The word on the street is that we’ll likely see designated hitters in the National League in 2020. Joel Sherman of the New York Post reported over the weekend that it’d be in the restart proposal from Major League Baseball. And now Jon Heyman of MLB Network tweets that the players are expected to approve.
Whether the universal DH stays beyond an unusual 2020 season remains to be seen. There has been plenty of talk of attempting some temporary rule changes and then re-assessing them as potential permanent fixtures. The league and players would still need to agree to a post-2020 DH after the fact.
If indeed we see a sudden introduction of the DH, National League teams will have quite a lot to think about. After all, they didn’t compile their rosters with that in mind. We’ll be examining each team in detail over the coming days.
In the long run, if the change sticks, it won’t be hard for NL teams to adapt to the new rule. It isn’t as if American League outfits haven’t had decades to play with different approaches. With thirty DH slots around the game, along with a 26th active roster spot, it’d also be quite a lot easier for veteran slugger types to hang on a while longer at the tail end of their careers.
For now, purists can hope it’s only temporary. But if we’re being honest, it’s a bit difficult to imagine this change being pulled back once it goes into effect. Players have long sought the universal DH, believing it creates added earning opportunities for veterans, and there’s an argument that it’s a favorable development for the game overall since it eliminates pitcher plate appearances. (There are countervailing arguments, of course.) At minimum, teams will likely be focused primarily on other bargaining points when it comes to conceiving of the game in 2021 and beyond.
Grew news
Great*
I’m good with it…probably means it won’t be going away after this either. Everything is so specialized in today’s game pitchers don’t waste too much time trying to practice hitting….DH just makes the most sense, blame specialization training and not the ‘non-hardcore baseball fans & millenials’ lol
Agreed
hey! slowcurve lol…where ya been hiding?!
*Awful news. Honestly I’d probably rather have no season. DH baseball isn’t really baseball anyways.
Every league of almost every level in America plays with the DH except the NL
It’s archaic & I believe the strategy for a manager working around a DH is harder and more entertaining than the strategy a manager has for when his pitcher is coming or about to come up to bat
Steeler, I agree that DH being implemented in both leagues could be a good thing, but your reasoning sucks, and you are completely wrong in your defense of what you think..
“Almost every other level has it” So it’s a unique feature, something that makes the league stand apart from every other one out there.
“It’s archaic” It’s the original and pure way to play baseball. By your logic dribbling the ball in basketball and 4 downs in football are archaic.
“Manager Strategy” Has already been ruined with the three batter minimum, so it’s pointless to say the DH makes it more entertaining.
Ok so pitchers have the ability to hit in high school or college but then all up thru the minors they don’t so now just stick a bat in their hands at the top level of the sport & this is entertaining how exactly ?
Watching a guy do something that he is so far behind in development in
No a more comparable archaic argument for basketball was not allowing a zone defense to be played in the NBA
And for football was not allowing a TD celebration
I think the 3 batter minimum is the stupidest thing anybody ever came up with but it hasnt even been implemented yet but it will bring a whole lot more strategy to a game than a double switch will
Agreed. This is awful.
Love it! More offense, less strike outs and wasted ABs
Seriously. I don’t get why some people hat the DH? What’s so exciting about watching the pitcher bat. Barely any pitchers can actually hit so it’s pretty much an automatic out.
It’s not the pitcher hitting that’s exciting. It’s the strategy that goes into pinch hitting and knowing when to pull the starting pitcher or not that’s exciting. It will definitely hurt bench bats in the NL. I personally love the art of pinch hitting, which we will see A LOT less of with this rule change. Plus that’s going to cost NL teams more money to have pay a guy to play DH more permanently. There’s times I’m for it, but I think overall it’s a disservice to the NL and baseball
RIP boring NL baseball. Welcome to 2020
Thank goodness possibly having Ces and Davis in the same lineup would be huge
as long as something is being agreed upon, even if its this, its a good sign.
I guess MadBum will be Dh-ing this year.
He probably could. But we should let 100 bad hitting pitchers hit because there is one good hitting pitcher?
MadBum and his lifetime 532 OPS (42 OPS+) will not be DHing.
MadBum bullying his managers into being a .532 OPS hitter is still one of the dumbest things that was ever looked up to as “cool”.
If youre a pitcher and you can hit like Ohtani, great. If you cant OPS over .700, there simply is no point.
No, we should make pitchers hit because it is illogical to remove them from the game and then allow them to re-enter.
You commenting is illogical and removing your comments with no chance of them re-entering would be great.
Strike four gave a good, concise explanation on why pitchers like MadBum won’t be a DH. MadBum and others like him are really good hitters when you compare them to other pitchers but to find their equals with the bat you have to go all the way down bellow AA?
@nats3256. So your best argument to not introduce the DH is to create a technicality? I sympathize with people who don’t want the DH (though I fall just short of agreeing) but does your argument really feel satisfying to you.
Well, I’m done watching baseball.
What a weird hill to die on
It’s alienating current fans and not bringing in new ones. Baseball is killing itself.
How is it alienating fans?
Yea, don’t see how DH alienates fans other than the hard core NL fans. The strategy aspect is way overblown. And pitchers, for the most part, simply cannot hit. Why put them, and us fans, through that any longer.
What does it mean to be a “hard core NL” fan? I don’t understand this concept, or the argument that follows.
Why continue to put out veterans that can no longer play the field just because they can still swing the bat? If you can’t play the COMPLETE game, then walk away. But, I realize that I might as well be talking to walls here, so I’ll take my own advice and walk away.
RIP
MLB
ca. 1870-2019
I enjoyed watching the greats hit well into their 30s.
What I hated was watch Willie Mays play CF in the 1973 World Series.
I’ve been a fan of this game years before the DH, and I’d much rather see the game played with a DH than not. There are some aspects I miss, what I don’t miss is a pitcher grabbing his hammy on his way to first base after a hit.
They’ll get over it. The game they played in 1969 (mound lowered) wasn’t the same game they played in 1920 or even 1968. Life and baseball move on.
Rod Carew led the league with a 318 average in 1972 and hit zero Home Runs.
The vast majority of the 70s, even with the DH, was not a run scoring era.
So you don’t think David Ortiz or Edgar Martinez or Jim Thome should have kept playing or played at all?
Designated hitter was introduced in the 1970s lmao.
1870-2019….so AL adopting it back then didn’t kill baseball but the NL that’s where we draw the line?
So we’re going to say DH’s shouldn’t exist bc they can’t play they complete game and just ignore the fact that watching pitchers hit is the definition of players not being able to “play the complete game”
Yes dugmet, baseball moves on (slower than all other sports), but it does. I like seeing change in baseball, because we all know the game needs it. Maybe the dh in both leagues will bring up more offence, and more people will like the sport, since it may also be the only sport on. And maybe Manfred might realize that speeding up the game isn’t what he needs to be doing, and there are other changes he can do instead.
Enjoy your time away from baseball!
We and all should never be applied to an opinion. You’re opinion is yours alone. Although, the majority here may agree with the DH that is not all by a wide margin. This is not a personal attack by the way but a rant against those using WE, ALL, and EVERYONE in comments.
Imagine being completely against the DH lmao
Why continue to put out veterans that can no longer play the field just because they can still swing the bat?
Because they can still swing the bat. You answered your question. Why do you as a fan not want to see the best hitters hit?
If anyone is killing baseball, it’s ownership groups, bad commissioners and bad union reps.
But stubborn fans stuck in the past certainly don’t help promote the game, either.
Noting the argument in support of offensive and defensive squads. Only the best hitters and the best defenders doing what they do best and not asked to do anything they aren’t the best at doing. Who would not want to see that?
No, I don’t. Unless the team could afford to carry them as a pinch hitter.
A lil dramatic don’t you think. Not sure why u like watching limp wristed pitchers batting when half of them don’t even try
Oh, well then let’s just have 9 DH’s, and 9 defensive specialists…. Heck, why should we endanger a great hitter by making them run the bases…. designated runners!
I want to see the best baseball players, they are more than just good hitters.
Didn’t that happen to Charlie Morton with PIT or PHI? Missed the rest of the year.
“If you can’t play the COMPLETE game, then walk away. ”
But, short of really Greinke and Ohtani, literally all pitchers are outright liabilities at the plate. All but those two are realistically more likely to hurt themselves batting than actually generate a positive outcome.
Even from a “productive out” standpoint, most pitchers aren’t even getting that far. There was literally not a single MLB pitcher last year who drove in more runs (Even via sacrifice) than they struck out.
So, how in the heck would you argue that they can “play the COMPLETE game?”
Agreed. I literally do not watch AL baseball except for interleague and world series.
Yea when we moved to the AL I was totally against it, took about a week worth of games and now I realize how stupid it is to watch a pitcher try to bat
Noting the lack of response to my point. It happens every time we have a discussion of the DH. Nobody can answer for why the logic should not be extended to every position, so the question is ignored. This only goes to show how completely one-dimensional and dogmatic the argument is for the DH.
I believe he thinks Ortiz,Martinez and at Thome “should” have kept playing.But kept playing the “complete” game and playing 1b to the best of their abilities to keep their bat in the lineup.
And most Catchers can barely run so let’s just have a Designated Runner for them.
I think the priests wonder where it will end in pursuit of “more action” to make “more money”.
BlueSkies_LA, because we already acknowledge that pitchers and position players are separate groups. The new rule changes specifying you have to have 13 of each on your roster only further that point. So to have a hitter in the place of a pitcher doesn’t have 2 position players filling the same position. There, I directly addressed your argument. Care to retort?
A DH allows a pitcher to be a head hunter BECAUSE he’ll never be in the box to hit. Ex Roger Clemens. He would sit out his turn in NL ball parks because he was going to be thrown at.
We already have rules against that
They should have designated runners too for when good hitters can no longer run the bases. And designated run stoppers for good game calling catchers who can’t throw to second base. And a DH for every position for good fielders who can’t hit
It’s easy to imagine, there are a lot more people against the DH then you likely realize
If it was older players yes. But when you have 20 year olds or the Stantons who have body builders bodies,paid $26+ mill a yr, but can’t/will not play defense–that helps the game right?? Also did the RULES help the WhiteSox ss-Anderson when they throw at him for stay in the box, looking at his HR. Or ANY HOUSTON player THIS year. RULES
Astros2017 you’re only say that because YOUR DH can’t play defense and he’s 24 years old. The DH was introduced to allow OLDER player to stay in the game not to make no defense hitters play in the ML @ 20. It was convinced BY AGENTS not player/coach’s. And now you know why it cost so much to go to a game.DH suxs
Well hell. Let’s put a big no defense SS out there who can hit 40+ he’s a year
@Steve Nebraska. Who is this “we” who agree that pitchers and position players are “separate groups?” They are all part of the same group, known as a roster.
The basic argument behind the DH is that fans only want to see the best hitters come to the plate. Lots of posters right in this very thread say exactly this. The way to do that, to really do that, is for baseball to have separate squads of position players and batters. That way we never have to suffer with watching anyone defend or bat who isn’t the best, at the one thing anyway. Imagine all the great defenders who don’t hit much who’ve been relegated to utility roles. Now they could be full-time players! Wouldn’t that be great for baseball? If not, why not, since it’s the only logic behind the DH.
Here’s the mathematical reality: In NL games, a pitcher seldom makes more than two PAs in a game. Taking an average game at 40 PAs, that’s 5% of the total. Since pitchers overall bat around 100 points below the average for position players, you’d expect that the actual impact on offense would be in the low single digits, significantly less than 5%. And guess what, it’s true. What we should expect from the arithmetic actually shows up in the statistics. The game is being changed for only that much difference. You could look it up. I already have.
So that’s why I talk about the offensive/defensive squad concept and wonder why fans of the DH don’t want to respond to it. After all this is the logical extension of the DH concept, and the only way to actually do what the DH is supposed to do, but really doesn’t. The reason nobody wants to address it seems to me is wrapped up in the dogma of the DH, not in any reality. None that I have ever heard.
Rangers29
It alienates the large majority of fans that prefer NL style ball. Someone posted a link the other day to public polling that showed fans prefer pitchers hitting by 65% to 25% margin, with the remainder undecided.
Nice strawman.
We do group pitchers and position players separately. They get separate awards, consideration, and are valued differently statistically. So they are very much grouped separately.
If you want to argue against a argument I am not giving you, then have fun talking to yourself, but my argument isn’t something you can hand wave away. You are projecting hard when you claimed everyone to be ignoring your argument, when you clearly ignored mine.
I addressed what you said, as much as it could be. But ignoring is what you just did, again. I gave you lots to respond to, including a mathematical argument, but clearly you can’t trouble yourself to respond to a single word of it. I totally expected that because I’ve been down this road many times before, but it’s always going to be disappointing. I’d hope this is a discussion baseball fans would be open to having, especially because it involves the numbers part of the game, but sadly it almost always ends up this way. And that’s why I find the pro-DH argument to be so dogmatic.
No you didn’t. In your first paragraph, you hand waved it, like you didn’t need to. Then in your second paragraph told me the argument you want me to have instead of responding to mine. The proceeded to give a defense of a point I never raised. I have no interest in defending a point I never made, so I am not going to.
You are the one being dogmatic as you seem to be claiming it is “better” without the DH. I do not believe either way is better so how would I be dogmatic?
Baseball is killing itself because the hardcore blue collar fans can’t afford to take their kids to more than 1 or 2 games a year.
The owners want every game possible to be an event and want ppl there that don’t pay attention to the games and go to resteraunts and bars within the stadium or pay arm & a leg for the waitress service areas. It’s killing the next generation of fans because baseball is a great game to see live but the new generation isn’t able to get to the games
The owners want the blue collar die hard fans home watching the games because they more than likely can’t afford much more than the tickets so they are not buying anything of substance at the ballpark and they will always follow every pitch of every game on TV which will improve tv ratings which in turn brings in advertising revenue & better local tv contracts.
That’s what’s killing baseball
Exactly BlueSkies, there is no sound or logical argument for the DH other than personal preference. It doesn’t add any appreciable offense; one additional run every 6th game since 2014. So I agree, bring on the DH, DR, DF.
A reminder, you were the one who decided to respond to my point in the first place. Sorry if I took that an opening to have a discussion about it. My mistake. Whether you choose to respond to my point about what the DH has actually accomplished, or its logical extension, or not, is entirely up to you. Just understand that it doesn’t change my point one iota, it really just proves it.
Why should I respond to your argument when you wont respond to mine?
If you’re play the complete game or get out argument held any water there would be an awful lot of pitchers looking for work. Getting assigned an at bat doesn’t mean the guy can hit.
Nice post Steeler Nation-
I disagree baseball fails to captivate the “new age” fan though.
To my eyes, the only way to captivate this group would be too turn off the damn WIFI.
I really think baseball better do just as good of a job keeping the fans they have rather than trying to capture new ones right now….
I dont think millennials are interested in a great defensive/ pitching 2-1 ballgame…..Why change the whole game to cater to the young generation; if like you say, their more interested in a personal waiter and getting a vegan smoothie every 1/2 inn ……
New is not always better, and for a sport hemorrhaging fans it might be a little more risky than they think to tick off the traditionalists-
If this is the question that you’ve been so adamant about people ignoring, I can probably tell you why, because it’s overall childish. And it’s taking it to the extreme, that you see in high school arguments. And you can see by the sarcastic remarks from other “NL fans” that it is indeed a childish question, based on all the childish remarks.
The game is evolving, and the “that’s the way it always been done” reasoning is worn out.
The NL does not play the same type of baseball that it did 10-15 years ago, the pitcher laying down a Sac bunt in the late innings of a close game, rarely happen anymore.
Pitchers are 97 times out of 100 an embarrassment at the plate. It’s time to let them just concentrate on throwing strikes in both leagues.
The American League has had the DH since 1973, legitimately how many American League pitchers have become head hunters?
This particular anti DH argument is one of the most idiotic things I’ve read.
Little overly dramatic, don’t ya think
I didn’t know that Yordan Alvarez was the DH for the Astros back in 2013. When they switched to the AL…
And the Royals hitter who hit Anderson in the head was ejected.
It’s also funny that I googled Pitchers intentionally throwing at batters, and 5 of the first 7 ones were NL pitchers hitting NL batters.
Jim – you are right. They simply will tinker and tinker until it’s BASEketbal, or some extreme made up sports crap.
Hey=sorry=I didn’t see this till today==I have a life—what does 2013 have to do with your :”This particular anti DH argument is one of the most idiotic things I’ve read.” that is why I posted the Alverez remark, also –Pitchers are 97 times out of 100 an embarrassment at the plate. It’s time to let them just concentrate on throwing strikes in both leagues.– Alverez 97 out of 100 can’t catch the ball let him concentrate on playing the whole game not just hit.. You know– A PLAYER. not just a hitter. And BS. A/L pitcher throw at hitter more, they just don’t admit it let NL pitchers do., Ask Stanton who has issue with Mike Fiers-you know the guy who ratted out the Astros, but never gave back his ring or the W/S money.. And you ignore the Astros pre-season THIS YEAR. Your 3B was hit 5 times.. And if your argument is NL pitcher throw at batter more than A/L pitchers, THEN WHY WOULD YOU WANT THEM TO THROW MORE AT HITTERS because they will never have to bat, Did you only plat tee-ball. I’ve played with pitchers who we know was going to throw at a batter. Do you realize alot of these guy a very big/huge. So they are not afraid of throwing at hitters. DH suxs. .
There’s a lot of hardcore NL fans. The strategy is only overblown if you’ve spent your life watching AL baseball. To me, AL baseball is boring. This is a loss
Good.
Good. Baseball doesn’t need loser fans like yourself. Better off without you.
You’re just a Troll and a lot of people’s lives would be better without you
Bye bye, you will not be missed.
Ugh
Double Ugh!
Triple ugh!
Quadruple ugh!
Quintuple ugh!
sextuple u…actually nah I’m good with it! ahahah
noooooooooooo!?!? why in the sports world would you do that
To keep guys fresh so they can play the most amount of games in a smaller time frame
To give aging free agent hitters a fair share for a new deal across the board, not just to go stack up one lineup in one league. Most overdue thing in sports and it’s always been lopsided no matter how you look at it as far as competition goes.
While on the one hand, I’m for it. On the other hand, I feel like NL teams should be allowed to carry an extra rostered player AND not have the player count towards luxury tax calculation for 2020. As it stands, NL teams are at a significant disadvantage with this change (Since AL teams have had their DHs mostly locked in for months while the NL can’t even sign players right now).
One of the leagues was going to get screwed on this and I feel like that’s the best conceivable way to balance it.
Hmmm…maybe because having each league play with the same set of rules is the ABSOLUTE right thing to do? For the record – imo either universal DH or universal no DH, and if you really want baseball to grow with the next generation the answer seems obvious to me. I do love the intricacies of no DH, but not at the expense of the entire sport being stuck in reverse
wait it says in 2020,, so do we have a season!!!
Logan Morrison is all smiles right now
Morrison still sucks
This is great news for someone like Josh Naylor and Edwin Rios. Blocked but their bats are ready to play. Also if the Reds don’t have to play Castellanos in the OF, that deal looks even better. Maybe Cespedes can get back sooner in a DH role for the Mets. Or Jay Bruce will be able to be an everyday player.
It’ll most likely be Naylor but they should stick Hosmer at DH, Myers back at 1st, and give Naylor a longer look in the OF.
Hosmers gloves plays. Myers should be the one to move around/sit.
Don’t know what you are talking about. Hosmer has consistently been one of the worst fielders in baseball. All 3 of them would be good candidates for DH.
Worst fielder’s in the game? A 4 time GG winner at 30 yrs old? Dude, lay off the sabermetric fielding stats and watch a ball game. Smh.
Also means more money to DH types in free agency as the demand for their play just doubled.
Right. No using math to evaluate players. Spooky will be providing lessons on how to read the chicken bones.
Hahaha, not bad Myth. I don’t know what your math tells you but I know from watching games that Hos can pick around the bag as well as has a good stretch. To say he’s one of the worst defenders in mlb is just nonsense.
Okay. But your eyes covers a very small fraction of what the stats do. So I can trust you and your subjective analysis or I can trust the math. Saying you have a subjective analysis isn’t intended as an insult by the way. We all do.
If you use things like AVG/OBP/SLG then you have every reason to except other measurements like WAR, BABIP, xWOBA, FIP and what not.
If pitchers want to keep hitting they can do it in their off days everyone wins
YESSSS LGM!!! Glad we didn’t trade off Smith now!!! Oh and btw, did they just slyly confirm that we will have a 2020 season? Yes!!!
I don’t like this at all!!
Great news. And this is a perfect opportunity to do tests like this.
Stupid! This sure gives American League teams a advantage!
I don’t know if it’s stupid, but it will give the AL teams an advantage.
This would be a huge boost to the Nats offense.. now you can get Howie’s bat in the lineup more consistently with the Thames/Zim platoon at first
Mets will activate Bobby Bonilla since they’re paying him anyway.
OK, that comment wins the internet for today
Agreed.
wiffle ball
Some of the changes being pushed this year have been on the owners’ wishlist for a long time, and this crisis is their opportunity to overcome the objections that have prevented their adoption before. We also know that the owners have long wanted to do away with the leagues, and this year it looks like they’ve found a rationale for trying that scheme out on the fans. Will baseball ever look the same as it did before 2020? More and more it looks like the answer is probably not.
Universal DH is on the players wish list.
True. On MLB’s wish list as well, but a lot of NL owners still want the pitchers to hit. Enough so as to block, so far, the DH coming to both leagues. But maybe not for much longer.
Right, that is my point. This crisis is being used to overcome long-standing objections to making wholesale changes to the game and those changes are very likely to stick. This is true whether you believe they are good changes or not.
Agreed.
“Universal DH is on the players wish list.”
The Athletic’s 2019 players poll leans the other way. 58.6 of tjhose polled opposed the universal DH.
Interesting. I would have thought player support for the DH would be greater.
Well hell. Let’s put a big no defense SS out there who can hit 40+ he’s a year
Next up, the USA goes to the metric system..let’s geaux!
Maybe the A’s can dump Khris Davis’s contract on a NL team now.
Where did you get that poll from Cat. Would like to see that.
SalaryCapMyth……….
As I stated “The Athletic’s 2019 players poll”. Since The Athletic is subscription only here is one other source with some of the results cubsinsider.com/2019/03/27/poll-names-joe-maddon-m…
Mariners can move Vogelbach too.
Love it. People often say that baseball is a game of tradition. Really? Baseball has changed a lot over time. They’ve expanded the number of teams, we now have replay, we are discussing the idea of a computerized strike zone. Players train differently now. Pitchers throw harder, but less innings, and we have more pitching changes. Analytics have turned a lot of old ideas on their head. Playoffs have been expanded multiple times.I could go on and on..
But to say the game has not changed or will continue to change is short sighted. We adopted the DH in one league almost 50 years ago. Time for it to come to the other league.
Baseball is an ever changing game of tradition.
It’s why the PED era left such a stain on this game.
It’s not time for it to “come to the other” league. If you enjoy the DH, fine. To each their own. They have a league with it already, so pick an AL team and cheer them on.
Some of us don’t want a DH. We had a league, too. Although apparently we’re not allowed to enjoy our brand of baseball? Feels selfish to me.
Some of us found NL games unwatchable, now they will be at the same level of intensity for advanced-level fans like myself. Can’t wait to actually enjoy NL games for once!
Same level of intensity?!
I can’t. I just can’t.
You’ve also contradicted yourself repeatedly by downplaying the strategy of the NL game, but referring to yourself as an “advanced level” fan. I’d think, by definition, an “advanced level” fan would lament the loss of strategic things such as the double switch. Just saying.
“Advanced level fan.” “Played at the same intensity” — utter tosh. DH games are surface-level and appeal more to the casual fan, The lack mental intensity, changes, and variety
For all the people who prefer the National League style of play with no DH, that say they are going to stop watching if there is a universal DH . . .
Did you turn off the TV every time a Yankees-Red Sox game or an Angels-Indians game was on the screen? Did you purposely avoid ever watching any ALCS games? Or did you watch it anyway? Was the quality of play so much worse?
The time for a universal DH has come. There are interleague games everyday now. Having two different styles of play has gone on long enough, and now, it makes no sense.
Imagine if another sport had two different styles of play . . . In the NBA, there is only a 3-point line in the Western Conference. Whenever they play in an Eastern Conference home court, the 3-point line goes away. “Sorry Steph Curry and James Harden. That shot is only worth 2 points in the East.” That would be dumb.
Just like the 3-point line, the DH needs to be universal.
Baseball fans will continue to watch. I have a hard time believing that baseball fans would stop watching just because Jon Lester doesn’t have to swing a bat anymore.
I am willing to except the inevitable, but just for the record. Regardless of the AL team match up, I rarely watch AL games on TV because I can’t think ahead of the at bat for pitching, hitting moves. I live in a two league market and never watch the American League team. Guess I will have to get use to it. Never was much impressed with “players” that carried 5,000 pinch hits into retirement. Now, beat me up on this site.
I live in a two league market as well (Pittsburgh and Cleveland), and the Indians games are almost always more entertaining.
I know that “entertaining” is a subjective term, but the AL games still have moves. There are still platoons and lefty/righty matchups being made, there are still double switches, there are still bunts and hit and runs.
The AL game is not a lazy game. The argument that AL managers have less to do is a lazy argument.
Of course they did take the Loogys away. Now how the he’ll are we supposed to get the DH out? Lol.
The answer to your questions are yes, I skip every AL exclusive game.
What about interleague games in AL parks?
Do you tune out during World Series games when the home team is an AL club? You couldn’t possibly watch that game with those dastardly rules . . .
Interleague I skip because I don’t care for it. Of course I watch the World Series though. It’s the championship. I don’t enjoy the DH aspect of it, however.
I’d love to see an NL team say you know what, our pitchers are hitting! Of course portions of the media and fans would scream insanity on the manager’s part. That’s my brand of baseball though.
The DH doesn’t make the game lesser quality. Any of the strategies that people are clamoring for are not being banned. They still exist. It’s just the implementation of the DH in the NL that gets people all hot and bothered.
The main problem is you said “I” or “I’d” five times and “That’s MY brand of baseball”.
You must remember that this isn’t “YOUR” game.
Tommy, YES. I do turn off Clev/Angel games. Hold on–really those 2 teams. And the Yankees/RedSox are on all the time. But those 2 teams don’t spend on DHs because they know 1 or more of their goons will have to become a DH in their late 20s
First off, metfan4ever, congratulations on producing one of the most asinine comments on this thread.
Hold on — yes those two teams, the Angels and Indians. They both play Baseball. That sport you claim to be a fan of. They both have incredibly talented lineups that I guess your not watching; and I must say, you are missing out on some good baseball.
*For everyone out there who actually appreciates baseball, watch these teams. You won’t be disappointed.*
And how much teams choose to spend on Designated Hitters is irrelevant. The important thing is, you, “a baseball fan”, complains about how one half of the entire sport plays and refuses to watch it. This kind of whiny behavior toward the game and how half of it is unwatchable is what keeps potential fans away from it.
This is why implenting the DH is great, it puts an end to baseball’s most boring “DH or No DH” argument; and quiets that group who complains that “the strategy is gone”.
The strategy isn’t gone, your imagination is.
It makes perfect sense to have two different sets of rules. It’s worked just fine for almost fifty years. AL baseball is boring. I do change the channel when an AL game is on. All this crap about “it’s time” is just empty rhetoric. This isn’t going to make the game any better or attract more fans. By losing it’s timelessness baseball is losing it’s biggest selling point. Universal DH, three batter minimum, this isn’t the game I grew up watching and it’s not a game that interests me. I’ll almost definitely watch less. And if they add a free man on 2nd base in extra innings, man I am gone forever.
Traditionalists might complain but this is great for the players and fans alike. Pitchers don’t have the pressure of being a wasted out anymore. Bench players can get more consistent ABs. Free agents that will be primarily DHs have more options now as well.
Baseball’s metamorphosis into TTO is complete.
While I don’t personally mind if a DH is in both leagues, this move is a slippery slope for the game. Between robot umps, pitching clocks, and now a DH in both leagues its safe to say that this timeless and unchanged game passed down from generation to generation is evolving into a numbers focused machine and all the heart and soul of the game is bleeding out.
I’m sure this seems dramatic to some, but the fact remains that the game of my youth is not the same game my kids are seeing. Its hard to witness for a baseball fan imho.
@Bone19 The DH is almost 50 years old. You still aren’t over it. Get over it. It makes the games more fun to watch, period. NL games are like pulling teeth. AL is all power all intensity all the time. NL is another pitching change…
You mean AL baseball is all goons & the NL is all thinking. I guess that makes your head hurt.
More fun to watch for you, but judging by polls on this website, not as fun to watch for slightly more than 50% of us. DH games are boring and bland.
I’m okay with it for 2020, whatever it takes for baseball. But hate the DH and fear that it will never go away.
It is clearly in the players interest to have the universal DH because of the extra jobs it creates-so my guess is its here to stay.
Ryan Braun says hooray
Ryan Braun says it’s the piss collector’s fault.
Nick Castellanos is STOKED
I think the DH is good news all the way around. Maybe we see pitchers going deeper into the game since they won’t be taken down for a pinch hitter. I think a lot of teams will use it to strengthen their defense instead of their offense. Some older players that can still hit and help teams get to lengthen their careers. Your minor leaguers that can hit a ton but have no position now have a path to the big leagues. No pitchers get injured running bases or swinging bats. You can rest your star players to keep them fresh by allowing them to DH.
I wouldn’t be against separating the dh from the mandatory pitcher pairing. If you have a pitcher who can hit a little, let him. Give someone else a blow. “Ohtani pitching today? Simmons wrist was bugging him last night. Let’s have Albert hit for him, put fletcher at first and shohei hits for himself tonight.”
How funny, someone with ATL in the name wants a DH. Normally DHs are 1 of the most expensive players and if ATL is for Atlanta, well then that’s allowing the other 3 teams in Atl division to buy a big bat that Atl & Mia can’t/will not. And ATL,pitchers going deeper into games? Atl has only had 4 great pitchers and 3 played on the same team.
DH? Sure. Tee ball? Why not. Everybody makes the playoffs? Absolutely. Cant forget the participation trophies.
MLB is pouncing on the crisis to make radical changes to the game. Sad. Maybe they think any baseball is better than nothing, but if they change it so much is it really baseball any more?
I’d rather MLB use a shortened, obviously different season, to implement obviously different/new ideas into the game and see how it works. I wouldn’t want; however, to be going into 21′, and MLB is using robot umps and whatnot. That’s what MiLB is for, to test out new things. I would be open to change, but just don’t throw it in right in the middle of a normal season. 2020 is the time to test things out, and I’m glad their doing in right now.
It’s one thing to test a robotic strike zone in MiLB, but something completely different to realign the leagues, expand the playoffs, and implement the DH all in one go.
Getting the players to agree to this one will be easy. Long term it’s more money in their pockets
The league gets its way. Why even pay a manager anymore? Any front office nerd can set a lineup pregame and walk away.
Most front offices already make all the decisions anyway
There’s a reason the show hasn’t come to Nebraska, this must be it
There is a Manager so the average fan doesn’t yell at the MBA running the team.
The DH is one of the worst decisions baseball has ever made. The game was designed for the pitcher to bat for a good reason. It purposely puts a lesser bat into the line up, which would change both teams strategy towards any given situation. Bottom of the 4th, home team down 2-0, SP2 at 55 pitches and looking sharp, two outs, runners on first and second, away team intentionally walks the 8 hitter to load the bases to get to the pitcher… now significant strategic decisions must be made. All that is lost with the DH.
This is just wrong. The game wasn’t designed to put a lesser bat in the line up. Even if it was, an appeal to tradition is not an argument. The original rules stated that the pitcher hit 1st, catcher 2nd, etc. That’s why they are numbered that way in the scorebook. Should we force teams to do that as well?
Absolutely Steve, good idea
The lesser bat is an integral part of the game… it adds so much strategy… it allows pitchers to change their approach towards certain batters. It forces teams to weigh the value of a man’s bat versus his glove. With DH, the double switch is pretty much gone. Pitchers batting also serve to prevent a pitcher from intentionally throwing at a hitter, as they can be thrown at in retaliation. It’s not even a purist thought, it’s: baseball is overall a better game when the pitcher has to bat
Totally agreed @a761506. The pitcher in the lineup makes it rise and fall, gives it variation, strategy, things to think about. The DH lineup is bland. There’s not really a top of the order and a bottom of the order; it’s the same 1-9.
The DH removes all metal stimulation and a lot of drama from the game.
Strategy is a thing no one cares about. No one. Do you seriously watch a game and go “ooooh look at that positioning! he’s gunna hit and run” and then its probably a double play ball instead – lol WHY
Baseball is about 1 thing on both sides: if youre a hitter, its your job to get on base. If youre a pitcher, its your job to get the hitter out. How either of those things happen should be all anyone cares about.
I actually do watch games like that. Don’t hate
Yeah, I do seriously watch games “like that.” Figuring out what’s going on beneath the surface adds a whole other level to baseball’s interest. IMO the DH largely removes that level and makes the game more one-dimensional. Variety is the spice of life. the #9 spot in an NL lineup gives you that variety, whether it be the pitcher or a pinch hitter. It would be a tragedy if they took it away.
Steve, it was designed to put “lesser” bats in the line-up. If it wasn’t, why wouldn’t a team just acquire JD Martinez and throw him on SS. His bat would be superior to most any other SS. He can’t play short though, right? Well he can’t pitch either. Explain the difference to me please. Teams choose weaker bats all the time in favor of other skills.
Agreed, I won’t pay to see this version of what the Dems call Baseball, this isn’t it
Mack22 – Did you seriously just attempt to turn a baseball conversation into politics? You now have zero credibility forever.
The DH is almost 50 years old and you still clutch pearls over it?
Imagine being you. What a gross life.
The designated hitter is the death of the most interesting sport in America.
So its been dead since 1973? Why are you here?
there really should be two DH spots in each lineup, as catchers are rarely good hitters. In fact, how about 9 DH spots so players can focus entirely on either fielding or hitting.
Think how much offense there would be if we just got rid of the outfielders.
Piazza, Bench, Mauer, Posey, both Pudges…what a pisssant thing to say.
Comparing a .600 OPS C with a .200 OPS P. Pathetic. L.
Cheer up National League fans, it’ll prevent your team’s pitchers from getting hurt running on the base paths.
That actually doesn’t happen as often as you’d think. Once or twice a year. No more frequently than position players.
Well hell. Let’s put a big no defense SS out there who can hit 40+ he’s a year
Remember when an all bat no glove team won a world series? I dont.
More offense, it’s the only answer leagues can ever come up. Dolts only like offense, so rig the game.
40 years late, but also, better late than never! Finally the NL will be the same quality and intensity as the AL.
Pitchers are NOT professional hitters, we pay to watch professionals. 9 professional hitters are better than 7 or 8. The amount of resistance this has gotten is just idiotic.
Strike four you mean a lesser talented, packed with goons, and full teams of cheaters
Actually the NL DH could directly affect a guy like Scooter. Maybe a team like the Rockies sign Scooter so they can move Daniel Murphy or Ian Desmond the DH.
Quick list of the worst OF in MLB from 2017 to present by UZR (min 100 innings):
Adam Jones
Nick Castellanos
Charlie Blackmon
Trey Mancini
Domingo Santana
Melky Cabrera
Shin-soo Choo
Teoscar Hernandez
Matt Kemp
JD Martinez
Dexter Fowler
Jesse Winker
Khris Davis
Austin Jackson
Dwight Smith Jr.
Christin Stewart
Nick Williams
The AL ones could be options for NL teams, but it will be great to see them all become DH-only types!
How funny, someone with ATL in the name wants a DH. Normally DHs are 1 of the most expensive players and if ATL is for Atlanta, well then that’s allowing the other 3 teams in Atl division to buy a big bat that Atl & Mia can’t/will not. And ATL,pitchers going deeper into games? Atl has only had 4 great pitchers and 3 played on the same team.
surely a mets fan doesn’t want to start something with the braves. but if we must:
indeed, the braves haven’t been able to afford expensive assets like robinson cano…
T-ball here we come.
“It’d also be quite a lot easier for veteran slugger types to hang on a while longer at the tail.”
Number one reason, right there…why I’m against it.
Please let it only be for this year. NL baseball is real baseball to me.
As an Angels fan, I’m an AL guy. But as a baseball traditionalist, I like the strategy decisions required with the pitcher batting in the NL. I also like the differentiation between the leagues with DH vs. no DH.
All that said, it’s probably a good change that might give aging veterans a chance to play a little longer.
But why is allowing “aging veterans…to play a little longer” important? Prov356, I know you are not saying this but that is part of the inaccurate argument that the DH provides more jobs for players. It of course does not. It provides different jobs.
21 – right, it’s not creating more jobs because they aren’t promoting minor league players to fill the NL DH spots. Veteran players being able to play longer as a DH is not necessarily important for anyone but them. Although having a veteran around in the clubhouse to mentor the new guys isn’t bad.
Now that I’ll buy!