Big Africa Posted April 15, 2005 Share Posted April 15, 2005 I have noticed that some teams have Designated Hitters but other teams use the pitcher as their 9th hitter. Also what are pinch hitters and pinch runners? What are the rules about this? And one final question, why does the AL West only have 4 teams and the NL Central has 6 teams? This means the the NL has two more teams then the AL, just wondering why this is.Thanks everybody. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Korkie Posted April 15, 2005 Share Posted April 15, 2005 I have noticed that some teams have Designated Hitters but other teams use the pitcher as their 9th hitter. Also what are pinch hitters and pinch runners? What are the rules about this? And one final question, why does the AL West only have 4 teams and the NL Central has 6 teams? This means the the NL has two more teams then the AL, just wondering why this is.Thanks everybody. In the AL, they use the Designated Hitter instead of the pitcher to increase offense and make the game more exciting. This was started back in 1974, I think. The NL still has the pitchers hit. During interleague games, if the game is in an NL park the pitcher hits and in an AL park they use the DH. By having the AL have 14 teams and the NL 16 teams, it keeps the schedule even and you don't have to always worry about having an interleague match-up or teams not playing every day. I know it's odd, but it just keeps things easier for the schedulemakers. "The views expressed here are mine and do not reflect the official opinion of my employer or the organization through which the Internet was accessed."Dr. Kelso: My son is a big baseball fan. Not so much playing it, but more the designing and sewing of uniforms.Tyler: That's neat.Dr. Kelso: No, it's not. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Big Africa Posted April 15, 2005 Author Share Posted April 15, 2005 Thanks jkorkie. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Korkie Posted April 15, 2005 Share Posted April 15, 2005 Thanks jkorkie. No problem, glad I could help .I didn't see your other question about pinch runners & hitters til now, sorry about that. A pinch hitter may bat for another player at any point in the game, however the pinch hitter must stay in the game unless replaced and the player who was hit for is out of the game and may not re-enter the game. A pinch runner's rules are the same. Most commonly pinch hitters are used to create a favorable match-up (lefty vs. righty) or to hit for a pitcher who is going to be replaced the next inning. Pinch runners are normally just used for speed, obviously. "The views expressed here are mine and do not reflect the official opinion of my employer or the organization through which the Internet was accessed."Dr. Kelso: My son is a big baseball fan. Not so much playing it, but more the designing and sewing of uniforms.Tyler: That's neat.Dr. Kelso: No, it's not. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
marlinfan Posted April 15, 2005 Share Posted April 15, 2005 Shouldn't it also be said that interleague games weren't played up until 8 years ago to keep with tradition? Even now that they are played they are concentrated to a few series in June/July, and 2 of the series are against a geographical rival. Before 1997 the AL had never played the NL during the season and only met in the World Series, to determine which league's champion is better. 1997 | 2003 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
jkrdevil Posted April 15, 2005 Share Posted April 15, 2005 Shouldn't it also be said that interleague games weren't played up until 8 years ago to keep with tradition? Even now that they are played they are concentrated to a few series in June/July, and 2 of the series are against a geographical rival. Before 1997 the AL had never played the NL during the season and only met in the World Series, to determine which league's champion is better. Which is the way it should be. I liked it when they first had it but the novelty has worn off and it's time to go back to the way it was. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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