Interesting DH article from SI.com

[Cryomaniac]

SI.com - Writers - The Bonus: Back in '73, the DH made the AL a new ball game - Friday March 21, 2008 12:57PM

What's everyone's opinion? Personally I don't like the DH and never use it in OOTP leagues.

[Zoso1515]

I agree with the next poster.

[His Own Bad Self]

I either use it or don't. None of the "one league uses it, the other doesn't" malarkey.

[rudel.dietrich]

It was a good article until the end
There is no way that the players union would ever agree to dropping the DH
Never ever
Will not happen

[Syd Thrift]

It's really not a big deal to me. I like watching games with the DH and I like watching them without it.

[magnet]

Originally Posted by Syd Thrift

It's really not a big deal to me. I like watching games with the DH and I like watching them without it.

"

But in OOTP solo, I use one or the other, like jdawg.

[Left-handed Badger]

Originally Posted by jdawgsenior

I either use it or don't. None of the "one league uses it, the other doesn't" malarkey.

Amen to that.


Personally always use it. I like it in real life, I get tired of seeing a pitcher humiliate themselves. (Which I suspect is the reason they still do in the NL, everyone hates pitchers. ) I also like the DH, due to personal experience in high school. While I liked to bat. When I was pitching, I was completely uninterested in it. I was the type of pitcher who when my team was batting, I only wanted to rest, and concentrate on the next inning. One thing, I never bought was, "pitchers should bat because they are not involved enough in the game with a DH". Bull####, with apologies to the catcher they are more involved in the game than any other position. When I see Derek Jeter, or Alex Rodriguez take a turn on the mound every 5 days then you can talk.

Course, in OOTP, I havent gone without a DH in both league since OOTP 4. They wouldnt let me use a good hitting pitcher as a PH. So, I said screw it.

[Left-handed Badger]

One other thing I never quite understood. The 14 players in the American League who do nothing but hit argument. Now, think. How many "DHs" in the American League who dont at least play a game here or there in the field at some point in the season. I mean Ortiz even goes out to 1B in most interleague games. It is really only about 4 or 5 per year, usually.

[rudel.dietrich]

Originally Posted by Left-handed Badger

One other thing I never quite understood. The 14 players in the American League who do nothing but hit argument. Now, think. How many "DHs" in the American League who dont at least play a game here or there in the field at some point in the season. I mean Ortiz even goes out to 1B in most interleague games. It is really only about 4 or 5 per year, usually.

It also allows teams to break in young players and gives older players with injury problems chances to play.
I think it far more helps than hurts and helps players in the long run.

That is why it will never go away, the players union would faint at the mere notion. It is too useful to their members and in baseball the players hold a good share of the power.

[CBL-Commish]

Originally Posted by Left-handed Badger

One other thing I never quite understood. The 14 players in the American League who do nothing but hit argument. Now, think. How many "DHs" in the American League who dont at least play a game here or there in the field at some point in the season. I mean Ortiz even goes out to 1B in most interleague games. It is really only about 4 or 5 per year, usually.

Isn't it an abomination to the sport to have field players who never have to pitch? Heck, most of them don't even have to play more than one position all year. This specialization has gone way too far. It crossed the line back 100 years ago when they let teams keep around all these "bench" players who do nothing but sit on their butts 100 games a year.

I say do away with the DH, and enforce 15 man rosters. Everyone has to play almost everywhere at one time or another. That's real baseball.

[Syd Thrift]

What's this 15 man roster BS? Back in the day, teams had 9 man rosters and if you needed a replacement you picked out a fan from the crowd. If you needed to rest your pitcher (which you never did) you moved him to right field and brought the RF in to pitch. That is real, manly baseball.

[Raidergoo]

Originally Posted by Fallschirmjager

That is why it will never go away, the players union would faint at the mere notion. It is too useful to their members and in baseball the players hold a good share of the power.

Bargain with the MLBPA to increase the roster size to 26, adding 30 more union jobs, and see if they become a little more flexible.

[Skipaway]

Originally Posted by Raidergoo

Bargain with the MLBPA to increase the roster size to 26, adding 30 more union jobs, and see if they become a little more flexible.

Why would the owners give them that? It's not like there is an incentive for the owners to get rid of the DH.

[Skipaway]

I really don't see any incentives for the owners to change the status quo. DH isn't a big deal, and the split between NL and AL is great for them to market two leagues as different.

What's good about uniting the rules in either direction for the owners?

[Cryomaniac]

Originally Posted by Syd Thrift

What's this 15 man roster BS? Back in the day, teams had 9 man rosters and if you needed a replacement you picked out a fan from the crowd. If you needed to rest your pitcher (which you never did) you moved him to right field and brought the RF in to pitch. That is real, manly baseball.

I'd be all for that, but then, I'm a sadistic puppy

Originally Posted by Raidergoo

Bargain with the MLBPA to increase the roster size to 26, adding 30 more union jobs, and see if they become a little more flexible.

That would be interesting.

[ctorg]

I don't mind having it different in the two leagues, really. I'm a not a fan of the DH, but I'm not very passionately against it. I basically feel like if you're going to have a DH for the pitcher, you might as well go with separate offensive and defensive teams, effectively having a DH for every position. I like seeing managers squirm over whether to remove the pitcher who is pitching well but is coming up to bat in a tight game. But it's fun to watch an occasional DH game, too.