# All MLB Goes to DH? **URL:** \ **Category:** The Game Room\ **Tags:** baseball-mlb\ **Created:** [March 11, 2022, 2:53am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/all-mlb-goes-to-dh/960866 "2022-03-11T02:53:30Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 20\ **Page:** 9
**Author:** ![Whack-a-Mole](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/whack-a-mole/32/141_2.png) [@Whack-a-Mole](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Whack-a-Mole)\ **Post date:** [March 20, 2022, 2:33pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/all-mlb-goes-to-dh/960866/161 "2022-03-20T14:33:03Z")
> [@Jackmannii](#): > > Baseball went to hell when they let pitchers start throwing overhand. I dunno…I have seen women pitch softballs underhand and the speed they achieve is astonishing (so much so I think they had to move the mound back to give batters a chance). In basketball underhand free throws are statistically more likely to go in the basket. Some times the old ways aren’t bad. 😉 ---
**Author:** ![Elmer\_J.Fudd](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/elmer_j.fudd/32/1211_2.png) [@Elmer\_J.Fudd](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Elmer_J.Fudd)\ **Post date:** [March 20, 2022, 2:38pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/all-mlb-goes-to-dh/960866/162 "2022-03-20T14:38:52Z")
> [@Jackmannii](#): > > Baseball went to hell when they let pitchers start throwing overhand. You know how there are orchestras that are authentic to the time period the music was composed? I wonder if there are any teams or leagues that play baseball the way it was played back in the day. I’d like to see a game where you could tag a runner out by hitting them with the ball. ---
**Author:** ![kenobi\_65](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/kenobi_65/32/13178_2.png) [@kenobi\_65](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/kenobi_65)\ **Post date:** [March 20, 2022, 3:14pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/all-mlb-goes-to-dh/960866/163 "2022-03-20T15:14:58Z")
> [@Elmer\_J.Fudd](#): > > I wonder if there are any teams or leagues that play baseball the way it was played back in the day. I’ve heard of this league, which plays by 19th-century rules. > **[VBBA Vintage Base Ball Association – Historic Base Ball](https://www.vbba.org/)** > > Vintage Base Ball Association VBBA promotes base ball as played in the 19th century and other historic eras. It also supports member clubs in various ways ---
**Author:** ![RobotDevilDog](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/r/e19adc/32.png) [@RobotDevilDog](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/RobotDevilDog)\ **Post date:** [March 21, 2022, 6:04pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/all-mlb-goes-to-dh/960866/164 "2022-03-21T18:04:53Z")
Conan O’Brien has already done the research for you. [![](https://img.youtube.com/vi/GS39vMhag-A/maxresdefault.jpg "Conan Plays Old Timey Baseball | Late Night with Conan O’Brien") ](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=GS39vMhag-A) ---
**Author:** ![ISiddiqui](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/i/97f17d/32.png) [@ISiddiqui](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/ISiddiqui)\ **Post date:** [March 22, 2022, 11:04pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/all-mlb-goes-to-dh/960866/165 "2022-03-22T23:04:06Z")
We now have a change to the rules referred to as the “Ohtani Rule” which allows a pitcher to remain as the DH even after he is pulled from pitching: > **[MLB, union agree to temporary expanded rosters, ‘Shohei Ohtani rule’](https://nypost.com/2022/03/22/mlb-union-agree-to-temporary-28-man-rosters-shohei-ohtani-rule/)** > > MLB and the Players Association have reached a tentative agreement to expand rosters from 26 to 28 players through May 1, along with a “Shohei Ohtani rule.” Though they also reintroduced the ghost runner for this year. ---
**Author:** ![Barkis\_is\_Willin](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/b/a183cd/32.png) [@Barkis\_is\_Willin](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Barkis_is_Willin)\ **Post date:** [March 22, 2022, 11:18pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/all-mlb-goes-to-dh/960866/166 "2022-03-22T23:18:25Z")
As I’ve noted here before, the Ohtani rule just makes sense. Good for MLB. ---
**Author:** ![BlankSlate](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/blankslate/32/80_2.png) [@BlankSlate](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/BlankSlate)\ **Post date:** [March 23, 2022, 12:52am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/all-mlb-goes-to-dh/960866/167 "2022-03-23T00:52:46Z")
> [@ISiddiqui](#): > > Though they also reintroduced the ghost runner for this year. I don’t consider myself a ‘purist’ but this is really disappointing. Last season I stopped watching tie games after nine innings. Ugh. ---
**Author:** ![BobLibDem](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/boblibdem/32/3149_2.png) [@BobLibDem](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/BobLibDem)\ **Post date:** [March 23, 2022, 12:05pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/all-mlb-goes-to-dh/960866/168 "2022-03-23T12:05:25Z")
What a crock- changing rules to benefit one guy and one team. Then we see more of the hideous peewee league rule for the ghost runner. WTF for one year only? Like “we’re going to fix the game and play it the way it should be, but not till next year”. ---
**Author:** ![ISiddiqui](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/i/97f17d/32.png) [@ISiddiqui](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/ISiddiqui)\ **Post date:** [March 23, 2022, 2:10pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/all-mlb-goes-to-dh/960866/169 "2022-03-23T14:10:38Z")
> [@BobLibDem](#): > > What a crock- changing rules to benefit one guy and one team. When that one guy shows the massive deficiency in the rule, it’s good to change it. ---
**Author:** ![silenus](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/silenus/32/166_2.png) [@silenus](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/silenus)\ **Post date:** [March 23, 2022, 4:14pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/all-mlb-goes-to-dh/960866/170 "2022-03-23T16:14:17Z")
Besides, it’s the Angels. It’s not like they are contenders. ---
**Author:** ![Great\_Antibob](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/g/e47c2d/32.png) [@Great\_Antibob](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Great_Antibob)\ **Post date:** [March 23, 2022, 5:41pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/all-mlb-goes-to-dh/960866/171 "2022-03-23T17:41:15Z")
I’m not religious about the DH but I’m all for allowing a generationally good baseball player to showcase his talents if there is now a universal DH. We should be applauding the chance to see him play more baseball. As long as they don’t let him field again (as pitcher or outfielder) once he’s out, I don’t see a problem with it. ---
**Author:** ![Chronos](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/chronos/32/134_2.png) [@Chronos](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Chronos)\ **Post date:** [March 23, 2022, 9:12pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/all-mlb-goes-to-dh/960866/172 "2022-03-23T21:12:36Z")
…Wait. The bit about the ghost runner rule wasn’t a whoosh? As in, the rule that backyard games use when there aren’t enough players, and someone’s turn to bat comes up while they’re still on base? MLB is doing that? ---
**Author:** ![kenobi\_65](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/kenobi_65/32/13178_2.png) [@kenobi\_65](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/kenobi_65)\ **Post date:** [March 23, 2022, 9:25pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/all-mlb-goes-to-dh/960866/173 "2022-03-23T21:25:14Z")
> [@Chronos](#): > > Wait. The bit about the ghost runner rule wasn’t a whoosh? As in, the rule that backyard games use when there aren’t enough players, and someone’s turn to bat comes up while they’re still on base? MLB is doing that? It’s not exactly the same, though it borrows its nickname from backyard baseball. Under the rule, in extra innings, teams start their half the inning with a runner already on 2nd base – the idea behind it was that it would make extra-inning games less likely to extend to many additional innings. ---
**Author:** ![Great\_Antibob](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/g/e47c2d/32.png) [@Great\_Antibob](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Great_Antibob)\ **Post date:** [March 23, 2022, 9:28pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/all-mlb-goes-to-dh/960866/174 "2022-03-23T21:28:46Z")
Yeah, not exactly the backyard ghost runner. It was introduced for the pandemic shortened 2020 season and used through 2021, so it’s not exactly ‘new’. It was set to expire but the commissioner and the players’ union both agreed to extend it for at least this season, and it’s unlikely the owners will object. ---
**Author:** ![Procrustus](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/procrustus/32/2994_2.png) [@Procrustus](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Procrustus)\ **Post date:** [March 23, 2022, 9:52pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/all-mlb-goes-to-dh/960866/175 "2022-03-23T21:52:56Z")
> [@Great\_Antibob](#): > > It was introduced for the pandemic shortened 2020 season and used through 2021, so it’s not exactly ‘new’ Did it result in shorter games? ---
**Author:** ![Great\_Antibob](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/g/e47c2d/32.png) [@Great\_Antibob](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Great_Antibob)\ **Post date:** [March 23, 2022, 10:04pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/all-mlb-goes-to-dh/960866/176 "2022-03-23T22:04:06Z")
> [@Procrustus](#): > > Did it result in shorter games? Maybe? It’s appeared to have shaved a couple dozen innings off the season, but there aren’t that many games that go beyond 10 innings anyway, so it’s hard to say if 20-30 innings over the 20000+ that are played matter all that much either way. The rule reversion that wasn’t mentioned would result in longer games, though. Doubleheaders have gone back to 9 full innings than the 7 they were during the last two seasons. This wouldn’t normally be much of an issue, except there will be 30 more doubleheaders (up from just 1 on the original 2022 schedule) to make up for the postponed games. ---
**Author:** ![Chronos](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/chronos/32/134_2.png) [@Chronos](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Chronos)\ **Post date:** [March 23, 2022, 10:13pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/all-mlb-goes-to-dh/960866/177 "2022-03-23T22:13:42Z")
> [@kenobi\_65](#): > > It’s not exactly the same, Ah. Kind of exactly the opposite: Instead of an imaginary person occupying an earned space on the bases, it’s a real person occupying an unearned space on the bases. ---
**Author:** ![RickJay](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/r/bb73d2/32.png) [@RickJay](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/RickJay)\ **Post date:** [March 24, 2022, 3:45am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/all-mlb-goes-to-dh/960866/178 "2022-03-24T03:45:41Z")
> [@Great\_Antibob](#): > > I’m not religious about the DH but I’m all for allowing a generationally good baseball player to showcase his talents if there is now a universal DH. I don’t understand what the universal DH has to do with it, as he’s an American League player anyway. ---
**Author:** ![ThatCanadianGuy](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/t/5f8ce5/32.png) [@ThatCanadianGuy](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/ThatCanadianGuy)\ **Post date:** [March 25, 2022, 2:57pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/all-mlb-goes-to-dh/960866/179 "2022-03-25T14:57:28Z")
Not to me but I seem to be in the minority. ---
**Author:** ![BlankSlate](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/blankslate/32/80_2.png) [@BlankSlate](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/BlankSlate)\ **Post date:** [March 25, 2022, 5:10pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/all-mlb-goes-to-dh/960866/180 "2022-03-25T17:10:51Z")
I’m a bit confused. Suppose Matt Chapman is your DH one day, but come the ninth inning you want to beef up your defense. Can you insert him at third? Or, you take left fielder Giancarlo Stanton out of a game to beef up your defense, can he be moved to DH? [Previous page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/all-mlb-goes-to-dh/960866.md?page=8) [Next page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/all-mlb-goes-to-dh/960866.md?page=10)