The DH is coming to the NL (pure speculation)

[nate82]

So with the Astros more than likely moving over to the AL that gives the NL and AL 15 teams which means there needs to be interleague play every day. The DH won't come right away but I believe the DH will be in the NL by 2016. There is no way to fight it really and I am not really against it or for the DH rule but it will be coming. I actually do not see how 15 teams in each league with interleague play happening every day will not include the DH at all times. This then creates a real disadvantage to a NL team that doesn't have a designated DH full time. I do not see the DH going away so that is not going to happen as the players union has a death grip on this and they will not let this go without some serious compensation for it.

I am not sure I will like this but it is coming as I can not see how it is not with interleauge play every day.

[Raw Biz]

So with the Astros more than likely moving over to the AL that gives the NL and AL 15 teams which means there needs to be interleague play every day. The DH won't come right away but I believe the DH will be in the NL by 2016. There is no way to fight it really and I am not really against it or for the DH rule but it will be coming. I actually do not see how 15 teams in each league with interleague play happening every day will not include the DH at all times. This then creates a real disadvantage to a NL team that doesn't have a designated DH full time. I do not see the DH going away so that is not going to happen as the players union has a death grip on this and they will not let this go without some serious compensation for it.

I am not sure I will like this but it is coming as I can not see how it is not with interleauge play every day.

Why can't they just keep it the way it is with DH in AL parks and no DH in NL? I don't know what interleague play everyday has to do with it.

[nate82]

Why can't they just keep it the way it is with DH in AL parks and no DH in NL? I don't know what interleague play everyday has to do with it.

Because the NL team will have a disadvantage when playing in AL parks. Instead of only having to play 9 or 6 games on the road at an AL park you are now doing this for a whole season. This now puts the NL at a disadvantage when playing at an AL park more so than in the past. That is what interleague play everyday has to do with it. You will also have the AL complaining that their pitchers will have to hit more now in NL parks. The players union may also block or petition the Astros from moving from the NL to the AL because of this. I just can not see how the NL won't have the DH in the future if there is going to be interleague play everyday.

Right now you have NL teams who will call up players from the minors to play as their DH. The players union will argue now that there will be more times that the DH will be used that the NL should also have the DH rule. Since the players union will then have the backing of the teams in the AL I do not see how the NL will not either be forced to have the DH rule or end up having it because of the new scheduling changes.

[lcbj68c]

The Powerball draws tomorrow...can I get some help?

 

In all seriousness, like every other thread involving realignment, I think you are right. Some thing is going to have be conceded. I don't think they are going to do away with the AL & NL for an East vs West deal. I don't think they are going to drastically redraw the divisions. The change with the least impact would seem to be an interleague series everyday, 15-team leagues, while doing away with the DH. Either that or making sure the schedules are even in that the number of interleague games you play at home vs away are the same. I get the history of it and I do prefer to watch a pitcher hit. However, if you gave me a choice of scrambling all the divisions and schedules or just having a DH hit for the pitcher for 3-4 PA's a game, I'll take doing away with the DH or DH for both leagues. I dont know when this will happen, but I'd say closer to 2013 than 2016, before Selig's term ends.

[Raw Biz]

How many more interleague series would be added for each team? If there's only a couple more throughout the season, I don't think it would be that big of a deal. The NL teams will be at a disadvantage in AL parks because they won't have a true DH but the AL will also be at a disadvantage in the NL because they won't be able to use their 3/4/5 hitter (where most DHs hit).

[paul253]

I don't personally care if there is a DH or no DH, I just want there to be a decision. Either DH in both leagues or DH in neither. And with interleague play, either eliminate it or do it like every other league does. If it were up to me this is what I'd do. Make the DH universal. Then every team in the AL plays one 3 game series against every team in the NL. That leaves 45 games vs the opposing league and 117 games vs your own league.

[pebadger]

The day they impose the DH on everyone should also be the day they decide to allow aluminum bats. I mean, why not just go all the way and turn parks into freakin' pinball machines?

 

Given the economic disparities already at work, I tend to think that homogenizing the leagues will even further widen the gap between haves and have nots in terms of player acquisition and retention. I'm all for well thought-out changes. I just don't see a lot of that in play with a lot of these proposals that are leaking out.

[jerichoholicninja]

I don't get the hate for the DH. I like that the leagues are actually different unlike every other sport. Adding a DH in the NL would really hurt the cheap teams as they won't/won't want to pay for another hitter. It would really help the Crew though.

[monty57]

I agree with Nate, and this was one of the first things I thought of when I saw the ESPN crawl saying they're "asking" the new owners to move the Astros to the AL. If there are more interleague games, and they are not bunched together like they are now, then NL teams will want to have a big bat on the bench, which would be kind of wasted money for the non-interleague games. I think it will either go all DH or all "pitcher hits," and the union wouldn't want to lose the DH, so I'd bet on all DH.

[paul253]

Adding a DH in the NL would really hurt the cheap teams as they

won't/won't want to pay for another hitter. It would really help the

Crew though.

It would also affect draft strategy though. How many potential DHs have the Brewers passed on in the draft or traded away? We never would have traded Overbay if we had the DH. Gamel would be in Milwaukee now. They may have hung onto Lawrie who never really had a position to play in Milwaukee. It's not like all the NL teams are going to have to go out and give $10 million to someone to be the DH. I hate the fact that it would take some of the strategy away from the game, but at least there'd be a universal rule. I would rather there be no DH, but I can't imagine the players union ever accepting that.

[tomwopat]

The day they impose the DH on everyone should also be the day they decide to allow aluminum bats. I mean, why not just go all the way and turn parks into freakin' pinball machines?

Pinball machines... other than Minute Maid Park?

[Mr QL]

They better not. The DH is an abomination.

[AdvantageSchneider]

I don't think the owners would give another 15 DHs to the players without getting something in return, since DHs are usually higher priced players. So what are the owners going to get back in return from the players for allowing another 15 DH spots?

 

Just because the NL GM's will want the DH, doesn't mean the NL owners will want the DH. And also the AL owners might not be so eager to approve that rule b/c they may realize they do have that built in advantage. And it's the owner that make the rule changes

 

Also, why can't you schedule a team to play a week of interleague games all through the season? That may the teams can make a minor league call up just like they do now?

[danzig6767]

I'd much rather see the DH completely eliminated, but as everyone already knows, the union would strongly balk at this, which pretty much means the DH stays. I've resigned myself to the fact that if/when baseball does eventually decide to have the same rules for both leagues, it would be all DH instead of no DH.

 

As much as i hate the DH, i do admit that it would really suck if say the Brewers made it to the World Series this year and faced Boston, with them using Ortiz at DH in their park while we trotted Kotsay out there.

[TooLiveBrew]

Just make the DH standard in both leagues & move on. I really don't care one way or the other, but it's a clear advantage to have the DH, so why not even out the playing field?

[GAME05]

the only thing i don't like about the DH rule is that pitchers have to hit in the minor leagues. i'd prefer it to be a minor league club option so that they could give prospects added development time by letting them DH.

 

i don't think it would necessarily mean NL clubs would eventually add the DH. a good hitter/bad fielder isn't exactly unknown to NL benches. also not a one-sided advantage to the AL, as they don't as often have those bench players who exist mostly for good defense for when an AL club plays in an NL park. where good hitters extend their career as DHs on AL clubs, good utility defensive players can extend their careers with NL clubs.

 

would it really be that hard to disband the DH rule? you could expand rosters to 28 and make another concession to compensate for the lost DHs of the world. but i agree that in general the DH further exaggerates the discrepancy between rich and poor clubs. i don't think Selig really cares about that, though.

[pitchleague]

or you could totally go against all laws of baseball nature and put the DH in play for both leagues as well as making the pitcher bat. Have a 10-man starting lineup. It'd be just like little league. Heck, if a pitcher gets on base, you could even use a "security runner" like they do in HS baseball a lot (or at least they did when I played.)

 

I'm half-serious about this, by the way.

[GAME05]

maybe it's time we broached the subject of Designated Fielders.

 

i mean, a pitcher is supposed to take up a bat and hit like everyone else because they field a position like everyone else. yet they're so special that the whole extra DH position was added because pitchers are so terrible at hitting. well, pretty much every team has a player who is really good at hitting but is a terrible fielder. so why not a Designated Fielder? you have the DH for an offensive substitution, so having a DF isn't really that far beyond what already exists. DH for offense, DF for defense.

edit: come to think of it, i guess if you were using a DH but still allowed the pitcher to bat, then you could very well have a Designated Fielder (technically i guess the pitcher already is a Designated Fielder in the AL).

[jeffy]

I think they keep the DH controversy alive to distract us from the real problem with baseball, which is the economic disparities. I hate the DH, but I am getting tired of feeling like I am ultimately following the opponents of the Harlem Globetrotters by being a Brewer fan. Selig and the rest should stop wasting time on minor issues like realignment, adding wild cards, DH or no DH, replay, and inter-league play and first deal with the elephant in the room...but they won't.

 

The Brewers could sign Fielder and CC and their payroll would maybe reach to about the level that teams like the Angels, Cubs, White Sox, Mets have had in recent years. This still leave them $25-30 million or so behind Philadelphia and Boston, not to mention $60-70 million behind the Yankees (11 teams have their entire payroll at about $70 million or less).

 

With the team going "all-in", I expect the Brewer's post season to most likely go something like the last two days or like the games against the AL East in June.

[GAME05]

but adding more playoff teams will eliminate the economic disparities in baseball.

besides, who cares what three million Brewers fans think when it's 20 million Yankees fans that matter.

[CheezWizHed]

From a pure baseball point of view, I prefer the 9 men on defense being the 9 men batting. I like the additional stragedy involved. It focuses on being an all around baseball players, not just specialists.

 

No, I don't like watching Ben Sheets bat (actually, I do because its kind of funny), but I also don't like the thought of some guy sitting on the bench without a clue with what to do with that leather thing that goes on your non-throwing hand.

 

But given the economic nature of the game, I think the DH is inevitable. Owners are going to want to protect pitchers from having to bat. And fans generally want more offense (maybe thats why soccer isn't very popular here).

 

I think its just a matter of time. If you were ever to see a pitcher hit in the head while batting, that is probably all it will take.

[joepepsi]

I agree with Nate, and this was one of the first things I thought of when I saw the ESPN crawl saying they're "asking" the new owners to move the Astros to the AL. If there are more interleague games, and they are not bunched together like they are now, then NL teams will want to have a big bat on the bench, which would be kind of wasted money for the non-interleague games.

As opposed to carrying JOsh Wilson and Craig Counsell on the roster all year? Imagine having to carry an extra bat on the roster instead of a handful of crappy worthless utility infielders. All those superior intelligent NL managers won't know how to manage now that the brilliant strategy of the double switch is no longer needed.

[davego]

There was an idea floated by Whitey Herzog years ago that would take out the DH, but allow teams to PH for the pitcher whenever they liked, but the pitcher (or any position player I suppose) would get to remain in the game. The PH would be done after their AB. I thought that was a very interesting idea. Wisconsin high school baseball does something like this with the re-entry rule.

 

I'd be willing to allow that with a baserunner, too. The runner could enter the game to run for another player, but that player could re-enter at the end of the inning and the DR would be done.

 

Just some thoughts.

[DHonks]

the big difference would be how rosters are constructed. Teams use the DH spot differently. Some hire a DH that can hit. Others basically have 10 or 11 starting caliber hitters and rotate guys between the field and the DH spot. The key for the Brewers would be that we are past the days of guys like Jesse Levis being our DH. Of course, If we went to the DH next year, I'd change my view and I'd make a big run at keeping Prince.

[Phenomenal Smith]

The day they impose the DH on everyone should also be the day they decide to allow aluminum bats. I mean, why not just go all the way and turn parks into freakin' pinball machines?

Pinball machines... other than Minute Maid Park?

Actually MMP has been a fairly neutral park the last few years.