The end of baseball as we know it is upon us... or as suggested about time?

[Mudisfun]

Just read an article in which the commissioner of baseball has stated that they are seriously looking at bringing the DH to the National League starting in 2018. Say goodbye to the game as we know it if this occurs. I personally love the NL over the AL and I grew up as an Angels fan... but I just cannot buy in to professional players who cannot get up in their slot in the lineup to play their 1/2 of the game. 

http://sports.yahoo.com/blogs/mlb-big-league-stew/the-national-league-is-getting-closer-to-adding-dhs--maybe-in-2017-194448854.html

 

Edited January 22, 2016 by Mudisfun

[scrounge]

Alternative title: ABOUT F@#$%% TIME...

I will admit that there is a certain romance to taking out a good starter in the 5th simply because his sure-out is coming up and starting the parade of mediocre relievers and barely-able to hit pinch hitters, but.....keep it.

End of baseball as we know it? With the DH already in place at virtually every other level except MLB? A wee bit overdramatic IMO.

[noumpere]

Should allow the DH for every position.  Have 9 in the field and (potentially) a different 9 to bat. (some, of course, would play both.)

 

Once you leave the game on O or on D, you can't return on that side for the rest of the game. (You could leave on O and enter or stay in on D)

 

Take the NCAA P/DH rule and apply it to all positions.

[umpstu]

Yea, because watching a pitcher flail around in the batter's box is so exciting.  Chicks dig the long ball.  And how long are the baseball writers going to punish the dh in the HOF voting?  Not the DH's fault the game changed.  I mean Trevor Hoffman didn't get in this year?  Not his fault that managers changed the way they use starters and closers. 

[DVA7130]

Noooooooooooooooooooooooo for F*#K's sake

[Richvee]

  I mean Trevor Hoffman didn't get in this year?  Not his fault that managers changed the way they use starters and closers. 

Mostly due to his mediocre post season performances. And that doesn't include his meltdown in the tiebreaker game against the Rockies in '07 , or his 3 out of 6 poor all star showings.

[Cav]

Sooner or later, all our games turn into Calvinball. - Calvin

[Rich Ives]

Baseball as we know it today includes a DH or EH or both just about everywhere except LL Juniors, majors, and Intermediate. Below that they require CBO so it doesn't matter there.

 

[maineump]

The DH rule is adding to the careers of good hitters, that can no longer play in the field every day. But the NL also has specialists that are pinch-hitters. As far as pitching goes, there are specialists for every situation in both leagues, so that doesn't really matter.

I think the only thing I still see is the pitchers generally do not throw at hitters in the NL, because they will be coming to bat. Seems to be more warnings for throwing at hitters in the AL.

Over-all, I like NL ball better (and I live in Red Sox Nation), as it requires more thought to manage and seems to have more strategy to the games.

The game has changed over the years, the pitching is better, the offense is generally at a disadvantage to some of these pitchers because of it - so they need to go back to the small ball IMO. That doesn't fill the seats, as they said the HR hitters fill the seats.

[zm1283]

On 1/24/2016 at 10:53 AM, maineump said:

The DH rule is adding to the careers of good hitters, that can no longer play in the field every day. But the NL also has specialists that are pinch-hitters. As far as pitching goes, there are specialists for every situation in both leagues, so that doesn't really matter.

I think the only thing I still see is the pitchers generally do not throw at hitters in the NL, because they will be coming to bat. Seems to be more warnings for throwing at hitters in the AL.

Over-all, I like NL ball better (and I live in Red Sox Nation), as it requires more thought to manage and seems to have more strategy to the games.

The game has changed over the years, the pitching is better, the offense is generally at a disadvantage to some of these pitchers because of it - so they need to go back to the small ball IMO. That doesn't fill the seats, as they said the HR hitters fill the seats.

I think the big things are that the strike zone is enforced more consistently (lower strike called), the pitching is better, and the game is relatively clean compared to 15 years ago. Those things are all leading to less offense. 

As a fan of an NL team, I don't mind the DH. I get sick of watching the pitcher's spot come up and have an automatic out every time. 

[ricka56]

But its not an automatic out. It is exciting when F1 at bat does something to help his team on offense. On the other hand, the defense expects this to get this out. Some think it is boring when they get that out, but that was the beauty of baseball...the strategy applied by both sides when F1 came to the plate. Not to mention, that if F1 has "misbehaved" while on the mound, he has to stand up their himself and face the music (also exciting).

[LMSANS]

It is always interesting in a close game and the manager has to decide whether or not to use a PH for a pitcher having a great game or not.  

 

Then again I haven't watched a NL game in years so I'm just working off memory.  It does make great fodder for the talk radio mouths.

[basejester]

If in 2016, Donald Trump is elected and the National League adopts the Designated Hitter, I'll move to Canada and become a hockey fan.

 

[Richvee]

3 hours ago, basejester said:

If in 2016, Donald Trump is elected and the National League adopts the Designated Hitter, I'll move to Canada and become a hockey fan.

 

See ya

[Lindsay]

19 hours ago, basejester said:

If in 2016, Donald Trump is elected and the National League adopts the Designated Hitter, I'll move to Canada and become a hockey fan.

 

Or you could just move to Anaheim and become a hockey fan right now. Not that I'm trying to recruit or anything...

[Jimurray]

How about this? The home team of either league decides if they will use th DH rule in their home game. Might be interesting.

[Welpe]

I don't think it will be the end of the world, but as an NL fan, I will be disappointed to see the pitcher no longer batting. I rather enjoy seeing the chess match involved with the pitcher position batting. And having an occasional pitcher that can actually hit is a treat too.

[ZebraStripes]

On 1/22/2016 at 1:55 PM, umpstu said:

Yea, because watching a pitcher flail around in the batter's box is so exciting.  Chicks dig the long ball.  And how long are the baseball writers going to punish the dh in the HOF voting?  Not the DH's fault the game changed.  I mean Trevor Hoffman didn't get in this year?  Not his fault that managers changed the way they use starters and closers. 

Not the DHs fault the game changed, but it is their fault that they can't field to save their life.  

[scrounge]

1 hour ago, ZebraStripes said:

Not the DHs fault the game changed, but it is their fault that they can't field to save their life.  

Vs the parade of mediocre NL pinch-hitters who can't really field OR hit much - but they can barely hit better than a pitcher? Keep it.

[ZebraStripes]

27 minutes ago, scrounge said:

Vs the parade of mediocre NL pinch-hitters who can't really field OR hit much - but they can barely hit better than a pitcher? Keep it.

yes, keep it.  The DH was supposed to be a 2 year thing.  Time for it to go away.

[UmpJeff]

On ‎1‎/‎31‎/‎2016 at 7:00 PM, basejester said:

If in 2016, Donald Trump is elected and the National League adopts the Designated Hitter, I'll move to Canada and become a hockey fan.

 

Why aren't you a hockey fan now?  In my book, there are only two seasons...Baseball and Hockey.

[basejester]

4 hours ago, UmpJeff said:

Why aren't you a hockey fan now?  In my book, there are only two seasons...Baseball and Hockey.

Serious answer?  I am repulsed by hockey's cavalier attitude toward violence.

[ricka56]

3 hours ago, basejester said:

Serious answer?  I am repulsed by hockey's cavalier attitude toward violence.

Hockey has athletes moving faster than in any other sport...bar none and checking (hitting) is allowed (revered actually). When you have these two aspects, violence is a given (even without fighting). And when the sports étiquette is violated, the participants have their way of "dealing" with it. Lots of people don't "get" baseball...lots of people don't "get" hockey. I loved playing hockey when I was young and it is the most exciting spectator sport there is...bar none. 

[UmpJeff]

17 hours ago, basejester said:

Serious answer?  I am repulsed by hockey's cavalier attitude toward violence.

So, I can infer you're not a fan of American football, either. 

[basejester]

20 minutes ago, UmpJeff said:

So, I can infer you're not a fan of American football, either. 

I'm not.  I am going to draw a distinction, though.  The game of football is violent.  The game of hockey is violent.  OK.  But in hockey, we routinely have fist fights, which are tolerated and really encouraged.  Routinely. 

My son took an interest in hockey.  We attended some games as spectators.  I don't want to teach him that if you are frustrated in a game it's normal to punch people.

I trust that there are well-disciplined youth programs.  I just haven't seen it.