Double Switch??

[Blu_IN]

They are used in the majors because of specialization. Relief pitchers specialize and thus put their full efforts into pitching. Bench players, commonly used in pinch hitting situations, full their full efforts into hitting and fielding.

So in the seventh inning, you want to replace your pitcher. However, the batting spot the pitcher occupies is due up in the bottom of that inning. Well, you can use him for one inning of relief and pinch hit for him. Or, you can execute two substitutions. You put in your bench player for the batting spot the pitcher occupied. You then put in your pitcher for a batting spot occupied by another position player. Send your pitcher to the mound, and the bench player to his new position.

In softball, specialization doesn't come into play as much. Sure, many coaches will DH/DP for their pitchers, however most of the times that pitcher is one of the more athletic girls on the team and can hit equally as well.

In fact, I think you will find that in high school baseball, the pitchers hit well because a quality pitcher in high school is typically athletic and a well rounded ball player.

Its when they get into the minors and majors, that specialization becomes more important and thus as their pitching skills are increased, their hitting skills stay stagnant. Sure they can still hit off a high school pitcher, but they can't compete nearly as well against their counterparts in the minors and majors.