I tend not to enjoy arguments about religion, but once in a while you have to go there:
It's a real shame that so many American League pitchers have been denied a chance to hit. As much as A's fans enjoyed the pure athletic ability of Vida Blue, Mike Norris, Rick Langford and Dave Stewart over the years, they could have seen so much more. Given a reason to work on their hitting, they all would have responded professionally. Or maybe not, in a case or two. You learn something there, too.
"But it's an age of specialization," people say. On what basis? There are no designated runners or fielders. Specialization is an NFL team employing different defensive units on four consecutive plays. Specialization was forced upon the American League when the DH arrived in 1973, but it never was warranted. Without question, we've witnessed golden DH moments from the likes of Tony Oliva, Orlando Cepeda, Harold Baines, Edgar Martinez, David Ortiz, but I invariably ask myself, why? In what brand of league does a player not bat for himself? Have we become a generation of elitist pipe-smokers, outraged at the sight of an athlete's vulnerability? "Fetch me my Thoreau, Jeeves. Barry Zito is batting."
The "different set of rules" argument gets tiresome, as well. Thank goodness the National League has a traditional set of rules, and the disparity doesn't harm the game in the slightest. It's still the same game. Different rules would be three balls for a walk, or you start out by running to third.
I'll come out and admit that I'm a National League guy and I hate the DH. Like Bruce Jenkins in this article, however, my dislike of the DH is not necessarily about being a traditionalist, the beauty of the double switch or the strategy or any of that. As history has shown, most managers overthink that crap anyway and all of that switching tends to bring the game to a grinding halt.
No, I'll just come out and admit it: I like to see pitchers hit. I know that's usually the first attack against the NL setup -- Pitchers are feeble! It's horrid to watch them flail! -- but to me it truly is an aesthetic plus. Seeing an overmatched pitcher trying to hit is the closest thing we can get to seeing what it's like for schmos like us to hit. True, most of the time they fail, but when they succeed, I am thrilled for them and feel strangely vindicated. And even if they do fail, it just makes you appreciate how good even the eighth best batter in a given lineup truly is.
If I had to guess, I'd say that the AL is more popular than the NL, and that because of it there are more DH fans than not. And I'll even grant that my rationale for getting rid of the DH -- pitchers batting is beautiful, baby -- is pretty far out there. But like I said in the beginning, this is really a religious argument.
And like all other religious arguments, understand: once you realize how irrational and wrong you are, and how right I am, the quicker we'll have peace.
(link via BTF)
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I have to say, I think you're out of your mind on this one, Craig.
There's nothing worse than watching rallies get killed because of an inept pitcher having to pretend to swing the bat. There's nothing dumber in baseball than forcing teams to have a dead spot in their lineup.
Even in the past-obsessed world of baseball, progress can be good. Get with it, NL.
I agree with you 100%. We've all learned over the last whatever number of years that outs are the most precious commodity in baseball, and yet a rule persists that actually encourages teams to waste them? That is beyond dumb. Luke Scott has 14 homers as the O's primary DH this year. And while he's actually a decent outfielder, I'd much rather see him hitting than frickin' Mark Hendrickson.
come to think of it, I'd probably rather see Luke pitching than Hendo, too...
Oh, I may very well be out of my mind. I know outs matter. I don't care. Runs are really important too and there would certainly be more runs if players could use metal bats, so why do we have this rule that actually encourages teams to score fewer runs?
I'm half-joking with that. Like I said, this is a purely aesthetic and even emotional thing for me.
I grew up with the DH, so I don't have any attachment to the pitcher batting. In fact, I can't stand watching NL baseball because having a free out forced into the lineup insults my aesthetics. At best, you'll get to see one of the mediocre bench guys hit because it was time to pull the pitcher anyway.
I watch professional baseball to see the best hitters hit and the best pitchers pitch. If I wanted to watch some schlub flail away helplessly, I'd go watch a local beer league softball game.
I'm with you on this CC. It makes the game more exciting for me when a pitcher lines one into the outfield, it's almost like I could do it too (99.9999% chance I can't)
I agree with CC on this too!! One of the highlights of last year's post season was watching Brett Myers of the Phillies digging in, taking practice swings, fouling off pitches until he successfully walked in a crucial spot during the Wolrd Series!!!
I'm a Red Sox fan, I have to say, I love NL ball so much better. If the Sox aren't on, given a choice, I'll watch an NL game every single time. It's so much more fun, worrying about when the pitcher is coming up to bat, watching a manager deal with it, seeing what happens in late innings when the game is tied and the pitcher is coming up. Do you pinch hit for him and burn a position player, and then have to burn another reliever? Or do you make the relief pitcher hit for only the 2nd time this season and chance an easy out?
So much more fun!
Pitchers hitting is stupid. It's fine if the NL wants to do it, but all inter-league play (including the W.S.) should include the DH. It's not fair to the AL to force their pitchers to swing a bat and run the bases (if they actually get on). Look what happenned to Wang of the Yankees last year. He hasn't been the same pitcher since that unfatefull event.
The game is much more interesting when the pitchers have to hit. They grew up hitting I don't understand why when they get to the big leagues they can't. There are and have been some good hitting pitchers. There should be more of it. Also, it doesn't take much brain power to be an AL manager when you have DL.
Good comment. At what point in their baseball upbringing does one say to himself, "I am going to be a pitcher. Lose the bat."? Rick Ankiel is a perfect example. If he were still pitching, you can bet he wouldn't be hitting a lick. Pitchers probably CAN hit just like position players, but they CHOOSE not to. Used to be, if you were a pitcher, you were expected to pitch the entire game. Now, all you are expected to do is throw 100 pitches...maybe. That's it. If you can field and lay down an occasional bunt as well, even better. If a great fielding 2nd baseman hits .180, he's gone. If a pitcher bats .180, he's considered "a good hitting pitcher." I agree it would be great to have pitchers bat just like every other player. But, until the day comes where pitchers are held to the same standard as every other player, there will always be a place for the DH.
I'm sorry, but deciding when to pinch hit and double-switch is not brain surgery. And pitchers that are competent hitters are hardly the norm.
Pitchers that get to the Major Leagues get there on the strength of their pitching. Just because they could hit when they were playing in high school or college means absolutely nothing. Do you really think that every pitcher has the talent to hit Major League pitching? Because that's completely ridiculous. Or do you want to only let pitchers who can hit competently play in the Majors? I really enjoyed watching Pedro Martinez pitch, but I guess he just wasn't good enough after all. Never should have played. Welcome to Micah Owings' world. Are you really, actually, truly serious?
Nick, I apologize if I was less than clear about my position. Of course, one cannot expect every pitcher to be a "competent" hitter. The issue is that absolutely NOTHING is expected of them when they have a bat in their hands. I infer from your comments that you are a proponent of the DH. I am as well. I am because pitchers are not expected to and cannot hit. The question I ask is "Why?". Pitchers that make it to the majors get there on the strength of their pitching, as it should be. But if they are going to continue to put forth no effort and have no expectations in the batters box, why are they there? Like you, I enjoyed watching Pedro pitch. He absolutely should have played. He just should never have been in a batter's box.
I'm a big DH guy, absolutely. I think the National League should have adopted the DH eons ago.
Take Micah Owings as an example. The guy has a career .874 OPS, in an admittedly small sample size, sure, but I think he could still get a chance to hit in a DH league. The Mariners were tyrotting Jose Vidro out there as their primary DH last year. I'm sure they would have been happy to have a guy like Owings to pitch and get some plate appearances. Hell, he probably could have been the full-time DH for that team.
I think that would be pretty cool, really.
I agree.I'm a Marlins fan and a couple of weeks ago Josh Johnson ( who is and should be in the allstar game ) hit his first major leauge home run.A 3 run shot to center field,no less,about 434 ft,that was the difference in a 4-3 victory over the Brewers.It was quite a moment to watch,and see his team mates reaction also.More strategy in an NL game.
Aren't pitchers usually the best athletes on the team when they're kids? Like John says above, why say "Lose the bat?" If every one of these guys was a stud when they were a kid, what happened? They stopped practicing. Look, I know they're paid to be the best they can be at pitching, but why not take a regular turn in BP, take some hacks, and practice hitting? You would think, for an NL manager, having a pitcher who can rake would be golden.
I love the NL rules compared to the AL rules. At times I do think the AL plays a more exciting game to watch (usually faster), but I just think every player on the field should bat. It does give the NL an advantage, however, in the World Series (even if they are terrible at capitalizing), especially in home games for the NL teams. All in all, there are quite a few decent batters among pitchers in the NL, so I think that alone proves that pitchers CAN do it when they practice knowing they will have to on game days.
The DH rule ADDS strategy to the game. As Bill James wrote when it was first introduced in the 70s, if an NL pitcher is up trailing in the 6th or 7th inning, there is no decision to be made. Pinch hit, obviously. But in the AL, the manager has to pay attention to when the pitcher may be tiring, and if the matchup favors the batter or pitcher in a late inning situation. See? Strategy. A position player is coming off injury? He can DH while rehabbing in the AL. In the NL, he's still riding the bench.
One other thing - Despite my preference for the DH, I would rather the AL do away with it than have the current two different sets of rules for baseball. That's just idiotic.
It also favors the NL too much by eliminating 10 percent of an AL team's everyday players in an NL-based interleague game, whereas a NL team gets to use its best pinch hitter all game long in an AL-based interleague game, which is a comparatively tiny disadvantage for them.
Why have only 1 DH? Wouldn't all you AL fans prefer to see the nine best batters along with the nine best fielders all playing at the same time. Specialization works for the NFL but it ruins MLB.
I agree, pitchers are fun to watch hit. In my fantasy league which is in it's 21st year, we have always included pitchers hitting stats.
And as far as religion, It is stupid and wrong. The plain fact is, that Jesus Christ is Lord and the ONLY way to God. Take Him or leave Him, but you can't go to heaven any other Way.