That’s probably true, but I will say that fans probably think an infielder diving to make a play at 1B rather than just having the ball fall directly to them is more exciting… so maybe it’ll help in those fashions? There probably a small beneficial effect - teams have been doing it more and more, so they must have some data that shows that maybe they get like 1 run every few weeks or something .
The thing that will most help is lowering or pushing back the pitching mound. But that may require plenty of lead up time so pitchers can get used to it. And it’s going to be a fight I’m sure.
Thanks for that…I’d never heard of the guy. All those strikeouts probably kept him the minors longer, but today it wouldn’t be a hindrance. I wonder how many other players topped 60 homers in a minor-league season.
Getting rid of that “spiciness” is exactly why I prefer the DH. Sure, it adds an element of strategy… but it’s not baseball.
For comparison, suppose that, at the start of every inning, the two pitchers had to play a game of chess, and the offensive team, if they won, got to start with a runner on first. Would that add more strategy to the game? Of course. But I think we can all agree that wouldn’t belong there.
I’ll admit that I’m not a huge fan of the DH, but the non-baseball contortions the NL goes through instead are much worse.
For me, any platooning at all violates the basic concept of a team sport. I believe firmly and unshakably that all (nine)* people who start the game should be the same (nine)* people who end the game. The only exception should be genuine inability to continue playing, such as a serious injury. If that means that players are worn out by the end of the game, then that should be an expected feature of the game play. If that means that pitchers have to “save” their arms to continue playing all season, or practice hitting more seriously than they do now, then that should be an expected part of the game play.
I would rather see a sport in which most players are kind of good at everything, rather than being fantastic at one thing and terrible at another.
*Insert whatever number applies to the sport in question.
At least four. Joe Bauman, Bob Crues, Joe Hauser (twice) and Tony Lazzeri. Hauser and Lazzeri played extended seasons (Lazzeri played 197 games!). Bauman and Crues never made it to the majors. Bauman hit his in the Longhorn League, and Crues in West Texas-New Mexico League, leagues so low the teams seemed to have forgotten to sign pitchers. (Crues also had 254 RBI’s that season.) You can take all those records with an *
I agree. When I was growing up, much of the appeal of baseball was that it was essentially the same game we played as kids where utility is more valuable than specialization.
I don’t get the hate for the shift. I prefer baseball being about strategy rather than just about who is faster or stronger. A duel between managers, pitchers and hitters trying to out think each other rather than just slugging away or trying to throw as fast a fastball as possible, runners using various strategies on the base paths, etc. If a shortstop has better knowledge about his opponents due to studying more video and is thus better able to position himself to get an out, that should be encouraged, not discouraged. Same thing for a hitter. They should be able to change their strategy at the plate based on the circumstances. The more variety there is in the game, the better.
I read it in my local newspaper today. It was apparently one of the outcomes of the recent negotiations/agreement between players and team owners. Can this be true, and if it is, which side wanted it? Does the DHR benefit the players in some way? Does it benefit the owners in some way? Does it benefit the fans in any way? What is this supposed to accomplish? I realize that having the pitcher hit is considered “old school”, but that doesn’t mean it didn’t impact the strategy of playing the game.
I believe the players union has been a proponent of the DH in the NL for a long time, less work for the pitchers and another roster slot. It really bums me out, to be honest.
Part of the game is balancing the talent. Want a great pitcher who is lousy at bat? Or a pitcher who is mediocre at both? Or some other mix? That’s part of the game.
If you think a DH is a good idea then why not extend it and make it so you have a batting team and a fielding team? I bet that would be more exciting.
I just don’t understand why people say there isn’t enough strategy, and then say a strategy should be banned.
I’d also suggest a position player can be designated as an emergency pitcher, but can only be brought in in certain circumstances.
Apparently, however, it is. Pitchers have been bad hitters pretty much since baseball became a truly professional sport. Shortstops have never been that bad at hitting.
Also, the pitcher hitting rewards paying close attention, the strategy later in the game of whether to keep a pitcher in, or pull him before his next at bat. It was all part of the game within the game.
OK, how often do you second guess a manager’s strategy these days? Like "gee, I would have bunted the guy over from first with no out in the 8th! Or “damn good idea to hit and run, that set up a sacrifice for us and we got the run in” You just don’t see many managers make moves anymore, it’s all a bloop and a blast. Part of the fun for me used to be putting myself in the manager’s shoes and ask myself do you start the runner? Do you sacrifice? Pinch hit? You don’t see any of that so much any more. Sure the hitters are doing what they’re taught, I just think they don’t teach the basics anymore. Derek Jeter and Rod Carew would have eaten shifts alive. Now the players don’t learn to go the other way, to choke up and increase the chances of getting on, or to take the extra base. Between the shift and the inability of batters to go against it, we’ve got today’s all or nothing approach to hitting.
Banning the shift will, of course, just encourage more Joey Gallos to pull everything. In no way will it help baseball’s problems with homers and strikeouts.
I’m just saying that if actually playing baseball doesn’t matter, where 9 guys play against 9 guys, why should we have to suffer watching a punch and judy second baseman hit? Or an over the hill catcher who can’t run? I want offense!
Home run derby ball, a definite improvement to the game.
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