All Bat, No Glove: A History of the Designated Hitter (review)

One of the more contentious debates raging among baseball fans concerns the designated hitter. Some believe the dh has outlived its usefulness (if it was ever useful) and should be discontinued. Others argue that having the dh allows players to prolong their careers and has contributed to the surge in offense which is useful because, as espn announcers continuously remind us, chicks dig the long ball. McKelvey does not take a strong stance either way, but he does provide a straightforward history about how and why the dh was established.

Beginning on April 6, 1973, when the first designated pinch hitters Ron Blomberg, Orlando Cepeda, and Tony Oliva among others stepped to the plate, McKelvey walks readers through the American League's embrace of the dh and the National League's aversion to the position. Responding to the Senior Circuit's lead in attendance and several offensive categories, the Junior Circuit envisioned the dh as a way to regain the offensive lead as well as increase fan interest. McKelvey tracks the early dh's statistics, the increase American League attendance and offensive numbers, as well as some player and fan reactions to the change. McKelvey also discusses the unintended effect the dh had on pitching, as the new position allowed "Junior Circuit pitchers to go more innings in games and control their own destinies. However, the increased offensive output continued to force the ERAs higher" (p. 90). The early chapters also outline the haphazard way the dh was initially used in the All-Star Game and World Series: having the use of the dh alternate based on where the game was being played did not initially occur to the commissioner's office.

Chapter 11 includes a listing of players who won the Outstanding Designated Hitter Award from 1973–2003 and a listing of the top DHs for each team, including the batting average, home run total, and rbi. The chapter also includes league comparisons for slugging and on-base percentage, batting average, complete games, and earned run average.

Ironically, the final chapter contains the most interesting material. Mc-Kelvey includes different game scenarios and possible strategies from both the nine-man and ten-man perspective. For example, early in a game, with nobody out and a runner on first, a National League manager might signal for a sacrifice bunt while an American League manager might attempt to advance the runner without sacrificing an out. Clearly these strategies are not sacrosanct, as American League players can lay down a bunt and, depending on the batter, National League players can swing for the fences; what is evident are the different options available in each League.

In the end, readers who are looking for a clear-cut history of the designated hitter and information about the players who defined the position will be satisfied with this book.