Now THERE’s a good reason for the DH. If there’s a way to get Bonds some more at-bats, for Pete’s sake, let’s do it!
I’m assuming that the following was a typo, and you intended to write “If you want to change something…” : If I am mistaken, please notify me, accept my apoology, and take an extension course in syntax ( 
).
I said that, in 1973.
An apoology is what you do when you’ve crapped all over someone else’s idea!
This isn’t 1964. People in AL cities see as many NL players as people in Atlanta or Houston do.
And you seem to have missed the point: the DH extends careers of players WHO SHOULDN’T STILL BE PLAYING. Frank Thomas has no feet and couldn’t be a regular first baseman for a beer-league softball team, but there he is, DHing for Oakland. Jim Thome is in such bad shape, he couldn’t play first base for the Phillies, so they shipped him to Chicago to be a DH when he should have retired.
Look at the guys who have been DHs this year: they’re either defensively suspect (Ortiz, Hafner, Gomes) or old and incapable of playing the field (Thomas, Thome, Javy Lopez.) “Big Papi” may be a tremendous hitter and a nice guy, but he couldn’t catch a beach ball, much less a baseball.
Well, no, of course they don’t. No team plays ALL the teams in the other league.
Why shouldn’t they? No, Frank Thomas can’t play first. It’s still far more entertaining to watch him hit than it is to watch a pitcher hit. What gives your subjective opinion that Thomas should not be playing in the major leagues any weight over, say mine, that they should? (Capital letters don’t quite do it for me.) The rules of the game and the resulting roles are what they are. If someone thinks Thomas has value and he wants to play, he should play.
Wow, you mean that teams shuffle their worst defensive players to DH? Gosh, what a surprise THAT is!
In fact, of all the players you mentioned, every one would be playing anyway if there was no DH, except maybe Thomas. The Red Sox would play Ortiz at first ahead of Youkilis, the Indians would play Hafner at first ahead of Broussand/Garko/etc., Thome would not have gone to Chicago at all, etc. You’d just end up seeing some bad first base being played in addition to some awful hitting.
Thome would not be playing first base for the Phillies over Ryan Howard. Thomas would not have gotten offered a contract after the White Sox let him go. Both guys would have been doing the baseball card show circuit because they can’t play the field. They’re occupying roster spots that could go to younger and more talented players (i.e. anyone who can run.)
Ortiz was the sixth-best first baseman for the Red Sox this year. Eric Hinske played better defense at 1B, and Eric Hinske is no one’s idea of a defensive specialist. Would the Red Sox sacrifice 10 or more errors at 1B to get Ortiz’s bat in the lineup? Probably, but that doesn’t mean they should.
Hafner’s defense was pretty bad his first couple of years, and since then he’s never had more than 100 innings at 1B in a season. I’d be surprised if it’s gotten better with that little time on the field.
I’d rather watch a pitcher hit .115 than an old, defensively inferior extra 1B hit and then get a neck massage while his teammates are actually playing baseball.
A lot of people would go to games to see Bonds. They dont have to love him. He quit rying on the basepaths years ago. Interleage play is limited so you dont get all the players available.Slightyly wounded players can still play dh. They are still eaning their checks.
Artificial turf is an abomination.
Maybe it is full platoon time like NFL. Shuffle in a whole defensive and whole offensive lineup.Nothing but great hitters batting and great fielders fielding.
That’s what I was afraid you were leading up to. That would be a travesty.
<Sigh.>
Might as well go ahead. Baseball lost me entirely when the same people who had a shit fit over Willie Mays shaking people’s hands in a casino allowed the AntiChrist to actually BUY a team.
And it was made worse by the fact that the team was my Dodgers.
No, he’d likely have ended up elsewhere; probably Anaheim, who sure could have used him at first, actually. But you’re nuts if you think nobody would have put him at first somewhere. The guy can still hit, and anyone who can hit like Jim Thome will be tolerated in the field if need be. It’s been that way for a hundred years; even before the DH, atrocious fielders were long a fixture at first base.
Of course they should. You really think David Ortiz is not worth 10 errors more than Eric Hinske? He’s worth FIFTY errors more than Eric Hinske.
The difference between David Ortiz and an average defensive first baseman is maybe ten, fifteen runs. David Ortiz would get you back those runs with his bat by the end of May as compared to the average first baseman. You would have to be totally insane not to play Ortiz at first if DH wasn’t an option.
So watch the National League. That’s what it’s there for.
And, in fact, he did play first base in the 2004 World Series, IIRC.
And was replaced in both Games 3 and 4 in favor of Doug Mientkiewicz for defensive purposes.
Could the Red Sox get by with his spotty defense at first on a full-time basis? They must not think so, or they would use him at first over a converted third baseman (Youkilis.)
If Thome’s hitting is good enough to get him a spot in the lineup no matter how immobile he is at first, why did Chicago acquire him to be a DH? He’s a better hitter than Paul Konerko (.288/.416/.598 vs. .313/…381/.551) so shouldn’t that have gotten him the nod at 1B?
Leading up to nothing. Just tossing out ideas. I love the DH. When I was a kid I used to hate pitchers at bat and I still do.
I watch sport for my amusement. Pitchers batting is not interesting. I am against drug tests. faster fast balls ,longer homeruns is good for me.
Well, there’s your problem. God gave us baseball to play, not to watch. When you have to just watch other people play, it’s punishment. But because God loves us, it’s an enjoyable punishment.
Don’t be asking for too much enjoyment with your punishment. God sees that as “uppity.”
Some people have the frame of mind to appreciate baseball. Some enjoy watching the pitchers and hitters trying to outguess each other.
Some need endless movement to stimulate them. They watch football.Perhaps a nice video game will do. Flashing lights and all.
Games about to start. You get to watch the Tiger pitchers bat. Enjoy.
Well I’ve got to say…the Tiger pitchers didn’t hit much.
Then again, the rest of the team didn’t do so hot either.
Bonderman has batted 16 times. Only struck out 12 times. Should be fun watching him swatting.
Because they needed more offense. Doesn’t that make sense?
Ha ha ha. That’s a great joke!
Oh, wait, you were serious? Well, let’s say you were.
Why would having a better bat necessitate playing Thome at first? Why would you play Thome at first, and Konerko at DH? You are aware, I hope, that hitting ability doesn’t help you in the field? If you have two guys who can play 1B wouldn’t you want the better fielder to play in the field? What could Chicago possibly gain by playing Thome at first, and Konerko at DH?
I was responding to your claim that good hitters would always get in the lineup with no DH, even if they couldn’t play defense well.