Letters to the Editor
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Roster changes, Interconference play, too many games
I may know less about statistics, but I know that if your sample is changing the results won't be valid. Back in 72' some teams actually kept pinch hitters on the bench, but gradually the practise diminished, probably for a number of reasons. The schedule expanded, and players get more days off, and managers like to platoon, and make defensive swaps late in the game. Everyone on the roster of today's baseball team has to contribute.
Looking at my home team, the Padres, I see a bunch of role players, (except for the bullpen closer) who are team players. Pitchers hit, they run the bases, and they pinch hit on occasion. The difference between the way this team is structured and the way the Red Sox and Yankees are structured is like night and day. The reasons for this are unclear, but the DH is a symptom of the problem.
I don't think adding roster space is the answer either. AL ballparks are built for high scoring games. Perhaps a reshuffling of AL and NL teams would introduce some competition, but the DL removes about one third of the element of skill from an NL team, which that team has to dedicate attention toward during the regular season.
This difference in the style of play should even out, but if you were a football team playing in a league where you had to put an extra man on the line of scrimmage to protect the passer, and you get to the Superbowl, and the other team doesn't rush the passer period, you are in a lousy matchup.