I went to a baseball game.

[Dave Gray]

I visited the Marlins stadium for the first time in like....I don't know....7 years, maybe?

Since I'd been last, they changed the pitching rules in the NL to allow a DH, they added a pitch clock and banned the shift.

The game went pretty smooth.  The pitch clock is a good addition.  I don't know how much it actually shortened the runtime, but it kept it more consistent and predictable.

[EDGECRUSHER]

I was worried about the pitch clock at first and there are some asshole batters who are doing everything they can to game the system with it, but overall it has been a positive addition.

Shift is fine too, I'm just shocked that in nearly two decades of it the heavy pull hitters never took the easy single and doubles they could've had going the other way. Pitchers and fielders would've adjusted once they saw you batting .846 in May.

Pitchers hitting has always been nonsense to me. No one wants to see a guy bunt with a .183 average.

[Fau Teixeira]

and if your pitcher was good enough to hit then put him in the DH slot like ohtani.

[EDGECRUSHER]

and if your pitcher was good enough to hit then put him in the DH slot like ohtani.

Mike Hampton would've killed it if the DH was around during his time. Certainly would've made up for his bad pitching once he left the Mets.

[Brian Fein]

The DH is a cop out.  Pitchers should learn to hit.
Just like hitters that can't play defense, is also a cop out.
You should be able to do everything required of you to play at a MLB level.

[/grenade]

[EDGECRUSHER]

The DH is a cop out.  Pitchers should learn to hit.
Just like hitters that can't play defense, is also a cop out.
You should be able to do everything required of you to play at a MLB level.

[/grenade]

I'm not disagreeing with the idea that pitchers should be better hitters, but the reality is they aren't. They're too valuable to even run the bases so teams have basically all agreed for decades that they should be bunters and give up the out. Because of that, it's boring and better off going the DH route.

[MyGodWearsAHoodie]

The DH is a cop out.  Pitchers should learn to hit.
Just like hitters that can't play defense, is also a cop out.
You should be able to do everything required of you to play at a MLB level.

[/grenade]

I have the opposite opinion.  In the early days of football the same 11 guys would play both offense and defense, now that is extremely rare.  I support the idea of teams being able to field the 9 best defensive baseball players and their 9 best hitters, if some of the players overlap that would be permitted, but you could have separate offense and defense. 

[CF DolFan]

The DH is a cop out.  Pitchers should learn to hit.
Just like hitters that can't play defense, is also a cop out.
You should be able to do everything required of you to play at a MLB level.

[/grenade]

I agree 100%. It makes the game more of a challenge when subbing in pitchers and the batting order so coaches have to make the right calls. You really lose that aspect of the game as things are just kind of on auto pilot.

[Spider-Dan]

The DH is a cop out.  Pitchers should learn to hit.
Just like hitters that can't play defense, is also a cop out.
You should be able to do everything required of you to play at a MLB level.

Except that this isn't what was happening.  NL managers were telling their pitchers to go to the plate and don't even bother swinging.  And some of those that were allowed to swing were not allowed to run hard.

It was a complete farce and everyone knew it.  When pitchers are considered so important that you'll just take outs to avoid them getting injured, it's well past time for the DH.

[EDGECRUSHER]

Except that this isn't what was happening.  NL managers were telling their pitchers to go to the plate and don't even bother swinging.  And some of those that were allowed to swing were not allowed to run hard.

It was a complete farce and everyone knew it.  When pitchers are considered so important that you'll just take outs to avoid them getting injured, it's well past time for the DH.

Exactly. We can disagree on what should happen, but there is no argument over what is happening. It's boring and it usually kills rallies so this is long overdue.

[Sunstroke]

Between spring training and the first half of the season, I have been to 8 games so far this year. I love going to a baseball game...and the new pitch clock rules are excellent for the game.

And the DH?  I used to be dead set against it, but the more the league uses the DH, the more I'm coming around to it...

[Brian Fein]

I agree 100%. It makes the game more of a challenge when subbing in pitchers and the batting order so coaches have to make the right calls. You really lose that aspect of the game as things are just kind of on auto pilot.

This guy gets it!

So your issue is not with the rules or the game but with the lazy managers that want 1/9 of their batting order to just take the day off because he might hurt himself in a freak baserunning accident?

How long before starting pitchers just go away because now, you can just have a fresh arm every inning, so have a bullpen full of stud relievers and rotate them in and out every inning or two.  There's no consequences! 

I'd rather see Hoodie's idea of a full offense and defense.

[CF DolFan]

We had another local kid go top three in the draft. In 2015 Brendan Rodgers was drafted  #3 right out of high school and now Dylan Crews was drafted #2 from the same school. He was class of 2000 but decided to go to LSU instead of straight to the MLB. I guess it paid off for him. Haha

[Dave Gray]

I don't really give a crap about the DH, but it does take a significant portion of the strategy out of baseball.

[Spider-Dan]

So your issue is not with the rules or the game but with the lazy managers that want 1/9 of their batting order to just take the day off because he might hurt himself in a freak baserunning accident?

My issue was with the the game was actually being played, not the way one might think it should have been played.

Now, if you want to change the rules to penalize teams that tell their pitchers to go up to the plate and watch three strikes go by... a stiff enough penalty that they aren't willing to just eat an out?  You have my interest.  But no one wants that rule change, so the DH is the next best thing.