Do you like the DH rule?

Question

This is mostly for AL fans but if you are a NL fan you can answer too.

Me, I like the DH rule. Why? Because it gives that good defensive but sucky hitting 1st baseman or outfielder you have on your bench a chance to play and your great, clutch hitting but can't handle a ground ball guy can hit for your team.

I like the fact that the NL does not have the DH rule because this is where we see that Pitchers can also hit. Example, CC Sabathia. This guy was hiding in Cleveland and now that he is in Milwaukee he has hit 2 homeruns.

This also goes for our ace Carlos Zambrano. Everyone knows that he can pitch but this guy is hitting .350! Not every pitcher who is as dominant on the mound can be that dominant at the plate as well.

So, do you like the DH rule? Why or why not?

Answer 1

If we had the DH in both leagues it wouldn't take long for a 300lbs 20 game winner.

Answer 2

I don't like the way the DH rule is implemented.  I don't mind the extra offense it brings, and I would much rather see a DH hit than a pitcher, however, the DH takes away from the late inning strategy of the game.

I think that the DH should represent a specific player and not a specific spot in the line up.  For example, the DH represents the starting pitcher, when a pitching change is made, then a DH change must be made as well, and the new DH only represents that new pitcher, or a new position player in a double switch and the pitcher bats but the new position player doesn't.

Answer 3

I do not like the DH rule.  What's wrong with playing real baseball where the 9 players on the field get to bat?

Answer 4

No I don't like it, it just gives washed up guys that can't play a position good anymore to be able to still play in the MLB.

Answer 5

Although I mostly follow AL teams, I'd rather have no DH.

When people like the DH because they don't like an auto -out in most cases, they are unhappy with an incomplete player, one that can't hit.

But on the other hand, they are fine with people that are incomplete because they can't field.

Pitchers in the AL can come in on their counterparts without ever having to worry about being in the batters box against them.

Teams should benefit from having a pitcher that hits well.  It's an added bonus.

Plus, bench players get played a lot more.

It's too easy to be an AL manager compared to an NL manager.

Answer 6

it dosent really give bad hitting to anyone on the field even wihout the dh that could still happen. I grow coustome to it and

when i umpire ll/baberuth/calripken i finally got use to the pitcher hitting lol

Answer 7

I like it.  I like that an AL manager can put a guy with no fielding skills up to bat.  I also like that if a guy was injured and not ready to play the field, the manager can put him in the DH slot to get him some at bats...  For example, Milton Bradley is an outfielder, but because he was coming back from a knee surgery, Ron Washington played him mostly at DH for the first half of the season...

I also love that when my Orioles or Rangers play in an NL park, the pitchers have to hit.  I mean, I think it's fun to watch a pitcher that can throw AND hit... It's just that there aren't too many out there that can.

Answer 8

its good but the good hitting pitchers wouldn't ever hit and a lot of pitchers like hitting in the nl.

Answer 9

Doesn't bother me in the least. Frankly I rather like having two similar but slightly different types of baseball, and it's always amusing seeing how badly it gets up some fans' noses.

That a very few pitchers are decent hitters or even sluggers is not convincing evidence that the DH is simply Wrong. Baseball is a competitive enterprise, not a democracy, so minority populations (here, fair- to good-hitting pitchers) should not dictate policy.

If a pitcher is That Good a hitter, his team would move him to a daily-playing position to capitalize on his offensive contributions. That worked with Ruth in his day but not so often (and obviously not as successfully) since. Pitchers reach the majors -- heck, the professional ranks at any level -- based upon their pitching skills; that's how they get selected. Any hitting prowess is a bonus, not a primary consideration.

Answer 10

i like it. i think the nl should do it too

Answer 11

I like the DH rule. I like the strategy that comes in the NL, but think about it, whenever a pitcher bats in the national league (with the exception of a few) it is seen as either an automatic out or a sacrifice bunt. Why should a team be forced to lose offense once every 9 batters. As a fan of baseball, I'd rather have a guy hitting 9th with at least some skill as opposed to always seeing the #8 batter walked to pitch to someone who is hitting .102 for the year. And when most pitchers get a hit, its surprising, to me the sport of it is taken out when someone who lacks the skill needed for that part of the sport is forced to try and deliver for their team. Most pitcher hits are luck over skill, and that is not what I want in a sport.

And again, I know there are a few pitchers that can hit, but not enough can yet to change my opinion.

Also, I'm not calling for the NL to change it's rules. If it ain't broke, don't fix it. And why do people assume DHs can't field. Most of them can field thier positions pretty well. It's seen on a daily basis that most pitchers are bad hitters, but when inter league comes around, its not like David Ortiz is guaranteed to have an error in each game. In the 7 games he played this season at 1st, Ortiz had 0 errors. (I use Ortiz as an example because he seems to be the definition of a DH and people assume he can't move at all for some reason.)

His totals: 20 errors in 239 Games Played = .989 Fielding % which is not that bad so stop thinking that DHs hurt their team substantially when they play the field.

Answer 12

I liked it ever since that injury to Chien-Ming Wang

Answer 13

It is hard to read all of these comments for the DH.  It was created back in 72 because of a number of problems including low scoring games.  We don't have that problem now in either league, right?

Basically, we are giving these guys a reason to concentrate on one aspect of baseball.  Hitting.  More so, slugging!  These DHs now are so concerned about that, most can bearly run the bases.  What is the point?

I think they should get rid of it all together, and the leagues should be symmetrical.  Too many so-so players are reaching milestones because they can continue their careers as the DH.