MLB Exploring Adding Designated Hitter to NL: Latest Details, Reaction

bleacherrepot.com ^ | Jan. 21, 2016 | Alec Nathan

[PROCON]

Major League Baseball is exploring the possibility of making the designated hitter a staple of the National League as soon as 2017, according to Newsday's David Lennon.

Commissioner Rob Manfred reportedly said the idea is "gaining momentum," per Lennon.

Although the potential change could ruffle the feathers of baseball purists, Lennon cited several reasons MLB is seeking to implement the DH in the NL:

[PROCON]

Uh-oh, this is going to cause a stir.

What say you baseball purists?

[PROCON]

Ping

Do you have the baseball ping list?

[forgotten man]

NO NO NO NO NO NO NO NO NO

[BenLurkin]

[Fai Mao]

Yes, Yes, Yes

[Dacula]

NO

[IrishBrigade]

What say you baseball purists?

Garbage rule, a rule only progressives can love...

[samadams2000]

***ABOMINATION ALERT***

[Dr. Sivana]

Although the potential change could ruffle the feathers of baseball purists

Many of us purists quit following MLB when interleague play (the baseball equivalent of shacking up) was instituted. I show my seven year old son YouTube video of great games from the '80s and earlier. The '77 Dodgers-Phillies playoffs were a favorite.

[brothers4thID]

I’m with Crash Davis on this one: “there ought to be a Constitutional Amendment outlawing astroturf and the designated hitter.”

[discostu]

People like to complain about how much the NFL tries to protect QBs, put dresses on them and all that nonsense. But really there is no athlete in sports more pampered than the MLB pitcher. With relief pitchers, and the DH, and a punishment that refuses to acknowledge that they only play 1/5 of the games. And they tend towards to top of the pay scale.

[colorado tanker]

I hate the DH. The game is sooo much more interesting when managers really have to manage. It's like there's a 10th position that has to be skillfully played.

OTOH, as a National League fan I hate the inherent advantage the American League gets from that darn rule.

I guess there is no chance to force the Americans to give up the DH?

[who_would_fardels_bear]

What they should do is allow baseball clubs to have three teams (similar to football):

1. A team of good batters
2. A team of good runners/base-stealers
3. A team of good defensive players

That would maximize the entertainment value

They should also get rid of the silly mascots and replace them with scantily clad cheerleaders.

Also more loud, booming music ... especially rap. And get rid of those boring old organs for gosh sakes.

/sarc

[PROCON]

You make good, logical points.

The obvious reason the owners want this is because more hits = more excitement = more fans = more revenue

[Mat_Helm]

Dummies need to eliminate the DH in the American league and not the other way around.

[major-pelham]

Nothing more exciting than a feeble pitcher ending a key rally. Nothing better than hitting for a guy who’s given up three hits through 6 innings. This is so long past due I’d forgotten about it. It’s like not using the internet.

[discostu]

Yeah, chicks dig the long ball. But maybe pitchers should bother to learn to actually hit. Since they’re not going to be in the whole game anyway, and most of them are only actually good at 2 or 3 pitches anymore, there’s really no excuse. When they played the whole game and had an arsenal of pitches to use you could maybe make the case that they just didn’t have time to learn to hit. But now it’s just because it’s accepted, teams should stop accepting mediocrity from their most expensive players.

[Billthedrill]

Anyone who doesn't like the DH rule is UNAMERICAN and should be relegated to watching a broke black-and-white TV with tinfoil on the rabbit ears and nothing but futbol on, where guys in skimpy shorts lay a lip-lock on one another after one of them manages to kick a little rubber ball into a great big net you couldn't possibly miss from the pitcher's mound in a decent game.

Anyone who does like the DH rule is WORSE!!!

Nazis. Dang it, I missed Godwin's Rule. I shoulda said Nazis.

[Tupelo]

Grandpa,
Why don’t you ever go to baseball games anymore?

Designated hitter, inter-league play, prima donnas players and ticket prices through the roof, Child, and that is just for starters.

If that damn designated hitter rule was in effect in 1918, Babe Ruth would have been out of baseball by 1921.

[major-pelham]

OMG - it’s so great to walk the 8th hitter to get the dopey pitcher up there hitting .029, if that, with the bases loaded. Nothing better than frigging up the visiting teams lineup so we can see AL pitchers hit .011 let alone run the bases if by some miracle the get an HBP.