Now that the 2022 Pitching Grade Challenge is wrapping up, I can start looking at the cards in APBA GO with more fervor. This is one of the first cards I checked out. Why? Well, it helped answer a question I have been wondering about.
The question is one our Illowa APBA League has been pondering in the past year. Would APBA include a “Designated Hitter” position for those hitters who did not play in the field.
With the National League adopting the DH starting in 2022, we wondered if a DH change on the cards might be a solution. I have such a player on my league team, the Twin City Thunderchickens. JD Martinez has been an “outfielder” on my team since 2015.
At the last league meeting, the IAL passed the usage of DH in league play. I have voted against it for years but since both major leagues are now using it, there seems to be no point but going forward with it. I have been against the DH for all my life for reasons I won’t get into now but I feel our league has to somewhat reflect MLB.
Looking at JD Martinez’ actual stats with Boston, he played 139 games with 596 at-bats and didn’t play a single game in the field. All 139 games were played in the role as designated hitter. What was APBA going to do?
| Year | Tm | Lg | G | GS | Batting | Defense | P | C | 1B | 2B | 3B | SS | LF | CF | RF | OF | DH | PH | PR |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2022 | BOS | AL | 139 | 139 | 139 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 139 | 0 | 0 |
Well, the answer is in his APBA card atop this article. APBA has decided to rate him as an “OF-1″ based presumably on his previous years in the field.
Now, most players who have been designated hitters also played positions in the field at some point. Are there other examples of pure designated hitters from 2022? A quick search found a few more including notables like Nelson Cruz and Miguel Cabrera. Both Cruz and Cabrera are rated as a 1B-2 despite not playing any games at first base (or any other positions).
Now, I’m not complaining especially as an owner of the Thunderchickens. Having the flexibility to play JD in the outfield is nice (I doubt I will since he fits in nicely in the DH role).
I almost had two such players on my team (I know… stop drafting these guys, Tom!). Franmil Reyes DHed 46 times in 2022 but managed to play one game in right field. He even came in to pitch.
Why would APBA be holding on to the past and assigning field positions to players who didn’t play them? These are only my theories and conjectures and not official or anything.
- A lot of leagues and tournaments do not use the DH and would presumably still want to use these players
- The number of DH-only players in one year is relatively few.
- Those leagues/tournaments who want to restrict these players to DH-only can work around it via regulation.
For the record, our league’s constitution states in Section 4:
A. Limits
- A.1 Non-Pitchers shall be restricted to their actual number of games and at-bats for the season being played.
- A.2 Players are restricted to positions in the following manner.
- A.2.a The first position listed on a player’s card is unlimited except for Rule 4.A.1.
- A.2.b If a player played 20 games (inclusive) or more at a position he is unlimited except for Rule 4.A.1.
- A.2.c If a player played 10 to 19 games (inclusive) at a position he may play 40 games at that position except for Rule 4.A.1.
- A.2.d If a player played 1 to 9 games (inclusive) at a position he may play 10 games at that position except for Rule 4.A.1.
- A.2.e If a player has a position on his card that he did not play he may play 1 game at that position.
- A.2.f If a player played a position not listed on his cardhe is rated according to the “APBA” boards and is limited by rules 4.B.1,4.B.2.a,4.B.2.b,4.B.2.c and 4.B.2.d.
- A.2.g If due to an injury a player is required to play a position not on his card he is allowed to play without penalty at the lowest rating for that position.
Yeah, it gets pretty complicated. The part I want to highlight is 4.A.2.a. Since Outfield is listed first on JD Martinez’ card, he can play all his games, if I wish. Theoretically.
Will there be a Designated Hitter designation on the APBA card in the future? Should there be? I’d love to hear your thoughts.
Given anybody can play the field and anybody can DH, I am not seeing the problem.
If someone was rated DH and nothing else, you could still put them at any position with the lowest rating and always use the Fielding Three result (if you use advanced individual fielding). Martinez would be an OF-1 in that case anyway. (If you have a league rule that no one can play a position he did not play in the season in question that superseded that APBA rule, fine. But that also seems picayune.)
DH isn’t really a “position” per se. it’s a batting order construct and a proxy for the pitcher, I get that. But that line has always been for fielding positions. (There have been guys noted as “Manager” for some reason and Smoky Burgess was “Pinchhitter” so I guess the precedent exists.)
Don’t put him in the outfield. There. Sorted. Or do. He won’t be good. But neither was Greg Luzinski.
Hi KT,
Many leagues and tournaments have rules to prevent managers to play players out of positions. For example, if I have two excellent firstbasemen, I wouldn’t be able to play him in the OF or worse, at short.
The other question or concern is that APBA is assigning a position to a player that they did not play at least for that year.
Thanks for writing!
Tom
You did not go into the “Ohtani Dilemma.”
What is Shohei to do on days he does not piych in your APBA leagues?
I have another article devoted to that, Walt! ;)
I think every league has an “Ohtani Rule”.
The Disgraceful Heresy (or Designated Hitter) is a stain on the good sport of Baseball that needs to be removed forever and then never mentioned again under penalty of death.
Tell us how you really feel, Donny. ;)