Universal DH

[kehlis]

Re: Universal DH

Do the Dodgers lead the league in attendence because of how well their pitches hit and all the amazing double switches Dave Roberts pulls off in the 7th inning? Or is it because they have great teams with great players in a huge market? People generally want to see the best athletes do what they do best.

Pitchers hit .128 and struck out 44% of their at bats last season. Baseball has a problem attracting young fans and increasing the times the ball is put into play. I doubt having the pitcher bunt a runner to 2b with 1 out attracts new fans to the game. Was it more enjoyable watching David Ortiz hit the past 15 years or Bartolo Colon hit 1 home run during that time?

Not to mention baseball is the only major sport that has two different set of rules. Imagine if the NBA only had the 3 point line in the Eastern Conference. Or the NFL only allowed teams to use a kicker in the NFC.

Your argument was people don't buy tickets to watch pitchers hit but pay to watch DH's hit (your words) "bombs."

That doesn't happen in NL parks.

Clearly, plenty of people buy tickets and watch pitchers hit in the process without caring about it.


Many have tried to make the point you are (and not necessarily invalid, I won't argue opinion) but you took the wrong stab at it by trying to tie it into ticket sales as that's easily debunked.

[Gagnon39]

Re: Universal DH

They need to add a toggle for franchise so we can turn it on or off anytime.


Sent from my iPhone using Operation Sports

[Cold Snap]

Re: Universal DH

"The point of this game, and every other game except football, is being able to perform OFFENSIVELY and DEFENSIVELY, and deciding whether exceptionalism in one field compensates for inadequacy in the other."

--Keith Olbermann, on banning the DH if he were commissioner

[countryboy]

Re: Universal DH

Do the Dodgers lead the league in attendence because of how well their pitches hit and all the amazing double switches Dave Roberts pulls off in the 7th inning? Or is it because they have great teams with great players in a huge market? People generally want to see the best athletes do what they do best.

Pitchers hit .128 and struck out 44% of their at bats last season. Baseball has a problem attracting young fans and increasing the times the ball is put into play. I doubt having the pitcher bunt a runner to 2b with 1 out attracts new fans to the game. Was it more enjoyable watching David Ortiz hit the past 15 years or Bartolo Colon hit 1 home run during that time?

Not to mention baseball is the only major sport that has two different set of rules. Imagine if the NBA only had the 3 point line in the Eastern Conference. Or the NFL only allowed teams to use a kicker in the NFC.

I don’t know why they bought the tickets, just that they did.

I’m sorry I didn’t conduct a poll of every fan that bought a ticket to attend a baseball game last year the reason(s)for their purchase.


Sent from my iPhone using Operation Sports

[zello144]

Re: Universal DH

Almost nobody buys a ticket with the hopes of seeing a double switch. Especially nobody under the age of 50 when the other option is seeing a DH hit a 500 foot bomb.


Sent from my iPhone using Operation Sports

I'm 24 years old and don't like the DH. I go to Nats games. I also got the option to drive 45 minutes away to Baltimore and watch the Orioles use a DH.
I prefer the NL style of play there's more strategy involved.

The DH should stay in the AL.

<iframe width="560" height="315" src="https://www.youtube.com/embed/OVFsq9FQBlc" frameborder="0" allow="accelerometer; autoplay; encrypted-media; gyroscope; picture-in-picture" allowfullscreen></iframe>

Also this would have never happened.



Forcing the DH to me is like forcing NBA teams to have designated free throw shooters for poor free throw shooters. The Hack a shaq strategy would be gone.

[reyes the roof]

Re: Universal DH

Was it more enjoyable watching David Ortiz hit the past 15 years or Bartolo Colon hit 1 home run during that time?

.

Bartolo Colon by far

[mrsaito]

Re: Universal DH

Here's my two cents on the issue;

1) The fact that pitchers are frequently the best hitters in little league and high school speaks to how specialized both the crafts of hitting and pitching are at the professional level in this day and age.

2) When you compare a .150 hitting pitcher with a .250 hitting second baseman the difference is only one 'result' out of ten. Not that huge in the grand scheme of things.

3) When a pitcher gets a base hit it is a big deal, similar to a hockey team scoring a short handed goal. That provides some drama in the ebb and flow of a game.

[Therebelyell626]

Re: Universal DH

Let me preface this by saying I am an American League guy and love the DH. But I am also a huge fan of the fact that there are two leagues with two distinct styles of play and two sets of strategies, that meet up at the end of the year to see who is better. I hope they don’t change it permanently

[The Kid 24]

Re: Universal DH

Let me preface this by saying I am an American League guy and love the DH. But I am also a huge fan of the fact that there are two leagues with two distinct styles of play and two sets of strategies, that meet up at the end of the year to see who is better. I hope they don’t change it permanently

2019 is the last we saw of no DH in the NL... I dont see anyway of them having the DH in 2020 and then not having it in 2021.

[reyes the roof]

Re: Universal DH

Let me preface this by saying I am an American League guy and love the DH. But I am also a huge fan of the fact that there are two leagues with two distinct styles of play and two sets of strategies, that meet up at the end of the year to see who is better. I hope they don’t change it permanently

Just the idea of changing it seems so strange, NL fans generally want no DH and AL fans like it so why not keep status quo and keep everyone happy? I don’t see it bringing more fans in, it’s not like there are potential NL fans out there that don’t watch baseball because they have to watch the pitcher bat for six innings

[kehlis]

Re: Universal DH

Just the idea of changing it seems so strange, NL fans generally want no DH and AL fans like it so why not keep status quo and keep everyone happy? I don’t see it bringing more fans in, it’s not like there are potential NL fans out there that don’t watch baseball because they have to watch the pitcher bat for six innings

Well they’ll change in this circumstance under the guise of preventing injuries to pitchers, but it will be used as a way to eliminate it all together.

[JoshC1977]

Re: Universal DH

I have a personal rule...there are three things I will not discuss online:

- Religion
- Politics
- the DH rule


Since this the MLB The Show forum, I'll add one thing; I DO hope that they will leave in the options for DH and no-DH...at least to accommodate historical rosters.

[soxfanbs91]

Re: Universal DH

I forgot the origin, but the quote goes something like the AL plays checkers while the NL plays chess. It takes a lot more strategy without the DH. AL baseball is mindless.


Sent from my iPhone using Operation Sports

Eh not much to be honest. Deciding whether to pull your pitcher an inning early due to coming up in the order is about it.

The anti-DH crowd will be against it at first but get over it very quickly.

[soxfanbs91]

Re: Universal DH

Let me preface this by saying I am an American League guy and love the DH. But I am also a huge fan of the fact that there are two leagues with two distinct styles of play and two sets of strategies, that meet up at the end of the year to see who is better. I hope they don’t change it permanently

You don't see half the teams in hockey, football or basketball using an extra player on the field. Keep the rules the same for each.

[soxfanbs91]

Re: Universal DH

Wouldnt watching a pitcher bat be watching half a player too? since they often cant hit

Essentially, yes. An NL pitcher is half a player really.