Quote:
Originally Posted by tcblue13
I used to feel the same way about the DH - the pitcher ought to bat.
I have changed my mind. I like it for several reasons. It adds offense to the game in that the #9 spot in the line up is not a bunt or a K and you can't walk the #8 hitter to get to the pitcher. Coaches are not forced into a decision to pinch hit for the pitcher in the middle of a game. Pitchers are protected from being a hit batsman. It prolongs the careers of good hitters who have lost a step in the field. And, while maybe not an issue at the MLB level, more players get to play.
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And the reasons you stated are exactly why the DH needs to go away. It required strategy to know whether or not to leave your pitcher in to bat in a crucial situation. (Is he a good hitter? Can he bunt well, especially in cases calling for a sacrifice? Is he still pitching well enough? Who do I have available as a pinch hitter and sub?) Offense is not the be all end all of the game. (This is also true for hockey, and the changes they have made.) There is no reason to protect a pitcher from anything if he wants to play the game of baseball.
In this era of chicks "digging the long ball," we tend to forget that there have been some exceptional hitting pitchers throughout the ages. Hell...would you have DH-ed for Babe Ruth if you had been the Boston manager?
A player should be a contributer to all aspects of the game. If a guy is too old to play a position, he should retire. If a pitcher can't hit, then leave him in the minors until he develops a plate instinct. (Unless he is a truly exceptional pitcher, then deal with him offensively.) Ty Cobb played the game about as hard as anyone. He was 41 when he retired. No one knows how old Satchel Paige was when he finally retired, but it is certain that he was in his 50's at a minimum, and he played in a era of barnstorming with the Negro Leagues where he might pitch 2 or 3 games in a row, with no rest, and was sometimes expected to play another position on a night when he was "resting." His entire career in baseball predates the DH rule. I could go on and on, but I think you get the gist!