How do you feel about designated hitters.

[Deggy]

With inter-league play this week and after watching SportsCenter and seeing that one of the Yankees ace pitchers injured himself running the bases and now is out til Sept and the manager made the comment to the press and it went something like this. "The NL should enter the 21st century and use designated hitters, pitchers shouldn't be out there running the bases and risking getting injured."

That statement kind of got to me, if anything I think the AL should enter the 21st century and stop using designated hitters, why should pitchers get any special privileges when it comes to batting. I was so happy when the Brewers left the AL and moved to the NL. To me the designated hitter is the dumbest thing, pitchers should have to play just like everyone else. I mean pitchers don't even play everyday, why can't they swing the bat from time to time. Their are some decent batting pitchers in the NL, I think it was dumb of the Yanks manager to make such a ignorant comment. What does everyone else think?

[Car Guy]

Being just a casual baseball fan I'm not sure exactly how it works when it comes to inter-league play.....

Are the rules determined by what field the game is being played at...???

[Deggy]

Yes, if it is an AL field, they NL team plays by AL rules...and vice versa.

[Car Guy]

Yes, if it is an AL field, they NL team plays by AL rules...and vice versa.

Gotcha.....

I personally don't see a problem with having the pitchers bat but I can see where some would have an issue. It's somewhat similar to having a QB play defense every down, granted football is a contact sport but pitchers are the ones leading the team so they tend to get 'special' treatment.....

[Korndogg]

Pitchers need to quit being pussies.

[DirtyMax]

I guess I'm indifferent to which way it should be but it should be consistent one way or the other.

I will say though that NL pitchers tend to get screwed when it comes to certain stats... (i.e. they're likely to get pulled earlier in a game in a pinch-hitting situation and sacrifice some key stats because of it). That can mean alot financially.

Plus alot of times, when a dominant AL pitcher goes to the NL, he sucks. Case in point... Zito.

[Car Guy]

I guess I'm indifferent to which way it should be but it should be consistent one way or the other.

I will say though that NL pitchers tend to get screwed when it comes to certain stats... (i.e. they're likely to get pulled earlier in a game in a pinch-hitting situation and sacrifice some key stats because of it). That can mean alot financially.

Plus alot of times, when a dominant AL pitcher goes to the NL, he sucks. Case in point... Zito.

Very good point, either way I think it should be the same for both just so it's a fair playing field.....

[Karps TA]

I think they should just dump interleague play #1. Besides Chicago, New York and maybe LA it doesn't mean jack squat to the rest of the league.

DH is gay. It's around so old out of shape guys who can't play the position anymore can still be on the team.

[CobaltSSTuner]

IDK, i voted that the AL should just have it like the NL, but idk, i can see the reason as to why pitchers dont bat....usually because most of them suck. I do think tho that the rules should be the same for every team and player, so I guess i'm on the fence about it.

[theavenger333]

it will always be an arguement, i'm a baseball purist, in which case, EVERYONE plays, EVERYONE hits. i don't like DHs. when i pitched, and do pitch in hardball still, i do like having a DH for me, i can focus on pitching. but these guys are paid to play the game. if you got a guy such as Edgar Martinez, one of the best hitters to ever play baseball, who can't field for SHYT, you have a give and take, great hitting, so-so defense. Travis Hafner, same thing. Jason Giambi is an average defender. without the DH we would not see hitters like that play as much. overall, i believe everything is give and take unless you have a 4-5 tool player. some are lesser on Defense, some are lesser hitting. my vote is NO DH, but it'll always be debated. Wang (hehe, i said wang) should run more often on the bases, there's no damn way he forgot how since little league

[Deggy]

I agree, I mean there are players who can swing the hell out of the bat and knock the ball out of the park, but can't do shit for defense but they still play both sides of the ball. I mean take JJ Hardy for example, AMAZING infielder, horrible batter, does he get a DH? No! Why should pitchers get one?

[RanJer]

I don't think it really matters which league changes, but I think both leagues should be the same way. Either they both have DHs or both don't use them. With having watched minor league baseball for 3-4 summers and watching the pitcher or the East Troy Express knock the shit out of the ball every time, I kind of think pitchers should be hitting just like the other players on the team. They shouldn't be treated "special" because they throw they ball at batters.

[nismodave]

1.01 Baseball is a game between NINE players each, under direction of a manager........

[spindler27]

I don't think it really matters which league changes, but I think both leagues should be the same way. Either they both have DHs or both don't use them. With having watched minor league baseball for 3-4 summers and watching the pitcher or the East Troy Express knock the shit out of the ball every time, I kind of think pitchers should be hitting just like the other players on the team. They shouldn't be treated "special" because they throw they ball at batters.

x2, it needs to be the same, if they go to both having a DH then obviously the average BA in the NL will go up as well as ERA's, and the opposite would happen in the AL if they were to ditch the DH