Come Flail Away With Me

Now interleague play has shifted to NL parks, and I'm confirmed in one of my deepest beliefs. The DH rule is a good thing.

I know reasonable people can debate this till they're blue in the face, and many people whose opinions I respect loathe the DH, but I cringe at games without it. Making the pitcher bat is like an NFL team forcing the punter to cover wide receivers on third down. It's not their natural position, it's not what they train for, and it gives you, the fan, an awful sinking feeling when there are 2 on, 2 out, and Johnny Pitcher is strolling to the plate.

Pitchers batting is traditional! Yes, so once were the flying wedge, the set shot, and no batting helmets. But times change.

It increases strategy! Why, because you get to see Tony LaRussa deftly switch the pitcher into the 8-spot and put his backup SS into the 9-hole to lead off the next inning? What a chess match. It's a lot more gutsy for a manager to send a position player in to pitch a mop-up inning when it's 17-3.

Pitchers get hits sometimes! Shawn Estes hit a home run today! I'm sure his parents are proud. But to me, the pitcher batting will always be Rich Garces bunting into a 5-4-7-2-3-fan in right field-8-2-autographed by the team-7-8-7-Youppi!-4-3 double play in Montreal last year as he chugged down the line. Too bad it came to a sad end, as El Guapo was swallowed whole by a speeding glacier.

Plus, every time a pitcher gets a hit, sportscasters are required by law to say he "helped his own cause", ignoring the fact that baseball is a team game and a hit benefits everyone.

Look, as far as I'm concerned, you NL types can play whatever game you want. But in interleague games, the AL gets killed by having to take a bat out of their lineup, except when the Devil Rays have to sit Greg Vaughn down. It's not fair and it's cruel to the fans who want to see guys doing what they do best.