Anyway, the debate about the DH can go on for days. As a DH fan, I choose to celebrate it. It's added a completely different element to the game and, more importantly, prolonged a lot of great careers. There are some guys who became DH's simply because of their complete inability to play anywhere on the field. Then there are others who, because of age or injury, were no longer able to play the field on a regular basis, but could still contribute with the bat.
In today's game, of course, the DH is also used as a tool to give regulars a semi-off day, while the Astros' move to the American League brings the added element of interleague play and the inherently different strategies that need to be employed to every single day of the season. (Jered Weaver had to bat on Opening Day because the Angels opened in Cincinnati.) In fact, there are probably only three active players whose position would be listed as "DH" on the roster: David Ortiz of the Red Sox, the Yankees' Travis Hafner and Kansas City's Billy Butler. And one of those three (Ortiz) ranks among the greatest DH's of all-time. But where exactly does he rank? Well, let's see...
1. Edgar Martinez: There's no question that Edgar's the greatest DH there's ever been. Edgar started as a third baseman, but, due to terrible knees, became the Mariners' full-time designated hitter in 1995, and he had that role for 10 seasons before retiring in 2004. If not for the fact that he spent the majority of his career as a DH, he'd probably be in the Hall of Fame already. Because there's no arguing his numbers are Hall of Fame-caliber. A career average of .312, 1261 RBIs and all those doubles. 514 to be exact. MLB has named the Outstanding Designated Hitter Award after him. Just as there'll never be another closer like Mariano Rivera, there'll never be another DH like Edgar Martinez. It's a travesty that Hall of Fame voters keep the fact that he was a DH against him.
2. Paul Molitor: Paul Molitor was a great infielder. But he spent almost half of his career at DH, allowing him to play for 21 seasons. He had a 39-game hitting streak in 1987 and was the World Series MVP in 1993. Molitor's one of four players in history with 3,000 hits, a .300 career average and 500 stolen bases, and his 3,319 career hits rank ninth all-time. The DH thing wasn't held against Molitor when it came to his Hall of Fame candidacy. He got 85 percent of the vote in 2004, his first year eligible.
3. Frank Thomas: Who else remembers how good Frank Thomas was in his prime? Of course, that's when he was a first baseman. Then the injuries hit (and this guy named Konerko showed up) and the Big Hurt became the White Sox' DH. He didn't play in the 2005 World Series due to injury, then played for the A's and Blue Jays before retiring after the 2008 season. He hit 521 career home runs, 269 of which came as a designated hitter, second-most all-time. Thomas also had a career batting average of .301. He's eligible for Cooperstown next year. He won't have to wait too long to get in, either.
4. Harold Baines: The degree of certainty to which I believe Harold Baines actually owned a glove at any point in his career is pretty minimal. But he's also a prime example of why the DH is a wonderful thing. Knee problems forced him to become a full-time DH at age 27, yet was a six-time All-Star who belted 384 career home runs and had his number retired by the White Sox when he was still an active player. Baines played more games at DH (1652) than anybody in history, and he was the all-time DH home run leader until passed by Edgar Martinez.
5. Rafael Palmeiro: My feelings on Rafael Palmeiro are well-known. But, steroids or not, the guy could hit. Again, I think his numbers are more a product of his longevity than anything else, but he's still one of only four guys who's a member of both the 500-home run and 3,000-hit clubs. He was also, perhaps, the greatest free agent of all-time, going back-and-forth between the Rangers and the Orioles twice. And let's not forget his 1999 Gold Glove at DH. Now, that's impressive!
6. Jim Thome: Jim Thome's been around for so long that he was the Indians' starting third baseman in the 1995 World Series. But it's been so long since he's played the field that nobody remembers that. He didn't officially become a full-time DH until 2006, but has been one ever since. (He started one game at first base for the Phillies last year, hurt his back and ended up on the DL.) Regardless, he's seventh all-time with 612 career homers and will be a first-ballot Hall of Famer when Cooperstown comes calling. Although, I wouldn't be surprised to see him DHing for somebody at some point this season.
7. David Ortiz: As much as I hate Big Papi and the Boston Red Sox, there's no denying his place as one of the greatest clutch hitters in the game today. Without him, the Red Sox don't break the Curse of the Bambino, yet alone win two World Series in a four-year period. The fact that interleague road games present the Red Sox with a challenge every year, is worth it to them, because he's one of the most beloved players in franchise history. Ortiz became the all-time DH home run leader in 2009 and all-time leader for RBIs among DH's in 2011.
8. Hal McRae: The original. McRae was the first great DH. His first season with the Royals was 1973, the year the DH made its debut. He was a Royal for 14 years, from that mini-dynasty in the 70s to the 1985 World Series championship team. McRae hit over .300 six times and was a three-time All-Star. He later managed the Royals and is a long-time Major League hitting coach.
9. Don Baylor: Before becoming a hitting coach and the first manager of the Rockies, Baylor had a 19-year Major League career. He spent his entire career in the American League and, while also playing some first base and outfield, was mainly a DH for the Angels, Orioles, Yankees, Red Sox, A's and Twins. And he was a great power hitter, belting 338 career home runs. Baylor won the AL MVP in 1979 and is one of two players in history to reach three consecutive World Series with three different teams (1986 Red Sox, 1987 Twins, 1988 A's), all at the end of his career.
10. Chili Davis: Davis started off as an outfielder for the Giants, but became a full-time DH by the end of his first tour of duty with the Angels in 1990. He could switch-hit, and immediately became an integral part of the Twins lineup in 1991, when they won the World Series. After going back to Anaheim and a one-year stop of Kansas City, he won two more rings with the 1998-99 Yankees in his final two Major League seasons. His 350 career home runs are the fifth-most ever by a switch hitter.
There you have it, my list of the 10 greatest DHs in history. It could easily have been much longer. Because I didn't even include guys like Reggie Jackson and Eddie Murray, who were able to extend their Hall of Fame careers with productive years as a DH at the end.
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