View Poll Results: Thoughts on the Designated Hitter

Voters
9. You may not vote on this poll
  • Abolish the designated hitter.

    2 22.22%
  • Leave it the way it is: National League no DH, American League has DH.

    5 55.56%
  • Implement designated hitter in both National and American Leagues.

    2 22.22%
Results 1 to 22 of 22

Thread: Thoughts on the Designated Hitter

  1. #1

    Thoughts on the Designated Hitter

    This is a very polarizing issue. What I have noticed in real life it comes down to what the persons favorite team is, well most of the time. If their favorite team is in the National League they dislike the DH, but if their favorite team is in the American League they support the DH.

    Weak arguments I hear for the DH are: pitchers suck at hitting or I want more offense, blah, blah, blah. Better arguments are that so much money is invested on pitchers and you don't want them getting hurt sliding into second bases or you would be giving 15 more position players a way to extend their career.

    I'm against the DH in the National League. I'm biased I grew up watching the Cubs and Braves on WGN and TBS. National League baseball is all I know. I like to see pitchers hitting. Also MLB pitchers make more money in a couple of years than most of us make in a lifetime. There is no excuse to no be an all round baseball player. They have access to the best of everything. They have the money to have a batting cage at their house.

    At the end of the day what I think doesn't matter because in 2022 the DH is coming to the NL for good. Yeah I know the NL had the DH in 2020 because of the shortened season. Next year 2021 will be the last time the NL will have pitchers hitting.

    I voted to leave the DH the way is is because I could care less what some AL team does.

    I'm interested what people on this forum think and their reasoning.

    I would like to a in-depth study on people's opinion of the DH. I'm sure once the results were analyzed and tabulated it would show that people against the DH were racist, homophobic, Trump supporters, who were at risk for higher risk of mental illness, heart disease, and erectile dysfunction.



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  3. #2
    I'm an American League guy ( A's fan ) . So I like it the way it is . Watching pitchers hit in modern times is like listening to troll commies on the net.

  4. #3
    I think it should be left up to the states.
    "He's talkin' to his gut like it's a person!!" -me
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    "Each of us must choose which course of action we should take: education, conventional political action, or even peaceful civil disobedience to bring about necessary changes. But let it not be said that we did nothing." - Ron Paul

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  5. #4
    I read "thoughts on a designated Hitler".

    arggh
    Liberty is lost through complacency and a subservient mindset. When we accept or even welcome automobile checkpoints, random searches, mandatory identification cards, and paramilitary police in our streets, we have lost a vital part of our American heritage. America was born of protest, revolution, and mistrust of government. Subservient societies neither maintain nor deserve freedom for long.
    Ron Paul 2004

    Registered Ron Paul supporter # 2202
    It's all about Freedom

  6. #5
    I grew up with the A’s as my home team, but I disagree with Charlie Finley. Pitchers need to hit. NL ball is (was?) way more nuanced than AL ball. That being said, go A’s.
    “Democracy is the theory that the common people know what they want and deserve to get it good and hard.”

    H.L. Mencken

  7. #6
    If you take the DH to its logical conclusion, baseball should be two platoon like football. Why restrict the DH to pitchers? If you have a great fielding shortstop who can't hit the side of a barn with a cannon (e.g. Ray Oyler -- lifetime batting average of .175) wouldn't you want someone else to hit for him?
    We have long had death and taxes as the two standards of inevitability. But there are those who believe that death is the preferable of the two. "At least," as one man said, "there's one advantage about death; it doesn't get worse every time Congress meets."
    Erwin N. Griswold

    Taxes: Of life's two certainties, the only one for which you can get an automatic extension.
    Anonymous

  8. #7
    Quote Originally Posted by pcosmar View Post
    I read "thoughts on a designated Hitler".

    arggh
    That's exactly what I thought as well.
    "Perhaps one of the most important accomplishments of my administration is minding my own business."

    Calvin Coolidge

  9. #8
    Pitching. Speed. Defense.

    Work the count. Steal bases. Hit and run. Bunting. Those four things make baseball interesting. Hitting pitchers are an integral part of that. Chip away at those 4 and you chip away at the game.

    There's a bad trend in sports to appeal to the pop culture crowd. NASCAR does it a lot and the only thing they succeed in doing is alienating their base. So you try to attract people who dislike you, while also thumbing your nose at the people who made you.
    Quote Originally Posted by TheCount View Post
    ...I believe that when the government is capable of doing a thing, it will.
    Quote Originally Posted by Influenza View Post
    which one of yall fuckers wrote the "ron paul" racist news letters
    Quote Originally Posted by Dforkus View Post
    Zippy's posts are a great contribution.




    Disrupt, Deny, Deflate. Read the RPF trolls' playbook here (post #3): http://www.ronpaulforums.com/showthr...eptive-members



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  11. #9
    Quote Originally Posted by NorthCarolinaLiberty View Post
    Pitching. Speed. Defense.

    Work the count. Steal bases. Hit and run. Bunting. Those four things make baseball interesting. Hitting pitchers are an integral part of that. Chip away at those 4 and you chip away at the game.
    The problem is stealing bases is a losing proposition for all but the best base stealers. Hit and run is usually a bad play or not much advantage gained. And bunting is basically never correct under any cirumcumstance outside of when you have an exceptionally poor hitting pitcher batting and two people on base.

  12. #10
    Quote Originally Posted by Sonny Tufts View Post
    If you take the DH to its logical conclusion, baseball should be two platoon like football. Why restrict the DH to pitchers? If you have a great fielding shortstop who can't hit the side of a barn with a cannon (e.g. Ray Oyler -- lifetime batting average of .175) wouldn't you want someone else to hit for him?
    Mickey Stanley would be my choice

  13. #11
    Quote Originally Posted by Krugminator2 View Post
    The problem is stealing bases is a losing proposition for all but the best base stealers. Hit and run is usually a bad play or not much advantage gained. And bunting is basically never correct under any cirumcumstance outside of when you have an exceptionally poor hitting pitcher batting and two people on base.


    Pitcher batting averages just keep falling, so you already have the very poor. But for other players--how about bunting for hits or sacrifcing in a close game?

    Base stealing success rate has improved since the 1980s (even with today's home run emphasis), so there's definitely something to it.

    I disagree with you about hit & run because it is successful in the majors. Coaches however, need to be attuned to the variables (pitch count, number of outs, line up position, etc.) to make it work.

    In short, all these things positively add to the game , but are more nuanced than power hitting. I don't like the current home run emphasis. Today's strikeout rate is horrible. OTOH, today's bigger run production is fun when you're at the game, but I'd still rather see good pitching on TV.
    Quote Originally Posted by TheCount View Post
    ...I believe that when the government is capable of doing a thing, it will.
    Quote Originally Posted by Influenza View Post
    which one of yall fuckers wrote the "ron paul" racist news letters
    Quote Originally Posted by Dforkus View Post
    Zippy's posts are a great contribution.




    Disrupt, Deny, Deflate. Read the RPF trolls' playbook here (post #3): http://www.ronpaulforums.com/showthr...eptive-members

  14. #12
    Quote Originally Posted by NorthCarolinaLiberty View Post
    Pitcher batting averages just keep falling, so you already have the very poor. But for other players--how about bunting for hits or sacrifcing in a close game?

    Base stealing success rate has improved since the 1980s (even with today's home run emphasis), so there's definitely something to it.

    I disagree with you about hit & run because it is successful in the majors. Coaches however, need to be attuned to the variables (pitch count, number of outs, line up position, etc.) to make it work.

    In short, all these things positively add to the game , but are more nuanced than power hitting. I don't like the current home run emphasis. Today's strikeout rate is horrible. OTOH, today's bigger run production is fun when you're at the game, but I'd still rather see good pitching on TV.

    I think they all add to the game but they aren't used as much because of sabermetrics.

    You basically need to steal second over 75% of the time for it to start showing positive value. So a guy like Rickey Henderson should always steal but most guys don't make it 75% of the time. https://blogs.fangraphs.com/breaking...k-even-points/

    A more general article. https://fivethirtyeight.com/features...out-decisions/ "n the other side of the ball, “sac bunting is bad” had been a sabermetric maxim for decades before “Moneyball” made it mainstream. Even now, Oakland’s bunt total brings up the rear, but more clubs are keeping the A’s company."

    Hit and run might be a good play. There doesn't seem to be much of a consensus on it.

  15. #13
    Looks like we have some well-schooled fans on here. I have a radical idea and I need your opinions.

    I believe no one should ever bat right handed. When a kid first picks up a baseball bat force them to bat from the left side regardless of handedness. Guys like Ted Williams, Ty Cobb, Roger Maris, Byrce Harper, Corey Seager, and Christian Yelich are all right handed guys who bat lefty. When I say this some well always say what about switch hitting? I'm not a fan of switch hitting because it is too dificult and it requires twice the practice. That and you only bat righty when the pitcher is left handed. If switch hitting is so great name two left handed switch hitters without googling it. I googled this a few years ago and their were only two guys I had heard of. Both of them played for bay area teams.

    The main advantage to left handed batting is you get out of the batter's box quicker. I know the limitation of my idea. If everyone batted left handed right handed pitchers would go extinct. Every MLB pitcher would be left handed to take away the left handed hitting advantage.

    I know my idea will never take hold because most parents know nothing about baseball. They give their kids no guidance on the game. In fact I've seen a couple of times where parents force left handed kids to bat righty because that is how they (the parent) bat and they don't know how to teach the kid to bat lefty. The only successful lefty that bats righty I can think of is Ricky Henderson.

  16. #14
    Quote Originally Posted by mtr1979 View Post
    Looks like we have some well-schooled fans on here. I have a radical idea and I need your opinions.

    I believe no one should ever bat right handed. When a kid first picks up a baseball bat force them to bat from the left side regardless of handedness. Guys like Ted Williams, Ty Cobb, Roger Maris, Byrce Harper, Corey Seager, and Christian Yelich are all right handed guys who bat lefty. When I say this some well always say what about switch hitting? I'm not a fan of switch hitting because it is too dificult and it requires twice the practice. That and you only bat righty when the pitcher is left handed. If switch hitting is so great name two left handed switch hitters without googling it. I googled this a few years ago and their were only two guys I had heard of. Both of them played for bay area teams.

    The main advantage to left handed batting is you get out of the batter's box quicker. I know the limitation of my idea. If everyone batted left handed right handed pitchers would go extinct. Every MLB pitcher would be left handed to take away the left handed hitting advantage.

    I know my idea will never take hold because most parents know nothing about baseball. They give their kids no guidance on the game. In fact I've seen a couple of times where parents force left handed kids to bat righty because that is how they (the parent) bat and they don't know how to teach the kid to bat lefty. The only successful lefty that bats righty I can think of is Ricky Henderson.

    I am right handed. I play golf right handed. I throw right. I am right handed in everything-- except batting in baseball. I bat left because my dad started me left handed for those reasons in t-ball.
    Last edited by Krugminator2; 11-21-2020 at 02:15 PM.

  17. #15
    Quote Originally Posted by Krugminator2 View Post
    I am right handed. I play golf right handed. I throw right. I am right handed in everything-- except batting in baseball. I bat left because my dad started me left handed for those reasons in t-ball.
    You are extremely lucky you have a father that cared enough about you to make you bat left handed. I had to teach myself to bat lefty later in life. One of the best decisions I ever made it has forced me to become a student of the game.

  18. #16
    I could bunt left handed and beat it out every time . I only did this when facing guys who had a good curve . I could hit any fastball , knuckleball , changeup etc but no good curve . I also didnt hit for power so I learned to just lay singles right in easily . I had some serious wheels so all I needed to do was get on . If a pitcher didnt throw strikes I'd just take a walk . I could go a whole season without a homer that wasnt inside the park. Mostly I enjoyed pitching . Never considered myself a good hitter even though I had a good on base percentage and I was a lousy fielder . But it was fun.



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  20. #17
    If it ain't broke, don't fix it.

    How many problems could have been avoided by following that advice?

  21. #18
    Quote Originally Posted by Snowball View Post
    If it ain't broke, don't fix it.

    How many problems could have been avoided by following that advice?
    The AL can't leave it alone they can never get over the fact that they are the NL's little brother. They have been throwing a temper tantrum since 1973 trying to get the NL to approve the DH. The AL had to implement the DH to compete with the NL's attendence. What do I know? DH supporters probable think 20 interleague games a year is a good idea as well. Interleague is garbage aside from a few games like Cubs vs soxs, Mets vs yankees, A's vs Giants.

  22. #19
    Quote Originally Posted by mtr1979 View Post
    The AL can't leave it alone they can never get over the fact that they are the NL's little brother. They have been throwing a temper tantrum since 1973 trying to get the NL to approve the DH. The AL had to implement the DH to compete with the NL's attendence. What do I know? DH supporters probable think 20 interleague games a year is a good idea as well. Interleague is garbage aside from a few games like Cubs vs soxs, Mets vs yankees, A's vs Giants.
    My take is different, it's the new players and media - these millenials are not purists.
    Purists are gradually losing their hold in all sports.

  23. #20
    Quote Originally Posted by Snowball View Post
    My take is different, it's the new players and media - these millenials are not purists.
    Purists are gradually losing their hold in all sports.
    Good I'm not a baseball purist. I just don't want the DH in the NL. I have no issues with the Robo Umpire calling strikes.

    The powers to be want the game to be more entertaining having some jacked player as a DH hitting homers. To me there's nothing more entertaining than seeing a pitcher hit a homerun.
    https://m.youtube.com/watch?v=OVFsq9FQBlc

  24. #21
    Quote Originally Posted by mtr1979 View Post
    Good I'm not a baseball purist. I just don't want the DH in the NL. I have no issues with the Robo Umpire calling strikes.

    The powers to be want the game to be more entertaining having some jacked player as a DH hitting homers. To me there's nothing more entertaining than seeing a pitcher hit a homerun.
    https://m.youtube.com/watch?v=OVFsq9FQBlc
    I almost posted that in my first post in the thread. Those Bartolo Colon Youtube highlights are great.

  25. #22
    Quote Originally Posted by Krugminator2 View Post
    I almost posted that in my first post in the thread. Those Bartolo Colon Youtube highlights are great.

    Every time I hear that name, I think of some cologne pitch voice over: Bartolo Colon. By Calvin Klein.
    Quote Originally Posted by TheCount View Post
    ...I believe that when the government is capable of doing a thing, it will.
    Quote Originally Posted by Influenza View Post
    which one of yall fuckers wrote the "ron paul" racist news letters
    Quote Originally Posted by Dforkus View Post
    Zippy's posts are a great contribution.




    Disrupt, Deny, Deflate. Read the RPF trolls' playbook here (post #3): http://www.ronpaulforums.com/showthr...eptive-members



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