Posted on 07/26/2015 12:25:06 AM PDT by MinorityRepublican
In 1973, Major League Baseball changed forever. Following a year when the American League recorded a batting average of .239, the AL instituted the designated hitter rule, allowing a team to place a hitter in the batting order instead of forcing the team’s pitcher to step up to the plate. Since that season, there has been an imbalance between the AL and the National League — which still requires a spot in the batting order for the team’s pitcher.
Now, more than 40 years later, talks of making the two leagues consistent have begun to heat up once again. “It’s interesting, I have never been bothered that’s there’s a little difference between the two leagues. I love to hear people fight about it,” MLB Commissioner Rob Manfred said on a New York Yankees broadcast in early June. “I’m a big one for the idea that if people are talking about baseball, it’s good for all of us. I think it’s a great source of debate.”
It didn’t take long for the debate to start this season. On April 26, St. Louis Cardinals star pitcher Adam Wainwright suffered a season-ending Achilles tendon tear while at bat, leading many — MLB players included — to question the reasoning behind forcing pitchers to hit in the NL.
“If you look at it from the macro side, who’d people rather see hit — Big Papi or me?,” Washington Nationals pitcher Max Scherzer said following Wainright’s injury, according to CBS Sports. “Who would people rather see, a real hitter hitting home runs or a pitcher swinging a wet newspaper? Both leagues need to be on the same set of rules.”
My position has always been the same: no DH for either league.
It’s part of the game right from Little League, it should stay that way.
No DH. Ever. If the AL wants to start playing baseball again, we welcome them back. There is no strategy whatsoever in the AL game. Far from being more exciting, it’s boring.
no DH. no artificial turf. no wild card. no unbalanced schedule. no interleague play.
The only advantage that DH ever gave baseball was the ability to keep first-basemen way past their fielding prime who could occasionally hit a home run a chance to remain on the rooster and still collect half-a-million a year.
Which contributed to skyrocketing salaries.
No, the whole point of baseball is that you have strengths and weaknesses and you build your team around that, get some good fielding and maybe you have to give up a few hits, teach your pitchers to bunt and they become an offensive key, learn to squeeze.
I mean really, who wants to see bench-sitting over-the-hill Papis waddle and grunt their way to the plate every three innings?
better idea for the NL...
every 9th batting spot is an automatic out.
would speed up the game
Yeah kind of like the Phillies-Rays game the other day where the pitcher for the Rays hit a solo homerun and the Rays won 1-0.
http://m.mlb.com/news/article/137827492/nathan-karns-hits-first-career-home-run
The DH rule sucks. If MLB wants to sit the pitcher out, why not simply use an 8-man hitting rotation for both leagues?
That's an interesting idea. Your own?
I present two words against the DH. Don Drysdale.
yes
Baseball wil never be whole again until the Dodgers return to Brooklyn.
Madison Bumgarner hit his 3rd HR of the season in a 2-1 win yesterday. Just sayin’.
“better idea for the NL...
every 9th batting spot is an automatic out.
would speed up the game”
Now THAT makes sense - never understood the attraction of manager strategy - let them play ball. Nothing worse than a good rally with the next batter a guy who hits every 5 days. This game is too hard for that.
All that hitting sure screwed up Babe Ruth’s pitching career.
All that hitting sure screwed up Babe Ruth’s pitching career.
No, no DH.
National league is more exciting.
To DH, or not to DH?
Personally, I don’t care. BUT.... both leagues need to be the same.
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