Sport-Blog.com

Written by James Fohl

One of the few differences between the National League, and the American Leagues of Major League Baseball is the fact that the American League uses a player known as the designated hitter.

The designated hitter is a baseball player in the American League that bats for the pitcher. That is his sole responsibility in a baseball game. He does not actually field, and just bats. If he actually takes another player's position, than the team gives up their designated hitter status, and the pitcher must bat for himself.

Because the designated hitter is something only found in the American League, problems certainly
arise whenever an American League team, such as the Baltimore Orioles or Kansas City Royals plays against a National League team such as the Pittsburgh Pirates, or Chicago Cubs.

While this used to only occur during the World Series, the introduction of interleauge play in 1997 has brought the two leagues to face each other many times a season. Fans of the National League call the designated hitter idea unfair, as it gives the American League team an extra experienced batter. On the other hand, fans of the American League team call the National League unfair, because while playing in a National League ball park, the pitcher of the American League team must bat; something the pitcher is not used to.

The designated pitcher arguments have been addressed many times in the past with the World Series; however with interleague play now occurring, the arguments are occurring now more substantially. Many Major League baseball advocates are suggesting the removal of the designated hitter from Major League Baseball in order to quiet these arguments, and help return baseball to the sport it was before the introduction of the designated hitter in the early 20th century.

While many people can not name a designated hitter off the top of their head, the position is usually
field with either new or old players. Most of the time, new players pulled up from the Minor Leagues
have the batting power, however are still lacking the skills for on field play. Because they have the ability to drive the ball, they are usually put into the position of designated hitter while they work on their fielding skills. In contrast, many professional ball players of the American League decide that after playing several seasons, they just are not in the condition to be on field players. Instead, they become designated hitters and are still allowed to use their skills to help their ball teams to victories.

As the debates continue for whether the designated hitter belongs in the American League, I know that I will look past these debates and arguments, and instead just watch the baseball game while eating my foot long hotdog and chanting whenever my favorite ball players come up to bat. Maybe in the near future an ultimate proposal will be made for the whole designated hitter ordeal, but for now, I am just a fan who really doesn't care about the politics of baseball, just the game itself.