IF and when baseball returns, there will be a universal DH for the American and National League. Finally, the NL is watchable. My hope is the watching pitchers hit is something I never have to witness again. Baseball needs to adopt the universal DH forever. Not just for the 2020 season.
There are so many reasons why the DH needs to be in both leagues. This is not an opinion piece. If you’re anti universal DH, you’re anti smart.
A: Baseball is the only sport in the world that the rules are not unified within the sport. Imagine if the Western Conference you could only have 4 NBA players on the floor but in the East, you could have 6. It makes ZERO sense. Both leagues need to have the same rules in every sport. I hope we can agree on that much.
B: If given the choice between universal DH and pitchers hit in every league, the choice is simple. We need the DH. Hey, NL fans. I challenge you to do this. Poll all of your American League fans. Ask them how they would feel taking away the DH. Every single one of them would laugh in your face. They already know the secrets and why all of your dopey NL teams are at a huge disadvantage.
C: Having David Ortiz on your team is really fun.
D: The DH provides in season rest for your players. NL players don’t have that luxury. When you have the option to let a left fielder hit but give him a day off his feet, that’s a big time luxury. It keeps the player fresh later in the season.
E: Since 2004, the American League has won interleague play every single year except for 2 seasons. Coincidence? Here’s what I know. NL teams are at a disadvantage. AL teams are able to spend money on a DH in free agency. NL teams can’t do that.
F: Universal DH creates jobs. If you’re in favor of job creation, you should be in favor of this. A lot of sluggers would find jobs that otherwise wouldn’t. Sluggers that are DH only, would now have a new batch of 15 teams bidding on them.
G: Nobody wants to watch the pitcher hit. Nobody. Trust me. The second they put the DH in the NL, you won’t want to go back. Scoring runs is hard enough.
H: Scoring runs… People say there’s not enough action in baseball. It needs more offense. Yet we live in a sport where we allow a pitcher who hits below .200 to give away outs. Makes no sense.
I: We need to do more to protect pitchers. They get hurt enough. They throw harder than ever. We don’t need to see more pitchers getting hurt running the bases or swinging the bat.
J: If you want your pitcher to hit, go for it. Nobody says you can’t do it. The rest of us will have the DH.
