Can an American league pitcher bat if he wants to?

Question

In the movie "The Scout", Brendan Fraiser's character who pitches for the Yankees, hits a home run in game one of the World Series which is played in Yankee stadium. Now, because of the DH rule, pitchers would have a designated hitter bat in their place. My question is, if an American League pitcher was a good enough batter, could a manager forgoe the DH rule, and allow that pitcher to hit?

Answer 1

Good grief these answers are a collective mess.

The DH is optional. If used, the DH bats for the pitcher; it cannot be used for any other defensive player. If the DH player is moved to a defensive position during the game, the DH option is forfeited by that team and the pitcher then bats in the slot vacated by the removed defensive player.

I cannot think of an instance of an AL pitcher written into the lineup as his own hitter (not use the DH) since the rule was implemented in 1973, but I suppose it may have happened some few times (Earl Weaver in particular abused it with early-game switches, enough so that the rule got revised to prevent such manuevering). And Rick Rhoden, a pitcher (who was a decent hitter as pitchers go) was once used by the Yankees as the DH -- he did not pitch in that game, went 0-1 with a sac fly before being pinch-hit for.

Pitchers tend not to be very good hitters because they are selected (hired, signed, whatever) by the teams based on a skill set (pitching) that has nothing to do with hitting. Any hitting production delivered by a pitcher is a bonus. The AL decided to try to increase offense (and therefore, ticket sales; well-established historical trend) by introducing the DH. It's now been in use for over a third of a century, and isn't about to go away.

MLB Rule 6.10 (with commentary in [brackets]):
Any League may elect to use the Designated Hitter Rule.
(a) In the event of inter-league competition between clubs of Leagues using the Designated Hitter Rule and clubs of Leagues not using the Designated Hitter Rule, the rule will be used as follows:
1. In World Series or exhibition games, the rule will be used or not used as is the practice of the home team.
2. In All-Star games, the rule will only be used if both teams and both Leagues so agree.

(b) The Rule provides as follows:
A hitter may be designated to bat for the starting pitcher and all subsequent pitchers in any game without otherwise affecting the status of the pitcher(s) in the game. A Designated Hitter for the pitcher must be selected prior to the game and must be included in the lineup cards presented to the Umpire in Chief.

The designated hitter named in the starting lineup must come to bat at least one time, unless the opposing club changes pitchers. [This is the Weaver-inspired modification.]

It is not mandatory that a club designate a hitter for the pitcher, but failure to do so prior to the game precludes the use of a Designated Hitter for that game. ["Use it or lose it."]

Pinch hitters for a Designated Hitter may be used. Any substitute hitter for a Designated Hitter becomes the Designated Hitter. A replaced Designated Hitter shall not re-enter the game in any capacity.

The Designated Hitter may be used defensively, continuing to bat in the same position in the batting order, but the pitcher must then bat in the place of the substituted defensive player, unless more than one substitution is made, and the manager then must designate their spots in the batting order.

A runner may be substituted for the Designated Hitter and the runner assumes the role of Designated Hitter. A Designated Hitter may not pinch run.

A Designated Hitter is “locked” into the batting order. No multiple substitutions may be made that will alter the batting rotation of the Designated Hitter.

Once the game pitcher is switched from the mound to a defensive position this move shall terminate the Designated Hitter role for the remainder of the game.

Once a pinch hitter bats for any player in the batting order and then enters the game to pitch, this move shall terminate the Designated Hitter role for the remainder of the game.

Once the game pitcher bats for the Designated Hitter this move shall terminate the Designated Hitter role for the remainder of the game. (The game pitcher may only pinch-hit for the Designated Hitter.)

Once a Designated Hitter assumes a defensive position this move shall terminate the Designated Hitter role for the remainder of the game. A substitute for the Designated Hitter need not be announced until it is the Designated Hitter’s turn to bat.

Answer 2

Yes, but why would he?

Rick Rhoden once started a game as DH for the Yankees. Some AL teams have lost their DH for part of all of a game, because the manager had the DH take the field, or because the manager made a mistake making up the lineup card, but in the noral course of events, why would a manager allow a pitcher to non-hit if he had a choice otherwise?

Answer 3

Yes...if you changed the batting order once the game has started, the pitcher must come in for the DH.

But the DH is there for a reason cause he's a good hitter...david ortiz is a DH cause he's a good hitter! Same goes for Frank Thomas

Answer 4

No a pitcher can't hit in the American League unless he is not pitching the DH is specifically for the Pitcher.

Answer 5

The Designated Hitter can hit for any player in any position; the reason he almost always bats for the pitcher is because most pitchers can't hit worth a damn. The number of pitchers in the entire history of major league baseball who could also hit can almost literally be totaled up on your fingers.

Answer 6

The pitcher still may hit in the American League and someone else in the lineup will be substituted for the DH.

Answer 7

Yes! You would put him in your starting lineup. Since your starting the game without a DH you can not go to a DH later say when a relief pitcher comes in. Once you take your DH out... basically NL rules apply.

Answer 8

National league has 16 teams American league has 14 teams The American League has won its last 11 All-star games.

Answer 9

Absolutely they can bat in the American league! But are there any pitchers who can hit better then say a Frank Thomas or a David Ortiz per say? NO! There was one a few years back that they pinch hit once Rick Rhoden!

Answer 10

Yes, but why would you, given the fact that A)You pay someone salary to bat for your pitcher.
B)Although the pitcher may be good at batting, it is still a risk putting him out there because of the potential that he could get hurt.
Contrary to popular belief, The Scout did NOT get a Grammy Award.