The Devolving Role of the DH

Ken Rosenthal has had a terrific offseason and he continues to stoke the hot stove with a tweet that indicates that his sources say that the Indians are no longer pursuing Jim Thome as they do not want to commit a roster spot to a DH. Thome is healthy, working out, open to other clubs.

My question is, and has been, why would any team commit to a full-time DH?

As I previously wrote, Billy Butler was the  2012 DH of the Year, but Butler was the only DH with the minimum 502 plate appearances to be eligible for the batting crown

Here are the players who were DH for at least 80% of their 2012 playing time

When you look at the best seasons for designated hitters, you’ll see that very few have been in recent seasons.

Players must have been a DH for at least 85% of their games

Home Runs

RBI

Hits

Batting Average

Stolen Bases

In 2012, we saw a multitude of players for each AL team serve as the DH

There are a number of reasons that has led to the demise of the dedicated DH.

• These include the season-long interleague play which eliminates a potent bat when an AL team plays in a NL venue.
• Versatility is considered a virtue as teams look to maximize their payroll flexibility. Teams look for players who can play first and third or the outfield and first or catcher and other positions.
• The DH slot provides a good way to rest a veteran player without removing his bat from the lineup.
• As originally created, the DH was seen as a way to get a well-known veteran name into the lineup to increase attendance, that is a day long past. Young stars who also make web gems and run the base paths are much more potent draws than the Dinosaur-Hitter.

Tagged as: Billy Butler, Jim Thome, Ken Rosenthal