Do you really like the DH?

[Dman]

I don't understand the purists at all.  It's as if all change is bad.  Baseball already got rid of collisions at the plate and the stupid slid into the player throwing the ball from second and they are on there way to the pitch clock.  The game changed with steroid use.  Analytics have changed the game.  The game has been changing before the purists eyes for years and yet they still bemoan the use of the DH.  This game doesn't stay the same, strategies change like defensive shifts and lefty specialist relievers.  The game isn't and hasn't been "pure" for decades.  Enjoy the changes they make the game better.

[Nine of twelve]

 

I like pitchers having to hit. A good hitting pitcher is an advantage. Watching bad hitting pitchers flail is awesome, and you never know when they might actually get a hit. Having pitchers bat also helps keep the head hunting down as they have to face the opposing pitcher themselves. I also think it also helps pitchers to bat as it gives them a chance to see live pitching first hand and see their stuff and sequences.

 

Instead of the DH i'd add the Free Hitter for both leagues, a free pinch hit at bat during the game where the hitter being pinch hit for gets to stay in the game and the Free Hitter returns to the bench to be used again.

The MLB rules-makers and policy-makers and umpires are the ones who should be in charge of keeping head-hunting down. 

[Vanimal46]

The NL game is simply inferior and the lack of a DH is a big reason. The idea that strategy is somehow involved is vastly overstated. https://hatedyankees.wordpress.com/2010/08/01/debunking-the-myth-of-strategy-in-the-national-league/

Great link, thanks for sharing. It’s crazy thinking after all of these years, the leagues still play by different rules. Imagine if other pro sports did that... Like the Western Conference in basketball saying you know what? We don’t want to play games with a 3 point shot.

[dex8425]

 

I don't understand the purists at all.  It's as if all change is bad.  Baseball already got rid of collisions at the plate and the stupid slid into the player throwing the ball from second and they are on there way to the pitch clock.  The game changed with steroid use.  Analytics have changed the game.  The game has been changing before the purists eyes for years and yet they still bemoan the use of the DH.  This game doesn't stay the same, strategies change like defensive shifts and lefty specialist relievers.  The game isn't and hasn't been "pure" for decades.  Enjoy the changes they make the game better.

Also, the intentional walk is now holding up four fingers instead of purposely throwing four balls way outside. Change should've been made years ago. 

[dex8425]

 

Great link, thanks for sharing. It’s crazy thinking after all of these years, the leagues still play by different rules. Imagine if other pro sports did that... Like the Western Conference in basketball saying you know what? We don’t want to play games with a 3 point shot.

Here you go. 

[dex8425]

Yes, I really like the DH. I wish the NL would adopt it. 

I think watching bunting is boring. I'm glad Rocco doesn't bunt. 

[dgwills]

DH is clearly the way to go. Think of the number 8 hitter in the NL. You're up with 2 outs and you're already the worst hitter on your team. The guy batting after you has no business taking a major league at bat.  What kind of pitches are you going to see?

[mikelink45]

Yes I like it and yes I like both leagues being different.  And no, I would not put DHs in the HOF and I would not put in one inning relievers.

 

[Riverbrian]

I love the DH and dislike players who only DH while thanking my lucky stars that Nelson Cruz is on the roster all at the same time. 

[AceWrigley]

 

The MLB rules-makers and policy-makers and umpires are the ones who should be in charge of keeping head-hunting down. 

Rules are rules and athletes are athletes. Nothing like having to face the possibility of seeing a high-hard-one should the opposing team deem your deliveries to be too close for comfort.

[Shaitan]

I think it's interesting how many people dislike watching pitchers bat, in an era where we have more potential 2-way players than the league has seen in years.

[Richie the Rally Goat]

I think it's interesting how many people dislike watching pitchers bat, in an era where we have more potential 2-way players than the league has seen in years.

out of 360 or so pitchers in baseball there are maybe 5-10 not horrible hitters. 2.5% isn’t enough to account for

[Hosken Bombo Disco]

Great link, thanks for sharing. It’s crazy thinking after all of these years, the leagues still play by different rules. Imagine if other pro sports did that... Like the Western Conference in basketball saying you know what? We don’t want to play games with a 3 point shot.

Here you go. 

So it’s settled. NL Rules stay in place.

[Hosken Bombo Disco]

From the point of view of the pitcher, I don’t mind the other pitcher batting. I like having that easy out at the bottom of the order.

 

Doing some fact checking though, I was surprised to find out NL games weren’t necessarily finished sooner or lower scoring because of it. I guess the pitcher usually bats 2-3 times at most.

[TopGunn#22]

Everything changes.  everything evolves.  I grew up seeing Bob Gibson & Don Drysdale bat.  They were GOOD hitters.  On the twins, Jim Kaat and Jim Perry were good hitters...Dean Chance...really bad.  But as I said with the first comment, the idea that the two leagues do not have uniform rules is crazy.  

[Shaitan]

 

out of 360 or so pitchers in baseball there are maybe 5-10 not horrible hitters. 2.5% isn’t enough to account for

On that end, I do dislike the use of the DH in the minor leagues. The minor leagues are about development. They should have pitchers develop all the aspects of their game that are relevant to playing MLB ball.

[dex8425]

 

Everything changes.  everything evolves.  I grew up seeing Bob Gibson & Don Drysdale bat.  They were GOOD hitters.  On the twins, Jim Kaat and Jim Perry were good hitters...Dean Chance...really bad.  But as I said with the first comment, the idea that the two leagues do not have uniform rules is crazy.  

 

 

Jim Kaat was a phenomenal athlete. That said, his career batting average is .185 and career ops is .494. That's really bad. His two years as an all star were right in line with that career ops at .507 and .499. 

 

I would prefer to watch someone with an ops of 800 hit instead of someone with an ops of 500. 

 

If there's a two way player who can pitch AND ops 800, that's awesome and fun to watch that player bat and hit. 

[SomeGuy]

I would rather see the AL drop the DH. Every position needing to bat seems like the purest form of baseball.

 

Most catchers are terrible hitters too, should they get a sub? If we can't stand to watch pitchers hit why let these guys hit? Some teams are okay with having a great fielding catcher that is awful at hitting because they view the position as that important defensively. There are a few all around great catchers but most are a balancing act of can his defense justify his lack of offense or can his offense justify how badly he hurts us with his defense. This balancing act is present in every position but more so in catcher which is easily the worst hitting position. Maybe we can adopt the beer league softball rules of courtesy runners too.

 

I think pitchers could be better hitters if teams put more effort into developing pitchers into hitters. Maybe Ohtani and the handful of prospects that are being allowed to try to stay at both will change that. Hopefully these pitchers will see a pay advantage in the NL if they prove to be a passable hitter too justifying more pitchers to focus on their hitting.

 

 

[Squirrel]

 

I think it's interesting how many people dislike watching pitchers bat, in an era where we have more potential 2-way players than the league has seen in years.

How many two-way players are there, exactly, playing right now in the major leagues? Minor leagues? Otani in LAA ... an AL team that uses a DH ... and he doesn't bat on days he pitches, I believe? If there are truly legitimate two-way players ... that are truly good at both hitting and pitching ... teams could and will find a way to utilize that even while employing a DH. imo.

[Nine of twelve]

 

Rules are rules and athletes are athletes. Nothing like having to face the possibility of seeing a high-hard-one should the opposing team deem your deliveries to be too close for comfort.

If you want to watch a sport with that kind of feature then watch boxing.

[AceWrigley]

AceWrigley, on 20 Jan 2020 - 9:10 PM, said:

Rules are rules and athletes are athletes. Nothing like having to face the possibility of seeing a high-hard-one should the opposing team deem your deliveries to be too close for comfort.

If you want to watch a sport with that kind of feature then watch boxing.

It's not a feature, its an on-the-job hazard. I'm just saying that a pitcher that has to bat might think twice about deliberately trying to plunk a batter he's facing. It acts as a self-policing feature and helps to keep the beanballing down. It has nothing to do with wanting to watch players get hit by a pitch, which I don't.