Baseball Fans Divided on Designated Hitter Rule

The Harris Survey

For Release: Thursday AM, December 13th, 1984 1984 si i i ISSN 0273-1037

BASEBALL FANS DIVIDED ON DESIGNATED HITTER RULE

By Louis Harris

Baseball Commissioner Peter Ueberroth says he wants to be guided by a poll of baseball fans on whether to adopt the designated hitter rule for the National League (the rule now exists in the American League) or drop the designated hitter rule entirely. But, according to a special Harris Sports Survey, he will not find a clear-cut decision among fans. Forty-four percent of baseball fans nat~onwide favor having designated hitters in both leagues, but an equal 44 percent want to do away with them altogether. Another 4 percent would keep designated hitters in the American League only.

Thus, fans are evenly divided on whether baseball should allow the use of the des~gnated hitter, a player who never plays in the field but who bats for the pitcher. Comrr,issioner Ueberroth can expect to court the ire of roughly half of baseball's fans if he makes a uniform rule for both leagues.

These overall results mask sharr and decisive differences between k~erican and National League fans, however. Those with an American League allegiance favor the r~le for both leagues by 52-37 percen~, while National League fans oppose it by an almost identlcal 54-37 percent. Glve~ thiS sharp dlvision, eas~ly the most pop~lar declslon the comm.is s i one r can mai.e lS to keep the status quo: the American League "nth d e s i qn a t e d h i t t e r s and the Natlonal Lea~JE witho~t therr..

Three powerful arguments can be made for allowing designated hltters, accorclng tc the latest Harris Sports Survey taken by telephone betwee~ Kcve~bEr 9t~ a~~ :3~~ a~: a cross sectlon of 714 baseball fans:

--By 83-12 percent, a majority of baseball fans aarees With the clalm that "the des:=nated h:tte: rule ~2S Ellowe~ cl~c~ or slowE~ ~laye~s ~~~ C2~ s~_l: hit ~c c be useful to the game." An 8;-10 percent maJority of American LeaGue fans and an 84-13 perce~: ma~orlty of Natlonal League fans a~ree with this pro-designated hltter arcumE~~.

--By ;3-23 percent, a maJority agrees that "by allowing a real hitter to bat instead of a pitcher. it has meant more runs and more action, and that's good." l-. ---21 percent me j o r i t y of Arne r i c a n League fans buys this e r qume nt , arid a 70-27 percent majority of National League followers also agrees with it.

--A 74-20 percent majority of all baseball fans agrees with the view that "go:):: ~=-:.C'r:eY:= ~':':-, mcre c a r.e s beca.:u s e '"::-;';:-j' arer.lt.. Li.f t e c :CY a pinch h i t t e r La t e :..n a close game, and that's good." There is Virtually no difference between fans of the two le2:-:.;es: k~ericar, Le a cue r s agree D1' 7;-20 percent, wh i l e Na t i o naI Leaguers also agree by

HOWEver, many basec2:"1 f a r s also s e e rner i t .i n a r c urr.e n t s acainst h ava r.c d e s i c ne t e c hltters:

C"',' --By 56-38 percen:, _.. '-- ~ - '-'-, have t i nke r ec a r cunc wi t r, bas e ba Ll the way 1: was." Na t a o r.a I Le a c ue fans agree by 6 (1- 35 percent, but so dc A~erica~ Leag~e fans by 53-43 cerce~~.

--E~· 5--36 pErce~~, a majcrit~· c~ ~a~s als= gOES alc~= ~~t~ the char=~ ~~2·

"thE' r u l e is un f e i r tc p i t c he r s whc are also c occ h i t t e r s , II A 57-]""7 F'2!"cer-l:" r:2.Jc:-r::y c ; ~atlo~al ~Ea~~E ~a~s 2~~ees ~:~t ~~is sta~e~er::, as does 2~ ide~t~ca: S--3~ perce~: ~2-~~::" cf .~-:-,o:=::.:..ca:-. Le a q ue r s . THE HARRIS SURVEY December 13th, 1984

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--By a closer 49-41 percent, a plurality of baseball fans goes along with the criticism that "the designated hitter rule has resulted in offense taking over from defense, and that's bad." National League fans agree by 57-37 percent, while American Leaguers go along by only a narrow 47-45 percent.

Significantly, fans of the two leagues do not differ markedly in their reactions to the various arguments about designated hitters -- especially considering the way they come down on opposite sides of the issue in the end.

After 10 years, American League fans have grown used to having designated hitters, and they don't want to give them up. National League fans never had a designated hitter rule, so they don't feel they need it. It's a Hobson's choice trying to reconcile the two worlds of baseball.

TAB L E S

Between November 9th and 13th, the Harris Survey asked a ~ationwide cross section of 714 baseball fans by telephone:

"Let me read yo~ some statements about the baseball desIgnated hitter rule now in effect in the American League. For each tell me if you tend to agree oY" disagree."

STATEMENTS ON DESIGNATED HITTER RULE

Disagree Not S'-lre 'i 'i

PRO-DESIGNATED HITTER

The desianated hitter r~l~ has allowed older or slower players who can still hIt tc st~ll be use:ul ~0 the c;ame 83 12

Good Ditchers win more ca~es beca~sc they aren't li:Le~ for a pInch hitter late in a close game and that's good 74 20

By allOWIng a real h~tter to bat Instead 0: the pItcher, it has meant more runs and more actIon, and that's good 73 23 4

ANTI-DESIGNATED HITTER

The rule is unfair to pitchers who are also good hitters 36

They should~'t have tinkered around with baseball the way it was 56 38 6

The designated hitter rule has res~lted In offense takIng over from defense, and that's bad 49 41 10

"All in all, do you favor haVInc the designated hItter rule in the ~ational League as well as in t.rie Ame r i c a n League, or would you do away WIth the rc I.e altogether?"

Favor having the rule In both leagues 44 Do away with it altogether 44

LeaVE as lS 1 e. ~., nave r u I.e i;:; ;....I:':er .i c a r, Leaaue only (vol) 4 ~c~ SLre 8 THE HARRIS SURVEY December 13th, 1984

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"Are you an American League or National League fan?"

AMERICAN OR NATIONAL LEAGUE FAN

American League 43 National League 37 Neither (vol) 6 Both (vol) 11 Not sure 3

METHODOLOGY

This Harris Survey was conducted by telephone within the United States between November 9th and 13th, among a cross section of 714 baseball fans nationwide. Figures for age, sex, race and education were weighted where necessary to bring them into line with their actual proportions in the population.

In a sample 0: this size, one can say with 9~ percent certai~ty that the results are within plus or minus 3.7 percentage points of what they would be if the entire adult population had been polled.

This statement conforms to the principles of disclosure of the National COGncil on Public Polls.

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