Quote:
Originally Posted by packs
I just don't think the DH is as good as you think. Greg Vaughn's career as a DH (over 1600 PA's) amounted to a 218 average. Reggie hit 227 as a DH. Adam Dunn hit 200 as a DH. Cecil Cooper hit 261 with a 298 OBP. The DH isn't always a good player.
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Adam Dunn walked a lot. Cecil Coopers OBP still destroyed almost every starting pitcher obp in the last 20 years. The fact that the DH usually takes more pitches to get out means something for the pitch count as well. There are no starting pitchers that could take the job away from a DH. So the worst DH in the world is still better than the best SP hitter in terms of being a hitter. If you want to point to 1 or 2 players you can go ahead but still that would be 99% still in favor of the DH. I would imagine that would at least account for making it more than just a little harder to get a no hitter in the AL versus NL......16 or 17 of the last 20 hitters have been in NL parks. Pitchers over the years have become worse hitters as well as the game has become more specialized as well. Plus pitch counts are more important now. There may of been some AL no hitters in the 1970s with a pitch count that normally would have had them removed from the game. The game is different now.
David Ortiz was pretty good as a DH. Matt Holiday/Pujols and many others blow away even the very best starting pitcher hitter. By giving the NL no hitter 90% of the value of a AL no hitter that does account that the DH isnt always good. 10% is not a lot considering all the factors.