DH Debate

[BAMAPHIN 22]

Interleague play enters its final weekend of the season, and it can't come fast enough for National League pitchers.

They have been outpitched (4.99 ERA to 4.01 ERA through Wednesday), outdone on the scoreboard (75-127 record) and even outhit by the junior circuit.

Although American League pitchers rarely have occasion to hit because of the designated hitter, they have three homers and 14 RBI in interleague play, as opposed to zero homers and seven RBI through Wednesday for the NL.

"They might be a lot more excited to get up there than National League pitchers are, because we get to do it all the time," San Francisco Giants right-hander Jamey Wright said.

The top hitting pitchers in the AL include the Tampa Bay Devil Rays' Jamie Shields (3-for-5, .600) and the Boston Red Sox's Josh Beckett (3-for-7, .429), a former National Leaguer who has a home run and three RBI.

"Maybe this is their chance to drive in a run after all the times of them saying, 'God, I should hit for myself and not have a DH.' They're probably more locked in trying to get a hit."

http://www.usatoday.com/sports/baseball/al/2006-06-29-al-pitchers_x.htm

 

[King Felix]

nah, there is always going to be a DH.

 

[djfresh47]

It is 5 teams dominating interleague play for the AL, other than that it is pretty even. The Bosox/Chisox/Tigers/Mariners/ and I think the last team is the Twins have incredible records while the rest of the AL is about .500.

 

[Ray Finkle]

The AL is simply better than the NL, DH or no DH.

 

[MikeO]

This all goes back to NL pitchers having it made all season. They really only face 7 hitters in each lineup. Every team has at least one dog hitter, then the pitcher. So, these NL pitchers have it easy. Face only 7 legit hitters at most.

AL pitchers work night in and night out and face 9 legit hitters, or 8 at the very least.

So, when interleague comes around...........AL pitchers and AL teams are better conditioned and these NL teams don't know what they are in for.

 

[MikeO]

Oh, and the DH is going nowhere. It employes players and prolongs their careers. The UNION will never ever never ever ever ever never ever never ever cave in and give that up.

 

[Roman529]

The DH sucks....it is not real baseball. Real baseball is played in the National League.