Comments on: Should The NL Adopt The DH ? http://belowthebeltway.com/2007/10/27/should-the-nl-adopt-the-dh/ I believe in the free speech that liberals used to believe in, the economic freedom that conservatives used to believe in, and the personal freedom that America used to believe in. Sat, 23 Jul 2011 17:00:21 +0000 http://wordpress.org/?v=2.9.1 hourly 1 By: Jonathan Mark http://belowthebeltway.com/2007/10/27/should-the-nl-adopt-the-dh/comment-page-1/#comment-150359 Jonathan Mark Sat, 27 Oct 2007 13:42:00 +0000 http://belowthebeltway.com/2007/10/27/should-the-nl-adopt-the-dh/#comment-150359 This argument is wrong. One problem with the DH is that it cuts down on the opportunity for lesser players to get into the game as pinch-hitters. Take an extremely marginal player such as David Newhan, formerly of the Orioles and last year with the Mets. Practically all he ever did with the Mets was pinch-hit. As you point out, role-players are less needed in the AL, so the tendency might be to have fewer of them. The biggest problem with the DH is that it removes an important element of strategy--do you pull the pitcher for a PH. That is always an issue in the NL, not one at all in the AL. As for fans wanting power, in cricket teams typically score five or six hundred runs in a game. Now that's power. But cricket is not more popular than baseball in the US. This argument is wrong.

One problem with the DH is that it cuts down on the opportunity for lesser players to get into the game as pinch-hitters.

Take an extremely marginal player such as David Newhan, formerly of the Orioles and last year with the Mets. Practically all he ever did with the Mets was pinch-hit. As you point out, role-players are less needed in the AL, so the tendency might be to have fewer of them.

The biggest problem with the DH is that it removes an important element of strategy–do you pull the pitcher for a PH. That is always an issue in the NL, not one at all in the AL.

As for fans wanting power, in cricket teams typically score five or six hundred runs in a game. Now that’s power. But cricket is not more popular than baseball in the US.

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