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MLB: The Man Who Can Settle the Designated Hitter Issue By 2017

By Mark Howe

Jul 25, 2015; Cooperstown, NY, USA; MLBPA Executive Director Tony Clark speaks in recognition of the work that Curt Flood did for players right during the Awards Presentation at National Baseball Hall of Fame. Mandatory Credit: Gregory J. Fisher-USA TODAY Sports
Jul 25, 2015; Cooperstown, NY, USA; MLBPA Executive Director Tony Clark speaks in recognition of the work that Curt Flood did for players right during the Awards Presentation at National Baseball Hall of Fame. Mandatory Credit: Gregory J. Fisher-USA TODAY Sports /
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The head of the MLB players union is in a unique position to bring the designated hitter to both leagues.

Major League Baseball Commissioner Rob Manfred isn’t the one person who can settle the designated hitter issue once and for all. It’s MLB Players Association executive director Tony Clark who can, and should, push the National League into the 21st century with the DH in plenty of time for the 2017 season.

Why? Because labor unions are all about jobs, and the DH extends the careers of baseball players. Period.

We need the designated hitter in the National League to bring competitive balance to baseball. The DH is a part of diamond-shaped field life; we have it in one form or another in every league that doesn’t require everyone to play defense, from little kids playing in city parks to slow-pitch softball, with high schools and colleges in between. Every league has some form of DH.

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Except one.

Longer careers equals bigger salaries, which raises contracts of all players, and in turn makes more players more money for more years, even decades longer than they otherwise might have made. And every team in the National League has someone who would make their ball club better by being the DH. Cardinals and Mets fans should know the obvious choices on their teams.

Hall of Famers like Paul Molitor, Frank Thomas and Dave Winfield got to Cooperstown in part because of the statistics they racked up as designated hitters. Hal McRae, Edgar Martinez, David Ortiz, Harold Baines: the list goes on and on.

Listen, I’m what I call a moderate baseball purist; I’d rather not see any change in the game, but in order to have the game continue to thrive well into the next generation, change is necessary. Since we have to have it, let’s make the right changes.

I’d rather the pitchers hit, but hurlers make way too much money to risk injury by attempting to lay down a bunt, and having a less than 25 percent chance of succeeding. Yes, there are some good hitting pitchers out there, but collectively there isn’t any doubt the pitchers, as a standard, stink up the batter’s box.

So, let’s let the guys who pitch earn their money by getting nine big league hitters out.

And the big thing is we can’t go back: the union will never let it happen.

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So, Mr. Clark, the next collective bargaining agreement is being negotiated as we speak. There are jobs to be saved out there, and the rank and file is counting on you to represent them and help them extend their careers.

You can make this happen.

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