Designated Hitter


Do you agree with the DH in the American League?  

22 members have voted

  1. 1. Do you agree with the DH in the American League?

    • Yes
      7
    • No
      15


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Just trying to get an idea of what kind of fan base we have here. I grew up watching National League baseball, and i find American League games not nearly as exciting. Hardly any sacrifice bunting, pinch-hitting, double switches.. and one of my favorite plays, the suicide squeeze, is non existant. The DH is no doubt to blame. If you want to hit, you play in the field. Sure the pitcher normally gets out, but it adds so much more strategy to the game.. and if a pitcher ever does get a hold of a pitch and hit one out.. too cool. See: Game 7 of the NLCS last year, Kerry Wood.. you dont get that kind of emotion in the AL for any early inning home run. Its been 31 years, the DH doesnt appear to be going anywhere.. but maybe one of these days a purist will take over as commissioner and at least try to get rid of it.

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I hate the DH position with the intensity of a thousand suns. Do managers ever have to even move their butts in the AL? I've never seen it. Easiest job in the world, IMO.

I agree. And still, Joe Torre is heralded as something just short of a God when he just sits there with that same look on his face season in and out.

Well, if you think pitchers hitting home runs is great, seeing a DH put up 30 HRs a year is much better. I think it forces the AL pitchers to be better than NL pitchers, which is more interesting than some base running and clever hitting that hardly gets used these days.

how is a DH hitting 30 HRs a year better? there are 8 other spots in the lineup that can do that.. and it doesnt make the AL pitchers any better.. it does make them more bold though. They can throw inside and throw at hitters without having to worry about coming up to bat. Clemens won't throw inside half as much as he used to or he'll get nailed.

It provides no challenge for the manager to use his bench and use double switches to bring a quality hitter up to bat and still get the pitching matchup that he wants. It removes a major part of managerial strategy from the game, which is why I'll always enjoy NL ballgames more.

how is a DH hitting 30 HRs a year better? there are 8 other spots in the lineup that can do that.. and it doesnt make the AL pitchers any better.. it does make them more bold though. They can throw inside and throw at hitters without having to worry about coming up to bat. Clemens won't throw inside half as much as he used to or he'll get nailed.

Well I'd rather see 30 HRs over a year than 1 pitcher HR, that's my opinion. AL pitchers have to be better because they're facing an extra strong batter in the line-up over an NL pitcher. And I'm sure last years AL series between the Yankees and Sox proved no ones safe when pitchers start pitching inside.

Tradition since 1973? Tradition is the 7th inning stretch and hot dogs, not this. The DH was supposed to be a 3 year experiment. Some experiment.

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Designated_hitter

Exactly. The only way that I see it as being ok is if you implement it into the NL, but that will not happen. So they should get rid of it.

AL pitchers have to be better because they're facing an extra strong batter in the line-up over an NL pitcher.

Um, no. NL pitchers don't get to slack off every nine batters, you know. If they do, the batting pitcher usually makes them pay. Unless he just came from the AL and didn't practice enough. :p

A fine example of the need to get rid of the DH actually occured in the Cubs-Reds game this past Friday. If you didn't see it, this is how it broke down.

The Cubs are down 9-5 to the Reds. In the top of the seventh inning Dusty Baker used a double switch to get Kent Mercker in to pitch and hit in the 8th spot and Ramon Martinez in at SS to hit 9th. For some unknown reason, the ump didn't put it in his lineup card the same way and when the bottom of the inning rolled around it came into play. The 9th spot was due up first so Ramon hit a double to lead off, but since he wasn't supposed to be the batter at that spot he was called out.

Dusty went nuts, got ejected and the Cubs still won but down by 4 a lead off double can really help the team. There just wouldn't have been any kind of an issue with the DH spot in that lineup

Um, no. NL pitchers don't get to slack off every nine batters, you know. If they do, the batting pitcher usually makes them pay. Unless he just came from the AL and didn't practice enough. :p

Look, facing the DH isn't even comparable to facing a pitcher. I realize you can't ignore the pitcher, but a NL pitcher probably spends more time worrying about his at bat than how he's going to get the opposing pitcher out.

Plus, it allows AL pitchers to throw inside all they want :laugh:

I had to visit this thread... because, on the main page, I could have SWORN it said ' Designated Hitler' and im like :blink: .... must be one of those threads in Area 51 section... :laugh: :wacko:

Dusty went nuts, got ejected and the Cubs still won but down by 4 a lead off double can really help the team. There just wouldn't have been any kind of an issue with the DH spot in that lineup

Yerp.

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