Designated hitter

Tuberski · April 8, 2003, 23:02

Well, the DH has been in place for 30 years now in the AL.

What do you think about it?

ACK!

St Leo · April 8, 2003, 23:17

I am assuming that this is some sort of sport term. Would you care to enlighten us as to which sport you are referring to?

Six Thousand Year Old Man · April 8, 2003, 23:33

The DH takes a lot of the strategy out of the game. It also takes watching pitchers try to hit, out of the game.

So

to the DH.

Zero · April 8, 2003, 23:37

but pitchers hitting is what makes the game interesting.

Do you pull the pitcher out at 5-7th inning and pinch hit? Do you still want the pitcher pitching? Is the game close and situation and bases worth a shot?

etc etc etc

NL > AL

MRT144 · April 8, 2003, 23:39

I like american league ball more than national league ball. the DH is interesting in the fact that someone who is too old to field can just become the DH and still contribute...

i think that watching pitchers hit is fun though... and adds strategy.

its too hard for me to decide.

Zero · April 8, 2003, 23:42

DH = player who has less skill gets treated better. (aka just about all AL DHs who cant field for life)

Pitcher hitting = Pitcher who can contribute aggressively and have talent to do so gets credited and gets respect as they should. (ie like Mike Hampton, who can lob the ball out of the stadium for his teammates and contribute )

Having no DH allows people to be valued at what they can do/not do much better IMO.

Besides NL is the only game where theoratically the pitcher can win the game by himself. (Mike Hampton 2000, in Coors Stadium. played a 3-1 game with 2HR)

Tuberski · April 8, 2003, 23:44

Quote:

Originally posted by St Leo
I am assuming that this is some sort of sport term. Would you care to enlighten us as to which sport you are referring to?

If you don't know what the DH is, then you don't watch baseball is anyway.

ACK!

Zero · April 8, 2003, 23:47

Babe Ruth should have played in the NL.

It would have been awesome to see the man play the game all by himself

P.S: only reason why Yankees fan dont like the idea of Pitchers hitting is because their pitchers always suck batting in subway series.

Mets pitchers > Yankee pitchers in batting

Six Thousand Year Old Man · April 8, 2003, 23:51

Quote:

Originally posted by Calc II
DH = player who has less skill gets treated better. (aka just about all AL DHs who cant field for life)

And therefore all NFL players have less skill, and get treated better, too. (Since they don't play both offense and defense, anymore.)

Mike Hampton's an example of a pitcher who can hit (too bad he can't pitch

)... but what really happens in most NL games is that both teams have a dead spot in their lineups for 6 innings. And at least twice per team, we're treated to the spectacle of the poor pitcher standing there in a telegraphed bunt attempt.

(At least - some people see that spectacle; I usually go to the concession stand, and mentally add one to the number of outs the team at bat currently has.)

Zero · April 8, 2003, 23:54

I dont think hampton is horrendous in pitching. Just because 1-2 yrs in the rockies has ruined his career doesnt mean he might not have a chance of showing significant improvement as a brave.

We'll see how the ex-Met player fares in the crappiest team in NL... :P

Zero · April 8, 2003, 23:56

Quote:

Originally posted by Six Thousand Year Old Man
I usually go to the concession stand, and mentally add one to the number of outs the team at bat currently has.)

Ok I confess. I do the same exact thing, but it sure is satisfying to see yank pitcher looking like a retard on plate.

and besides its always hilarious when a pitcher can do some damage.

If pitcher sees his opponent pitcher hit one, how would he feel?

Also it can be a great way to relieve some stress and tension, by throwing ur rival a 3 fastball in a row.

KrazyHorse · April 8, 2003, 23:57

DH sucks. The same team bats as fields. That's the idea. DH is just a cheap copout.

KrazyHorse · April 8, 2003, 23:58

Quote:

Originally posted by Calc II

Ok I confess. I do the same exact thing, but it sure is satisfying to see yank pitcher looking like a retard on plate.

and besides its always hilarious when a pitcher can do some damage.

If pitcher sees his opponent pitcher hit one, how would he feel?

I've seen a pitcher hit a triple. You should have seen his face afterwards...

Zero · April 9, 2003, 00:01

Like Ive said before. Ive seen Mike Hampton hit 2 homers.

Pitcher giving up a homer is devastating.

Giving it up to a pitcher.... twice... ouch

HolyWarrior · April 9, 2003, 00:31

AL sucks ass. Roger Clemons is a damn punk who throws at batters because he doesn't have to come up to bat.

Nothin' like an ol'fashioned beanball war.

Zero · April 9, 2003, 00:54

Quote:

Originally posted by HolyWarrior
AL sucks ass. Roger Clemons is a damn punk who throws at batters because he doesn't have to come up to bat.

Nothin' like an ol'fashioned beanball war.

He would die of brain damage if he ever comes to NL.

Imran Siddiqui · April 9, 2003, 01:05

Quote:

DH sucks. The same team bats as fields. That's the idea. DH is just a cheap copout.

It ruins the nice symmetry of baseball. Nice players play defense, those SAME nine should play offense.

And after we get rid of the abomination known as the DH, we can focus on ending the idiocy of interleague play

.

Rex Little · April 9, 2003, 01:09

Quote:

Originally posted by Calc II
Babe Ruth should have played in the NL.

Babe Ruth did play in the NL--for the Braves in 1935. And even in the AL, pitchers had to bat back then. The DH didn't come in until 1973.

The DH makes sense because even without it, the pitcher is simply not expected to be able to hit. At any other position there's a tradeoff; the best-fielding shortstop God ever made wouldn't have a job in the major leagues if he couldn't hit .200. But a league-average pitcher will always have a job with an NL team even if he never gets a hit in his life.

There may have been occasions when a team picked one pitcher over another because he could hit a little, but I'll bet the last one was at least a hundred years ago.

Zero · April 9, 2003, 01:12

should there be 2 DH for SS too then? or Catchers?

Imagine how worthless A-Rod would be. and how valuable rey ordonez would be

Imran Siddiqui · April 9, 2003, 01:16

Calc:

Rey Ordonez's DH

Pitchers should hit (or be able to) because they are with the team on defense.

If you want to be consistant with the DH, you should just have two seperate teams for defense and offense. After all, we don't want to see weak hitting, good fielding players hit or anything.

Sten Sture · April 9, 2003, 01:47

The DH is an abomination.

St. Leo: A comparable rule in Football would be to have old Strikers that are slow be allowed offside. Dumb rule.

BustaMike · April 9, 2003, 05:50

Why the DH is bad? If the NL had a DH I never would have got to see Randy Johnson smash what should have been at least a double only to trip and fall rounding first and end up only getting a single. Everyone was laughing 'cept Bob Brenley who looked like he was about to have a heart attack. Funny ****

!!

Even better was the fact that the next day in practice, someone snuck in early and drew a chalk outline where Randy fell.

MRT144 · April 9, 2003, 06:03

bustamike, truly great moment in sports

Rufus T. Firefly · April 9, 2003, 06:11

There's considerable Biblical evidence that the DH rule was Satan's idea.

Of course, I've spent my entire life rooting for the Cubs, so why should anyone listen to me? (For those of you not familiar with baseball who wonder what that means, just remember the Apolyton Cub Fan Smilies: (1)

(2)

)

TheStinger · April 9, 2003, 06:14

In cricket a graet many of the all time greats are those who could bat and bowl. I say get rid of the DH

Zkribbler · April 9, 2003, 09:21

Quote:

Originally posted by Calc II
should there be 2 DH for SS too then? or Catchers?

What?? No Maury Wills or Mike Piazza? Oooooh, the humanity!

No DH! No DH! No DH! No DH! No DH! No DH! No DH! No DH! No DH! No DH! No DH! No DH!

Zkribbler · April 9, 2003, 09:22

Opps. DL (which should also be banned)

Arrian · April 9, 2003, 09:56

Quote:

P.S: only reason why Yankees fan dont like the idea of Pitchers hitting is because their pitchers always suck batting in subway series.

Mets pitchers > Yankee pitchers in batting

Maybe, but the Yankees > Mets anyway.

I'm neutral on the DH. I don't have strong feelings either way.

-Arrian

rah · April 9, 2003, 10:02

NO DH.

Kontiki · April 9, 2003, 11:00

Don't like the DH. There is a plus in that it spares us from seeing the 95% of pitchers who can't hit to save their lives, but it's more than offset by the purity of the game (ie:same team that takes the field goes to bat) and strategy (ie:when to pull the pitcher for a pinch hitter)