FULL INSTANT REPLAY COMING (minus strike zone)

[Tangled Up in Plaid]

it's days like this i wish FJM were still around, to ridicule the inevitable barrage of terrible articles from traditionalists.

 

Just wait for the DH in the NL. It'll be glorious.

[pitchcs]

You've now mentioned the DH in the NL about 50 times

[Irrelevant Dude]

it's days like this i wish FJM were still around, to ridicule the inevitable barrage of terrible articles from traditionalists.

 

Just wait for the DH in the NL. It'll be glorious.

Nope.

[Sammy Sofa]

How does the pitcher batting actually help the Cubs in any way?

[Irrelevant Dude]

How does the pitcher batting actually help the Cubs in any way?

Adding a DH doesn't give the Cubs any inherent advantage over an extended period of time, but for me it has nothing to do with helping or not helping them. I simply enjoy the NL brand of baseball more than the AL. I understand that some people have no desire to watch the pitcher hit, but similarly I have no desire to see a 9-man lineup continuously loop around without any regard for pitching changes and pinch-hitters in the 9 spot. I enjoy that teams need to make a decision on whether to pinch-hit for their pitcher in a critical spot or let him hit and sacrifice a potential scoring opportunity so that he can stay in the game. That is only my preference, but I don't think popular opinion has tipped quite so far to the DH side as some people seem to think it has. The "now that there is inter-league play every day both leagues should have a DH" argument has never made sense to me.

[Sammy Sofa]

But it does give the Cubs an inherent advantage over the current situation; they'd suddenly have another position they can fill with someone like Aramis or Abreu or Vogelbach instead of having to go, "welp, they're monsters defensively/fat turds/old guys, can't take advantage of how they can hit." It's not like it's something unique to them, but I'd prefer to have more offensive options over trotting out a pitcher just because. The NL is basically the only holdout in this regard. And you'd still have plenty of batting changes based on which relievers are out there.

 

I mean, yeah, it's what I grew up preferring, but right now I'm for anything that helps the Cubs have a better team.

[Tangled Up in Plaid]

I cannot comprehend the fascination with no DH baseball.

[Rex Buckingham]

I cannot comprehend the fascination with no DH baseball.

 

agreed. I used to prefer no-DH baseball, but as I got older I realized that it just isn't entertaining to watch pitchers flail away or put down sacrifice bunts. Yes, it's fun to watch guys like Zambran crush a ball every now and then, but I'd rather see a guy who can actually hit up there. Plus, it's a rule that puts the NL teams at a distinct disadvantage when building their teams.

[TruffleShuffle]

How does the pitcher batting actually help the Cubs in any way?

 

at least a few years ago, DH had the highest average compensation of any position in baseball. not having the DH keeps their payroll marginally lower, rather than needing to find/pay another very good hitter.

[Sammy Sofa]

How does the pitcher batting actually help the Cubs in any way?

 

at least a few years ago, DH had the highest average compensation of any position in baseball. not having the DH keeps their payroll marginally lower, rather than needing to find/pay another very good hitter.

 

That's horrible logic and I want to fight you for it, you Ricketts narc.

[TruffleShuffle]

How does the pitcher batting actually help the Cubs in any way?

 

at least a few years ago, DH had the highest average compensation of any position in baseball. not having the DH keeps their payroll marginally lower, rather than needing to find/pay another very good hitter.

 

That's horrible logic and I want to fight you for it, you Ricketts narc.

 

well then look at it another way; if they have (hypothetically) $125m to spend, replacing a $10m DH with an extra bench bat or an extra relief pitcher gives the cubs several million extra to spend elsewhere on the major league roster.

[manbearcub]

Hopefully they go to 9 designated hitters and 9 designated fielders, that will really help the Cubs win.

[Sammy Sofa]

Orrrrrr they spend it on a really good DH.

[Clem Fandango]

Vogelbach is currently the primary reason I hope the NL expands to the DH.

[manbearcub]

This is funny because I'd be willing to bet the Cubs have benefited more than anyone from the NL not having the DH in the last 10 seasons.

[Sammy Sofa]

That's like winning a biggest pile of garbage contest. I'd much rather to be able to sign piles of meat who can only hit vs. stumbling across the rare Zambrano or Travis Wood or Jason Marquis. It's not like you'd be depriving a starting pitcher of their chance to be actually valuable.

[Tangled Up in Plaid]

The Cubs have the best collection of hitting prospects in baseball, and I'm not even factoring that in. Two leagues with two completely different sets of rules is stupid. as. [expletive].

[TruffleShuffle]

The Cubs have the best collection of hitting prospects in baseball, and I'm not even factoring that in. Two leagues with two completely different sets of rules is stupid. as. [expletive].

 

so get rid of the DH in the american league, problem solved.

[Derwood]

I'm usually anti-traditionalist, but a little part of me HATES the idea of paying a guy a lot of money to be a fat, unathletic free swinger who can't field but can only hit and huff-n-puff his way around the bases

[Tangled Up in Plaid]

The Cubs have the best collection of hitting prospects in baseball, and I'm not even factoring that in. Two leagues with two completely different sets of rules is stupid. as. [expletive].

 

so get rid of the DH in the american league, problem solved.

 

You and everyone else on the planet know that's never going to happen.

[manbearcub]

This instant replay is going to be a disaster by the way. I guarantee everyone will be sick of it after a week, and it will add another 10 minutes to every game.

[Guest]

I'm willing to trade a combined 4-5 plate appearances a game of pitcher hitting for the additional strategy that comes along with the NL game. I don't expect that to be a universal sentiment, but I don't think it's so crazy or beyond understanding.

 

I do think the two leagues need to have the same rules though, and since there's next to zero chance of the AL removing it, I'd like to see it in the NL too.

[Tangled Up in Plaid]

Can someone explain to me how the "strategy" involved in an NL game is enjoyable?

[Guest]

Can someone explain to me how the "strategy" involved in an NL game is enjoyable?

 

For the same reason that following offseason roster construction is enjoyable. I like baseball, and understanding and evaluating the decisions that are tangent to the actual pitches being thrown is very interesting to me, and many other people

[TruffleShuffle]

I'm willing to trade a combined 4-5 plate appearances a game of pitcher hitting for the additional strategy that comes along with the NL game. I don't expect that to be a universal sentiment, but I don't think it's so crazy or beyond understanding.

 

i agree with this and think it's the part i would miss most. i remember like 20 years ago, cito gaston went something like 50 games without making an in-game change besides replacing one pitcher with another. i like the strategy involved with national league games.