Do you like Designated Hitters?

[dce1228]

Re: Do you like Designated Hitters?

Why do people insist on keep saying that "baseball being played the right way" only involves bunting and small ball as you are saying?

What evidence is there that hitting HR's in not the right way to play baseball? What is the right way to play baseball? Surely you must know.

Personally, I think baseball players should have to play both ways.... but like Cam has said... baseball is meant to be watched and played for fun. What fun is there watching the pitcher go up and striking out with no one on base on three pitches. I mean I like the strategy involved in the NL... but the DH makes the game more exciting.

That's like saying checkers is more exciting than chess. If excitement is watching a 260 pound one-dimensional hitter hit the ball 430 feet than I can just leave the game after batting-practice... I'm entertained by the little things in a baseball game... a single to the opposite field with 2 strikes is more impressive to me than a hanging curveball getting doinked 310 feet down the foul pole on a 3-0 count... to each his own, I guess.

There's nothing more exciting to me than watching a pitcher who understands the game get up to the plate and have a good at-bat and give his team an edge. There are pitchers who have no idea what they're doing at the plate and its a shame... but throughout history there have been guys like Bob Gibson, Babe Ruth even, who were pitchers and great hitters also, and gave their team an edge AND no strategy was sacrificed in the process.

And I do know the right way to play baseball-- it's without the DH. Easy as pie. Dumbing down the sport doesn't make it better. Strategy shouldn't be sacrificed because some people get bored. If your bored, find a different sport.

[Stu]

Re: Do you like Designated Hitters?

And I do know the right way to play baseball-- it's without the DH. Easy as pie. Dumbing down the sport doesn't make it better. Strategy shouldn't be sacrificed because some people get bored. If your bored, find a different sport.

You've given 1 example of strategy in an NL game that doesn't exist in an AL game, and in most cases that decision is a no brainer. What other strategies does the DH eliminate, or did that 1 example make up the entire 80%?

[Stu]

Re: Do you like Designated Hitters?

Wait, don't you have two White Sox in there... do they play two DHs??

Frank Thomas has been hurt for much of the year. Both have played the majority of their games as the DH.

[dce1228]

Re: Do you like Designated Hitters?

You've given 1 example of strategy in an NL game that doesn't exist in an AL game, and in most cases that decision is a no brainer. What other strategies does the DH eliminate, or did that 1 example make up the entire 80%?

In truth, the 80% was just something that had been previously noted and I ran with it... but think about it...

The one instance of having the pitcher's spot in the order provides many different paths of strategy you can take... bunt, swing away, pinch-hit...etc... that are non-existant when your number 9 hitter is a normal hitter and your best bat off the bench is already in your line-up... I can say with certainty that the majority of strategies that exists as far as subbing players and using the 25 man roster rovolves around that ninth slot in the batting order... the double-switch is a great way of managing the talent on your bench, getting match-ups that are better for you... I remember the Mets in the mid-80s having two platoons at 2nd and in CF, with the lefty hitting Lenny Dykstra and Wally Backman and the righty hitting Tim Teufel and Mookie Wilson... one duo would start the game, then late in that game, if there was a pitching change to the opposite handed pitcher, a sub would be made in the pitcher's spot then that player would stay in the game and the pitcher would be put in the original players batting slot... this just doesn't exist in a DH game... it's not so much one strategy as much as numerous strategies coming consecutively.

In the AL game you run your pitching staff according to how long the starter can pitch before he either gets knocked out or runs out of steam... it's just an easier game with the DH... maybe easier is better-- in this day of convenience I can understand why that appeals... but it doesn't appeal to me. I guess I'm a dorky purist... I like the mental challenge the NL game provides. Again, to each their own.

[Misfit]

Re: Do you like Designated Hitters?

Why put a good hitter on the bench when he can get 500+ AB's a year? The DH is meant to hit, pitchers just aren't anymore. Sure there are a select few who can manage an average above the Mendoza line, but most can't hit their way out of a paper bag. The DH adds its own strategy to a ballgame, just ask any pitcher who has gone from the NL to the AL, and very few of them are actually guys who can't play defense.

There are just two ways to playing the game of baseball now, and everyone has their own opinion on which way is better, but neither way is the definitive "right" way.

[ehh]

Re: Do you like Designated Hitters?

baseball is meant to be watched and played for fun.

Baseball is meant to be played to win.



Fan's further entertainment by another normal batter shouldn't be the top priority IMO.

[deeman11747]

Re: Do you like Designated Hitters?

Baseball is meant to be played to win.



Fan's further entertainment by another normal batter shouldn't be the top priority IMO.

Whats the point in winning if it isn't fun?

As a Yankee fan... do we not enjoy our team's WS victories? Why do we enjoy winning? Because its fun to win. So if fun isn't important... then whats the point in trying to win?

[mgoblue]

Re: Do you like Designated Hitters?

in an ideal world I wouldn't want the DH at all...but in an ideal world pitchers would actually be able to hit well.

that won't ever happen in baseball nowadays, times have changed. I get no thrill out of watching Jeremy Bonderman bat like I would if i got up to the plate against a major league pitcher. I understand people's strategy points, and they're valid, but watching 90% of pitchers bat is kinda painful

[dkgojackets]

Re: Do you like Designated Hitters?

Whats the point in winning if it isn't fun?

As a Yankee fan... do we not enjoy our team's WS victories? Why do we enjoy winning? Because its fun to win. So if fun isn't important... then whats the point in trying to win?

You said it yourself. The fun is in the winning.

[deeman11747]

Re: Do you like Designated Hitters?

You said it yourself. The fun is in the winning.

Exactly... but if there was no fun.... no one would be motivated to win.

Lets say baseball wasn't fun and you hated doing it... but your team always won... would you keep playing? No... because you weren't enjoying what you were doing... depite winning or not.

I can't believe I'm even having this arguement its so simple.

[dieselboy]

Re: Do you like Designated Hitters?

Another thing about the DH I don't like. When they win awards and/or All-Star appearances.

How could a DH ever truely deserve an MVP award? They don't play defense at all, and thats half the game.

Or what about HOFers? Even before being busted for steroids, many were unsure how easy Rafael Palmeiro would make it to the HOF because of how much of those numbers, were put up when he was a DH. A DH does almost nothing the whole game, except swing a bat a few times, for those four or five at bats. While all other players are making plays in the field inning after inning, and getting tired.

REMOVE THE DH FROM MLB! TODAY!

[BunnyHardaway]

Re: Do you like Designated Hitters?

It seems like the only people objecting to the DH rule are fans of NL teams. This is the biased opinion of the year for them...

[dce1228]

Re: Do you like Designated Hitters?

Another thing about the DH I don't like. When they win awards and/or All-Star appearances.

How could a DH ever truely deserve an MVP award? They don't play defense at all, and thats half the game.

Or what about HOFers? Even before being busted for steroids, many were unsure how easy Rafael Palmeiro would make it to the HOF because of how much of those numbers, were put up when he was a DH. A DH does almost nothing the whole game, except swing a bat a few times, for those four or five at bats. While all other players are making plays in the field inning after inning, and getting tired.

REMOVE THE DH FROM MLB! TODAY!

Speaking of Palmeiro... look who's DHing for the Orioles today...

As it was put in this thread, a positive aspect of the DH is that it extends the careers of our greatest sluggers... thank Goodness for the DH, lets see who he passes next on the all-time HR list!!