Every other player plays defense and offense. Why not just have 9 'fielding specialists' and 9 DH's? Then we wouldn't have to watch any bad hitters.


The pitcher should hit as well. I've hated the DH since it was instituted.

This would make more sense then the current way things are.

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TravC59, aka JacksJags. @TravC59 on Twitter
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; "This is really good, you want a bite, Honey?"

It's a shame when #8 batters are being pitched around with two outs because the near automatic out in the 9 slot. Pretty cheap tactic that doesn't work at other levels because pitchers are usually average hitters.


Josh, youth pitching is heading in the right direction. 15 years ago the rule was that you can't use a pitcher in back to back games and they need at least a day rest if they pitch over an inning (I believe). Now, pitch counts are being enforced and that's a great thing.


The problem is that the elite pitchers are now playing year around or close to it. That is a lot of wear and tear.

Pitchers from HS down can hit. Somewhere along the lines between college/minors/pros the thought is that pitchers should focus solely on pitching. 

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TravC59, aka JacksJags. @TravC59 on Twitter
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; "This is really good, you want a bite, Honey?"

Hope the ump heals up. Interesting situation as no foul tip or ball was called. Miggy having a good time intermingling with Pirates fans. He's been a class act the past few years.

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The Jolly Roger collecting dust.

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Hope the ump heals up. Interesting situation as no foul tip or ball was called. Miggy having a good time intermingling with Pirates fans. He's been a class act the past few years.

What happened to the umpire? Couldn't watch the game. Where did Cabrera's class go?

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TravC59, aka JacksJags. @TravC59 on Twitter
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; "This is really good, you want a bite, Honey?"

Nice start to the year for Justin Upton

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What happened to the umpire? Couldn't watch the game. Where did Cabrera's class go?

 

I have been watching, playing, and/or umping baseball for most of my life. I've never seen what happened last night. Miggy was up with a 3-2 count and quarter-swung at high and inside pitch, but held up. From the only replay FSN Detroit showed, it looked like it hit Miggy's bat and then the umpire's mask. The umpire immediately took off his mask and was attended to for an injured chin/lip. After a minute, the ump gets escorted off the field. The problem is, he never made the call between Ball or Foul Ball. Miggy looked at the nearby Pirate fans and joked with them by putting both hands up and asking if he should go to 1st base.

 

He went to first base, but ended up going back to home plate to wait for the replacement up. For about 10 more minutes he conversed with the Pirate fans behind home plate before the replacement ump (who had been umping 2nd base prior) came out and made the call......ball 4, Miggy to 1st. It was a huge call, as the score was 1-0 in the top of the 9th and Miggy was the lead off batter.

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Nice start to the year for Justin Upton

as usual.  Get ready for about a 3 month slump. 

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The Jolly Roger collecting dust.

It's not getting the use I'd like, that's for sure.

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TravC59, aka JacksJags. @TravC59 on Twitter
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; "This is really good, you want a bite, Honey?"

The DH is an abomination. It disrupts the beautiful part of baseball, its natural balance. Sure, a team can choose to put its best hitter on the field, but if that player is not a good fielder, that's the risk that must be accepted.

 

The DH is a gimmick to attract casual fans.

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If something can corrupt you, you're corrupted already.
- Bob Marley


 

The DH is an abomination. It disrupts the beautiful part of baseball, its natural balance. Sure, a team can choose to put its best hitter on the field, but if that player is not a good fielder, that's the risk that must be accepted.

 

The DH is a gimmick to attract casual fans.

 

Exactly why the AL adopted it in the first place.  Attendance was down...run scoring was down...they wanted a way to bring in fans so they changed the rules.

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Having the pitcher bat, makes almost as much sense as having the punter play a position on offense/defense.

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The DH is an abomination. It disrupts the beautiful part of baseball, its natural balance. Sure, a team can choose to put its best hitter on the field, but if that player is not a good fielder, that's the risk that must be accepted.

 

The DH is a gimmick to attract casual fans.

 

I consider myself a very, very, diehard baseball fan. I've played it, umped it, coached it, and truly love the game. I support the DH rule and so do many other "non-casual" fans. I do see why many people oppose the DH rule, but there are also legitimate reasons why the DH spot is good for the game.

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Pitchers hitting is awful. Their 100% focus inbetween starts should be getting ready for their next one. Them hitting just wastes everybody's time. Let pitchers focus on their craft and hitters on theirs.

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My preference is for no DH because I think there's more strategy to baseball when pitchers bat.  Including the tradeoff factor that rollerjag described when it comes to making lineup decisions.   However,  I understand why many prefer the DH.   

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Having the pitcher bat, makes almost as much sense as having the punter play a position on offense/defense.

That comparison is terrible.

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TravC59, aka JacksJags. @TravC59 on Twitter
;
; "This is really good, you want a bite, Honey?"

I consider myself a very, very, diehard baseball fan. I've played it, umped it, coached it, and truly love the game. I support the DH rule and so do many other "non-casual" fans. I do see why many people oppose the DH rule, but there are also legitimate reasons why the DH spot is good for the game.

There's one. The chance at more offense. The negatives, when it comes to the game itself, outweigh that one positive.

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TravC59, aka JacksJags. @TravC59 on Twitter
;
; "This is really good, you want a bite, Honey?"

Having the pitcher bat, makes almost as much sense as having the punter play a position on offense/defense.

Brilliant analogy.

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There's one. The chance at more offense. The negatives, when it comes to the game itself, outweigh that one positive.

Exactly. There is only ONE reason.


Well...sorry...two. It sure as hell makes an AL manager's job easier since he doesn't have to deal with the same nuances as an NL manager.

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By the way....


Let the Kris Bryant era begin.


Let's see if drafting him early (especially in my money league) pays off.

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