Has anyone else started to soften up to the DH?

[Ding Dong Johnson]

I'm taking names of everyone who likes the DH so i can do a mass banning.

 

:banned:

Banedon LOVES the DH. I hate it

[Jehrico]

No to the DH. I view it like Basketball...you have to be able to defend as well, not just shoot. Baseball is the same, you have to be able to play the field and hit. Pitchers who can hit give the other team an advantage, and pitching changes/PHs late in the game introduces more strategy to the game than the DH does.

[Ding Dong Johnson]

No to the DH. I view it like Basketball...you have to be able to defend as well, not just shoot. Baseball is the same, you have to be able to play the field and hit. Pitchers who can hit give the other team an advantage, and pitching changes/PHs late in the game introduces more strategy to the game than the DH does.

you must hate football

[Little Slide Rooter]

Is it possible to use the DH for center fielders instead of pitchers?

[Jehrico]

No to the DH. I view it like Basketball...you have to be able to defend as well, not just shoot. Baseball is the same, you have to be able to play the field and hit. Pitchers who can hit give the other team an advantage, and pitching changes/PHs late in the game introduces more strategy to the game than the DH does.

you must hate football

Not really. Football is the exception. It's just not realistic to expect guys to play both ways in the NFL, for obvious reasons. The pace would slow down alot throughout the game, and you'd have alot more injuries, all of which would make the game less enjoyable. There's no good reason in any other sport I can think of for someone to only be able to play half of the game. Plus, if baseball were like football, you'd have nine DHs, not just one. I don't like the DH because it's an exception for one guy. I don't like making special rules for one player or one position.

[Clem Fandango]

They should alternate its use between the leagues each year. This year, AL has it. Next year, NL. And so on, and so forth.

 

But not really. DH don't bother me, but I personally like the way it's set up now.

[Garage Party]

It was pretty clever for Earl Weaver to make Steve Stone his designated hitter and then put in a pinch-hitter so that in case the pitcher was replaced, he could get the right matchup. Well, maybe not "clever," since it was kind of contrived and rarely came to fruition, but it was certainly a neat little Oriole novelty.

[bcl412]

I think the Cubs should get the DH and the rest of the teams have to bat their pitcher. That way the Cubs won't have to deal with RISP situations with the pitcher batting.

[brinoch]

I'm taking names of everyone who likes the DH so i can do a mass banning.

 

:banned:

 

I'm with Tim.

[VanceJergins]

I think its boring that batters only get hits about 27% of the time. There should only be like 3 fielders (pitcher, catcher, and middle-fielder). What would be more exciting: a boring outfielder catching a boring fly ball, or a middle-fielder in a dead sprint trying to chase down a bloop before the hitter gets an inside the park homerun? I think the answer is obvious. Strategy is boring.

 

There should also be a tiger roving free on the field at all times. And each team should get a handgun with one bullet that they can use at any point during the game.

[loukycub]

nine positions, nine spots in the lineup. the pitcher bats. period. i don't see any reason to permanently pitch hit for the pitcher. what if he's a good hitting pitcher? you really want to take away options for your lineup? a good hitting pitcher makes your 8 hitter that much better. really i'm surprised that lou hasn't batted z or marquis 7th or 8th.

 

personally i seeing the pitcher bat. because you normally will have three results all of them good (unless its against your team):

1. pitcher goes up and swings at pitches high and outside with cuts that make a t-baller cringe. makes for great comedy highlights on espnews.

2. pitcher gets a hit.

3. pitcher goes yard. and if its an especially weak hitting pitcher, its even more awesome (kevin tapani grand slam anyone?).

[Derwood]

if you banned the DH at all levels of baseball, you wouldn't have crappy hitting pitchers anymore. in little league/high school, and sometimes into college, your pitcher is usually your best hitter as well (since they are generally the best overall athlete on the team). lack of PA's in the minors kills their hitting skills

[Derwood]

triple post Edited April 16, 2008 by Derwood

[Derwood]

triple post

[Jon]

if you banned the DH at all levels of baseball, you wouldn't have crappy hitting pitchers anymore. in little league/high school, and sometimes into college, your pitcher is usually your best hitter as well (since they are generally the best overall athlete on the team). lack of PA's in the minors kills their hitting skills

I'd rather have a hitter get extra ABs below AA ball, though. I don't think young pitchers need to worry about hitting. I can see a case for it in high A ball, but having the pitchers hit would not do much good below that.

[OleMissCub]

if you banned the DH at all levels of baseball, you wouldn't have crappy hitting pitchers anymore. in little league/high school, and sometimes into college, your pitcher is usually your best hitter as well (since they are generally the best overall athlete on the team). lack of PA's in the minors kills their hitting skills

 

Still, I've never understood why so many of them look completely foolish up there. I have no problem with the concept of pitchers just being overpowered by pitching since they don't spend much time hitting, but you'd think that they could at least strike out with a smidgen of athleticism. Some of them look like they've never swung a bat in their entire lives.

[Jehrico]

nine positions, nine spots in the lineup. the pitcher bats. period. i don't see any reason to permanently pitch hit for the pitcher. what if he's a good hitting pitcher? you really want to take away options for your lineup? a good hitting pitcher makes your 8 hitter that much better. really i'm surprised that lou hasn't batted z or marquis 7th or 8th.

 

personally i seeing the pitcher bat. because you normally will have three results all of them good (unless its against your team):

1. pitcher goes up and swings at pitches high and outside with cuts that make a t-baller cringe. makes for great comedy highlights on espnews.

2. pitcher gets a hit.

3. pitcher goes yard. and if its an especially weak hitting pitcher, its even more awesome (kevin tapani grand slam anyone?).

Even when it's against your team, it can still be awesome sometimes. Does anyone else besides me still smirk at the thought of the momentous battles between Glendon Rusch and Bronson Arroyo?

[Hairyducked Idiot]

nine positions, nine spots in the lineup. the pitcher bats. period. i don't see any reason to permanently pitch hit for the pitcher.

 

By that logic, why allow substitutions at all?

[Cansecos Roid Party]

To solve this dilemma, all position players should be required to pitch, as beautifully exemplified by the epitome of natural baseball talent, one J. Canseco.

[waffle]

No

Never

Nyet

 

Viva la difference. Let the AL keep it

[David]

The DH makes bench players useless.

 

Except the really good ones who get to be DHs.

[David]

if you banned the DH at all levels of baseball, you wouldn't have crappy hitting pitchers anymore. in little league/high school, and sometimes into college, your pitcher is usually your best hitter as well (since they are generally the best overall athlete on the team). lack of PA's in the minors kills their hitting skills

 

Still, I've never understood why so many of them look completely foolish up there. I have no problem with the concept of pitchers just being overpowered by pitching since they don't spend much time hitting, but you'd think that they could at least strike out with a smidgen of athleticism. Some of them look like they've never swung a bat in their entire lives.

 

Probably because they have zero hitting talent but do have an arm that can throw a ball at or around 90mph...

 

It's not like you can learn to be a MLB quality hitter or practice really hard at it. It's a natural ability that very few people have.

[rocket]

f all ya'll. to me, baseball died when the batter could no longer tell the pitcher where he wanted the ball to be pitched.

[OleMissCub]

 

It's not like you can learn to be a MLB quality hitter or practice really hard at it. It's a natural ability that very few people have.

 

Did you miss where I said that I understand that they are going to be outmatched most all of the time at the plate? My point was that they often times look completely clueless up there, without a hint of athleticism, as if they've completely forgotten how to swing a bat.

 

It's like I know that you are going to strike out, but at least do so with some dignity. Some pitchers don't even appear to be trying.

[Ender]

I think it is inevitable that the NL gets the DH as well.

 

1) Pitchers stink at hitting and in todays game there just isn't enough time for them to work on it to stay good.

2) Pitchers are a scarce commodity and just like how the NFL keeps adding rules to baby the QB they will add rules to protect the pitcher. Not having them bat or run bases is the most logical one.

3) AL supremacy continues and a lot of people point the finger at the DH as the reason why and eventually they'll want to do something about it.