NL to Have DH Within 10 Years

[bigh0rt]

It would be really dumb for them not to do this given how many pitchers get hurt hitting/running the bases every year.

I'd be interested in seeing this data. I imagine the number is incredibly low.

As was mentioned, pitchers also injure themselves playing Guitar Hero, bunting in practice (though this would be filed under running the bases too), sneezing, clipping their finger nails, and there's a great deal of them who are pretty sorry excuses of professional athletes.

[Galileo]

It would be really dumb for them not to do this given how many pitchers get hurt hitting/running the bases every year.

Pitchers get hurt fielding and playing Guitar Hero, too.

This

Also, when did we start to feel the need to treat pitchers like fragile children?? last time I checked they were still athletes, right? Obviously, I have an NL-bias here, but having a DH basically takes away a lot of the strategy & intricacies of the game.

"WE" do not feel the need to treat them this way, but the guy paying AJ Burnett $80M to not pitch for the next few months may feel a bit differently.

[Tavish]

"WE" do not feel the need to treat them this way, but the guy paying AJ Burnett $80M to not pitch for the next few months may feel a bit differently.

If it makes things any better, he is probably worth more wins for the team if he is not pitching for the next few months.

[Skin Blues]

They're paying him $5M this season and $8M next season. I don't know where you got $80M from. Still, sucks losing about $2M worth of production.

The injuries are only a small fraction of why they shouldn't be hitting. As the article mentioned, through their whole career, pitchers don't hit in high school, college, or the minor leagues. Then once they get to the show, they're forced to bat against the best pitchers in the world every time they pitch. How on earth does that sound logical? And watching Tony LaRussa cycle a bunch of bench scraps through the 9 spot in the order is not exciting. Same old arguments, I know. But it makes a lot more sense than "this is how they did it 100 years ago and I want them to keep doing it". At some point the novelty wears off.

[StlSluggers]

At some point the novelty wears off.

I agree. Be gone, DH.

[Galileo]

They're paying him $5M this season and $8M next season. I don't know where you got $80M from. Still, sucks losing about $2M worth of production.

He signed a 5 yr contract in 2008 for $82.5 M. I was speaking more generically as in "owners" have invested $80 M in this guy and now he is not pitching. It is true that Pittsburgh is only picking up a piece of that bill. And I realize he is not missing 5 yrs of action. I was merely pointing out that such a large investment made in a player could easily sway the opinion of those making said investment to want to treat him as a "fragile child"

[Ender]

I'd be interested in seeing this data. I imagine the number is incredibly low.

I would imagine you are wrong.

Every year I notice 8 or 9 who get hurt and that is just from the bigger named guys, it is most certainly double digit on average.

The only myth in all of this is that NL ball requires a lot more strategy, it is pretty rare that you get a situation where the manager has to actually think even in the NL. It is almost always when the pitcher comes up in the middle innings in a close game with RISP but that happens maybe 1 of 10 games. It is pretty rare that the NL game has any real strategic step up over the AL one. The playoffs are the exception since you shorten the starts and emphasize the bullpen and the bench a lot more, that would be the real shame from going to the DH for both leagues.

[HOOTIE]

The DH was nice years ago, but it's outdated.
And i'm a AL guy.
The days of teams using a Edgar at DH are done. (Ortiz) (Butler) excluded.
90% of teams, use a rotation DH between regular position players.
The value of a big bat at DH is gone.

[AussieDodger]

NL to Have DH Within 10 Years

YES! ABOUT TIME

Soon the NL won't be 40 years behind any more

[Ender]

The value of a big bat at DH is gone

This is certainly true. The DH isn't about getting a big bat in the lineup, it is about protecting the pitcher and rotating injury risk guys and young guys into the lineup to gain experience.