National League Rules

[BohKnowsBmore]

I would agree that an AL team playing in an NL park is a disadvantage.

But I wouldn't go as far to say that an NL team playing in an AL park is an advantage for them. If you take a look at most NL teams, they carry bench players that are there to serve a purpose (to pinch run/defensive replacement) and not your prototypical DH type of guys.

I would think that the advantage is in favor of the AL. AL teams can afford to carry a hit-only type player to be DH (i.e. David Ortiz) while NL teams really cannot. AL team losing the DH and playing straight up is much more even-footing IMO than the NL team playing with a DH, for which they are not really built.

[weams]

I would think that the advantage is in favor of the AL. AL teams can afford to carry a hit-only type player to be DH (i.e. David Ortiz) while NL teams really cannot. AL team losing the DH and playing straight up is much more even-footing IMO than the NL team playing with a DH, for which they are not really built.

I think pitcher hitting in today's game is a disgrace.

[atomic]

The American League should get rid of the DH if you can't field you shouldnt be playing. I am guessing pitchers would hit better if they hit in minor leagues. Other than Ortiz i cant think of too many star DHs.

[DrungoHazewood]

The American League should get rid of the DH if you can't field you shouldnt be playing. I am guessing pitchers would hit better if they hit in minor leagues. Other than Ortiz i cant think of too many star DHs.

If you hit like a high school kid you shouldn't be hitting in the major leagues. In 1880 it was justifiable to have pitchers hit, since the level of play was so low that it was like high school or college ball - pitchers were sometimes the best hitters on the team. But the quality of play has advanced so far that if you have a non-selection trait, like hitting for pitchers, trying to execute that skill becomes laughable. Pitchers hitting is like hockey goalies trying to pole vault - teams select pitchers on the basis of their hitting as often as NHL teams select goalies on their ability to pole vault. Now, I do agree that with much dedicated practice (which, of course, takes away from their primary goal of, you know... pitching) pitchers could potentially raise their average OPS from around .300 to maybe as high as .400.

[JohnnyEutaw]

If you hit like a high school kid you shouldn't be hitting in the major leagues. In 1880 it was justifiable to have pitchers hit, since the level of play was so low that it was like high school or college ball - pitchers were sometimes the best hitters on the team. But the quality of play has advanced so far that if you have a non-selection trait, like hitting for pitchers, trying to execute that skill becomes laughable. Pitchers hitting is like hockey goalies trying to pole vault - teams select pitchers on the basis of their hitting as often as NHL teams select goalies on their ability to pole vault. Now, I do agree that with much dedicated practice (which, of course, takes away from their primary goal of, you know... pitching) pitchers could potentially raise their average OPS from around .300 to maybe as high as .400.

They should do away with the DH and pitchers should learn how to hit.

Several pitchers have been decent hitters over the years. It isn't impossible, baseball just needs to start emphasizing pitchers receiving more practice and instruction in hitting. Put it this way, they only pitch every fifth or sixth game (starters) so why can't they spend more time practicing hitting?

The DH was just an experiment in the 70s. No need for someone to have to hit for a pitcher. And each league should be on the same page, regardless of what the MLB decides on the DH.

[DrungoHazewood]

They should do away with the DH and pitchers should learn how to hit.

I'll reuse my goalie example, somewhat ridiculous though it might be. Could you find NHL goalies who can pole vault? Sure, at some level. Could they get better at pole vaulting with much practice? Probably. Almost certainly. Is there some chance you'd get an Olympic-level pole vaulter out of the group of players selected on the basis of their goaltending ability? Almost certainly NOT.

Same thing with pitchers hitting. It's almost random if a guy picked on the basis of his pitching ability is also a good hitter (defined as "good major league hitter." I'd suppose most MLB pitchers could hit at a high school level.) Is it possible that a pitcher or three could hit at an average MLB level with enough practice? Sure. Could one or two in a long period of time be a good MLB hitter? Maybe. But at what cost? Obviously the cost is losing that specialization in pitcher training. A significant part of the time he's now doing everything he can to be one of the top 0.001% of pitchers in the world would now be devoted to getting better as a hitter. And ALL pitchers would have to do this.

Baseball decided many, many years ago that a good pitching pitcher is vastly, overwhelmingly more valuable than a guy who spends half his time trying to learn how to pitch and half his time trying to learn how to hit.

Several pitchers have been decent hitters over the years. It isn't impossible, baseball just needs to start emphasizing pitchers receiving more practice and instruction in hitting. Put it this way, they only pitch every fifth or sixth game (starters) so why can't they spend more time practicing hitting?

You have a group of pitchers who have been selected exclusively for their ability to pitch. Their hitting ability is random. The number of people who can hit at a major league level out of a random selection of the population is very, very, very small. Saying that you could teach someone to hit despite the fact they have little or no hitting ability is like saying that there's an untapped pool of talent because we don't teach lacrosse players to hit.

The DH was just an experiment in the 70s. No need for someone to have to hit for a pitcher. And each league should be on the same page, regardless of what the MLB decides on the DH.

No, the DH was an inevitable outcome of having a position on the field that has essentially 0% of its value from hitting, so that hitting was no longer a selection criteria for pitchers. The DH was first proposed in the early 1890s, when pitchers were still within shouting distance of shortstops or catchers as batters. Eventually it became more of an obvious solution when pitchers fell to 40% or 50% of the ability of an average batter.

[TouchemAll]

I prefer the DH, and also prefer to see BOTH leagues adopt the SAME RULES either way.

[MdSooner]

I prefer the DH, and also prefer to see BOTH leagues adopt the SAME RULES either way.

I do not really care either way DH or no DH

But both leagues (MLB) has to have the same rules.

[DrungoHazewood]

I do not really care either way DH or no DH

But both leagues (MLB) has to have the same rules.

Why? I mean, obviously there's a limit. You probably can't have teams with 14-man rosters playing teams with 28-man rosters. It would be difficult to have a 2-strike, 7-ball league playing games against a 3-strike, 4-ball league. But DH? There's an obvious work-around they've already implemented, and others exist.