The National League & the DH

[mav3rek]

Re: The National League & the DH

This argument basically boils down like this:

An AL fan is in favor of the DH.

An NL fan is in favor of no DH.

As a Reds fan, I like having pitchers hit. But I don't despise the DH. I just prefer the brand of baseball that I watch on a daily basis.

[letsgomets75]

Re: The National League & the DH

Nope it's not awesome. I don't need to see clowns like Bartolo Colon swinging a bat.

I understand why people like the DH but don't go after my boy Bartolo...

[RLebron12]

Re: The National League & the DH

It will happen at some point, but my guess is that it's at least ten years off.



Personally, I think both leagues should have the DH. The NL is the only professional league that makes pitchers hits, and the results show it. With very rare exceptions, pitchers hitting is pretty much the worst thing about baseball. I also don't get the strategy argument. Pitchers bunt in obvious spots. The decision of when to hit for the pitcher is usually obvious. It doesn't take an advanced degree to make a double switch.



In the interests of realism, I leave the DH setting alone. Of course, I play my franchises as an AL team.



I realize my take on the DH probably puts me in the minority.

Yea I definitely disagree. Their is a lot of strategy and risk and reward when it comes to whether you pull your pitcher, let him hit and stay pitching, have him bunt or not. I mean look at teams such as the Giants having their pitcher bat 8th due to strategy of basically wanting 2 lead off hitters. To me pitchers batting is not boring at all. I always love seeing what Bochy is going to, just like yesterday's game acting like he was gonna pinch hit to get Crawford good pitches, then when they walked him he let Cueto go out and swing.

[monteith]

Re: The National League & the DH

I used to be a staunch anti-DH guy, but my position on this has evolved over the years as the game has evolved. I don't think the strategy argument holds as much weight anymore with the way the game has changed. Starting pitchers rarely ever pitch complete games, so in close games managers always pinch hit for their pitchers. In the NL, a manager knows he's going to have to use at least one, and often two bench players just to pinch hit for pitchers every day. Because of that, they are much more limited with how they can use their other reserves for other purposes. In the AL, managers have their full bench at their disposal for any purpose every night, giving them more options for taking advantage of hitter/pitcher matchups, defensive replacements, pinch runners, etc. I actually think the DH adds more layers of strategy for managers. Not to mention, just from the fan perspective, it pretty much sucks watching pitchers come up and strike out. For every Bumgarner, there are 99 Aaron Harang-types.
And of course, there is the injury factor. Yes, I know Wainright could have popped his Achilles going down the stairs, but why add risk that doesn't need to be there. I say it's time to let the pitchers focus 100% on what they do best, and bring the DH to the NL.

[RLebron12]

Re: The National League & the DH

I guess this debate is just like a Conservative Republican vs Liberal Democrat. Some of us like tradition and don't want to mess with it, others always want change and things to adapt to what they want...their will never be 100% agreement


Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk

[OhioCub]

Re: The National League & the DH

I guess this debate is just like a Conservative Republican vs Liberal Democrat. Some of us like tradition and don't want to mess with it, others always want change and things to adapt to what they want...their will never be 100% agreement


Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk

I'm as progressive and anti-tradition as you can get but even I hate the DH lol

Sent from my SM-N910V using Tapatalk

[canes21]

Re: The National League & the DH

I wonder if maybe this actually roots back to the rules of baseball when we all played when we were younger. Nearly every level I played at used no DH, so I've always been more familiar with it. High school ball had the DH, but all travel ball and summer leagues I did followed NL rules.

[reyes the roof]

Re: The National League & the DH

That's not a bad idea. Thing is though, now with the money that's in baseball the union would never agree to that because it'd be taking away jobs.

Sent from my SM-N910V using Tapatalk

You could still have 25 man rosters, so no jobs would be lost

[OhioCub]

Re: The National League & the DH

You could still have 25 man rosters, so no jobs would be lost

True, you'd still be taking at bats away though, whether it's for the DH in the AL or pinch hitters in the NL.

Sent from my SM-N910V using Tapatalk

[letsgomets75]

Re: The National League & the DH

You could still have 25 man rosters, so no jobs would be lost

While I'm against the DH, it wont ever leave the AL. While the 25 man rosters will be the same, the DH basically creates 15 more everyday position players in the AL, who will be paid just as much as any other everyday position player.

[ajra21]

Re: The National League & the DH

This argument basically boils down like this:

An AL fan is in favor of the DH.

An NL fan is in favor of no DH.

As a Reds fan, I like having pitchers hit. But I don't despise the DH. I just prefer the brand of baseball that I watch on a daily basis.

the difference between the "brand" of baseball is negligible. in terms of strategy it's next to nothing. the vast majority of the time it just means a useless hitter comes to the plate three times a game.

the only league in the world without it is the NL. all minor league teams have it so NL teams aren't helping themselves by not training their pitchers to hit only them throwing them into the fire against the best pitchers on the planet.

the DH won't happen for a while due to owners not wanting to pay for it (it has little to do with tradition and more to do with money) but it will happen eventually.

[aarondmsu]

Re: The National League & the DH

There's no reason to believe that the NL is going to adopt the DH or that the AL is going to scrap it anytime soon.

[TattooedEvil]

Re: The National League & the DH

Manfred isn't a DH guy (thankfully) so it's never gonna get legs.....as much as ppl want it to have legs its not happening.

[HozAndMoose]

Re: The National League & the DH

Manfred isn't a DH guy (thankfully) so it's never gonna get legs.....as much as ppl want it to have legs its not happening.

Completely wrong. It's not going to be up to Manfred.

[TattooedEvil]

Re: The National League & the DH

the difference between the "brand" of baseball is negligible. in terms of strategy it's next to nothing. the vast majority of the time it just means a useless hitter comes to the plate three times a game.

the only league in the world without it is the NL. all minor league teams have it so NL teams aren't helping themselves by not training their pitchers to hit only them throwing them into the fire against the best pitchers on the planet.

the DH won't happen for a while due to owners not wanting to pay for it (it has little to do with tradition and more to do with money) but it will happen eventually.

thats a bunch of bull....double switching has so much strategy. U know how many times i've watched a DS happen only for the game to go into extras with the pitcher spot ending up in the 3 hole. In the NL u can literally walk 2 batters just to make the manager make a decision....pull his starter early in hopes the PH hits a jack, or put his useless hitting pitcher (most of the time) at the plate and hope the bat hits the ball with his eyes closed. In the AL u might find a weak 8 or 9 hole hitter but if theres 2 outs and the winning runner on third and the 7 hole hitter is up theres no walking 2 batters to get to that pitcher and force the managers hand. AL strategy is slim to none. NL strategy starts before the lineup is even made.