Ohtani Rule Gives Fans What They Want to See

Count me among those in favor of the new rule in MLB that many see as a nod to Shohei Ohtani. 

The rule says that if the starting pitcher is also in the lineup as the designated hitter, then that player can remain as the DH even if he is removed as a pitcher.

Under the proposed rule, Ohtani ― or any other pitcher ― can serve as both the starting pitcher and DH in a given game, and if he is removed as a pitcher after a few bad innings he gets to stay in the lineup as the DH.

Los Angeles manager Joe Maddon described it as “wonderful news for us.”

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The rule was made possible as the designated hitter rule will be used in both the American and National Leagues this season.

Previously, when Ohtani pitched and hit, the Angels would lose his potent bat if he was taken out of the game due to a pitching change.

Several times he moved briefly to the outfield in order to get in another at-bat.

Basically what this rule means is fans will get to see more of Ohtani and that can only be seen as a good thing.

Some will argue a rule shouldn’t be made for one player. But that rings hollow to me. If a player was doing something to damage the integrity of the game you can be sure they would make a new rule.

I get wanting to stick to tradition but I’m all for sports adapting to the changing times. 

Let’s face it. People don’t have the attention spans they once did so any change that makes a sport more entertaining should be given serious consideration.

Now if Ohtani has a bad outing on the mound, he can stay in the game longer. Fans who pay to see Ohtani will get more bang for their buck.

I personally find Ohtani’s at-bats more compelling than his pitching assignments. What’s not to like about monster home runs?

Ohtani averaged just under six innings per start, which meant Los Angeles lost about an at-bat per game of Ohtani in games he started.

For a player with Ohtani’s batting prowess, that makes a difference to a team over the course of a season.

Now fans will get a full nine innings of Ohtani whether he is pitching or not. 

Sports need to adjust with the times. Many years ago, the NHL changed the rules to eliminate tie games and it was a huge improvement. Tennis now uses video replay to determine calls on the line and the fans love it.

These are just two examples of how officials change the rules to make their respective sports more interesting. Now we have the “Ohtani Rule.”

Sports that stubbornly stick to tradition are destined to lose fans as the years go on and people’s needs change.

Author: Jim Armstrong

The author is a longtime journalist who has covered sports in Japan for more than 25 years. You can find his articles here, on JAPAN Forward.