Baseball net continually debates the issue of the designated hitter (DH). Most American League (AL) fans favor the offense this rule provides, and even National League (NL) fans seem no longer strongly opposed, because the NL's chances chances are arguably improved with a DH during inter-league and World Series games.

However, baseball net enthusiasts are still deprived of a sport with one fair, uniform rule regarding the place of the pitcher in the lineup. Many AL baseball net enthusiasts experience this unfairness in inter-league and World Series games, where the AL is deprived of a DH in a NL park, yet the NL gets the benefit of the DH in an AL park.

But wait! There is a compromise that will add offense for AL fans, yet preserve strategy for traditionalist NL fans. Baseball net is the perfect blog to present it!

Instead of a DH, teams can use a DPH, or designated pinch-hitter. The manager would designate this player to bat for all pitchers, including relievers, in a game. This rule would allow the same player to bat as many times as desired for a pitcher, thus permitting a skilled offensive--though limited defensive--player to bat, and not potentially hurt the team in the field.

The DPH would preserve baseball net enthusiasts? love of strategy, in that a manager would have to decide whether or not to remove a pitcher for his designated pinch-hitter. Granted, unlike a DH, a DPH would not be guaranteed four bats-a-game. However, there would be enough at-bats during a 162-game season to justify this role.

All in all, the DPH offers baseball net fans an exciting combination of offense and strategy, thus preserving the best elements of AL and NL baseball in one package that is fair to both leagues. In short, the time has come for the DPH!