Designated Hitter For or Against

[EKU1969]

Old school, 62 yrs old, former Brooklyn Dodger fan, cannot understand the DH concept at all. It's a 9 man game, not 10...that's slow pitch softball!

[OZZIE4DUKE]

I'm 100% in favor of the DH. You "purists" are crazy. You're right, there should be one rule - everyone has the DH.

I have a solution for inter league play, including the World Series, rather than alternating rules on home fields (and getting your ace pitcher hurt and lost for the season as he runs the bases after getting on). Let each team choose whether or not they want to use it in a game. Let the AL teams use the DH in NL parks. If the NL teams wants to not use the DH in either park, let them. Then listen to the I'm a real wanker for saying this.I'm a real wanker for saying this.I'm a real wanker for saying this.I'm a real wanker for saying this.I'm a real wanker for saying this.ing that they are playing at a disadvantage.

[2535Miles]

I'm 100% in favor of the DH. You "purists" are crazy. You're right, there should be one rule - everyone has the DH.

I have a solution for inter league play, including the World Series, rather than alternating rules on home fields (and getting your ace pitcher hurt and lost for the season as he runs the bases after getting on). Let each team choose whether or not they want to use it in a game. Let the AL teams use the DH in NL parks. If the NL teams wants to not use the DH in either park, let them. Then listen to the I'm a real wanker for saying this.I'm a real wanker for saying this.I'm a real wanker for saying this.I'm a real wanker for saying this.I'm a real wanker for saying this.ing that they are playing at a disadvantage.

How many pitchers have been injured standing in the batter's box or running the bases?

[OZZIE4DUKE]

How many pitchers have been injured standing in the batter's box or running the bases?

Chin Meng Wang for one, and that's one too many.

[2535Miles]

Chin Meng Wang for one, and that's one too many.

One of the things that bothers me about this perspective is that you're essentially escalating the importance of one player over all others. It's okay for everyone else to earn their paycheck, and take the risks, but not pitchers? That's lame in my book, about as lame as letting quarterbacks slide to avoid a tackle. I'd rather hear you say that "Pitchers can't hit and I like to see more runs" than to hear the reasoning attributed to injuries.

Still curious though. I wonder how many games have been won/lost/decided by designated hitters.

[Dr. Rosenrosen]

One of the things that bothers me about this perspective is that you're essentially escalating the importance of one player over all others. It's okay for everyone else to earn their paycheck, and take the risks, but not pitchers? That's lame in my book, about as lame as letting quarterbacks slide to avoid a tackle. I'd rather hear you say that "Pitchers can't hit and I like to see more runs" than to hear the reasoning attributed to injuries.

I agree. And it's not like today's pitchers are over-exerting themselves and need to be protected b/c they're worn out. I mean, they aren't throwing 20+ complete games and 300+ innings in a season like Koufax, Drysdale, Spahn, Gibson and many others did. And oh by the way these guys didn't have the benefit of any stinking DH and they had respectable batting averages as well. Gimme the game the way it was supposed to be played.

[camion]

Catchers work a lot harder than pitchers. If anyone deserves a DH they do.

If you going to have one DH then why not have 9. Have an offensive team and a defensive team like football. The players' union would love it.

[rasputin]

Not if it comes at the sacrifice of his pitching abilities. Even if a good hitting pitcher could get you (at best) 1 extra run/game, that won't matter if that pitcher won't last 3 innings on the mound. I don't think it's reasonable to expect all starters to hit like Zambrano and (late 90s) Mike Hampton. One other thing to consider is, while the other 8 guys are practicing batting, the pitcher is (presumably) working on his pitching, which the other 8 guys don't have to; and this is probably what pitchers have been doing since college or high school.

I don't think it needs to come at the sacrifice of pitching abilities. Especially starters, who throw on the side once or twice between starts. (Sure, they do workouts, etc., also, but not much throwing.) So why not take batting practice?

[rasputin]

I agree. And it's not like today's pitchers are over-exerting themselves and need to be protected b/c they're worn out. I mean, they aren't throwing 20+ complete games and 300+ innings in a season like Koufax, Drysdale, Spahn, Gibson and many others did. And oh by the way these guys didn't have the benefit of any stinking DH and they had respectable batting averages as well. Gimme the game the way it was supposed to be played.

Interesting that you mention Koufax, Drysdale, Spahn and Gibson particularly; the last three were good hitters as pitchers go. (Koufax was terrible.) Pitching all those innings didn't seem to make these guys unable to work on their hitting.

[hc5duke]

I don't think it needs to come at the sacrifice of pitching abilities. Especially starters, who throw on the side once or twice between starts. (Sure, they do workouts, etc., also, but not much throwing.) So why not take batting practice?

From my understanding of the mechanics involved (never played baseball, though I love batting cages and drunk-softball), pitching is a very violent motion for the body and that's why you need 3-4 days to rest your pitching arm/shoulder. Considering most people pitch and bat with the same arm, taking batting practice between starts might not be such a good idea... but that's just my guess.

[weezie]

I'm absolutely FOR the DH. NL games are snooze festivals without it.
On the other hand, when the pitcher comes up to the plate in the NL, that's usually a good time to head to the beer stand.

[2535Miles]

I'm absolutely FOR the DH. NL games are snooze festivals without it.
On the other hand, when the pitcher comes up to the plate in the NL, that's usually a good time to head to the beer stand.

Funny, I get beer when the DH comes up.

[hc5duke]

Funny, I get beer when the DH comes up.

Why not, you're not missing any baseball

[weezie]

Why not, you're not missing any baseball

Oh snap!

[RainingThrees]

No DH. Part of baseball is playing on the field and it looks bad to have fat slow guys who can't play any defense making millions while participating in one part of the game.