The implementation of the universal DH in MLB shouldn’t be surprising to anyone following baseball
Baseball is going to look very different in a number of ways when the 2020 MLB season attempts to get underway next week amid the COVID-19 pandemic.
A shortened 60-game schedule this summer and fall, no fans in the stands at ballparks across the country, and maybe most notably, the implementation of the DH in the National League for the very first time in baseball history.
For NL fans, which includes myself, not seeing the pitcher hit anymore will be a huge adjustment. And for many of those who call themselves National League enthusiasts, the implementation of the DH will not be a welcome sight.
While the AL has employed the designated hitter since 1973, the NL has still had the pitcher take at-bats. As a result, the American League playing style has historically been built upon power hitting; the National League playing style has been predicated on small ball.
But with a third of the 2020 MLB regular season consisting of interleague matchups, which is roughly three times as many as the schedule usually consists of, it was inevitable that the DH would become universal in baseball.
Every team typically plays approximately 18 interleague games in a 162-game season, or roughly 11% of the schedule. Teams are only playing 20 interleague games this year; however, that makes up 33% of a shortened 60-game slate. That’s a huge difference.
But given the evolution of baseball, this move was a long time coming.
As interleague play has become a regular occurrence across MLB since 1997, in addition to the All-Star Game and the World Series every October, the calls for the universal designated hitter have grown.
Many people have believed that, as both leagues competed against each other more frequently during the regular season, the playing field had to be leveled.
Given that the National League had its pitchers hitting all regular season long, many believed that it provided those teams with an unfair advantage when hosting games — either in the regular season or the World Series — against American League squads that never had a pitcher take a single at-bat all season.
Additionally, those who have pushed for the universal DH have believed that the NL even held an advantage when games would take place at AL ballparks because it allowed National League squads to input another hitter, who might not play otherwise, into the lineup.
Either way, many felt that it put American League teams in an unfair position.
But the adoption of the universal designated hitter was inevitable given the changes we’ve seen in baseball, how the game is played, and its fans.
As I’ve argued multiple times — via both the written word and podcasts — that MLB continues to struggle for a variety of reasons with keeping younger, newer fans engaged with the sport.
Older fans and diehards, including myself, have enjoyed more than just the home-run-hitting aspect of baseball.
Those who call themselves National League fans love the traditional style of play, where home runs are not the be-all and end-all that they have become for many American League teams.
For many, it’s about the cat-and-mouse game that’s played out between both managers. It’s the art of managing both the bullpen and the bench around that one precarious spot in the lineup, as well as leveraging matchups to give one’s team the best chance to win.
That’s what made the National League, historically, so different from the American League. It was about the leadoff man getting on via a base hit or walk, advancing to second and third base via a steal, a sacrifice bunt, or a hit and getting into scoring position, and then letting the heart of the order drive in the runs.
Well, that small-ball, extremely-tactical style of baseball is, unfortunately, outdated in many ways. Younger fans want quicker games. They want pitchers working at a faster pace. They want to see less mound visits, less arms coming out of the bullpen, and less pinch hitters.
What they don’t want is games moving slowly, pitchers taking their sweet time, managers and pitching coaches constantly making trips to the mound, and never-ending calls to the bullpen.
What fans want now, above all, is more runs scored via the home run ball. They want more excitement. That’s how you get to implementing a universal designated hitter.
While MLB knows it’s good for the game and keeping fans tuned in, the players’ union also sees it as a positive too. For one, it gives another player on every National League roster a full-time role that they might not have had otherwise.
Additionally, keeping the bat out of the hands of pitchers will help safeguard their future well-being and their arms from any non-pitching-related injuries. While some pitchers like Madison Bumgarner and Jake Arrieta know how to swing a baseball bat very well, keeping pitchers out of the batter’s box is good for their long-term health and career.
The implementation of the DH in the National League will, for better or worse, change the way that baseball is played, managed, and viewed.
Like many other diehard fans, I’ll miss the chess-match managing style of the NL and seeing teams trying to win with a lineup that has a pitcher hitting in it. Implementing a designated hitter in the National League takes some of that managerial aspect away.
But for the good and the longevity of the game, implementing the universal DH is the right move. It’ll be far more entertaining for the modern fan.
And for those who still can’t accept the fact that the days of pitchers taking at-bats are all but over, don’t be so surprised and shocked. This was a long time coming.
