DH

Quite suprised I didn't see this topic yet. But whats your ideas on the DH. I believe it's a bunch of BS honestly. To me, if your gonna play the game, play all of it. Not just one part. What's you gentlemen's take?

 

I like the DH at the younger age groups but as baseball purist, I despise it at the major league level. The two leagues should play by the same rules, and those rules should be the same as they have always been.

 

I was a pitcher/DH my senior year and loved it. Pitch my one game and also hit that game then ride the bench the other games and DH, greatest job that year on the team. The DH role is 50/50 for me. I mean I like it because it lets people who can't play a lick of defense get a chance to swing the bat(big papi). The other thing is that all you do is swing the bat and play no defense, then you aren't playing the whole game. I do believe both leagues should either have or not.

 

I agree with you guys that both leagues should definitely be the same. If I had to pick one way or the other, I'd say go ahead and allow the DH. Just like you don't send pitchers to the mound who can't pitch, why send hitters to the plate who can't hit? That being said, I understand why some people enjoy the national league brand of baseball more because of the strategy involved, and I'm actually a fan of a national league team myself. I guess it all depends on what you're used to or what your opinion is, but I think everyone can agree that both leagues should be the same.

 

Exactly, but my opinion, is that in order to be int he major leagues, you need to be able to play the game as a whole. Not just one part, just like back in the day, when a team picks up a kid who can just play defense, or just hit, they are making a sacrafice and hoping it pays off more often then not. To be completely honest I think that's the only way to play. If your good enough at defense and can't hit, then it's only fair the team that pics you up is willing to take the sacrafice of you not hitting for your defense. That being said, it's also not fair for the National League at all, b/c they can't pick up those kids very often because their pitcher more times then not can't hit anyways. So now you have 2 bad hitters vs one in the AL. That and another way of looking at is that the AL now has 0 bad hitters in the linup b/c the 2 cancel each other out, where-as the NL just has 2 bad hitters. Also vise-versa for hitting better then defense. Just my opinion.

 

I like the DH

in HS and college. It gives another player an opportunity to play. But at the ML level I depise it. It takes away so much from the game. I would really love to see both leagues play by the same rules and get rid of the DH at the ML level. JMO

 

No DH

Make the player hit. It is the core element of the game.

 

Plate Dad

that kind of surprises me that you would say that, after reading some of your posts about giving other kids a chance to play. With the DH in hs and the DR thats three extra guys that have a role and get to actually play in a game. Run for the pitcher , run for the catcher and DH. Thats 12 kids that are in the line up. If you bring in another arm thats 13. If you make one or two posistion changes and use a pinch hitter sometime in the game thats around 15 or 16 guys getting some sort of playing time and a role for everyone on the team. Im all for the DH in hs. It gives another kid a role and a chance to contribute for his team.

 

Don't confuse him

 

play a lot of 'em

I notice in most college boxscores that it is commonplace for 15 or more get some form of playing time. in fact, Some of the multiple pitchers / subs / position changes make it a challenge to record it properly in a standard scorebook!

I like seeing this from a coach and still maintain a winning program. win-win.