Looks like copyright restrictions got to it.
I hate it when they do that.
Yet Another Debate Thread! The Designated Hitter…
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That is right. I am about to ask you the greatest debate question of all time.
Should professional baseball have a designated hitter? Why or why not?
I’ll chime in with my argument soon.
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Meaning if a baseball player is on steroids you can have someone not on steroids hit the ball for him? :|
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Why not? Baseball is 90 seconds of rock’em sock’em action packed into 9 hours of watching the dandelions grow…. :)
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Wow, I could go either way on this. It’s just a game, afterall.
Pro:
Pitching is very strenous, would keep pitchers healthier and more able for their most important job.
Makes for awesome replays when pitchers knock a homer.
The DH could potentially hit for multiple pitchers.
Designated runner is legit, as well as subbing someone at any position at any time (I think).
There are obviously more hitters than pitchers, so make use of that (kinda links back into the first point).Cons:
No other position has a designated hitter without an entire sub-in.
There is difference in the AL & NL on approach to the DH, so interleague games create slight confusion (unless that’s changed).
It’s a sport, if you are fit to pitch, you are fit to hit.Anyway, much of this could be completely wrong cause I haven’t followed baseball very much lately - became quite disconcerted in sports with a lot of people’s attitudes…
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Definitely not! Forces the players to gain all around skills; plus that is why they get several million dollar contracts!
GG
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i only see a point for a dh if a pitchers arm is already sore and tired and he doesnt want to injure it swinging. That could be panzy talk though. Maybe just make them tough it out, but they are making some cash and to get hurt batting would piss a pitcher off.
My decision– no DH. I like to see pitchers try to hit a ball.
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Against.
Everyone should hit. You take away from the pitchers who learn bunting. You lose the strategy of dealing with the weak part of the lineup if the game is close i.e. a pitcher is throwing good do you yank him for a hitter or give up the out and look for the runs from somewhere else?
Also for what they get paid some hitting should be part of your job. No one has problems adding duties I’m not that great at to my job and I make a lot less. No reason a pitcher shouldn’t have time to work on his bunting at least.
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All right. It’s time for me to chime in here.
My case is to eliminate the DH. My points:
1. Affect on the Roster
a. By eliminating the DH, you place 6 men on a MLB bench instead of 5. This is a good thing because the team no longer has to pay 9 everyday players, lowering player costs significantly. An everyday player costs more than a bench player. It also opens up space for more specialized bench players - 3rd catchers, glove men, or speed demons who lack in other aspects of the game.
b. It forces the manager to actually use that bench. Without a DH, AL teams barely need to pinch hit or pinch run.
c. Using more specialized players and the entire bench leads to a more strategic game. Too many AL managers are absolutely terrible at managing significant aspects of the game, and this gives the advantage to the team with the more crafty manager.2. Fairness
a. When playing against each other in NL parks, the National League gains a big strategic advantage over the American League. American League pitchers don’t know how to hit, bunt, or run like the NL pitchers do.
b. In addition, American League pitchers risk injury much moreso than their NL counterparts, because they are performing actions that they are unused to. Do you really want to see your ace sliding into 2nd base in the 1st game of the World Series?
c. In terms of the designated hitter himself, not having to field gives him a huge advantage over his peer hitters. Guys like Frank Thomas, David Ortiz, and Travis Hafner can pile on the muscle without needing to worry about general agility. Similar players of size who have to play the field every day (Example, Jason Giambi, Richie Sexson) are constantly troubled by nagging injuries due to size.
d. The balance of power. The mound was lowered. The brush back pitch was taken away. Newer, lighter bats with huge sweet spots were introduced. The balance of power has shifted too much away from pitchers, resulting in more offense than at any time in baseball. Eliminating the designated hitter will shift that balance back toward pitchers. It won’t solve anything, but it will make their job much easier.3. History
a. Baseball is a game of history. Moreso than any other sport, baseball fans see their record books as sacred. Look at the controversy surrounding steroids allegations for Bonds. The Designated hitter is a departure from the times of Maris, Mantle, DiMaggio, Williams, and Ruth. It completely changes the record books. Look at a guy like Frank Thomas. He is putting up numbers for the ages, but could not do so with his size if he wasn’t a DH for 15 years.
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