Time for the NL to adopt the DH

ESPN ^ | Jun 25, 2012 | Jim Bowden

[MinorityRepublican]

On Sunday, MLB finished up the interleague portion of the schedule for 2012, and it was the end of interleague play as we know it. In 2013, the Houston Astros will move to the American League, which will give each league 15 teams and also give us interleague play all season long.

This development is positive in that it will give us six divisions with five teams apiece, but it poses its own set of problems. Chief among them is the designated hitter rule. With so many interleague games, having two sets of rules complicates matters for a game struggling to remain simple and fan-friendly.

Let’s be clear: It is time for baseball to get both of its leagues synchronized with the same rule, whether that’s with or without the designated hitter.

Since abolishing the DH would never get approved by the MLB players' association, the game has no choice but to embrace the DH -- from the major leagues down through all levels of the minor leagues.

[MinorityRepublican]

HERESY!!!!!

[AlmaKing]

Heresy indeed. DH is like disability for players who can’t play in the field any longer.

[Dr. Sivana]

I gave up on MLB when they added interleague play. What’s next... aluminum bats?

[thefactor]

Never happen. The NL owners do not want to take on another players salary. Especially a DH who would command huge money.

[Retired Greyhound]

I think the AL should keep the DH, and the NL should not have a DH. Both have advantages.

It’s nice to be able to stick a powerful bat in the lineup without having to worry about defense, but it is also fun to watch NL managers decide when to pull a pitcher. So I like both.

One of these days we’ll see a pitcher that is also a great hitter, and who will play in the field on the days he’s not pitching. That would be neat.

[The_Victor]

Everyone who plays on the field, goes to the plate. The DH rule is for pu**sies.

[bobsatwork]

I always called the DH rule the Mickey Mantle rule, allowing the hugely popular Mick to continue playing after he could no longer field. Whether that conjecture is accurate or not, this AL fan (and #7 fan) says it is time for the AL to lose the DH and not the other way around.

[justice14]

I don’t like the DH either.

[lurk]

The DH is welfare, food stamps, SSI Disability and affirmative action on the field of play. It compensates for the weakest hitter(usually the pitcher), providing a way for everyone to feel good. The DH is worthy of the Cold Stare of Contempt.

The late Bob Forsch of the Cardinals is an example that the pitcher can actually stand up there and swing the bat, if he works at it.

[Jacquerie]

Since abolishing the DH would never get approved by the MLB players' association, the game has no choice but to embrace the DH.

That proves there are no remaining noble institutions unsoiled by rats or labor unions.

[GSWarrior]

Why is a minor league team—the Astros—joining the American League?

[bkepley]

Mickey Mantle retired a few years before the DH. Maybe you were thinking of someone else?

[bsdsan]

So in 2013 Texas will have two teams in the American League and Pennsylvania will have two teams in the National League. New York, Illinois, Missouri, Florida, and California will have at least one team in either league.

So why not force either the Pirates or the Phillies to join the American League?

So how about this: when a designated batter comes to the plate, the opposing team gets to counter with a designated pitcher?

Life as we knew it began to crumble with the designated hitter.

[Dr. Sivana]

One of these days we’ll see a pitcher that is also a great hitter, and who will play in the field on the days he’s not pitching. That would be neat.

Rick Rhoden and Rick Sutcliffe were both good hitters who pinch hit for the Dodgers on occasion.Pity they were wasted in the junior American League after going to the Yankees and the Indians.

[bsdsan]

Oh, and I forgot about Ohio.

[sleepwalker]

you missed Ohio. Remember the Reds and the Indians....

[bobsatwork]

Maybe you were thinking of someone else? - Maybe I was just wrong. In self defense, I was just a kid when I watched Mick play. Regards

[RatRipper]

BS! Long past time for the AL to drop the DH!!!!!

[Hegewisch Dupa]

To the author: If one league with a DH and one without is too “complicated” for someone, switch to a sport more your speed; like paint drying

[NEMDF]

Andy Pettitte now has a broken ankle. Maybe they should add a provision for designated pitchers, as well.

[DeFault User]

One of these days we’ll see a pitcher that is also a great hitter, and who will play in the field on the days he’s not pitching. That would be neat.

Anybody remember Babe Ruth? He had several 20+ game winning seasons for the Red Sox as a pitcher and won 5 games pitching during his career with the Yankees.

[forgotten man]

I remember a long, long extra inning Dodger game. Tommy Lasorda put pitchcers Fernando Valenzuela and Bob Welch into the game playing in right field and center field. Lasorda almost ran out of players because of all the pinch hitters and pitching changes. You never see that in the wussie American League.

[dmz]

Pity they were wasted in the junior American League after going to the Yankees and the Indians.

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You mean that junior league that has whooped the elder league in interleague play for what, now, a dozen years in a row? And that’s splitting half the games with DH and half without.

That being said, a lifelong Baltimorean and American Leaguer, get rid of the DH. Bring late inning strategy back with double moves, pitchers as pinch runners, the works.

[newnhdad]

Isn’t watching a pitcher bunt and make weak waves at breaking balls so much fun? Isn’t “clearing the pitcher” an integral part of exciting baseball?

It should happen, but it never will.

[Dr. Sivana]

Anybody remember Babe Ruth? He had several 20+ game winning seasons for the Red Sox as a pitcher and won 5 games pitching during his career with the Yankees.

I am not old enough to remember him alive, of course. However, the original poster wanted a hitting pitcher who would playthe field or at least DH on those days he wasn't pitching. Though Ruth was an exceptional pitcher for his era, even then they thought the switching back and forth was too risky.

[Vermont Lt]

Making the game more complicated?

It cannot be that difficult to understand. I mean, Red Sox and Yankee fans alike seem to have been able to follow these “complicated” rules. I mean, these guys have a tough time hitting a urinal. How complicated can it be.

But that aside, I hate the DH and I wish they would go back to it.

[packrat35]

Hank Aaron better matches who he is talking about.

[DIRTYSECRET]

Dave Kingman could have DH’d and pitch(I saw him pitch). His coach at USC, Rod Deraux said that Kingman would have been a great center fielder. When Willie Mcovey’s career was winding down the Giants should have installed Kingman at first base and left him there. Instead they put Ed Goodson, an injury prone infielder at first base. Kingman moved around the field a lot and became a head case. He ended up on several teams hitting a lot of home runs and dh-ing. The DH turned him into half a ballplayer.

[Jim Noble]

Bring the Dodgers home and we can discuss it.

[Publius Valerius]

So in 2013 Texas will have two teams in the American League and Pennsylvania will have two teams in the National League. New York, Illinois, Missouri, Florida, and California will have at least one team in either league.

So why not force either the Pirates or the Phillies to join the American League?

There are three reasons. MLB desparately wanted 15 teams in each league for scheduling purposes. It wanted interleague play year-round, and 15 teams in each league guaranteed that. Also, with 15 teams in each league, you can get 6 divisions of 5 teams--currently, the NL Central has six teams, while the AL West has 4.

The natural solution to all of these problems is to move an NL Central team to the AL West, but no owner wanted to move his team to the American League. But the Astros were up for sale, and MLB decided that the Astros would be forced to move as part of the sale--that is, MLB would not approve the sale unless the new owner agreed to move to the AL West. Plus the Astros never really had a natural rival in the NL, so MLB thought that a Texas/Astros rivalry 16 times a year (assuming they keep the unbalanced schedule, which may be difficult now that there are 2 wild card teams) would help both Texas and Houston with attendance.

So that's why Houston and not any other team. Philly is in the NL East, and that doesn't solve the NL Central/AL West problem. Pittsburgh is in the NL Central and could conceivably switch to the AL East or Central, but who do you then move to the AL West?

[OrangeHoof]

Baseball with the DH is like watching checkers while without the DH is like watching chess. If you don’t understand that, you aren’t a real baseball fan.

[nobamanomore]

I HATE the DH! As a long time baseball player, and a purist at heart, why should a pitcher not hit? Why should a fat DH get to hit and not have to fumble the ball around in the field. SS and catchers are defensive positions, so let someone hit for them too. Hell, just have an offensive team and defense like football. Make everyone play a position, and everyone bat. Having a pitcher bat makes for interesting strategy late in the game when you have one who can hit, or you have a pinch hitter to bat for them and replace them. Make all players be complete players, not one dimensional. Get rid of the DH

[Retired Greyhound]

Ruth was who I was thinking of, but we haven’t had anyone like that in the modern era.

Rick Ankiel has been the closest thing. He started as a pitcher, flamed out (more like a mental meltdown), and then came back as a darn good right fielder.

I believe Robin Ventura threw an inning or two while playing for the Dodgers, but that would hardly make him a pitcher. We also know he can’t fight worth a damn.

I remember growing up playing Little League, the best pitcher was often also the best hitter on the team. But as kids get older, they start focusing on a particular skill. Pitchers spend most of their time working on their pitching and less on hitting.

[OrangeHoof]

Mantle retired five years before the DH was adopted by the American League. The poster boy you want is Tony Oliva who missed most of 1972 after knee surgery but came back and played four years as a DH with the Twins before he retired. He never took the field again once he became a DH.

[Eric Roelfsema]

The DH is used all the way from college through the minor leagues at class AAA. Once a pitcher gets to college and he does not play another position as well, he will not hit until he gets to the major leagues.

[colorado tanker]

I grew up in an American League city but have been watching the NL since the Rockies arrived. I am totally converted. The NL game is MUCH more interesting than the AL game. You get to watch a 10th player, the Manager, go through his late inning moves, sometimes making some really tough decisions.

Get rid of the DH!

[MinorityRepublican]

Bud Selig is getting up there in the years so hopefully we’ll get a new commissioner soon. And he’ll be a traditionalist.

[Scoutmaster]

The designated hitter rule ranks only slightly below the election of Barack Obama as proof society is going to heck in a handbasket.

It's some convoluted form of affirmative action for baseball.

Can't play the field with all of the other players? Fine, we'll let you be special and just bat.

Can't hit? Fine, you're special and you never have to bat (or face a pitcher after you've dusted off a member of the opposing team).

Can't figure out how to handle double-switches and when to pull a pitcher who's about to bat? Fine, we'll let you manage in the American League.

[SZonian]

Exactly!

Joe Blanton hits a HR in Game 4 of the 2008 WS. Joe Blanton hit the first World Series home run by a pitcher since 1974.

[colorado tanker]

[scrabblehack]

The scheduling works out a whole lot nicer when you have equal-sized divisions and equal-sized leagues.

I don’t see why each league can’t make its own rule on the DH, but if the standard must be uniform, AL should drop it.

[Hegewisch Dupa]

Like it or don’t - but the idea of a designated hitter was around at the turn of the last century. It’s not indicative of anything much beyond the pitcher typically being a puke bat. Since forever.

[OldPossum]

I like the DH rule for one reason: it’s tiresome to see a pitcher come to bat. It’s almost an automatic out. Boring.

[SoothingDave]

So pitchers (mostly) suck at batting. That’s the game.

[Hegewisch Dupa]

I don’t disagree - just saying that fact been recognized for over a century, an dthis type of solution has been around for a while, that’s all. It’s not a new idea indicitive of social change.

[Isabel C.]

Isn’t watching a pitcher bunt and make weak waves at breaking balls so much fun?

Bunting is an integral part of baseball strategy. Most major league pitchers are pretty good at laying down a sacrifice bunt.

[this_ol_patriot]

DH for the Phillies only until Jim Thome is old enough for Medicare. Cholly used Cliff Lee as a pinch hitter last night, that shows Lee can do something to earn his 21 million a year.

[this_ol_patriot]

Joe Blanton hits a HR in Game 4 of the 2008 WS. Joe Blanton hit the first World Series home run by a pitcher since 1974.

Now if he would just learn to pitch, nah, he had a few episodes of near brilliance this year but his wins are like his homers, unexpected.

[SZonian]

“unexpected”...just about describes the pitching staff this year.

Not much in the way in the consistency.

[this_ol_patriot]

Not much in the way in the consistency.

Lee was consistent tonight and lost again, the rest of the team was still on the plane.