--- title: "Meaning & Key Takeaway of: Baseball players are not specialists…" description: "\"Baseball players are not specialists; they all have to do it all. That is why I, and many aficionados, dislike the American League's practice of replac..." image: "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/0dc/mark-kurlansky-1988_american_baseball-players-are-not-specialists-the_782707.png" --- # Baseball players are not specialists; they all have to do… ![“Baseball players are not specialists; they all have to do it all. That is why I, and many aficionados, dislike the American League's practice of replacing the pitcher with a designated hitter. This creates two players who do not have to do it all.” quote by Mark Kurlansky](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/0dc/mark-kurlansky-1988_american_baseball-players-are-not-specialists-the_782707.png) [Download](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/0dc/mark-kurlansky-1988_american_baseball-players-are-not-specialists-the_782707.png) [Open image](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/0dc/mark-kurlansky-1988_american_baseball-players-are-not-specialists-the_782707.png) > “Baseball players are not specialists; they all have to do it all. That is why I, and many aficionados, dislike the American League's practice of replacing the pitcher with a designated hitter. This creates two players who do not have to do it all.” [Mark Kurlansky](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/mark-kurlansky/) ## About This Quote This interpretation was drafted with AI assistance. It is one reading of the quote, not the author's own explanation. Baseball’s tradition of all‑round players is compromised by a specialist designated hitter, reducing versatility. **In simple terms:** Specialists limit player versatility. Key Takeaway Value all‑round skills. Themes sports tradition versatility Mood analytical nostalgic Type sports critical When to use this quote - coaching youth - team building - player development Key Concepts baseball strategy role specialization team dynamics Questions to Reflect On - Should leagues balance tradition and specialization? - How does specialization affect fan experience? A Different Perspective Specialists can excel in niche roles, improving performance. ★ ★ ★ ★ ★ No ratings yet [Baseball](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/baseball/) [Baseball player](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/baseball-player/) [Baseball Players](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/baseball-players/) [Designated hitter](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/designated-hitter/) [Practice](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/practice/) ## Related quotes > [Some coaches believed they could judge a player's performance simply by watching it. In this they were deeply mistaken. The naked eye was an…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/michael-lewis/some-coaches-believed-they-could-judge-a-player-s-performance-simply/) [Michael Lewis](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/michael-lewis/) > [I don't like the designated hitter. 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