So, amid all the bickering about health concerns and economic issues, it hasn't been touched on much that the designated hitter will be used in both leagues should Major League Baseball get underway in 2020.
It makes a lot of sense to use the DH this season -- if things get going, I don't think there are going to be a lot of starting pitchers going deep into ballgames. When the pitcher's spot in the batting order would come up, a pinch hitter would be used more often than not. Why bother with that? Just put a regular hitter in the lineup and move on, right?
The DH will not be used in the National League in 2021, but there's little question it will be back in both leagues in 2022 as part of the next collective bargaining agreement.
Players are for it -- it prolongs careers and increases earnings for a lot of guys. And front offices are for it, as they don't desire to see high-priced pitchers doing things that are unnatural acts for them, such as swinging bats and running bases.
Traditionalists are going to have to face it on this: Pitchers can't hit worth a damn. In nearly 5,000 plate appearances last season, pitchers posted a .127 batting average and a .137 on-base percentage. They struck out 2,230 times. A pitcher making a plate appearance seems like a great time to use the bathroom or head to the refrigerator for a snack -- you aren't missing anything.
I have nothing more than my gut to go on with this, but I'm thinking pitchers were at least somewhat more competent at the plate when I was a kid -- in the 1980s. But with the increased specialization in the game, pitchers don't swing the bat much once they graduate high school. Heck, the designated hitter is universal in the minor leagues, so you see very few pitchers who can hit anymore.
Being an American League fan, I'm a DH proponent. The only thing I'll miss about pitchers hitting is the arguments between the fans of the two leagues. It's a unique and fun quirk of baseball that the two leagues have such a significant difference in rules, and it creates a lot of discussion. However, I think I'll get over that pretty quick once the DH is implemented in the National League
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