Here's a thought for you- The "Designated Fielder"

[dlocks]

With all the controversy about the DH why not have a "Designated Fielder"/ "Defensive Specialist" in the NL? The idea of this is to have a position player who only plays in the Field, and does not bat. Light hitting middle infielders who play great defense, but struggle at the plate and speedy outfielders who track down anything hit their way, but haave horrible batting skills would be prime targets for this position. Catchers who call a great game behind the plate, and have a cannon for an arm would also benefit from this. The only remaining delema would be that pitchers still have to hit. Almost every team in the NL and AL has a guy who is grerat in the field, but lacks batting skills (Edmonds, Blanco for the Cubs). I don't know, I'm just throwin around ideas...

[Hairyducked Idiot]

With all the controversy about the DH why not have a "Designated Fielder"/ "Defensive Specialist" in the NL? The idea of this is to have a position player who only plays in the Field, and does not bat. Light hitting middle infielders who play great defense, but struggle at the plate and speedy outfielders who track down anything hit their way, but haave horrible batting skills would be prime targets for this position. Catchers who call a great game behind the plate, and have a cannon for an arm would also benefit from this. The only remaining delema would be that pitchers still have to hit. Almost every team in the NL and AL has a guy who is grerat in the field, but lacks batting skills (Edmonds, Blanco for the Cubs). I don't know, I'm just throwin around ideas...

 

If the Cubs got to use a designated fielder, and we wasted it on Edmonds in CF, I would literally give up right there. That'd be the last straw.

[UMFan83]

Gosh, no.

 

I see what you are saying, and its a very creative idea, but if this happens I would like baseball a little bit less. I hate the DH, and I would hate this even more. I like my baseball players to be complete.

[chuckywang]

I think every NL team would just make their Designated Fielder the pitcher, thereby making it the same as the AL.

[vance_the_cubs_fan]

Aww hell, while we're ruining the game, why not have free substitution so that players can enter and leave the game as long as they go back into the same spot in the line-up.

[davearm2]

With all the controversy about the DH why not have a "Designated Fielder"/ "Defensive Specialist" in the NL? The idea of this is to have a position player who only plays in the Field, and does not bat. Light hitting middle infielders who play great defense, but struggle at the plate and speedy outfielders who track down anything hit their way, but haave horrible batting skills would be prime targets for this position. Catchers who call a great game behind the plate, and have a cannon for an arm would also benefit from this. The only remaining delema would be that pitchers still have to hit. Almost every team in the NL and AL has a guy who is grerat in the field, but lacks batting skills (Edmonds, Blanco for the Cubs). I don't know, I'm just throwin around ideas...

You do realize that this very thing can be done in the AL right now.

 

Someone will no doubt correct me if I'm wrong, but nowhere does it say that the DH has to hit for the pitcher.

[Ryno12]

Adam Everett please!

 

Also, Edmonds isn't that good in the field anymore.

[BigbadB]

Aww hell, while we're ruining the game, why not have free substitution so that players can enter and leave the game as long as they go back into the same spot in the line-up.

 

I would actually be in favor of this if it was determined the opposing team is responsible for the player needing to leave the game due to an injury. For example, high take out slides at 2b where the fielder needs treatment for a cut or the pitcher beaning a hitter, etc...

[Hairyducked Idiot]

Actually, the rule does say you have to hit for the pitcher. I think it's stupid.

[Schwarber Fan]

The pitcher is the A.L.'s "Designated Fielder", no?

[davearm2]

Actually, the rule does say you have to hit for the pitcher. I think it's stupid.

Sure enough! Thanks for the correction.

[OleMissCub]

Actually, the rule does say you have to hit for the pitcher. I think it's stupid.

 

So a pitcher can't hit for himself, even if he wanted to in the AL? Guess I never knew that.

[Vanilla Ice]

Actually, the rule does say you have to hit for the pitcher. I think it's stupid.

 

So a pitcher can't hit for himself, even if he wanted to in the AL? Guess I never knew that.

I would think that the pitcher could be named the DH

[splintersag]

Actually, the rule does say you have to hit for the pitcher. I think it's stupid.

 

So a pitcher can't hit for himself, even if he wanted to in the AL? Guess I never knew that.

 

The official rule is that DH is optional, so the pitcher can hit. But rarely will a manager let them hit, when they could use a DH.

[daske17]

Why stop there? We could have designated runners who stand next to home plate and run for the batter.

 

Designated water bottle destroyers so that angry players don't injure themselves (designated fan kicker in certain cases).

 

Designated clubhouse cancers so the media can pinpoint one specific player as the reason the team is doing terribly.

 

Designated slumpbuster. . . self-explanatory.

 

The possibilities are endless!

[imb]

wouldn't every team just use the pitcher as their designated fielder and use a batter in his place?

[Jehrico]

With all the controversy about the DH why not have a "Designated Fielder"/ "Defensive Specialist" in the NL? The idea of this is to have a position player who only plays in the Field, and does not bat. Light hitting middle infielders who play great defense, but struggle at the plate and speedy outfielders who track down anything hit their way, but haave horrible batting skills would be prime targets for this position. Catchers who call a great game behind the plate, and have a cannon for an arm would also benefit from this. The only remaining delema would be that pitchers still have to hit. Almost every team in the NL and AL has a guy who is grerat in the field, but lacks batting skills (Edmonds, Blanco for the Cubs). I don't know, I'm just throwin around ideas...

Do you really want to encourage increased prominence for the Neifis of the world?

 

I would be pretty funny to see Dusty using his designated fielders as pinch hitters every time he fails to properly manage his bench.

[Balsa]

Why not just have defensive and offensive teams be separate like in football?

 

:pig:

[Yeti]

:scratch:

[javy knows my name]

Why not just have defensive and offensive teams be separate like in football?

 

:pig:

Quite frankly, that would be so dumb it's hard to comtemplate

[Sosa21MVP]

I'm having trouble wrapping my mind around this concept. :scratch: You have a pitcher plus 8 fielders on defense. One fielder is a DF who does not bat, the other 7 fielders do get to bat. The pitcher bats so that is 8 hitters. So then you need a corresponding Designated Hitter for each Designated Fielder to fill out your lineup. If you make the pitcher be the DF then you have the current AL DH setup for that game.

 

Okay now that I talked myself through it, I guess I can see it but it wouldn't make any sense to let the pitcher hit if you could make him the DF. Which just brings you back to the current DH rules which do in effect let you move a lousy fielder/strong hitter to a non-fielding position and replace him with a better fielder. The DF scenario with the pitcher batting only makes sense if your pitcher is a better hitter than the DF. Hmmmm.

 

My head hurts. Make it stop. :?

[Balsa]

Why not just have defensive and offensive teams be separate like in football?

 

:pig:

Quite frankly, that would be so dumb it's hard to comtemplate

The Cliff Floyd's of the world would never fear for a job!

[Jehrico]

Here's a question for the masses...if we still had Neifi as our starting SS, would the AL rules allow us to use the DH to bat for him instead of Z during road interleague games? Or does it absolutely have to be the pitcher?

 

Here's another one...you can move guys from one defensive position to another throughout a game. Can you move the DH into the field and have a fielder DH the next inning? If so, I'm surprised no one rotates catchers between DH and the field between innings to keep them fresh (assuming you had two catchers that are worth keeping both of their bats in there, of course).

[Vanilla Ice]

Here's a question for the masses...if we still had Neifi as our starting SS, would the AL rules allow us to use the DH to bat for him instead of Z during road interleague games? Or does it absolutely have to be the pitcher?

 

Here's another one...you can move guys from one defensive position to another throughout a game. Can you move the DH into the field and have a fielder DH the next inning? If so, I'm surprised no one rotates catchers between DH and the field between innings to keep them fresh (assuming you had two catchers that are worth keeping both of their bats in there, of course).

yes

 

no

[Jehrico]

Here's a question for the masses...if we still had Neifi as our starting SS, would the AL rules allow us to use the DH to bat for him instead of Z during road interleague games? Or does it absolutely have to be the pitcher?

yes

Then, in that case, the DH could easily be called a designated fielder instead. You could have a slick fielding SS (or slick throwing pitcher) field for someone else who can't field (or, of course, pitch). Same thing. I might just start messing with some AL fans I know by calling their pitchers "designated fielders" instead.