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I asked for a reason. We all know the rule of an unreported, eligible substitution. However, I found a way that a coach in Fed, and probably in any rulecode, can have a second DH.
The DC in my original question handed a lineup card with a DH for F1. F1 has a crappy swing, but he can pitch better than anyone in the district. The coach uses the DH to put in Jelly-Arm Tommy, his speedster who can't throw ten feet.
However, the coach has another problem. John, his star F8, who can catch up to any ball hit to the outfield, can't hit, either. Bubba, who couldn't catch a (literal) can of corn, has the best swing the coach has ever seen.
The coach, knowing there's no penalty, does the following: He puts Bubba on the lineup card. The coach tells Bubba to stay in the dugout when the team takes the field, and then tells John that he's playing CF, but Bubba's hitting for him. The coach tells John, "Now son, if anyone asks, tell them you relieved Bubba in center field this inning, okay?"
The plan is basically flawless. If John's noticed playing, it's a simple substitution with no penalty. If he's winning, he'll keep the star fielder in the game. If he's losing, he might re-enter Bubba when the time to bat comes back up. If John *isn't* noticed (let's be fair -- he probably won't be) playing, then the coach has a free DH.
There's absolutely no penalty to the coach. He could try this EVERY game of the year and NEVER have anything happen, other than a substitution. The coach might get caught once a year, but the umpire won't file anything about it -- there's no reason to. Most likely, the coach will have different umpires all year, so the umpires won't know he's been caught before.
I'd be willing to bet that there is at least one coach in your area that does this. Is there anyway to stop it? Not really. Do I think there should be? Not really. It's simply a way for a coach to take advantage of the rules.
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