Motivation Quote by Andy Van Slyke

Satan is doing a lot of work here: he turns a rule change into a moral offense, not because Andy Van Slyke literally thinks the devil runs the league office, but because baseball arguments thrive on holy-war exaggeration. The designated hitter isn’t just a strategic tweak in this framing; it’s a contamination. Van Slyke’s line taps into a particular strain of baseball traditionalism where “the game” isn’t entertainment so much as a custodial trust, handed down and therefore vulnerable to heresy.

The intent is performative outrage with a purpose. By invoking Satan, he collapses a complicated debate (pitcher safety, offense vs. defense, roster construction, pace of play) into a gut-level vibe: DH equals cheating the natural order. Pitchers should hit, even badly, because their incompetence at the plate is part of the sport’s texture - the awkward sacrifice bunt, the rally-killing strikeout, the tactical double switch. Those moments force managers to reveal themselves, and force fans to watch a game that sometimes chooses integrity over efficiency.

Context matters: Van Slyke is a National League guy, raised in the era when league identity was a real cultural border. The DH wasn’t just “more runs”; it was the American League telling the NL it was being precious. His phrasing is a clubhouse soundbite designed to rally the faithful, and it works because it makes nostalgia feel righteous, not merely sentimental.