# A baseball question **URL:** \ **Category:** Factual Questions\ **Created:** [August 29, 2001, 9:16am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/a-baseball-question/78670 "2001-08-29T09:16:09Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 10\ **Page:** 1
**Author:** ![Typo\_Negative](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/typo_negative/32/484_2.png) [@Typo\_Negative](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Typo_Negative)\ **Post date:** [August 29, 2001, 9:16am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/a-baseball-question/78670/1 "2001-08-29T09:16:09Z")
I’m embarrassed to admit I don’t know this. The DH. During the course of the game, can the DH fill in for a position player? Say your DH is your emergency 3rd catcher. You pinch hit for your starting cathcer, and then the backup gets hurt. Can the DH move to catcher and someone else become the DH? ---
**Author:** ![KenP](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/k/c0e974/32.png) [@KenP](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/KenP)\ **Post date:** [August 29, 2001, 10:50am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/a-baseball-question/78670/2 "2001-08-29T10:50:50Z")
If the DH plays a position, then the pitcher must bat. You don’t get a new DH. ---
**Author:** ![RickJay](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/r/bb73d2/32.png) [@RickJay](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/RickJay)\ **Post date:** [August 29, 2001, 1:05pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/a-baseball-question/78670/3 "2001-08-29T13:05:36Z")
> [@](#): > > \*Originally posted by spooje \* > \*\*I’m embarrassed to admit I don’t know this. > > The DH. During the course of the game, can the DH fill in for a position player? Say your DH is your emergency 3rd catcher. You pinch hit for your starting cathcer, and then the backup gets hurt. Can the DH move to catcher and someone else become the DH? \*\* What KenP said. Furthermore, strangely enough, if the PITCHER moves to another position - say, Roger Clemens is relieved but instead of going to the showers he replaces Tino Martinez at first - the DH is lost for the rest of the game. The rules also state that if a pinch hitter replaces a defensive player and then is called upon to pitch, the DH is lost (don’t ask me why.) Rule 6.10. Furthermore, contrary to popular belief, you can’t have a DH for any player; the DH must hit for the pitcher. ---
**Author:** ![Typo\_Negative](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/typo_negative/32/484_2.png) [@Typo\_Negative](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Typo_Negative)\ **Post date:** [August 29, 2001, 2:32pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/a-baseball-question/78670/4 "2001-08-29T14:32:33Z")
thanks guys! ---
**Author:** ![IzzyR](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/i/2acd7d/32.png) [@IzzyR](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/IzzyR)\ **Post date:** [August 29, 2001, 2:40pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/a-baseball-question/78670/5 "2001-08-29T14:40:10Z")
> [@](#): > > \*Originally posted by RickJay \* > Furthermore, strangely enough, if the PITCHER moves to another position - say, Roger Clemens is relieved but instead of going to the showers he replaces Tino Martinez at first - the DH is lost for the rest of the game. The rules also state that if a pinch hitter replaces a defensive player and then is called upon to pitch, the DH is lost (don’t ask me why.) Rule 6.10. My guess is that this is to prevent teams from shuffling pitchers on and off the mound. Like, suppose a team has a lineup of right and left handed batters. An opposing team could use two pitchers against them, putting the one not being used for that AB into left field and then back to the mound to pitch etc. (When you say “if a pinch hitter replaces a defensive player”, do you mean only if the guy began as a pinch hitter, or just a general rule if a defensive replacement moves to pitcher?) ---
**Author:** ![BobT](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/b/8e8cbc/32.png) [@BobT](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/BobT)\ **Post date:** [August 29, 2001, 5:01pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/a-baseball-question/78670/6 "2001-08-29T17:01:51Z")
All of the restrictions on using the DH were put in to keep managers from abusing the position to gain an advantage. You can’t double switch with a DH. The DH has to be listed on the lineup card at the beginning of the game. The DH listed on the lineup card has to bat at least once. Etc. ---
**Author:** ![Typo\_Negative](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/typo_negative/32/484_2.png) [@Typo\_Negative](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Typo_Negative)\ **Post date:** [August 30, 2001, 10:03am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/a-baseball-question/78670/7 "2001-08-30T10:03:11Z")
Can you pinch for a DH. Meaning, if you PH for the DH, would the pitcher have to hit? ---
**Author:** ![JohnW77707](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/j/d2c977/32.png) [@JohnW77707](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/JohnW77707)\ **Post date:** [August 30, 2001, 12:23pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/a-baseball-question/78670/8 "2001-08-30T12:23:40Z")
OK to PH for DH but of course PHer must stay in as DH in the same spot in the order. ---
**Author:** ![jmy67](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/j/9fc348/32.png) [@jmy67](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/jmy67)\ **Post date:** [August 30, 2001, 1:55pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/a-baseball-question/78670/9 "2001-08-30T13:55:54Z")
> [@](#): > > My guess is that this is to prevent teams from shuffling pitchers on and off the mound. Like, suppose a team has a lineup of right and left handed batters. An opposing team could use two pitchers against them, putting the one not being used for that AB into left field and then back to the mound to pitch etc. Davey Johnson’s Mets, 1986 I think, _did_ do this with Roger McDowell and Jesse Orosco switching back and forth from RF to the mound. If I recall, it was something odd like a realy long extra inning game. Leadfooted, late-career Rusty Staub also did this once, switching back and forth from RF to LF depending on who was up, a lefty or righty. It was quite a sight when a player went the other way and Rusty made a really nice running, game-saving diving catch! ---
**Author:** ![BobT](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/b/8e8cbc/32.png) [@BobT](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/BobT)\ **Post date:** [August 30, 2001, 4:57pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/a-baseball-question/78670/10 "2001-08-30T16:57:08Z")
You can always keep a pitcher in a game and move him to a defensive position and then bring him back in to pitch later in the game. In the AL, if you do that, you lose your DH for the rest of the game. In the NL, that’s not an issue. However, a pitcher can only warm up once per inning. Davey Johnson did indeed do this with the Mets in a game against the Reds that went extra innings that involved several ejections.