To DH or not to DH

Warning only for people who know baseball or the baseball curious:

I can't believe how long this has been percolating in the drafts section With Game 5 being postponed today I saw it as a sign to get this one off.

Here we go again. Every year there is an argument World Series time about people getting the advantage with the DH or without the DH. I don't know anybody that cares about baseball that is ambivalent to this issue. You are on one side or the other.

Baseball until the mid 70's was played one way. If you played the field then you also got your turn at bat until you are removed from the game entirely. The American League ( half of Major League Baseball) decided at the time that their attendance would increase if they had more offense. So they exempted the pitcher from hitting and stuck in a guy who just hit. This guy during the game never handled the ball for any reason. Baseball is 9 guys on defense and those guys hit in a certain order when it's their turn.

Y'all know I am a Cincinnati Reds fan and they play in the National League without a DH. Does not matter. It's all about playing baseball however you want to interpret that. Baseball is fielding, hitting and base running. I just am of the camp that all players should do all those aspects. The DH is just an excuse for players not to work on defence. The DH is an excuse for pitchers not to work on hitting.

The DH sanitizes the game. Baseball is baseball. Warts and all. Give you an example that you basketball junkies can relate to. Would you allow for a rule that somebody else comes in and shoots Shaq's foul shots? Nope, part of the game is you want him accountable. It's like that in baseball even more. Pitchers who hit can be held accountable for their bean balls when it's their turn to bat instead of having another player take it for me. Sorry that's the manly way of doing it.

Since the beginning of baseball the universal rule is the more to the center of the diamond that you are, the more your lack of hitting can be excused. If pitchers are lousy hitters its because it has become a self fulfilling prophecy. Blinded American League junkies love to call the pitcher the designated out. It has just turned that way over time because of the DH rule.

Hitting a baseball is an incredibly hard thing to do. The top hitters in the Major Leagues fail more than 60% of the time. Pitchers are already handicapped since they do not play everyday so of course their hitting skills will be dim most of the time. The DH just legislated against versatility.

Want an argument that the DH is bad?? Because Hank Steinbrenner is for it.

Ed

Bull Durham I Believe

http://www.straightdope.com/columns/read/2467/what-is-the-designated-hitter-rule-in-baseball