The NL Needs the DH

by BSmitty on Jul 1, 2008 6:06 AM PDT Comment 52 comments

A number of current MLB controversies have made it clear that the game is moving forward into a new era. One fan tries to find the best balance between past and present.

From http://www.splicetoday.com/sports/the-nl-needs-the-dh

Baseball is an exhilarating yet frustrating mess of contradictions, and this fan is caught in the trap—like millions of other men and women (save George Will, whose pompous moral certitude about the sport is immutable)—of trying to reconcile “purist” instincts with the undeniable improvements in the game over the past several decades. Last weekend, for example, while watching a slew of inter-league contests via the MLB “Extra Innings” package (which, regardless of varying prices depending on your locale and cable provider, costs less for an entire season of televised games than one day at a stadium for a family of four), I finally switched gears and figured it was time for the National League to acquiesce and adopt the still-controversial designated hitter rule.

Heresy, I guess, but what the hell; if you’re a Milwaukee Brewers’ devotee, wouldn’t it be delightful to see the world’s tubbiest vegetarian, Prince Fielder, in the dugout, contemplating his next plate appearance, instead of anchored at first base? One league’s dominance over the other usually runs in cycles, but the N.L. seems mired in a slump that’s likely to run longer than the Great Depression, and this was evident once again over the weekend. Sure, the strategy required of an N.L. manager is more intricate than A.L. counterparts with double-switches and more sacrifice bunts, but the two leagues might be more competitive if older free agents (or crummy fielders) could extend their careers as a DH.

That said, and here’s one of those curveballs, I can’t stand inter-league play, even though it pumps up attendance and allows fans to see star players who were once a mystery aside from the All-Star game (which, of course, has devolved into a meaningless exhibition game instead of a proud showcase) or the World Series. My 13-year-old son, with whom I have the pleasure of sitting next to in our matching easy chairs in the homestead’s television room, adamantly disagrees, but I chalk that up to his participation in a fantasy league with a bunch of school buddies. I just don’t like the disruption of the season’s rhythm, the fake “rivalries” cooked up by MLB schedule makers—sure, the Cubs and White Sox make sense, but the Rockies and Tigers?—for the sake of novelty and profit.

See the rest at http://www.splicetoday.com/sports/the-nl-needs-the-dh

This FanPost is reader-generated, and it does not necessarily reflect the views of McCovey Chronicles. If the author uses filler to achieve the minimum word requirement, a moderator may edit the FanPost for his or her own amusement.

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Comments

Hahah the fattiez!!!!!112

It’s not like Prince is a butcher over at first base, just because he’s a big fella. I’d rather not see my league use a gimmicky thirty-year-old rule just because some guy wants to poke fun at a round first baseman who actually fields his position pretty well.

"While conservatives tell you 'leave things alone and no one will lose,' and liberals tell you 'interfere a lot and no one will lose,' baseball says 'someone will lose.' Not only says it - but insists upon it! ... Democracy is lovely, but baseball's more mature." BVCE supports SF Dugout and Manny Burriss.

by BaronVonCurrentEvents on Jul 1, 2008 7:12 AM PDT reply actions 0 recs

+1

What this world needs is MORE big fella’s playing first base!

Adoptive papa to Omar...so basically I'm screwed.

by PacBellBoozer on Jul 1, 2008 8:53 AM PDT up reply actions 0 recs

+ 1 million

by Nellieball on Jul 1, 2008 9:46 AM PDT up reply actions 0 recs

I don’t mind Inter-League play. It’s a chance to see the other side. That said, no DH in the NL. It’s wrong and against the laws of nature. All players must hit and field, no matter how bad they are at it :-)

My adopted son Matt Downs. Bill Mueller without the two-flap helmet .

by nvsfg on Jul 1, 2008 7:51 AM PDT reply actions 0 recs

They should just get rid of the DH all together and not let AL pitchers get a free pass.

The DH has not been around that long any way, so it won’t hurt (except Yankees pitchers).

Besides, if the DH were mandatory everywhere, I wouldn’t be able to see Matt Cain hit bombs off Carlos Zambrano.

Adopted brother of the AnVil / GIANTSPACE™ returns!

by SoFa King Mike on Jul 1, 2008 8:07 AM PDT reply actions 0 recs

^ my thoughts exactly

Proud pappa of....STEVE HOLM!!

by UnleashTheGore on Jul 1, 2008 8:11 AM PDT up reply actions 0 recs

DH is unAmerican

let everyone hit. In little league everybody bats and whats more American

by ACgiant97 on Jul 1, 2008 8:26 AM PDT reply actions 0 recs

leave, troll

Billy Hayes: His job is better than yours.

by delorean on Jul 1, 2008 8:42 AM PDT reply actions 0 recs

Actually, I think he might be a troll. I looked at his profile and he’s posting this everywhere.

2008 Giants: Scrappy! Scrappy! Joy! Joy!

by Goofus on Jul 1, 2008 8:56 AM PDT up reply actions 0 recs

Wow, you’re absolutely right. That’s very disappointing.

I saw the title of this fanpost, and my first thought was “Oh god, I’m going to be looking at one drunken block of text that is 74 so-called words of content followed by a hundred asinine complaints about writing 75 words.” Then I came in and saw not only paragraphs, but coherency. I was like, “Well, I might not agree, but that’s refreshing… a well thought out fanpost intelligently advocating a controversial opinion.”

Then it turns out that it has absolutely nothing to do with him being interested in this blog or the opinions of its members. And that is again fairly disappointing. I still appreciate the paragraphs and stuff… but meh…

My Dave Righetti is better than your Dave Righetti.

by howtheyscored on Jul 1, 2008 1:12 PM PDT up reply actions 0 recs

Awww shoot. Somehow I didn’t even see the link at the bottom.

TOTAL BS. I TAKE BACK EVERYTHING NICE I SAID.

My Dave Righetti is better than your Dave Righetti.

by howtheyscored on Jul 1, 2008 1:15 PM PDT up reply actions 0 recs

Besides, all the usual reasons listed like “pitchers chould face the music” and “more strategy on when to pull a pitcher” and “you shouldn’t be able to hide sucky fielders”, I like the fact that no DH, means more guys on the bench get in the game as pinch hitters, double switches, etc. It’s cool when a team is rewarded for its depth and/or how it manages its depth through the course of a game.

If the NL had the DH, we’d never get to see wacky stuff like pitchers pinch hitting and Pedro Feliz catching.

2008 Giants: Scrappy! Scrappy! Joy! Joy!

by Goofus on Jul 1, 2008 8:55 AM PDT reply actions 0 recs

I hate the DH

but don’t mind the AL has it at all. With the intermixing of the Umps, there isn’t a lot of difference between the leagues these days. The DH helps provide distinction. If the NL adopts it, however, I would scream until my lungs hurt.

BTW, I don’t mind the wild card but hate interleague play. It sucks that the A’s play as many games against the Giants’ as they do the Royals (to cite one example).

by tyrannoman on Jul 1, 2008 9:00 AM PDT reply actions 0 recs

GET THE ACTUAL FUCK OUT.

Matt Cain: He'll save children, but not the Dodger children.

by jponry on Jul 1, 2008 9:25 AM PDT reply actions 0 recs

This

Trent Kline: Decentish. Also, my website is called ChatterBalks Dot Com and on it I make jokes about things.

by groug on Jul 1, 2008 9:36 AM PDT up reply actions 0 recs

Yeah, I gotta agree.

Hey, look, not that I don’t love the timeliness of this issue, especially since there was a Fanpost on this within the last 2 weeks (I think; and I’m too lazy to look it up). And certainly, I love pretending that there is something interesting in a possible rule change that ABSOLUTELY NOBODY IS DISCUSSING WITHIN MLB LEADERSHIP. I do appreciate having it pointed out that the leagues have different rules, as I had never really considered that before.

But to me, a Fanpost just isn’t worth posting unless it talks about (a) Barry Zito, and what some would describe as “his struggles,” (b) trading for Alex Rios, or© trading Barry Zito for Alex Rios. That’s just me, I guess.

I'm adopting a true Giant and an awe-inspring gamer: tk. "Atta babe."

by Mayor of 311 on Jul 1, 2008 9:39 AM PDT up reply actions 0 recs

While I totally agree with the sentiment, for some reason GET THE ACTUAL FUCK OUT just made me LOL.

by BaronVonCurrentEvents on Jul 1, 2008 9:49 AM PDT up reply actions 0 recs

last time i got the literal fuck out

Sizzler’s salad bar will never be the same

by Giant Voodoo on Jul 1, 2008 9:51 AM PDT up reply actions 0 recs

Now you know why I don’t eat there anymore.

by BaronVonCurrentEvents on Jul 1, 2008 9:58 AM PDT up reply actions 0 recs

The NL needs the DH like this post needs rec's.

What she said ^

Eugeniooooooo!!!!

by FairweatherFan on Jul 1, 2008 9:35 AM PDT reply actions 0 recs

The Dh isn't baseball

Ty Cobb would dissapprove.

by Nellieball on Jul 1, 2008 9:48 AM PDT reply actions 0 recs

Welllllll... let's not set THAT up as the standard

Elsewise, we lose Jackie Robinson, Hank Aaron, Barry Bonds, and several thousand other really talented people since 1947.

I'm adopting a true Giant and an awe-inspring gamer: tk. "Atta babe."

by Mayor of 311 on Jul 1, 2008 9:51 AM PDT up reply actions 0 recs

Was this convoluted crap shilling for a blog or the MLB Extra Innings package?

Oh yes, I’d rather much watch players contemplating in the dugout than actually seeing them play on the field. Riveting.

And why stop with one DH? Why not go the football route and have one team for offense and one team for defense? Think of the camera shots with a whole dugout chock full of players anticipating their next at bats. Then, you could have an entire team of specialists. Think of the TV ratings!

by rightcenterfielder on Jul 1, 2008 9:54 AM PDT reply actions 0 recs

The anticipation of upcoming at bats is the best part!

Matt Cain: He'll save children, but not the Dodger children.

by jponry on Jul 1, 2008 10:01 AM PDT up reply actions 0 recs

OMG WATCH MANNY RAMIREZ LURK ON OUR EXCLUSIVE LURK CAM

by BaronVonCurrentEvents on Jul 1, 2008 10:06 AM PDT up reply actions 0 recs

EXTREME FOX CLOSEUP!!! LOOK AT THOSE DIRTY PORES!!!

by tyrannoman on Jul 1, 2008 10:07 AM PDT up reply actions 0 recs

Brought to you by Clean n Clear!

by BaronVonCurrentEvents on Jul 1, 2008 10:19 AM PDT up reply actions 0 recs

I Took The Risk...

I’m sorry that i clicked on this fellow’s link, because that probably means he gets paid one twenty-fifth of one cent, or whatever sweet deal he obviously has with the notoriously choosy…what was the name of the site again? Anyway, I couldn’t get past the opening paragraph of the article, which was so poorly written I would have thought that Mr. Hank Steinbrenner himself just received a shiny new MacBook and decided to give the inter-web-tube a whirl. In a nutshell (Fun Fact: almond are a fruit!), this guy is fucked in the head.

yeah, well, the whole world stinks, francine -- so get used to it!

by satyricrash on Jul 1, 2008 10:35 AM PDT reply actions 0 recs

Fun fact: bananas are seeds!

I'm adopting a true Giant and an awe-inspring gamer: tk. "Atta babe."

by Mayor of 311 on Jul 1, 2008 10:37 AM PDT up reply actions 0 recs

Fun Strawbery Fact:

Very berry or not? The strawberry is not classified by botanists as a true berry. True berries, such as blueberries and cranberries have seeds inside. The strawberry, however has its dry, yellow “seeds” on the outside (each of which is actually considered a separate fruit).

I just didn’t want to be left out of fruit discussions.

by tyrannoman on Jul 1, 2008 10:49 AM PDT reply actions 0 recs

Fun fact: Vanilla beans come from orchids!

I'm adopting a true Giant and an awe-inspring gamer: tk. "Atta babe."

by Mayor of 311 on Jul 1, 2008 11:00 AM PDT up reply actions 0 recs

If there is one thing that irritates me

it’s when people try to point out inconsistencies between botanical anatomy and kitchen vocabulary.

A TOMATO IS BOTH A FRUIT AND A VEGETABLE! Same goes for all you dumb nuts/beans/legumes/berry categories.

FIRE BRIAN SABEAN

by zenbitz on Jul 1, 2008 1:32 PM PDT up reply actions 0 recs

neither peanuts nor cashews are nuts?

that’s crazy.

Billy Hayes: His job is better than yours.

by delorean on Jul 1, 2008 10:51 AM PDT reply actions 0 recs

And artichokes are thistles!

Which makes sense if you look at them, but it didn’t occur to me until someone mentioned it.

I'm adopting a true Giant and an awe-inspring gamer: tk. "Atta babe."

by Mayor of 311 on Jul 1, 2008 11:01 AM PDT up reply actions 0 recs

Don’t be stupid, it has the word NUT right there in its name!

My Dave Righetti is better than your Dave Righetti.

by howtheyscored on Jul 1, 2008 1:16 PM PDT up reply actions 0 recs

I’m pretty sure it’s also a pea, too.

My Dave Righetti is better than your Dave Righetti.

by howtheyscored on Jul 1, 2008 1:17 PM PDT up reply actions 0 recs

Hot dogs are neither hot nor are they made from dogs!

I'm adopting a true Giant and an awe-inspring gamer: tk. "Atta babe."

by Mayor of 311 on Jul 1, 2008 1:18 PM PDT up reply actions 0 recs

LIAR!

My Dave Righetti is better than your Dave Righetti.

by howtheyscored on Jul 1, 2008 1:56 PM PDT up reply actions 0 recs

Well, by that, good sir, I could claim that you’re a communist because your name ends in “red”.

yeah, well, the whole world stinks, francine -- so get used to it!

by satyricrash on Jul 1, 2008 1:18 PM PDT up reply actions 0 recs

Yeah, but I’m also well sexed because my named ends in “scored,” so I’ll take it.

My Dave Righetti is better than your Dave Righetti.

by howtheyscored on Jul 1, 2008 1:57 PM PDT up reply actions 0 recs

I think you’re badly sexed because your name ends in “theyscored”

They, not you. Ouch.

Also, I apparently enjoy Ug boots?

Trent Kline: Decentish. Also, my website is called ChatterBalks Dot Com and on it I make jokes about things.

by groug on Jul 1, 2008 2:16 PM PDT up reply actions 0 recs

You’ve discovered Howt Heysco Red’s secret.

All-Father Watch: 1.23 ERA, 8 saves, 0.98 WHIP, 37 Ks in 36 2/3 IP

by EliminateMe on Jul 1, 2008 3:20 PM PDT up reply actions 0 recs

Peanuts are legumes.

Adopted brother of the AnVil / GIANTSPACE™ returns!

by SoFa King Mike on Jul 1, 2008 3:09 PM PDT up reply actions 0 recs

Oh, don't do that-- you make a LEG out of U and ME

I'm adopting a true Giant and an awe-inspring gamer: tk. "Atta babe."

by Mayor of 311 on Jul 1, 2008 3:10 PM PDT up reply actions 0 recs

fuck those pansy pitchers

Yes, I do like more homers, etc, but if you can’t play the field, then you’re a glorified pinch hitter. A player shouldn’t be able to go his entire career without a baseball glove and likewise, a pitcher shouldn’t go an entire career without swinging the stick (at least starting pitchers). Ok, Red Sox, make a choice. Good hitting + bad fielding, or mediocre hitting + good fielding, or get a more rounded (not round) player!

Bonds stands alone.

Proud adopted parent of future big league slugger Thomas Neal

by nostocksjustbonds on Jul 1, 2008 10:58 AM PDT reply actions 0 recs

Go Away.

Giants Cove: You'll be a better person for reading

by Chulk on Jul 1, 2008 2:17 PM PDT reply actions 0 recs

A common argument in the Valley

Almond: pronounced AL-mond or A-mond?

I’ll give you a hint: It’s A-mond.

Proud pappa of....STEVE HOLM!!

by UnleashTheGore on Jul 1, 2008 2:55 PM PDT reply actions 0 recs

When I was growing up...

...my parents and grandparents always said “a-mond”, but seemingly no one from my generation every pronounced it like this.

yeah, well, the whole world stinks, francine -- so get used to it!

by satyricrash on Jul 1, 2008 3:18 PM PDT up reply actions 0 recs

From dictionary.com

[ah-muhnd, am-uhnd; spelling pron. al-muhnd]

Apparently, it’s both!

Eugeniooooooo!!!!

by FairweatherFan on Jul 1, 2008 3:23 PM PDT up reply actions 0 recs

what ees thees "dictionary" ?

Actually one of the funnies explanations I’ve heard is that it’s AL-mond when the nut’s on the tree, but when they shake it off, the “L” gets shaken off with it, so off the tree it’s A-mond.

Proud pappa of....STEVE HOLM!!

by UnleashTheGore on Jul 1, 2008 3:36 PM PDT up reply actions 0 recs

I'm not sure which generation you're in

but if you’re in the 20’s and under crowd, keep in mind our generation takes many liberties with pronunciations, many of which I wouldn’t call correct.

Proud pappa of....STEVE HOLM!!

by UnleashTheGore on Jul 1, 2008 3:34 PM PDT up reply actions 0 recs