Fuck the DH

[GorillaNJ]

I miss the AL being bitchmade   Why ruin the NL?   

[BlueInCanada]

I'm surprised so many people were against the DH.  

The whole pitcher having to bat was such a drag on the whole game. 

Outside of the rare once in a franchise type player who could play both ways, it was basically just a free out and a way for a team to have to suddenly create a batting order around a self inflicted handicap. 

It's like if in football in the final minutes of every quarter you had to bench your starters for all your bench players just "because their on the team they should have to play!"

I dunno never understood it. 

[GorillaNJ]

12 hours ago, BlueInCanada said:

I'm surprised so many people were against the DH.  

The whole pitcher having to bat was such a drag on the whole game. 

Outside of the rare once in a franchise type player who could play both ways, it was basically just a free out and a way for a team to have to suddenly create a batting order around a self inflicted handicap. 

It's like if in football in the final minutes of every quarter you had to bench your starters for all your bench players just "because their on the team they should have to play!"

I dunno never understood it. 

Thats because you spent your whole life watching the American League...    I never thought the pitcher batting dragged the game down, it was an integral part of the game.    A pitcher who was a competent batter or bunter was an advantage.   There was a whole mindset around when to pinch hit for the pitcher, or if you pull the pitcher depending when he was coming up to bat.   Pitchers also had to think twice about plunking a batter, since they were going to be stepping into the batters box themselves. 

Everyone else on the team bats when they play the field..   why not let there be an offense and a defense with separate players like in football?

 

[jranieli]

I am not defending the DH because I watched the NL mostly my whole life, but the pitcher batting was "usually" an automatic out. It never bothered me though.

I used to got to tons of minor league games as a kid. The Phillies had their AAA team in Scranton at the time. When AL affiliated teams came in like Pawtucket Red Sox, they would always use a DH. When Norfolk (Mets at the time) would come in, the pitcher would bat. I always looked forward to AL teams coming in. 

[Chuck Wagon]

On 9/28/2022 at 7:35 AM, GorillaNJ said:

Thats because you spent your whole life watching the American League...    I never thought the pitcher batting dragged the game down, it was an integral part of the game.    A pitcher who was a competent batter or bunter was an advantage.   There was a whole mindset around when to pinch hit for the pitcher, or if you pull the pitcher depending when he was coming up to bat.   Pitchers also had to think twice about plunking a batter, since they were going to be stepping into the batters box themselves. 

Everyone else on the team bats when they play the field..   why not let there be an offense and a defense with separate players like in football?

 

That game has been long gone in the NL for a while now G.

In the first couple of decades of the the DH it made the NL a bit more interesting. Double switches....You had pitchers that could bunt and run etc.

Old time baseball.

Unfortunately, in the last decade or so teams didnt want a $3 million dollar a year arm getting plucked by another $3 million a year arm throwing upper 90s at them...., or fouling one off their ankle...or getting on base and getting hurt or worn out with pick off pitches.

Just as happy to see them SO on three pitches looking and sit down as swinging away. 

That issue only got worse in the last decade as those $3 million a year arm became a $15 million to $30 million a year arm and the risk of them batting went up exponentially.

I was happy when the AL went to the DH for one simple reason....Ron Bloomberg would never play first base again.

Holy Christ it was like he was a Hockey Goalie that only wore the blocker.

By the age of 7  I knew every curse word in the English and most in the Italian language just from listening to grandfather during any yankee game they had to put in him the field.

C. Wagon