If nothing else, it makes a lot of sense to change the NL rules so the home team doesn't have such a distinct advantage late in a game when a visiting team that pinch-hits for the pitcher and loses the pitcher for the bottom half of the inning.
Don t get George Will all riled up just yet. Let s wait until a Trump nomination is secure so George can just slip into a coma from all the vapors.
Madison Bumgarner's 2015 home runs (hit, not surrendered).
Trivia:
* Warren Spahn surrendered both the first home run of Willie Mays's career and, almost a decade and a half later, the only home run of Sandy Koufax's.
* Speaking of Spahn, he's one of five pitchers to hit 30+ homers in their pitching careers. The others: Wes Ferrell (38), Bob Lemon (37), Red Ruffing (36), Spahn (35), and Earl Wilson (30, the most of any expansion-era pitcher).
* One of the reasons the Minnesota Twins were able to push the 1965 World Series to a seventh game (getting themselves another date with a Koufax shutout) was starter Jim (Mudcat) Grant hitting one into the seats in the sixth.
* Rick Camp, Atlanta Braves relief pitcher. His home run in the bottom of the eighteenth re-tied the infamous 1985 game between the Braves and the Mets that started on the Fourth of July and ended early in the morning on the fifth of July. "If this team needs me to hit a home run to win a game," he cracked, "they're in trouble." The game went to a nineteenth inning . . . and the Mets battered Camp for five runs in the top, with the Braves able to answer with only a single RBI in the bottom. Final score: 16-13.
* Tony Cloninger, 1966 Braves, on the third of July: two grand slams in back-to-back at-bats; nine runs batted in (still a record for pitchers), and the Braves batter the Giants 17-3.
* Ten pitchers ever have hit game-winning home runs:
---Lou Sleater (Tigers), against Wally Burnette (Athletics). 30 May 1957.
---Bob Grim (Yankees), against Willard Nixon (Red Sox). 5 September 1957.
---Dixie Howell (White Sox)*, against Wally Burnette (Athletics). 6 September 1957. (Yes, it makes poor Burnette the only man in baseball history to surrender two walkoff bombs to a pitcher.)
---Murry Dickson (Athletics), against Artie Portacarrero (Orioles). 26 May 1958.
---Glen Hobbie (Cubs), against Vinegar Bend Mizell (Pirates, and future Original Met, of course). 25 August 1960.
---Lindy McDaniel (Cubs), against Billy Pierce (Giants). 6 June 1963.
---Juan Marichal (Giants), against Elroy Face (Pirates). 21 September 1966.
---Steve Hargan (Indians), against Chuck Dobson (Athletics). 19 June 1967.
---Jim Hardin (Orioles), against Moe Drabowsky (Royals). 10 May 1969.
---Craig Lefferts (Padres), against Greg Minton (Giants). 25 April 1986.
(*---Not to be confused with the catcher of the same name.)
Why not just go to 50 man teams with completely separate offense and defense like football? That way you could have the 9 best hitters not being bothered with how good they can catch and throw while the best fielders too. The quality of the game would increase greatly. Then you can add designated runners so the hitters would only have to run to first and then be replaced by specialists.
If any rule changes should be made, eliminate the DH from the AL.........
The DH is a circus act, fitting for the junior league.
The absolute stupidest argument ever put forth if anything the AL need to abolish the DH and play real baseball.
The DH in the American League has always been “gay” to me, something to make the game “easier”. If a pitcher can’t hit, well, he has a low batting average and you adjust your game as plays are decided while considering percentages.
Good thing I don’t really care about sports. Come to think of it, seems ESPN doesn’t either.
Pitching is just far too dangerous. In the interest of safety, MLB must eliminate pitchers and use tees.
If true, I will boycott.
Me too! The regular season interleague play has already ruined it.
1. Get rid of THE DC in MLB.
2. Sit the pitcher out of the hitting line-up.
3. Have both leagues use an 8-man hitting line up
4. Two leagues, one set of rules.
.
I personally like NL non-DH ball and they shouldn’t change. However I also think the AL should keep the DH.
That’s one of the good things about baseball, the two leauges are different and you have two styles of baseball. What’s the difference between the NFC and AFC? Nothing! But the NL and AL there’s a whole lot.
It makes the World Series more interesting as the two styles clash (though inter-league play diminished this somewhat, they should get rid of that 1st).
If the NL adopted the DH (or the AL got rid of it) then you might as well get rid of the Leauge and just have regional divisions.
NO!