Posted on 05/10/2015 3:35:38 PM PDT by MinorityRepublican
In the world of baseball, debate of the universal designated hitter rages on. For stretches at a time that argument lies dormant, but then something happens—like Adam Wainwright tearing his left Achilles tendon during an at-bat. Suddenly that question is brought to the forefront again, and generally the views are mixed. Some managers, like Brad Ausmus, prefer the strategic side of the NL, while others, like Terry Francona, don’t think we should overreact to the rules because of one injury. Washington Nationals pitcher Max Scherzer is adamant about the NL adopting the DH rule while Wainwright—the pitcher whose injury has spurred much of this talk—isn’t a fan of such a change:
“I wish both leagues would convert to National League baseball. The strategy and the game itself in the National is just a better game, in my opinion. I think baseball is a beautiful game and I hope it doesn’t change too much.”
(Excerpt) Read more at foxsports.com ...
AL baseball is boring. DH only makes it more boring. If you find a 3-1 game boring, you aren’t a baseball fan. Suggest you watch basketball. Lots of scoring.
No, the AL should get rid of it. Problem solved.
DHs encourage the tendency to play for the homerun, which diminishes both the ability and the desire to score in other, more interesting ways. It also encourages .220 hitters to swing for the fences, causing them to strike out A LOT.
Get rid of it and by necessity, you’ll see more bunting, more hit and run plays, more stealing, more taking the extra base, and overall a more exciting game.
Brooklyn should have a team. They’ve waited longer than DC waited for the injustice to be corrected.
Besides, a third team in New York would mean the market is split three ways, not two, and thus mitigate the New York advantage, while at the same time causing higher TV revenues for the sport in general.
And it could give the Mets a rival similar to the Yankees-Red Sox rivalry, which would also be good for the game.
So of course, they’ll never do it.
You can extend the careers of good hitters who have slowed down and become a defensive liability later in their careers.
They found places for those players before the DH -- Dick Stuart and Pete Ward are good examples. And their defensive liabilities helped keep things interesting.
You don’t kill a rally when you see the pitcher come to bat, and he’s an almost automatic out.
Like Doug Fister's double yesterday.
The pitcher usually only bats twice a game anyway, and they can be taught to bunt or do something else that is productive for the offense.
One idea that has been floated is to raise the roster limit to 28, but only 25 dress. (the other three still accrue “service time”.) You could cover yourself for minor injuries that don’t merit the DL, and the manager would have additional strategic options (such as using his second catcher to pinch-hit).
Yes, the NL should adopt the DH for one big reason. The DH is used in all leagues right down to middle school for the last twenty years. Nobody wants to see someone bat for the first time since LL in the majors. In the past, pitchers had hit at the lower levels, but today it is becoming rare, even in HS. If I felt pitchers had enough at bats in the lower levels, I would say no DH, but circumstances say otherwise.
I agree. And if they bring in DH to NL, I'm not sure if I can remain a baseball fan.
Of course not. What kind of a name for a ballplayer is "Babe", f'Petessake? And "Ruth" - please, that's a girl's name. And you know what? That guy was sold to another town for the money to put on "No No Nanette". Don't know whatever happened to him after that.
Instead of tagging someone out when the runner caught between bases the players on each base should need to tackle the runner with the while holding onto the ball. Short stop can’t tackle.
Yes!
NO!
A pitchers "at bat" comes up a minimum of 3 times per game, unless his team doesn't have to bat in the bottom of the ninth.
Pitchers should spend more time in the cage. They do not do a pitching work out more than 3-4 hours a day and do not pitch every day.
Yes, but pitchers don’t usually take the third or fourth at-bat, unless they have a no-hitter or something. In fact, managers either pinch-hit for them or use the double switch to get someone else to the plate.
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