MLB Must Finally Add Designated Hitter to NL After 46-Year Mistake

[BleedGopher]

per Bleacher Report:

Through the grapevine has come a hint that the designated hitter may become a universal reality in Major League Baseball in the not-too-distant future.

Hurry up. Oh, for the love of David Ortiz, Edgar Martinez and Frank Thomas, please hurry up.

Per Ken Rosenthal of The Athletic and Jeff Passan of ESPN, the MLB Players Association has been pushing for the DH—which has been saving American League pitchers from hitting for themselves since 1973—to come to the National League for the 2019 season.

With pitchers and catchers due to report for spring training next week, it's probably a bit late to adapt such a seismic change for the coming season. The same goes for some of the other big ideas (e.g., a 20-second pitch clock and a three-batter minimum for pitchers) being kicked around by the MLB and the MLBPA.

https://bleacherreport.com/articles...om&utm_campaign=editorial&utm_medium=referral

Win Twins!!

 

[Breakin' The Plane]

No. Leave it alone. The one thing baseball has going for it is its uniqueness of each league.

 

[Angry]

Get rid of DH

 

[Gophers_4life]

NL should have had DH’s at the same time AL did. Just stupid.

 

[short ornery norwegian]

In '73 when the DH came in, the AL and the NL had very distinct personalities and styles of play, which the DH helped accentuate. The NL featured base-running and small ball. the AL was the 3-run homer league.

But - in the ensuring years, especially since the adoption of inter-league play, the differences between the two leagues have diminished. If you put in the DH in the NL, you would not be able to tell - based on style of play - which league a team was in. Right now, the NL is obviously different with pitchers hitting, leading to higher use of pinch-hitters and the double switch. But, if you put in the DH, a random NL team would look just the same as a random AL team.

I think the time has come. The "strategy" that old-time NL fans promote is based on having a guy in the lineup who can't hit. that in turns leads to the #8 batter getting pitched around, and later in the games, the parade of pinch-hitters. I would rather see a guy in the lineup who has a chance to hit the ball.

There are other proposed rule changes I like - like pitchers having to face three batters - and the pitch clock is a must.

 

[Gophers_4life]

In '73 when the DH came in, the AL and the NL had very distinct personalities and styles of play, which the DH helped accentuate. The NL featured base-running and small ball. the AL was the 3-run homer league.

But - in the ensuring years, especially since the adoption of inter-league play, the differences between the two leagues have diminished. If you put in the DH in the NL, you would not be able to tell - based on style of play - which league a team was in. Right now, the NL is obviously different with pitchers hitting, leading to higher use of pinch-hitters and the double switch. But, if you put in the DH, a random NL team would look just the same as a random AL team.

I think the time has come. The "strategy" that old-time NL fans promote is based on having a guy in the lineup who can't hit. that in turns leads to the #8 batter getting pitched around, and later in the games, the parade of pinch-hitters. I would rather see a guy in the lineup who has a chance to hit the ball.

Good reasoning, good post. You have changed my mind, on why it was beneficial for the NL in the past.

 

[tikited]

No. Leave it alone. The one thing baseball has going for it is its uniqueness of each league.

Exactly

 

[howeda7]

Of all the rules they could change, this doesn't crack my top 10. I like the idea of a 20 second pitch clock and a 3 batter minimum for pitchers. If they need this as a bargaining chip with the union (15 more high paying jobs) than I guess that's fine.

 

[KD6-3.7]

why don't we just allow up to nine non-fielding batters? middle infielders and catchers suck at batting too.

 

[Gophers_4life]

why don't we just allow up to nine non-fielding batters? middle infielders and catchers suck at batting too.

Have honestly thought the same thing. Except you really only need four. Only three guys can be on the bases max.

Would make the game more fun.


I wonder if we'll see someone attempt an "AAF" type competitor to MLB baseball? With a lot more of these "radical" type rule changes, to 1) make the game less boring, and 2) make the game shorter. IE, make it a better product for TV.

 

[bottlebass]

I wish they would get rid of the DH and make pitchers hit the way the game was designed. After all they are the best athletes out there, they should be able to hit just fine.

 

[Sportsfan24]

Question for the board. How many pitchers who have spent the bulk of their career in the NL have benefited from have their stats padded (automatic out every 9th batter.)

Atlanta pitchers in the 80’s and 90’s always looked ordinary in the World Series. I attributed it to them being overrated due to the league they played in.


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[GopherJake]

Question for the board. How many pitchers who have spent the bulk of their career in the NL have benefited from have their stats padded (automatic out every 9th batter.)

All of them? Well, for most stats. Not wins, not saves, etc. But sure, ERA, etc, of course.

 

[saintpaulguy]

Get rid of it in both leagues.

 

[Sportsfan24]

All of them? Well, for most stats. Not wins, not saves, etc. But sure, ERA, etc, of course.

To various degrees, all of them. If you pitch a complete game against 27 batters and 1/3 (9) of them or automatic outs....I would say that’s a hell of an advantage. One that will have a positive benefit in all pitching categories.


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[GopherJake]

To various degrees, all of them. If you pitch a complete game against 27 batters and 1/3 (9) of them or automatic outs....I would say that’s a hell of an advantage. One that will have a positive benefit in all pitching categories.


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Most. The opposing pitchers have the same advantage, which is why it cancels out for opportunity for wins, holds, saves.

 

[GoodasGold]

I like the 3-batter minimum for sure, and maybe a pitch clock - but 20 seconds hardly allows the batter time to step out of the box, look around, re-tighten his batting gloves, flex-bend his back, re-set his helmet, spit twice and get in his practice swings. Not to mention, how does a pitcher effectively duel an itchy base runner when he’s on the clock.
As far as the DH rule, I say if a player is allowed to bat for the pitchers then he must throw one inning on the mound (mgr’s choice). If he’s pulled from the mound before three outs, he’s out of the game and the pitcher takes his next at-bat prior to subbing in a new slugger.
MLB has long needed more scoring and excitement, and these thoughtful and innovative changes are what is needed.

 

[Sportsfan24]

Dup

 

[Sportsfan24]

Most. The opposing pitchers have the same advantage, which is why it cancels out for opportunity for wins, holds, saves.

I should clarify. Opposing pictures in the same game/League yes.

When talking HOF, careers with pictures who spent the majority of their careers in the American League; no.


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[Breakin' The Plane]

To various degrees, all of them. If you pitch a complete game against 27 batters and 1/3 (9) of them or automatic outs....I would say that’s a hell of an advantage. One that will have a positive benefit in all pitching categories.


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You're facing the opposing pitcher maybe twice. Very little chance that you're not facing a pinch hitter the 3rd time around. It's basically two outs per start, but about 10% of the time the opposing pitcher is going to walk or get a hit.

 

[Unregistered User]

Question for the board. How many pitchers who have spent the bulk of their career in the NL have benefited from have their stats padded (automatic out every 9th batter.)

Atlanta pitchers in the 80’s and 90’s always looked ordinary in the World Series. I attributed it to them being overrated due to the league they played in.


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They looked ordinary because Bobby Cox would find some way to blow the game. Worst manager ever. Mostly due to Hank Aaron (who never got enough credit for actually getting the players) the Braves in the 90's simply had more talent than anyone. The fact that Cox only won a single WS title with those rosters should be an indictment on his coaching acumen, and not a reason to put him in the HOF. Total garbage.

Oh, and get rid of the DH altogether. Why not have a designated free-throw shooter?

 

[GophersInIowa]

You're facing the opposing pitcher maybe twice. Very little chance that you're not facing a pinch hitter the 3rd time around. It's basically two outs per start, but about 10% of the time the opposing pitcher is going to walk or get a hit.

There's also the advantage of not having to face guys like David Ortiz, Edgar Martinez, and Jim Thome (late in his career) who will almost always stay in the AL because of the DH rule.

 

[Gophers_4life]

Oh, and get rid of the DH altogether. Why not have a designated free-throw shooter?

Pitchers don't have time to train hitting.

Field players do.

Basketball players of all positions have time to train free-throws.

 

[Sportsfan24]

They looked ordinary because Bobby Cox would find some way to blow the game. Worst manager ever. Mostly due to Hank Aaron (who never got enough credit for actually getting the players) the Braves in the 90's simply had more talent than anyone. The fact that Cox only won a single WS title with those rosters should be an indictment on his coaching acumen, and not a reason to put him in the HOF. Total garbage.

Oh, and get rid of the DH altogether. Why not have a designated free-throw shooter?

Great post!


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[Sportsfan24]

You're facing the opposing pitcher maybe twice. Very little chance that you're not facing a pinch hitter the 3rd time around. It's basically two outs per start, but about 10% of the time the opposing pitcher is going to walk or get a hit.

Fair points; but over the course of a season/career it still adds up to a considerably amount of easy outs.


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[Breakin' The Plane]

Fair points; but over the course of a season/career it still adds up to a considerably amount of easy outs.


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It does. But I don't know if it makes that much in a difference when looking at a guy's career numbers. Remember that the addition of the DH coincided pretty closely with the advent of modern day free agency. So it's less and less likely that a guy spends his entire career with the same team, let alone the same league. And now there's interleague play, which further takes away some of the NL pitching advantage. I'm sure some stat nerd can dig up the numbers on pitchers in the AL vs. those in the NL, but in a game where the even the best of the best hitters fail about 66% of the time, a great pitcher isn't going to have his numbers boosted enough to make a difference just by pitching in the National League.

 

[dpodoll68]

It does. But I don't know if it makes that much in a difference when looking at a guy's career numbers. Remember that the addition of the DH coincided pretty closely with the advent of modern day free agency. So it's less and less likely that a guy spends his entire career with the same team, let alone the same league. And now there's interleague play, which further takes away some of the NL pitching advantage. I'm sure some stat nerd can dig up the numbers on pitchers in the AL vs. those in the NL, but in a game where the even the best of the best hitters fail about 66% of the time, a great pitcher isn't going to have his numbers boosted enough to make a difference just by pitching in the National League.

And - in the modern age of pitcher specialization, most NL pitchers will only come to the plate 2 (maybe 3) times per game. If a pitcher faces 700 batters in a season, probably 50-60 of those will be the opposing pitcher.

 

[GophersInIowa]

And - in the modern age of pitcher specialization, most NL pitchers will only come to the plate 2 (maybe 3) times per game. If a pitcher faces 700 batters in a season, probably 50-60 of those will be the opposing pitcher.

I still think the biggest impact of the DH is that there is almost always going to be more good/great hitters in the AL. An NL team has very little chance of signing guys like Nelson Cruz, David Ortiz, etc.

AL teams have averaged more runs per game than the NL every year since at least 2000 and I don't think that's a coincidence.

 

[GopherJake]

And - in the modern age of pitcher specialization, most NL pitchers will only come to the plate 2 (maybe 3) times per game. If a pitcher faces 700 batters in a season, probably 50-60 of those will be the opposing pitcher.

Right. So, as an NL starting pitcher, you get two or three 90% outs, instead of two or three cracks at a little bit older player with a high slugging pct or a younger guy who is taking a day off in the field - which, incidentally, extends his career, lessens chance for injury, etc, making him theoretically more potent for longer even when he plays in the field. Then, in the AL, whoever is pitching now faces that same guy 2 or 3 more times, while in the NL, they face some bench player on a double switch, some of whom wouldn't even make the AL roster.