Hank Steinbrenner to NL: DROP DEAD

[RonnieWooWooSanto]

Brian Cashman must hate Hank.

[chuckywang]

This AL-DH nonsense is why I almost exclusively watch NL games on my MLB.TV. Sort of like how Bill Simmons doesn't know anything about what happens in the NL, I rarely pay attention to anything going on in the AL. The only reason I even know who is leading each AL division is because two of them have by turns competed with the Cubs for best record in baseball and one is the team across town.

 

I once said on this board that I found the AL to be unwatchable because of the DH. Someone said I must not be a big baseball fan if the DH makes it unwatchable. Glad I'm not alone.

[OleMissCub]

I'm really starting to dislike the AL.

[VanceJergins]

I agree with Hank for once. I'd rather see the pitchers do what they're supposed to, pitch, instead of pretending (like most everyone on this board does) that double-switches constitute fantastic strategy.

 

I've said it before and I'll say it again: the idea that the NL has more "strategy" and this "strategy" makes the NL more entertaining is probably the biggest myth that still has a deeply hardcore following. Because by God a manager pulling a pitcher for a pinch hitter and then going to a reliever is the most amazing thing I ever dun saw.

 

Insulting NL strategy never fails to bring out the most rabid pitchfork and torch wielding crowd you've ever seen.

 

If people believe it's entertaining, then it's not a myth whether you fall in that category or not. Personally, I'd rather not have the DH, but I think both leagues need to have the same rule.

 

To each his/her own. Personally, I kinda like how the AL has it and the NL doesn't. No other sport has something like that, differing rules. Gives fans a point of contention for either side. Imagine if like the AFL got away with field goals, that'd be crazy.

 

That's how I feel. I like the difference. I also like feeling of superiority I get as an NL fan, because the DH is stupid.

[rocket]

Baseball is baseball. Having a competent hitter hit in place of the pitcher doesn't really detract from the game. And AL baseball is just as fun to watch as NL baseball.

[BleacherBadger]

I also hate the fact that when a slugger gets old and fat and can't play defense anymore, analysts are like "he can still go DH somewhere."

 

If your old and fat, get out of the game. I don't care if you can still hit .275, hit 25 HRs, and drive in 90. If you can't get yourself in shape to jog out to a position inbetween innings, stand there and make a play every other inning, go hang up your cleats.

[ELCABALLO45]

AL games are long and boring.

 

Just get rid of the DH and everything will be fine.

[third eye]

Murphy was all worked up on the Score about how Selig might respond by mandating the DH, at least for interleague play.

 

The A.P.[/url]"]

 

Yankees ace Chien-Ming Wang is expected to be sidelined until at least September after injuring his foot running the bases, prompting club co-chairman Hank Steinbrenner to chastise the National League for playing without a designated hitter. ...

 

"My only message is simple. The National League needs to join the 21st century," Steinbrenner said in Tampa, Fla. "They need to grow up and join the 21st century.

 

"Am I (mad) about it? Yes," Steinbrenner added. "I've got my pitchers running the bases, and one of them gets hurt. He's going to be out. I don't like that, and it's about time they address it. That was a rule from the 1800s."

 

OK, I can understand the desire to not see sub-par performances out of players, but the DH strikes me as totally arbitrary in the grand scheme of things. Why not change the rules so that you have a lineup of only 4 Adams Dunns as hitters and only Ozzie Smiths as fielders ( I recognize why this doesn't work even theoretically, and it supports my argument)? I mean, this would leave all kinds of flexibility for the pitching staff! One of the things I appreciate most about baseball is that it requires a wide range of athletic abilities and skills. Balancing this range of abilities is key to building a winning team. Once you over-specialize, you begin to reduce the game to the point where, beyond the obvious implications for player development, it becomes a sport not of skilled athletes, but of specific tradesmen. Far less interesting to me. Maybe that's just me.

[Jehrico]

I've said it before and I'll say it again: the idea that the NL has more "strategy" and this "strategy" makes the NL more entertaining is probably the biggest myth that still has a deeply hardcore following. Because by God a manager pulling a pitcher for a pinch hitter and then going to a reliever is the most amazing thing I ever dun saw.

Don't get mad just because you don't get it.

[Jehrico]

Murphy was all worked up on the Score about how Selig might respond by mandating the DH, at least for interleague play.

 

The A.P.[/url]"]

 

Yankees ace Chien-Ming Wang is expected to be sidelined until at least September after injuring his foot running the bases, prompting club co-chairman Hank Steinbrenner to chastise the National League for playing without a designated hitter. ...

 

"My only message is simple. The National League needs to join the 21st century," Steinbrenner said in Tampa, Fla. "They need to grow up and join the 21st century.

 

"Am I (mad) about it? Yes," Steinbrenner added. "I've got my pitchers running the bases, and one of them gets hurt. He's going to be out. I don't like that, and it's about time they address it. That was a rule from the 1800s."

Back to Winebrenner's comments...regardless of whether you like the DH or not, I don't think it's unreasonable to expect a pitcher to be able to run the bases. ARod could get hurt running the bases, it happens. If it wasn't Wang, it could have been anyone else. He wouldn't be whining if he had a decent staff and didn't just lose his only good pitcher. Learn to build a good team first, Winebrenner, then you can endure these types of things when they happen.

[rawaction]

For the record, baseball is still 9 on 9. 9 players in the field at a time. And 9 players hit. In both leagues. Baseball is so specialized as it is. You have players whose sole job is to get out lefthanded hitters. Often times, that is done vs. 1 batter. There have been players in baseball history who were specifically pinch runners. What's the difference between a guy specifically having a job to face 1 hitter from a certain side of the plate or running the bases and another having the specific job to hit?

 

Also, how many DHs are truly guys that are hanging on their last leg because of the DH position? Maybe the guy we'll see tonight, Cliff Floyd, but he played the field all of last year. Maybe Thome. Papi could play 1B if he had to, and has in interleague play past. As could Hafner. Giambi has moved back to 1B. You have young guys without positions like Cust and Butler DH'ing because they stink in the field, but they are nowhere near old.

[XZero771679666304]

If the NL were to adopt the DH (or the reverse) it would bother me for all of about 5 minutes.

[daske17]

Separate and apart from everything, if I were Hank I'd be hurting that I got pwned by John Kruk.

[CarolinaCubFan]

If the opposing pitcher is willing to throw up and in on our batters, I think it's only fair for that pitcher to step in the box against our pitchers. Taking that aspect away is a turn off to me.

[chuckywang]

For the record, baseball is still 9 on 9. 9 players in the field at a time. And 9 players hit. In both leagues. Baseball is so specialized as it is. You have players whose sole job is to get out lefthanded hitters. Often times, that is done vs. 1 batter. There have been players in baseball history who were specifically pinch runners. What's the difference between a guy specifically having a job to face 1 hitter from a certain side of the plate or running the bases and another having the specific job to hit?

 

The difference is that the AL rules allow the specialized DH to hit the entire game. Yes, there are specialized jobs such as LOOGYs and pinch runners, but they are only used for one inning at most. If the manager wants them to continue playing, he is forced to make them hit/field. It's part of the strategy of baseball, not unlike the strategy of fouling to stop the clock in basketball.

[CubbieBum]

I've said it before and I'll say it again: the idea that the NL has more "strategy" and this "strategy" makes the NL more entertaining is probably the biggest myth that still has a deeply hardcore following. Because by God a manager pulling a pitcher for a pinch hitter and then going to a reliever is the most amazing thing I ever dun saw.

 

Umm well that is strategy and the AL doesn't have it so it is true the NL takes more strategy. It might not be a whole lot more but it's more especially when you have the managers that will send a pinch hitter up, the other puts in a different pitcher, and the original manager allows the pitcher to hit because now its righty righty or lefty lefty matchup.

 

The reason I don't like the DH (other than I think it ruins the game a bit like have a designated free-throw shooter for centers would do to basketball) is I enjoy watching a pitcher hit. Not because it's funny but because if he gets a hit it's huge even if it's a bloop single. A pitcher getting an RBI is awesome to see because it's rare and he is directly helping his cause to get the W.

[Tarver]

I agree with Hank for once. I'd rather see the pitchers do what they're supposed to, pitch, instead of pretending (like most everyone on this board does) that double-switches constitute fantastic strategy.

 

I've said it before and I'll say it again: the idea that the NL has more "strategy" and this "strategy" makes the NL more entertaining is probably the biggest myth that still has a deeply hardcore following. Because by God a manager pulling a pitcher for a pinch hitter and then going to a reliever is the most amazing thing I ever dun saw.

 

Insulting NL strategy never fails to bring out the most rabid pitchfork and torch wielding crowd you've ever seen.

 

If people believe it's entertaining, then it's not a myth whether you fall in that category or not. Personally, I'd rather not have the DH, but I think both leagues need to have the same rule.

 

Yep. If the AL is going to continue to dominate with DH, it's time to level the playing field.

 

And who else feels cheated that our generation is going to have to put up with Hank Steinbrenner? Say what you will about Ozzie Guillen, at least he's an original horse's ass.

[CubbieBum]

I agree with Hank for once. I'd rather see the pitchers do what they're supposed to, pitch, instead of pretending (like most everyone on this board does) that double-switches constitute fantastic strategy.

 

I've said it before and I'll say it again: the idea that the NL has more "strategy" and this "strategy" makes the NL more entertaining is probably the biggest myth that still has a deeply hardcore following. Because by God a manager pulling a pitcher for a pinch hitter and then going to a reliever is the most amazing thing I ever dun saw.

 

Insulting NL strategy never fails to bring out the most rabid pitchfork and torch wielding crowd you've ever seen.

 

If people believe it's entertaining, then it's not a myth whether you fall in that category or not. Personally, I'd rather not have the DH, but I think both leagues need to have the same rule.

 

Yep. If the AL is going to continue to dominate with DH, it's time to level the playing field.

 

And who else feels cheated that our generation is going to have to put up with Hank Steinbrenner? Say what you will about Ozzie Guillen, at least he's an original horse's ass.

 

eh, Cashman will shoot him eventually.

[JoshiQ]

I am basically of the opinion that there should be no DH. At the same time, if it's impossible to take away the DH (which it is) then we need to have the same rule for both leagues. I would hate it for awhile, but if the NL did have the DH it would at least keep everything equal for both parties.

 

In the World Series I think it's a bigger disadvantage for the NL team the way the system is currently set up. I don't know if this is accurate, but I assume that having a specific DH that was signed just to hit is a bigger advantage than the fact that we have a pitcher batting (more than likely is far below an average hitter) that has hit more often than the AL pitcher.

 

David Ortiz over Mike Fontenot?

Carlos Zambrano over Josh Beckett?

 

I think we know where the biggest advantage is.

 

So I would prefer no DH, but I think we need to at least keep the rules similar for both leagues.

[Jake]

And to think MLB is worried about Cuban owning a team when there's a clown like this running baseball's most storied franchise.

His father was just like this until about 10 years ago. Then, he had a stroke (supposedly) and hasn't been the same since. Also, the team was winning world series.

[BigbadB]

The rules are fine just the way they are. Old players who can no longer play the field have a place in this league, just like old lefties who can't throw a ball past a right handed hitter have a place in this league.

 

Never thought I'd see the day when someone would be more whiney than George Steinbrenner. If Hank wants a change, maybe he should ask the Mets if they'd be willing to swap leagues. Good luck with that.

[jersey cubs fan]

The whole strategy argument does nothing for me. I don't like the DH, but I'm fine with the AL having the DH and the NL not having it. It's hard to say if it hurts an NL team more to play with a DH in some games or if it hurts AL teams more when they don't have the DH. I would be very disappointed if the NL went to the DH, and the inevitable conclusion to "making the rules the same" is more DH, not less. So status quo is fine with me on this issue.

[shnsajax]

I really don't want to listen to owners bitch about players having to run around the bases. Had Wang been hit by a pitch in the hand, fine complain all you want. But seriously, injuries happen, they happen every day, they happen to every team, no one gives a damn about the Yankees and a majority of people are cheering for them to miss the playoffs. You know he would have been laughing his fat $%# off had it been Beckett.

[davearm2]

I really don't want to listen to owners bitch about players having to run around the bases. Had Wang been hit by a pitch in the hand, fine complain all you want. But seriously, injuries happen, they happen every day, they happen to every team, no one gives a damn about the Yankees and a majority of people are cheering for them to miss the playoffs. You know he would have been laughing his fat $%# off had it been Beckett.

Even that's not a very compelling argument.

 

Having an elite DH like Big Papi miss a couple months with a broken hand could be just as damaging to a team's outlook as losing a front-of-the-rotation starter like Wang to the same injury.

 

And arguing that the DH would be better able than the pitcher to avoid being hit in the first place would lead to a hopelessly speculative discussion.

[TruffleShuffle]

they need a designated runner so that fat old DHs don't have to risk getting hurt running the bases. the designated runner can stand off to the side of the batter's box, and when the fat old guy hits the ball, he can just start running.