not going to win very many games. Plus, the whole point of baseball is hitting the ball, so if hitting is at an all time high I would have to say that baseball is at an all time high. Now look at the argument that NL teams get an advantage when they play AL teams at home or away.
A very simple way to fix this problem would be to adopt the rule in the National League. Then there would be no advantages for either team. The designated hitter adds to the beauty of the game without taking anything away. It has become part of the game, and should stay that way. The DH certainly adds to the offensive production of the AL. A 'professional' hitter in place of a pitcher will do that.
More home runs are hit and more runs are scored, which is what baseball says fans want. The National League should adopt the designated hitter rule to unify Major League Baseball and make the rulebook universal.
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