Martinez was a great hitter but if he had to play the field he would've likely been nowhere near the hitter he was. He was moved to DH because of nagging injuries and if he was forced to play the field 9 innings a game he would've missed many more games, probably been injured more often and not had the career as a hitter he had. The DH role definitely helped pad his offensive stats.
The comparison to a reliever is actually a good one because I'd never vote in any reliever, especially a one inning one. I don't care how good they are, it is one inning, it isnt always a tight situation, it isnt always the heart of a tough lineup theyre facing and they don't even play half the teams games. Definitely an overrated position. If you found some guy who pinch hit his entire career and hit .300 every year I wouldn't even think of voting him in no matter how impressive that feat is.
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01-12-2012, 07:18 PM
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