How do you feel about the Designated Hitter?

[Dick Allen]

I love the DH. I really don't care to see people who can't hit go up to the plate. I know all the managers love the "strategy" of pinch hitting, but I think the DH provides more offense obviously, and keeps some good hitters around who would be out of baseball. Seriously, when would Frank Thomas have had to call it quits if he had to play the field? He certainly would have killed the Sox playig 1B regularly after about 1998. I really doubt he would even be a consideration until his eligiblity was up for the HOF even with his tremendous start to his career. There are several others like Edgar Martinez. Thome, Baines. Guys extend their careers and are productive. Its a win win if you ask me. I say the less the manager has to decide, the better we all are.

[daa84]

im a fan of the DH, and theres one arguement from non-DH enthusiasts that drives me nuts...and its the "the DH takes the managers strategy out of the game...you can't double switch in the AL"

 

Please ...like the double switch is something so difficult that a guy who has dedicated his life to baseball can't understand? IMO the prevalence of the double switch takes LESS managerial wit/instinct than in the AL rules. The double switch move is so obvious you can derive a basic algorithm for it, and it makes pitching changes SIGNIFICANTLY easier. Its easy to take a guy out in the 6th when he's at 94 pitches and due up first the next inning. The situation helps make the decision for the manager. In the AL, you have to know your pitchers better and have a better feel for when a guy is done and when he isn't.

Edited February 24, 2010 by daa84

[SockMe]

either get rid of it or have both leagues have one.

[Jake]

Even if you wanted to make the majors all no-DH, now almost all HS and older leagues allow for DH, so pitchers are becoming specialized so early that you'll never have more than a handful of pitchers that can swing it at all.

[BigEdWalsh]

DH in both leagues. Pitchers are almost an automatic out. Its not a new thing either.

 

In 1963 Koufax hit .064 in 124 plate appearnces. He had 7 hits.

 

I'd rather watch an old and out of shape guy, than that.

Even better (well, worse) Bob Buhl went 0 for 70 in 1962 (for the Cubs, hehe).

I have mixed feelings about the DH. There's good arguments for it and against it. I do think that both leagues should be the same. Either the NL should use the DH or the AL should drop it. If I HAD to say yay or nay, I'd say nay...get rid of it.

 

[Kalapse]

Even better (well, worse) Bob Buhl went 0 for 70 in 1962 (for the Cubs, hehe).

I have mixed feelings about the DH. There's good arguments for it and against it. I do think that both leagues should be the same. Either the NL should use the DH or the AL should drop it. If I HAD to say yay or nay, I'd say nay...get rid of it.

At least he walked 6 times. Jason Bergman had 42 PA in 2008 and failed to reach base in any of them.

[whitesoxfan101]

I like the current system where one league has the DH and the other league doesn't, even though I admit having it this way really makes no sense. If I had to pick a side though, I'd be for having a DH in both leagues. I understand why people would prefer no DH due to double switching and pinch hitting and the strategy it involves. But watching pitchers attempt to hit is an absoulte joke and waste of time with 99 percent of them, and having pitchers hit has a lot of negative qualities, such as making teams burn through relief pitchers and pull starters way too early because the 9th spot (an automatic out) comes up in the order at a key spot in the early to middle innings.

 

You can tell me that a guy who doesn't play the field being in the lineup is not baseball, but I don't think a team pitching around the 8th hitter so that they can get the automatic out up to the dish is exactly a great watch either. And you can also tell me about guys like Jim Thome who only stick around the last several years of their career because they can hit, but look at a guy like Lenny Harris or Mark Sweeney. They stuck around because they were "pinch hitting experts" and played for NL teams to extend their careers. I'd rather a guy like Jim Thome (future hall of famer) play 5 extra years due to the rules than Lenny freaking Harris. I also don't think people who say "DH"s just bat 4 times a game and sit down" are giving them nearly enough credit. Having to sit for an hour in between at bats and do nothing, only to be called on to get on base or come up with a big hit against MLB pitching isn't exactly easy.

Edited February 24, 2010 by whitesoxfan101

[CrimsonWeltall]

If the purpose of the DH is to eliminate terrible-hitting pitchers, why not just go to an 8-man batting lineup?

 

 

How about teams can bring out any 9 players for "defense" and any 9 players on "offense" for the lineup?

 

/semi-serious

[chw42]

Our team would be better if the position didn't exist. Maybe we should just move to the NL.

[Steve9347]

Get rid of it.

[JuiceCruz16]

I like the DH and it is used at every level of baseball except in the MLB for the National League!

[supernuke]

I say shake things up and make the pitchers hit but keep the DH. The SS positon would then become a defense only position and not hit.

[LittleHurt05]

I say shake things up and make the pitchers hit but keep the DH. The SS positon would then become a defense only position and not hit.

 

I wonder what Derek Jeter's legacy would have ended up like if he had played under those rules.

[DukeNukeEm]

I say shake things up and make the pitchers hit but keep the DH. The SS positon would then become a defense only position and not hit.

That is a terrible idea.

[Quin]

I think we need to start considering pitchers hitting when it comes to HoF.

 

Which is a horrible idea, but no one even takes a major statistical category into account when considering how great a pitcher is. Why do they get a free pass for sucking so much?

 

If pitchers could hit, I'd be fine with no DH, but they can't, and some of the best hitters can't field...seems like a fair trade off.

 

Also, I like having a playing style difference between the two leagues.

 

Also, if I'm not mistaken...the DH can replace anyone in the lineup...not just the pitchers.

[Kalapse]

I think we need to start considering pitchers hitting when it comes to HoF.

 

Which is a horrible idea, but no one even takes a major statistical category into account when considering how great a pitcher is. Why do they get a free pass for sucking so much?

 

If pitchers could hit, I'd be fine with no DH, but they can't, and some of the best hitters can't field...seems like a fair trade off.

 

Also, I like having a playing style difference between the two leagues.

 

Also, if I'm not mistaken...the DH can replace anyone in the lineup...not just the pitchers.

You're mistaken, it has to be the pitcher.

[Quin]

You're mistaken, it has to be the pitcher.

 

Dang it, I was thinking of most amateur rules. My bad.

[qwerty]

Even better (well, worse) Bob Buhl went 0 for 70 in 1962 (for the Cubs, hehe).

I have mixed feelings about the DH. There's good arguments for it and against it. I do think that both leagues should be the same. Either the NL should use the DH or the AL should drop it. If I HAD to say yay or nay, I'd say nay...get rid of it.

 

Buhl was originally signed by the sox, and later went on to help net the cubs fergie jenkins.

[GoodAsGould]

I actually really like the current setup and hope for the foreseeable future nothing changes. I love the DH but I know a lot of pitchers like hitting and for the baseball purist out there its nice to still see the the game played like it was when our grandparents were watching as kids.

[supernuke]

That is a terrible idea.

Yes it is.

[WilliamTell]

How about teams can bring out any 9 players for "defense" and any 9 players on "offense" for the lineup?

 

/semi-serious

 

That's an interesting idea, kind of like football where some specialize in offense and defense.

 

 

What I like about the DH is that it gets an extra player in the game. I really like it for that reason in high school.

[Chisoxfn]

Get rid of hit. I might not like watching pitchers hit, but having them in the lineups makes things far more interesting from a strategic stand-point and its the way baseball should be played.

[Leonard Zelig]

Everybody who favors tradition should be against gloves too.

[Quin]

Everybody who favors tradition should be against gloves too.

 

What about helmets?

[Kalapse]

What about helmets?

Minorities