Quote:
Originally Posted by Balticfox
I thought the DH rule allowed a designated hitter to replace a pitcher at bat but it didn't mandate that a pitcher couldn't hit. Therefore as a pitcher Ohtani could hit for himself but then serve as the DH for the pitchers replacing him on the mound.
My underlying problem though is that I hate the DH business in the first place because it flies in the face of the underlying principle of the game, i.e. the nine men playing in the field come to bat in turn.
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The DH replaces the P in the batting lineup. For every other team, the P and the DH are different people. So the legacy rule where players who get subbed out cannot return to the game is uncontroversial. The Ohtani rule treats Ohtani the starting pitcher and Ohtani the DH as two different players. That's how I think about it.
If you don't like the DH rule, then you should love Ohtani, as he's the only starting pitcher who hits for himself.
The technical question I have regarding the Ohtani rule is what happens if Ohtani is replaced with a pinch hitter as the DH, but the Dodgers want to keep him on the mound (let's say he sustains an injury to his left hand). Can he stay in as a pitcher? Or does the Ohtani Rule only work if he's replaced on the mound?