Quote:
Originally Posted by dgo71
I'm just curious why this seems to be the over-riding sentiment. A lot of people obviously agree with this statement, but this is a "what", not a "why." Just curious what makes people think this is better - not simply preferential, but better - than having a DH.
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That's a real good question, Derek, and I'll do my best to answer it.
The short answer? It's a matter of opinion, really. The long answer, however, is a tad more involved.
When it comes to baseball, I am a purist. This game has been played for a very long time with essentially the same rules. Nine men on the field. Three outs in an inning. Nine innings in a game. Baseball, in its design, is beautiful. It is unique. There is no clock. The defense has the ball, and, unlike football, soccer, hockey, or basketball, where a lead can become essentially insurmountable because of the time remaining, in baseball, a team can overcome nearly any deficit if they play smart, and work together. But unlike these other sports, you cannot keep feeding the ball to one player. The greatest hitter in the game comes to the plate once every nine at bats. Then he sits down. There is no Michael Jordan taking the game winning shot, and you can't keep feeding the ball off to Earl Campbell. Every man in the lineup has to come up, and swing the bat. Every man, likewise, should take the field.
Implementing the designated hitter meant one less skill that pitchers had to master. It also meant that players who could hit, but were poor defensively, could still play the game. It meant that careers were being artificially prolonged. Fundamentally, I take issue with a player who comes to the plate three or four times, takes his swings, and then sits on the bench for the remainder of the game. If he's not good enough to play defense, as well, then he shouldn't be in the Major Leagues.
Some changes that have been made to the game have improved the overall enjoyment level of baseball. Whereas you used to have only one team in each league going to the post season, you now have division winners, and a select few wildcard teams, playing for the right to be world champions. The road to the World Series is infinitely more difficult. More teams have a chance to win it all, and more fans can cheer their teams on in the post season.
The designated hitter change, however, was an overreaction to the pitching dominance of the late 1960s. And now, you have the American League playing one style of baseball, while the National League plays quite another.
If I had my way, the DH would be eliminated, and those hitters who could not field would be putting in extra time working with the glove, or get sent packing back to the minors.