January 25th, 2016 at 6:00 am 
by Ron Cervenka * * * UPDATE * * *
January 25, 2016 at 9:30 am PT
(Click on image to access article)
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On Saturday, ThinkBlueLA conducted a poll asking its readers if the National League should adopt the designated hitter rule. And even though the poll has only been up for (about) 48 hours, the results are rather overwhelming. Of the (nearly) 100 votes cast thus far, almost 80 percent of them are opposed to bringing the DH to the National League.
Now granted, the sample size of the poll is relatively small and we’re dealing with a very NL-biased audience, but it’s probably safe to say that this is a fair representation of what many baseball fans feel about the DH coming to the NL. And while there is some evidence that NL team owners are softening their once hardline stance opposing the DH in the NL, it’s probably also safe to say that more than half of them still do not want the DH in their league.
Although many old-school baseball traditionalists still believe that the NL has stayed away from the DH rule because it is yet another attack on the purity of our 147-year-old national pastime, the simple truth is that NL team owners are terrified of losing their insanely paid top-tier starting pitchers to injury while batting or running the bases than traditional loyalty.
So is there an alternative to bringing the DL to the senior league that will appease owners, players and fans? Perhaps; but it’s something that definitely will not sit well with MLB commissioner Rob Manfred – completely eliminating interleague play. By doing so, NL teams can continue to play the game as it was intended (without a designated hitter), and AL teams can continue to play their variation of the game amongst themselves through the entire regular season and through the first two rounds of the playoffs.
There is zero chance that MLB commissioner Rob Manfred would ever do away with interleague play.
(Photo credit – Lynne Sladky)
Realistically, eliminating interleague play is never going to happen – at least not anytime soon – and for one very simple reason – MONEY. Although most interleague games tend to be yawners, games between the Yankees and Mets, White Sox and Cubs, Royals and Cardinals, Giants and A’s (okay… maybe not so much) and Dodgers and Angels usually draw sellout crowds, hence that money thing. And let’s be honest here, who doesn’t love seeing the Dodgers play the Yankees or the Red Sox every three years – especially at Yankee Stadium and Fenway Park?
It doesn’t matter where the Dodgers play, you will always find Dodger fans there – even at Fenway Park in Boston. (Photo credit – Ron Cervenka)
As silly as it may sound, chances are that most National League fans would rather see the elimination of interleague play than adopting the designated hitter rule into the National League.
…at least almost 80% of them probably do.
Posted in 
Come on now… ILP is one of the best and least invasive (?) changes MLB has made. It’s always cool to see how we do against the AL kids. I’m contemplating grabbing the little lady and flying to NY and seeing the Mets and Shea (see how bad the planes overhead are)… Of course there are the delis!!!
P.S. if we did adopt the DH, Agon would become my favorite surpassing Seattle’s Edgar Martinez… Why not??? Always in shape and can rake.
Pete – funny you mention the Mets series as I had the same conversation with my missus yesterday about a long weekend in the Big Apple. I took her to Chavez Ravine and she loved it, but she knows that if I’m in NY & the Dodgers are playing then I will be going. The question is, can I afford for her to do a least 2 days shopping?
Leave the NL as it is. Add a team to each league to balance them out then restrict ILP to a one week period , 6 games against one opponent in a home and home series. Maybe in lieu of the ASG.
Here’s another example of getting use to things after time. I’m in favor of leaving things just the way they are. Enough with the changes.
It looks to me, with a few exceptions, NL pitchers are begging for the DH. These guys as a whole don’t appear to interested in improving. Most can’t even bunt. The stats are clear, pitchers are getting worse at hitting every year. Enough already. Take the bat out of their hands and give it to somebody who knows what to do with it.
I don’t like watching pitchers hit. It is the one position that allows a defensive player who can’t hit a lick to be on a MLB team and then doesn’t allow him to take pre-game batting practice on games he doesn’t start, if then, and only gets about 2 at bats every 5 days.
Here is my compromise: Only allow a DH for the first 6 innings and thereafter the pitcher hits in the DH spot.
Relievers will continue to be pinch hit for and the manager would still have to decide if he wants to leave a starter in the game when that decision is at the most critical part of the game.
An interesting strategy that would be added to this idea is where to hit the DH. He gets more opportunities to hit in the first 6 innings if he is in the front of the lineup but the pitcher will be hitting in the front of the lineup, or pinch hit for, beginning in the 7th.
Also,whomever is used as the DH is not available to pinch hit. That player might normally be the player a team might most like to pinch hit in the late innings.
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January 25, 2016 at 9:30 am PT
I’m for playing the game in it’s purest form, and that’s with pitchers hitting. Sure there are some ugly swings out there from them, but that’s on a lazy pitcher that often doesn’t attempt to hone his craft from the offensive side of things. A few off-seasons ago, Kershaw hit the batting cage with fervor, telling the press corps that he expected to win a few games with his bat. (and he actually did, first game of the season he homered to beat the Giants).
Sorry, but there’s just so much more strategy in the game with the NL pitchers hitting. From brush backs to double switches, plotting out your pinch hitters to strategizing the use of the bullpen. It makes the game more honest. It exposes weaker 25 man rosters and weaker and defficient managers. It forces teams to carry quality depth in bullpens and benches.
Not everything about the game that makes it exciting is offense and power. I’m intrigued by baseball nuances, strategy and chess piece moves three or four batters ahead. The DH reduces the intelligence angle of the game with brute strength. Sure, that can be popular with those who have short attention spans or who long for 9-8 slugfests night after night. If you prefer that, then I say, go follow an American League team.
I like this comment. Kudos to you Evan.
Getting rid of interleague play and going back to a 154 game schedule so that we could wrap the World Series up by Thanksgiving would be wonderful. If pitchers don’t want to hit, trade them to the AL. I’d rather see the Cardinals or Mets than Seattle or Texas any day.
In all other major sports (i.e., NBA, NFL, NHL), the rules are the same in both leagues. Baseball is not like that. What difference does it make? While baseball seems to be at it’s peak, I believe that the “baby boomer” generation has been largely responsible for it’s current success. Each successive generation is less interested in baseball to the point that many in my son’s generation (15-20 years old) really have little interest in the game due to slowness and lack of activity. I am in favor of a pitch clock and expanding the DH, not just to the NL, but to allow two DH’s per team. One hits for the pitcher and another one can hit up to 3 or 4 times a game without the player he hits for having to come out of the game. It keeps older stars in the game longer and adds excitement!
Now there’s a new wrinkle I never considered – two DH’s. That would definitely add to the longevity of aging veterans.
PS: GREAT to hear from you Mark!
Good to hear from you Mark – thanks for the good times st LADT.
Hope there is no ill feelings in the way it ended?
Hey Mark, Welcome! Throw in a couple of courtesy runners for your two DHs and a rover in the outfield while you’re at it. Please don’t take offense, but that’s not baseball, that’s my Wednesday night slowpitch softball league. If that is what it takes to make 15-20 year olds interested in the game, then the sport is doomed and it can die along with me. But sadly, you may be right. The attention spans of millenials is mighty short and they need such things to keep them interested. I don’t like it, but it is the way of the world today.
You forgot the 2-1 count when you step to the plate. Now THAT’S pace of play!
Come on Ron, let’s get it right. You start with a 1-1 count when you step in the box.
Are we getting to the point that we should have a defense team and an offense team, like football? God, I hope not but nothing would surprise me at this point. Soon the Grand Old Game will just be referred to as the Grand Game. Stop the madness, get rid of the DH in the AL.
I don’t want the DH in the National league, and Baseball Essential has a good article about the DH last week. The writter made a good point, that there have not been to many DHs in baseball, that really were great DHs. And in this article, the writter was only able to name 7 players, that have been really good DHs, since American League baseball adopted the DH in there league. There have been even fewer older players, that have prolonged there careers at the DH, that were really good DHs. And there have been almost as many pitchers, that have been good hitters, as players, that prolonged there career being a DH, and have been good DHs. The fact that there has not been many good DHs in baseball, shows that the DH position was not really the way baseball was meant to be played, and not every team in the American League has a everyday player at DH, so a fan doesn’t always see a great hitter instead of a pitcher. And there is to much specialization in sports today, especially with young kids, why bring this specialization to the National league? Let kids continue to see how baseball was really meant to be played, in the National league.
I don’t know what happened but my draft went through and disappeared. I read an article in Baseball Essentials last week, and the writter made good points. He was only able to find 7 DHs, that have been really good DHs, since the American League adopted the DH, into there league. And there were even fewer former players, who prolonged there career, by being a DH, that were really good DHs. The writter was able to name as many pitchers, that were good hitters, as players, who prolonged there career by being DHs, that were actually good DHs, so the DH has not been as sucessful as one might think. And every team in the Anerican league doesn’t have a everyday DH, so fans are not always seeing a geat hitter at DH, instead of a pitcher. The fact that there have not been many great DHs in baseball, shows that baseball wasn’t suppose to be played this way. There is to much specialzation in sports today, especially with young kids. Why bring this specialization to the Nationaly league? Keep the DH out of the National league, so kids can see just how baseball was really meant to be played.
The AL fans love the DH. The MLB Players Union loves the DH. The DH is used in the lower minor leagues, and among AL affiliates. The DH is here to stay. Many believe it’s time to unify this rule. I don’t really care what they decide, but it does irritate me to see so many wasted at bats by professionals who clearly don’t give a rat’s ass.
The way I see it a good manager would somehow convince his indifferent pitching staff that it would be in their best interest to spend some time in the cage. I doubt even the good managers have a lot of leverage with pitchers.
I say put a cage around the field and have a Tina Turner in a Mad Max era costume announce the lineups before the game in a chariot.
Managers don’t have any leverage with players until they meet with their agents.
Ah, the DH —
It will NOT go away. Face it. It is here.
The rules of baseball should be the same, in the minors, and in the majors.
Just waiting’ for a pitcher to have a physical injury just running the bases. They usually are not thinking that part of the game. They are a pitcher.
Keep the game traditional, some say. OK
OK — then back to 154 schedule.
Back to smaller gloves. Here is a Stan Musial glove:
Stan Musial Glove
Back to letting the fielders leave their gloves on the field when they come up to bat, that is how it used to be.
See, it depends what one means by traditional . . .
I don’t want the NL to change to DH – ever. With pitchers hitting, it provides a finesse to the game. I’m for NL managers making more money – they have more “thinking” to do 🙂 Also for going back to a 154 game season (screw the money) and lets finish baseball before snow.
Another thought which I know can’t be done BUT I’d like to see the WS played in one stadium (either a warm weather city or domed stadium). That would get rid of the 2-3-2 games and travel time – they could still have a 1-day break. This would not be good for us fans but still an interesting idea.
Count me as being opposed to the DH. What was so exciting about watching Reggie Jackson strike out time after time while he was the DH for the Angels?
Hey thanks for picking up the guys from LADT! Mark I already miss your posts… I hope you’re alright!
I don’t care for the DH, simply because it takes away some of the strategy… baseball, like golf, is more than just an athletic contest. At times its like a chess match and allows the fans to think along with the managers and players. I love a pitchers dual, the clutch hit, the walk off homer! The funny thing is that as a young man I loved football over baseball, then it was hockey over football. Now Dodger baseball rules! Mostly because the Rams moved and I was mad at the NFL for allowing it. Now their back, but I still can’t wait for spring training! Let’s go Blue!
Great to see Mark back in the game.
Now, regarding the DH, I like the current format. Home team rules. Sometime the trade/change you don’t make ends up well.
I vote for the status quo. Nothing better than to see the pitcher make the big hit or have the pitchers spot escape valve.
I’d rather see the electronic calling of balls and strikes before a universal DH. The variability of the home plate umpire is a bigger issue to solve in my mind.
2 DHs? If I remember, another thing fans and teams were worried about when the DH was first purposed was adding more DHs, like a DH for the SS or any other weak hitter in the lineup besides the one for the pitcher.
I would think that this fear is gone. I hope.
Unify baseball. End the DH divide. Restore the integrity of baseball’s championship, while respecting both AL & NL fans’ priorities in a win-win rule.
Come visit!
http://www.facebook.com/UnifyBaseball