"Early in my career, I hated the designated hitter and thought baseball should get rid of it. But toward the end of my career, I realized that it allows older players to play a few more years. Paul Molitor is a great example. If there were no DH, it would've been difficult for him to accomplish all he did later in his career. I'm a National League guy, so I personally like the NL style of play. As Lou Brock once said, "You gotta earn it." You can't hide in the NL; you have to go out and play defense in order to have the right to hit. But now that I'm coaching at San Diego State — we have a DH in college baseball — I like having that extra offensive guy in my lineup and the extra possibilities it gives me (like giving a guy a "day off" by making him the DH). I realize a lot of fans don't like the DH, but it's a chance for a guy like Rickey Henderson to play another year. It's great for players who've had success in the game, but maybe can't take the grind of playing a full season at the end of their careers. It allows them to stay in the game — and that's a good thing." - Tony Gwynn on ESPN.com (April 4, 2003)

"For just over 25 years, we've seen two different games played in the major leagues: The American League version and the National League version. It's time the two leagues got together, not just to standardize the strike zone, but to standardize the rules themselves and adopt the designated hitter. It doesn't make sense to keep pitchers from hitting through college and the minors ... but then change the rules when they reach the majors. Talk about a playing field that isn't level. Fans pay to watch the best hitters face the best pitchers. Would you rather see a three-pitch strikeout or Harold Baines line one into the gap? A sacrifice bunt or a tape-measure blast from Jose Canseco? The DH keeps the best hitters AND the best pitchers in the game. One of the most frustrating things about NL games is when the staff ace gets removed for a pinch-hitter in the seventh inning with his team trailing 2-1. There's the argument that the DH takes managerial strategy out of the game, but I'd much rather see the players decide the game on the field." - Steve Gardner in USA Today (June 10, 1999)

"I don't think there's differences as maybe — or the, you know, the — you know, the separation of two leagues, I don't think it's as great as a lot of people speculate it is. I think you try to look at the talents of your club and use all the assets you have. There are certainly clubs in our league that play even more of a — what would be called a "National style" than we do. There's certainly clubs in the National League that sit back and play more of an American League style. The one thing at first I was very, very anti designated hitter, you know, coming from the National League. The one thing I found after working with it for three years is not only the offense opens up on another bat, but the little ball opens up. That's really almost contradictory to a designated hitter philosophy, where you think you have a big bat in the line-up. We can do more things in the American League, particularly as you approach the bottom third or bottom half of your order than you can in the National League because of the pitcher's spot. It creates more little ball in the American League than maybe might be on the surface and I think our club has, you know, been an indication of that." - Anaheim Angels Manager Mike Scioscia (October 1, 2002)

"I played in both leagues and enjoyed playing the National League game better than the American League game. The game itself is better without the designated hitter. There is more strategy involved with double switches, balance in the bullpen and the benches becoming more important, and that adds to the excitement of the game for players. Most of that is lost with the DH. And the DH definitely becomes an advantage for National League teams in postseason play, when American League pitchers go to the plate to attempt a sacrifice bunt or try to put the bat on the ball in an important situation. But the AL will also have an advantage in its parks because the teams have that guy who is on the roster just to hit the ball, whereas the National League benches have to be filled out with utility-type guys who can play in the field rather than just go out there and pinch-hit. That being said, the game I grew up with is gone. Now, everyone wants to see the pitchers pitching and the hitters hitting. The emphasis in today's game is on offense rather than pitching and defense, and based on the way the game is played now I would like to see both leagues go to the DH. Let the hitters worry about driving in the runs, because the fans want to see scoring." - Tom Candiotti on ESPN.com (April 4, 2003)

"The designated hitter provides more offense and a more exciting game overall for the fans. That was the initial reason for authorizing the designated hitter and I think that reason still pertains. The purists feel that it alters the game from a standpoint of strategy. I think that is true. You do lose something there. But I think in the overall you gain by providing more offensive capability. That is important because baseball has a tendency at times to be slow-moving and unexciting. This adds another dimension of excitement to the game and that's why I support it. Also it prolongs careers. We have an excellent example of that in Harold Baines. He is truly an extraordinary hitter, but due to injuries playing the game, he is unable to play in the field. So, (the DH) extends his career and he certainly provides many thrills for our fans. He's one of the best clutch hitters in the game. Having him as part of the team is a real plus for us. And, of course, there are many other examples currently in the game. I'm only using Harold because he's with us. Those who advocate the elimination also say it will help reduce the cost of salaries. I can understand that problem as well as anyone in baseball. Some of these salaries, not all of them, are getting completely out of line. On the other hand I don't think we can resolve that problem by singling out the designated hitter for elimination. I think that the offensive capability adds so much to the interest in the game. A great pitching duel is much appreciated. But good hitting, timely hitting and power hitting — those are the most attractive aspects of baseball. The fans tell me that they support the DH. With the exception of the purists, whose views I appreciate and respect, generally I think fans like the designated hitter." - Baltimore Orioles Owner Peter Angelos in USA Today Baseball Weekley

"Baseball is simply a better game without the DH. " - Sports Announcer Bob Costas

Here's the top ten reasons why the Designated Hitter is, well, lame (by The DonutRun Soapbox):

10. It makes pitching a bigger wienner job than it already is ... you already only get to play every four games (starters) or only a few innings (relievers) ... the DH only lets you play in half of each inning you are in!
9. Most major league pitchers were, at one point, the best athlete on their little league or high school team -- and great hitters ... they simply lost the skill because it wasn't valued. They have to practice longer to keep both their arm and their bat sharp? That's toooooo bad, especially considering #6.
8. You're more likely to get hurt boarding the Lear jet with its low door than you are running the bases, so that excuse is out the window.
7. If you get tired after running 90 feet, nobody should be paying you hundreds of thousands or millions of dollars to be an athlete, so that excuse was holding hands with number 3 when it went out the window.
6. Only three things in life (but that's a different column) are more fun than batting practice, so why rob pitchers of one of life's great pleasures?
5. The strategy involved in pinch hitting for the pitcher or trying to stretch a pitcher's stay because of his place in the line up is magnificently entertaining ... people who don't get that just don't get the essence of baseball and its nuances.
4. It keeps fat guys and old guys in the game ... Sure, it's fun to see Cecil Fielder or Methusala crush one, but lets make them earn their money or send them to the town softball league where they belong!
3. It dilutes the talent pool in two ways: first, some prospects have got to chose the outfield over the mound because they don't want to give up hitting ... and secondly, teams horde hitters who could be playing in place of weaker players on other teams.
2. Look how cool it is when Steve Avery drives in three runs with a triple to help his own cause in the post season ... Now that's baseball.
1. Basically, if you can't do it all -- you gotta go back to practice and learn how ... or go be a punter.

"I believe in the soul ... the small of a woman's back, the hanging curveball, high fiber, good scotch, that the novels of Susan Sontag are self-indulgent, overrated crap. I believe Lee Harvey Oswald acted alone. I believe there ought to be a constitutional amendment outlawing Astroturf and the designated hitter." - Crash Davis (Kevin Costner) in Bull Durham (1988)

"I don't like the designated hitter. A guy who plays should be able to catch and hit." - Former Reds Owner Marge Schott

"I don't think our fans are the least bit interested in seeing the DH be part of the National League landscape." - Chicago Cubs President Andy MacPhail

"I grew up with the DH. I grew up with Hal McRae, the best DH (before Edgar Martinez, that is). And I can't stand watching pitchers hit. Or rather, trying to hit. Or trying to bunt. All that said, I'm starting to wonder if it's time, after 30 years, for the designated hitter to go the way of the Federal League, flannel uniforms, and multi-purpose stadiums. The DH was originally installed because American League owners thought attendance needed a boost — actually, what the American League needed was better owners — and they thought that more runs would lead to more fans. Did it work? Attendance went up 17 percent in 1973, the first season of the DH. This was proof enough for the owners, and so we've had the DH ever since. But there's a lot more to attendance than scoring tons of runs, as any number of National League teams have proved since 1973. And perhaps more to the point, nobody needs help scoring runs any more; there are plenty of hitters with power and plate discipline to go around, and there are plenty of teams that don't care much whether their sluggers can actually play in the field without embarrassing themselves. So while it's been fun, and we'll always remember Hal McRae and Edgar Martinez fondly, 30 years is long enough." - Rob Neyer on ESPN.com (April 4, 2003)

"I screwed up the game of baseball. Baseball needed a jolt of offense for attendance, so they decided on the DH. I never thought it would last this long." - Ron Blomberg [the first DH ever] in The Journal News (April 5, 2003)

"It's 30 years down the DH highway, and this rule makes even less sense now than it did in 1973 — if that's possible. Here are five reasons baseball should abolish this abomination now (by Jayson Stark in ESPN.com on April 4, 2003):

1. Once, it was at least slightly intriguing to have two leagues playing the same sport using different rules. Now, with interleague play, it's not intriguing anymore. It's absurd.
2. Let's take that one step further. The DH rule may have cost the Giants the World Series. This was a team constructed around its bullpen, not its spare bench parts. So Dusty Baker essentially had no DH. In fact, his Game 7 DH — Pedro Feliz — was a guy who had made it through the first six games without an at-bat. No other sport would tolerate a situation this farcical.
3. The idea 30 years ago was that the DH would allow some beloved older hitters to extend their careers once they could no longer play the field. Whatever happened to that brainstorm? All these beloved older hitters DH'd Opening Day: Ken Harvey, Al Martin, Jeremy Giambi, Matt LeCroy and Josh Phelps. Face it: The DH is now just an excuse to be one-dimensional.
4. The only reason to have a DH rule is that fans allegedly like more offense. Obviously, DHs are better hitters than pitchers. But how much more offense does this rule really generate? The average AL team scored one more run every three games than the average NL team last year — and got one more hit every four games. So we're talking about two extra runs a week. That'll pack 'em in, all right.
5. Finally, the game is simply way more interesting without the DH than with it. Period. Ask any manager which is more strategically challenging — managing a game under NL rules or AL rules. It's no contest. It's baseball's cerebral side that separates it from all the other games ever invented. And the game is way more cerebral with no DH than with it. That's one thing that hasn't changed in 30 years — and never will.

"Primarily, every rule change over the past ten years has been against the pitchers - lowering the mound and the designated hitter." - Gaylord Perry

"Some changes in baseball — such as interleague play on a limited basis, or a thoughtful realignment — make perfect sense. Others — artificial turf, wild-card teams in the playoffs — make sense only to the baseball-impaired. Then, there is the designated hitter. It's an idea not without merit and one which used to make sense — for the American League, at least. In the early 1970s, baseball faced a crisis of popularity. The American League was especially hurting because of the disappearance of the Yankee dynasty and its slowness in signing black and Latin stars. That left the National League with a disproportionate number of the game's best and most exciting players. In addition, offense was at its lowest point in generations. In 1968, the entire American League hit .230. Carl Yastrzemski won the batting title with a .301 average. Some 20% of all games in the major leagues that year were shutouts. Clearly, something had to be done to juice the offense and to distinguish the American League from the National in an interesting way. The designated hitter was a logical response and it had some real benefits. It helped increase run production — the league batting average jumped from .239 in 1972 (pre-DH) to .259 in 1973 (first year of DH) — and it extended the careers of some popular players. Now, except for enabling veterans such as Minnesota's Paul Molitor to continue playing, none of the other conditions apply any more. Everyone knows the offense has gone through the roof in every measurable way. If anything, the balance needs to be tipped back in the other direction. With its new ballparks and exciting young stars, the American League no longer needs gimmickry to distinguish itself from the senior circuit. The disadvantages that were always present with the DH now tip the balance the other way. One of those disadvantages was highlighted recently by the ugly beanball incidents at Yankee Stadium and in Kansas City. Almost to a man, baseball people believe these situations would occur less frequently if the pitcher had to bat and face the prospect of retaliation. More importantly, the loss of strategy and the over-emphasis on power at the expense of some of the game's subtleties is simply too great a price to pay for the advantages of the DH. Beside, anyone who has so short an attention span and so little appreciation for baseball that he can't bear to watch a pitcher bat is probably beyond hope, anyway. The fact is the National League plays a more interesting game. The American League should try it, too." - Bob Costas in USA Today Baseball Weekly

"The designated hitter rule is like letting someone else take Wilt Chamberlain's free throws." - Rick Wise (1974)

"The DH has worn out its welcome in my book. In 1973, the new rule was embraced by the AL in an effort to generate more offense. Well, the last time I looked (11 teams scored seven or more runs on Wednesday alone), run production in the majors was doing just fine. Thanks to the DH, the Junior Circuit has adopted a swing-for-the-fences mentality which precludes half the country from enjoying that added dimension of the game called strategy. I'm not talking about calling a pitchout or if a pitcher should throw a fastball down 2-0 in the count and runners on base. I mean real decisions - only seen in the NL. The moves which have you arguing with your buddies the next day. Should the manager have ordered that sacrifice bunt? What was he thinking pulling that double-switch when there was still plenty of time to come back? To me, the only people who benefit from the DH are those 14 or so high-paid, aging superstars who grace us with their presence every couple of innings. Let's go back to playing the game the right way - sans DH." - Howard Kamen in USA Today (June 10, 1999)

"The rule allows crusty veterans, such as Chili Davis and Cecil Fielder, to earn between $3 million and $7 million a season when they otherwise would be worthless. Artifacts of the mid-1980s such as Harold Baines and Eddie Murray, who are more suited for the AARP than the major leagues, play well past their primes thanks to the DH. Worst of all, the DH singlehandedly creates Hall of Famers. Of the players who have reached 3,000 career hits during this decade, only Robin Yount did so minus the aid of the DH rule. Neither Dave Winfield, Paul Molitor nor George Brett would have achieved that milestone were their careers dependent upon their ability to play defense. Spectacular careers notwithstanding, these players' lifetime stats should be accompanied by asterisks the size of baseballs when compared with those of their Cooperstown contemporaries." - Journalist Byron Vogel in KSU Publications (April 8, 1998)

"When teams decide to get rid of unwanted players, they are designated for assignment. Now it's time to designate the DH. Assign it to baseball's scrap heap - a bad idea whose time is over." - Hal Bock of the Associated Press

"Everyone in the world disagrees with me, including some managers, but I think managing in the American League is much more difficult for that very reason (having the designated hitter). In the National League, my situation is dictated for me. If I'm behind in the game, I've got to pinch hit. I've got to take my pitcher out. In the American League, you have to zero in. You have to know exactly when to take them out of there. In the National League, that's done for you." - Jim Leyland

"I'm not an advocate of the Designated Hitter Rule; I'm only an advocate of seeing the truth and telling the truth. What the truth comes down to here is a question of in what does strategy reside? Does strategy exist in the act of bunting? If so the Designated Hitter Rule has reduced strategy. But if strategy exists in the decision about when a bunt should be used, then the DH rule has increased the differences of opinion which exist about that question, and thus increased strategy...[the research shows] that there is more of a difference of opinion, not less, in the American League." - Bill James in The Bill James Historical Baseball Abstract (1986)

"What's important is that baseball, after twenty-eight years of artificial turf and expansion and the designated hitter and drugs and free agency and thousand-dollar bubble gum cards is still a gift given by fathers to sons." - Michael Chebon