Please comment on baseball-reference.com "definition" for DH splits and the "Ohtani" rule.

Note: Anonymous comments will not be published.

I exchanged messages with baseball-reference.com via email:

bugs_3@sports-reference.com

It dealt with Shohei Ohtani as Designated Hitter (DH) but let's look at David Ortiz first. I received this Ortiz link from baseball-reference to help me understand:

https://www.baseball-reference.com/players/split.fcgi?id=ortizda01&year=Career&t=b#all_defp

Defensive Positions

 

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I	Split	G	GS	PA	AB	R	H	2B	3B	HR	RBI	SB	CS	BB	SO	BA	OBP	SLG	OPS	TB	GDP	HBP	SH	SF	IBB	ROE	BAbip	tOPS+
	as 1B	273		1122	973	158	268	71	1	53	187	1	0	130	213	.275	.359	.514	.873	500	19	5	0	14	15	4	.298	88
	as DH	2027		8861	7581	1254	2191	557	18	485	1568	16	9	1168	1511	.289	.383	.559	.942	4239	215	33	2	77	192	51	.301	102
	as PH	128		128	102	7	19	4	1	5	21	0	0	25	29	.186	.344	.392	.736	40	2	0	0	1	3	0	.203	62
	as PH for DH	20		20	16		6	0	1	2	9	0	0	4	3	.375	.500	.875	1.375	14	0	0	0	0	1	0	.364	190

Note that Pinch Hitting appearances replacing the Designated Hitter are included in both the as DH split and as PH split. They are also listed separately in the as PH for DH category.
at Def. Pos. refers to plate appearances taken as C/2B/SS/CF, at Off. Pos. refers to plate appearances taken as 1B/3B/LF/RF/DH/PH.

First, my general issue:

at Def. Pos. refers to plate appearances taken as C/2B/SS/CF, at Off. Pos. refers to plate appearances taken as 1B/3B/LF/RF/DH/PH.

I'm baffled. I can't imagine anyone understanding this.

Why are there two sets of fielding positions:
C/2B/SS/CF
1B/3B/LF/RF/DH/PH?

Relevant to Ohtani specifically:

Why does his 2022 game log show his pitching games POS as "DH P" and not simply DH as his 2022 splits show? They are two different categories.

Defensive Positions

 

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Split	G	GS	PA	AB	R	H	2B	3B	HR	RBI	SB	CS	BB	SO	BA	OBP	SLG	OPS	TB	GDP	HBP	SH	SF	IBB	ROE	BAbip	tOPS+	sOPS+
as DH	153		662	582	90	159	29	6	34	95	11	9	72	159	.273	.357	.519	.875	302	6	5	0	3	14	4	.319	100	145
as PH	4		4	4		1	1	0	0	0	0	0	0	2	.250	.250	.500	.750	2	0	0	0	0	0	0	.500	67	131

Note that Pinch Hitting appearances replacing the Designated Hitter are included in both the as DH split and as PH split. They are also listed separately in the as PH for DH category.
at Def. Pos. refers to plate appearances taken as C/2B/SS/CF, at Off. Pos. refers to plate appearances taken as 1B/3B/LF/RF/DH/PH.

In my previous post I made the "mistake" of just looking at this and not suspecting that Ohtani also batted in his pitching games. Hey, who watched Angels games in 2022? He never had that option before without his team not using the optional DH.

The "Ohtani" rule:

https://www.mlb.com/news/mlb-rule-changes-for-2022

AMENDED DESIGNATED HITTER RULE: With the Designated Hitter in place in both leagues in 2022, the Official Baseball Rules have also been amended to afford additional flexibility to starting pitchers who bat for themselves. Such a player will be considered two separate people for purposes of Rule 5.11(a). If the player is replaced as a starting pitcher, he can continue as the Designated Hitter, and if the Designated Hitter is replaced, he can continue as the starting pitcher (but can no longer bat for himself). Part of new Rule 5.11(b) can be read below:

Starting Pitcher as Designated Hitter. It is not mandatory that a Club designate a hitter for the pitcher. However, in the event the starting pitcher will bat for himself, the player will be considered two separate people for purposes of Rule 5.11(a). In such cases, the manager should list 10 players on his team’s lineup card, and this player should be named twice -- once as the starting pitcher and once as the Designated Hitter. Thus, if the starting pitcher is replaced, he can continue as the Designated Hitter, and if the Designated Hitter is replaced, he can continue as the pitcher (but can no longer hit for himself). If the player is simultaneously replaced both as a starting pitcher and Designated Hitter, he cannot be replaced by another two-way player filling both roles as separate people (this can be done only once on the initial lineup card by identifying that the starting pitcher will bat for himself).

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I do not know if Ohtani was removed as starting pitcher but continued as DH in 2022.