Oops, Tampa had to actually play the game as it should be played!

[M GO BLUE!!!]

Error on Tampa Bay Rays' lineup card forced starting pitcher Andy Sonnanstine to bat - ESPN (http://sports.espn.go.com/mlb/news/story?id=4172968&campaign=rss&source=ESPNHeadlines)

ST. PETERSBURG, Fla. -- An error on the Tampa Bay Rays' official lineup card forced starting pitcher Andy Sonnanstine to bat in Sunday's game against Cleveland.

The Rays listed Ben Zobrist and Evan Longoria as the third baseman on the card given to the umpires before the start of the game. Longoria was supposed to be the designated hitter.

After going hitless in his first two at-bats, Sonnanstine had an RBI double to left during a five-run fourth that put Tampa Bay ahead 7-3.

After the top of the first, in which Zobrist played third, the game was delayed 13 minutes as the umpires discussed the matter among themselves and individually with Tampa Bay manager Joe Maddon and Cleveland manager Eric Wedge.

The umpires pulled the Indians off the field midway through the delay.

The Rays lost their DH position due to the error, meaning Sonnanstine replaced Longoria in the third spot of the lineup.

Longoria, available to come off the bench, entered the game at third with two outs in the sixth when reliever Grant Balfour replaced Sonnanstine. Longoria also took over the third position in the lineup, while Balfour replaced right fielder Gabe Kapler in the seventh spot.

Zobrist moved from third to right when Longoria came in.

[Radii]

I support any AL team where the pitcher is hitting, even if by accident! Freaking DH.

[samifan24]

The funny thing is Sonnanstine can actually hit a little bit.

[Tasan]

Oops, Tampa had to actually play the game as it should be played in the NL!

There, fixed it for ya.

Stupid NL fans.

[larrymcg421]

There, fixed it for ya.

Stupid NL fans.

If someone was stupid, I'd think they'd prefer the AL, where they wouldn't have to be bothered with strategy.

[JetsIn06]

This was a pretty strange occurence.

I was watching this game, saw Sonnanstine with a bat in his hand and was extremely confused.

I've always been a bigger fan of AL teams for some reason but do not like the DH at all.

[Tasan]

If someone was stupid, I'd think they'd prefer the AL, where they wouldn't have to be bothered with strategy.

This is a funny arguement. Simply removing the pitcher from the lineup does not eliminate strategy. Is there some different strategy? Yes.

[M GO BLUE!!!]

This is a funny arguement. Simply removing the pitcher from the lineup does not eliminate strategy. Is there some different strategy? Yes.

Like when to change pitchers? When he starts to suck.

Hey... I could manage in the AL!

[Pumpy Tudors]

lol internet

[Huckleberry]

The DH is a stupid half-ass rule. Either go all the way with it or don't. Full platoon or none.

[larrymcg421]

I'm still mad there was no Designated Fielder rule so my man Rafael Belliard could have been a star.

[Big Fo]

The DH is a stupid half-ass rule. Either go all the way with it or don't. Full platoon or none.

Do I play too many sports games/text sims if the main reason I don't like the current separate rules in the NL and AL is that I hate having to do that extra bit of work to set up four lineups instead of two?

[M GO BLUE!!!]

The DH is a stupid half-ass rule. Either go all the way with it or don't. Full platoon or none.

Interesting... What if we had a "Designated Passer" rule in football, where all players except for one had to play both ways?

[Karlifornia]

If there was a "designated offensive player" rule, Ricky Davis would be one of the highest paid NBA players.

[Logan]

Stephon Marbury is the most offensive to me.

[stevew]

The DH is dumb. Otherwise we wouldn't get the pleasure of seeing Randy Johnson bat.

[miked]

Yes, awesome strategy watching a guy who takes BP once a year flail during his 60 ABs a year. Everyone gets thrilled if they 8 hits. That's why mediocre pitchers go to the NL to dominate, you get to face a no-show 3 times a game.

[gstelmack]

Interesting... What if we had a "Designated Passer" rule in football, where all players except for one had to play both ways?

That was called "The Arena Football League" :D

[RendeR]

This is a very simple rule to follow:

if you don't PLAY on the FIELD you don't TOUCH a BAT.

If you don't want your pitcher hitting then every time he's due up you change him and pinch hit.

The DH is a bastardization of baseball and should be abolished in every league.

[Draft Dodger]

I actually like how the two leagues have separate rules, and wish there were more differences.

[Young Drachma]

I actually like how the two leagues have separate rules, and wish there were more differences.

IAWTC

I don't really understand all of the whining about "baseball was meant to be played with a pitching swinging," because the DH was proposed as early as the 1920s. People have always thought about it, because outside of a few exceptions, pitchers don't hit.

But some Luddites swear baseball is better the NL way. I can appreciate both varieties of the game and enjoy that baseball is distinct in that way.

[Logan]

For me, it's not about the difference of a pitcher hitting or a real hitter hitting. It's forcing a team to decide when the benefit outweighs the drawback to pulling a high-performing starter earlier than you normally would, or when your effective reliever needs to come out of the game because his spot came up in the order.

[miked]

For me, it's not about the difference of a pitcher hitting or a real hitter hitting. It's forcing a team to decide when the benefit outweighs the drawback to pulling a high-performing starter earlier than you normally would, or when your effective reliever needs to come out of the game because his spot came up in the order.

I would think a lot of those "strategies" have been removed by the virtue that rarely do starters go longer than 6-7 anymore. I was actually shocked watching the Yankees game that Gardenhire left that SP in to face the Yanks in the 8th given that he was struggling a bit in the later innings. The "strategy" seems fairly standard these days, and I don't get why it's so "pure" and "great" to watch some guy whiff around 2-3 times a game. Occasionally you get the funny moments where some guy (the Mets pitcher for example that wouldn't even stand in the box) gets some big hit over everyone's heads, but I just don't get this "pure" business about baseball.

[Pumpy Tudors]

That was called "The Arena Football League" :D
I was sad when the AFL got rid of the ironman rules. :(

[Young Drachma]

I was sad when the AFL got rid of the ironman rules. :(

Me too. I thought it was a unique part of the sport's character.

[Schmidty]

I hate how uppity people that don't like the DH are.

[gstelmack]

For me, it's not about the difference of a pitcher hitting or a real hitter hitting. It's forcing a team to decide when the benefit outweighs the drawback to pulling a high-performing starter earlier than you normally would, or when your effective reliever needs to come out of the game because his spot came up in the order.

Roster sizes don't change, so in the AL it's a much tougher decision on how many pitchers vs hitters to carry.

[Oilers9911]

I am a traditionalist when it comes to many things in baseball and was with the DH for a long time. But watching most pitchers try to hit is just a joke. Some can actually swing the bat but man it's painful watching most of them be hopelessly overmatched.

[Schmidty]

I am a traditionalist when it comes to many things in baseball and was with the DH for a long time. But watching most pitchers try to hit is just a joke. Some can actually swing the bat but man it's painful watching most of them be hopelessly overmatched.

I wonder how much better pitchers were at hitting before the DH came about.

[Mizzou B-ball fan]

I wonder how much better pitchers were at hitting before the DH came about.

There's a reason they implemented the rule.

[Bad-example]

Roster sizes don't change, so in the AL it's a much tougher decision on how many pitchers vs hitters to carry.

So general managers in the AL have a tougher job than their counterparts in the NL?

[Oilers9911]

I wonder how much better pitchers were at hitting before the DH came about.

A random sample from baseball-reference.com. (Avg, HR, RBI)
1960 New York Yankees
Al Ditmar .159 0 2
Whitey Ford .151 0 3
Bob Turley .073 0 1
Jim Coates .250 0 6
Ralph Terry .122 0 1
Eli Grba .238 1 1

[sterlingice]

I hate how uppity people that don't like the DH are.

Isn't that racist? ;)

SI

[Logan]

Roster sizes don't change, so in the AL it's a much tougher decision on how many pitchers vs hitters to carry.

I'm not really sure what you mean by this. Without the DH, you go through position players faster with pinch hitting/double switching and you go through relievers faster when they get removed for pinch hitters. So why is that tougher in the AL?

[Huckleberry]

Yes, awesome strategy watching a guy who takes BP once a year flail during his 60 ABs a year. Everyone gets thrilled if they 8 hits. That's why mediocre pitchers go to the NL to dominate, you get to face a no-show 3 times a game.

Yeah, and as an Astros fan I didn't like having to watch Adam Everett hit 4 times a game, either. Or Brad Ausmus. So either full platoon or don't.

[ISiddiqui]

Man, imagine if the Mets could have had a designated fielder when Rey Ordonez was on the squad... that would have been nice.

But, yeah... no DH or DF, etc.

[flere-imsaho]

I love AL-NL debates....

:popcorn:

:D