should D.H's be allowed to win an mvp or be allowed in the hall of fame?

Question

i say no because the hall of fame is the best of the best. not the best at hitting. if they are not good enough to play defense they just be a pinch hitter. Fat D.Hs is what make baseball records fall to people well past their prime. hall of fame an mvp's should be to people that help their team in every way and are good at every way. think about it would you compare David Ortiz to Willie mays, Joe DiMaggio, or even Tony Gwyn at least he played defense when he got fat.

a pitcher plays defense look they have to cover first base they catch balls in their direction throws them to the base it supposed to go, and the D.H don't even get on the field all day only just hit. they don't even need a glove.

Answer 1

If that's all they do, or all they are ever known for, then I'd have to say "no." The DH should not even exist in professional baseball--at least in all of MLB, anyway. It is amateurish, bush league, and not even a real position. Even a lardbutt like David Ortiz can do it, because he doesn't have to worry about fielding. He looks like his off-season conditioning consists of donuts, beer, and maybe a round of golf every week or so. Lose the DH, MLB!

Answer 2

Interesting argument but the problem is that a lot of the Hall members werent always good at one discipline or another. There are more than one catcher in the Hall that couldnt throw out their Mom or call a very good game, they got there based on the bat. Same thing in reverse...did Ozzie Smith earn his spot in the Hall with a big bat (.262 career hitter with 26 career HR....both the lowest totals of any Hall member yet he certainly deserves to be there)or was it his wicked good glove that pushed him in. A few other notable SS that were far better sticks and solid defensively (Alan Trammell comes immediately to mind, excellent hitter, GG winner, WS MVP '84 and AL MVP runner up '87). Being a top DH is not an easy job, you sit around with little to do and suddenly pick up a bat and have to hit. There is pressure in having to produce offensively when you offer nothing else. That is why when people talk about full time DHs they can only name a couple. Think about it...name 5 full time top producing DHs in 30 seconds....couldnt do it?....okay try it in 5 minutes without looking up the teams! Guys who end up in the Hall have the ability to add a dynamic element to the game whether it be with the bat or glove. The Hall generally speaking does not include solid long time players that havent provided that element (see Jim Rice...played d and had a great bat with Hall type numbers....but!). I do understand your thought and generally speaking dont see where there will be a lot of support for many DHs to enter the Hall but if someone like Ortiz continues to produce like he has then I can see him making the Hall. He is a game changer and a money time producer....period! And the Hall has set the DH prescedent already...they voted in Paul Molitor who was primarily a DH for his entire 20 year career (got in with something like 85% of the vote if i remember correctly). And he is properly listed as a DH in the Hall on his plaque.

Answer 3

Too late. (And hardly fat or slow.)

For [e-mail], Molitor played less than 45% of his games as a DH, played as a defensive player as well in all but one (and it was strike-shortened) season of his career, and the first year that he played more than 100 games as a DH was in 1991, 14 years into his 21-year career.

Answer 4

By that reasoning, no pitcher could ever be elected to the Hall.

I have never yet heard an argument against the designated hitter that didn't reduce to "I don't like it."

Answer 5

Yes they should.