Does Anybody think that the AL should change the DH to letting the pitcher bat?

Question

Isn't a disadvantage to th NL

Answer 1

Definitely yes. Baseball is meant to be a game that, like basketball or soccer, the players play both offense and defense. It is not football, where you have a team that goes out and tries to score and another team that tries to prevent the other team from scoring. The DH rule changes the game completely by allowing the manager to make fewer choices over the course of a game. I prefer the NL game myself - I love to see a manager have to make a decision on whether or not to let a pitcher hit for himself when he is pitching well. I do not feel that he rule gives any disadvantage to the NL however. If an American League team is playing in a National League park (inter-league games or the World Series) it's pitchers hit. However, the National League team, when playing in an American League park, gets to use the DH. I think that actually gives the advantage to the NL teams, because their pitchers, or at least their starting pitchers, have had some at bats.
I don't like the DH rule, and never have, but what is even sillier to me os that the leagues have different rules. To me, that is like the Eastern Conference of the NBA having a 3 point shot and the Western Conference not having one. Now that inter-league play is in effect, I think they need to decide on either having a DH or not. I personaaly would hope they would decide to get rid of it, and return the game back to the way it was for more then 100 years before they put it in effect.

Answer 2

I have never been a fan of the DL. While it may extend the career of some aging veterans, it takes a lot of strategy away from the game. I always enjoy NL games more because in the middle to late innings the manager frequently has to decide whether of not to pinch hit for his pitcher, then whether or not to keep the pinch hitter in the game or put another position player. Lots of variations.

While this sometimes means taking a pitcher out who is doing well but is behind, or tied, the stragegy decisions enhance the game.

Those aging veterans in the NL either have to serve as pinch hitters or play somewhere in the field where the manager thinks he can best hide their shortcomings, or go to the AL.

I think the NL game is much more interesting than the AL game.

I know most pitchers are not good hitters and lots of folks these days want a slugger at bat throughout the order, but I think 8 good hitters is plenty and having the pitchers bat adds an additional dimension to the game, especially in those games where team are upset about being thrown at by the opposing pitcher.

Not all pitdhers are poor hitters either so sometimes you see some interesting things when the pitcher is batting.

Answer 3

The DH rule does not prohibit the pitcher from batting. No team is required to use it.

When an American League team plays a National League team in an NL park, it's the AL that is at a disadvantage because its pitchers aren't used to hitting at all, not to mention the offensive prowess of the DH is no longer available. At the AL park, all the NL team needs to do is put in a bench player to DH.

Answer 4

No. I really like the fact that baseball is the only sport that has a difference in rules. All of the the major sports have the same rules throughout.

The NL has it's tradition and the AL has it's tradition. Besides, why let a guy hit that doesn't take batting practice?

Answer 5

I used to play stratomatic when I was a kid (this was prior to AL adopting DH) with a rule I made up that you got one free pinch hitter for the pitcher at any point you wanted it, that is to say the pitcher could stay in the game so if he came up with a couple men on base in the early innings you could take a shot at driving them in rather than having the rally fizzle out or you could use a pinch hitter in the late innings and still not have to take out someone like a Tom Seaver, again this was in the days when the best pitchers were expected to go 9 innings.

Answer 6

No i dont think that the AL should remove the DH because then the American and national leagues would be too similar and baseball wouldnt sell as much becasue some of the best hitters are DH becasue they cant field so i think they should keep the DH

Answer 7

A baseball team consists of nine players. The nine players on the field should be the same nine who bat. There shouldn't be ten players doing nine players' jobs. The DH was invented to spark up offense to put butts in seats. So why not have the option of nine DHs? You can have nine amazing fielders who can't swing a lick and nine brutes to smack the baseball. It'll be like offense and defense in American football. But then I guess it wouldn't be the sport it's supposed to be. One other thing that gets me is the controversy surrounding DHs being Hall of Fame worthy. If the DH is not absolutely considered a position that is Hall of Fame worthy then it shouldn't be a position.

Answer 8

right now the DH is the only thing separating leagues (outside of All-Star Game dominance lol)


there would be a sequence of events that would start with the removal of the DH

i think the removal of the DH would lead to a league contraction. with only defensively sound players making teams, talent levels would drop and people who can only hit are left out

and since there would be no difference in leagues, you would get rearrangement of divisions

the removal of the DH could possibly lead to the first EAST / WEST Conferences in MLB

Answer 9

I think the AL should get rid of the DH. It started as an experiment. And now it's simply the longest running experiment in sports. I believe it started in 1967

Answer 10

No,I think they should let the NL also have DH