Why the National League Should Adopt the DH
The Designated Hitter is Right for Major League Baseball
Memo to baseball purists worldwide: The designated hitter is here to stay, like it or not. And it's time the National League got on board and adopted the DH rule.
For the good of the players, the fans and the game itself, the Senior (Citizen) Circuit must rid itself of those geriatric swingers, standing flat-footed in the batter’s box, eyes half-shut, flailing at the ball as if it were a Sunday piñata. Today’s pitchers have not been properly trained to hit and likely haven’t taken it seriously since high school. And it shows.
Meanwhile, the DH has become a legitimate Major League Baseball occupation. Reggie Jackson, Don Baylor and Carl Yastrzemski played out their illustrious careers with nary an oiled glove. Today, David Ortiz, Jim Thome and Jason Giambi are doing the same.
Here are five reasons why the NL should change its antiquated ways:
- Conformity. Every other baseball league in existence, from the minors and college to high school and on down to Little League, uses the DH. To some, this may not be reason enough for change. But consider this: Many NL pitchers haven’t picked up a bat since their preteen days, and now they’re being asked to do so against major league pitching? It’s no wonder they look a little lost – or frightened – when they step up there.
- Strategy, schmategy. Sure, the NL still employs the double switch on occasion, and as riveting as that little bit of managerial genius is for the fans, it’s nothing more than a backward way of bringing a more productive hitter to the plate in place of a pitcher. A poor man’s DH, if you will.
- A place for aging stars. In addition to the aforementioned AL greats, the DH could have extended the careers of NL legends such as Johnny Bench (retired at 35), Mike Schmidt (retired at 39) Andre Dawson (retired at 41 but saw minimal action in last three seasons) and Dale Murphy (retired at 37). Not to mention, it was no accident starting pitchers Nolan Ryan, Bert Blyleven and Tommy John, all of whom spent the majority of their careers in the AL, were able to stretch their careers into their 40s.
- Specialists abound. In an era of designated pitchers (closers, setup men, middle relievers, spot starters), pinch runners and late-inning defensive replacements, the DH can no longer be frowned upon by so-called traditionalists as compromising the game’s integrity.
- Fan-friendly. Let’s face it, watching Johan Santana or Carlos Zambrano or Jake Peavy try to bunt a runner over from second to third is akin to seeing Franco Harris turn the corner on a sweep, square his shoulders on a defender and then step out of bounds for a 4-yard gain. It’s a nice, little play, but please … Hideki Matsui lacing a run-scoring double to the gap? Now, that’s more like it.
The copyright of the article Why the National League Should Adopt the DH in Baseball is owned by Stephen Ellison. Permission to republish Why the National League Should Adopt the DH in print or online must be granted by the author in writing.
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