Cincinnati Reds outfielder Adam Duvall jumped in on the designated hitter debate. The heated argument of whether or not the position should exist continues throughout MLB.
One of the most heated debates in Major League Baseball over the last decade has revolved around the designated hitter. Should the NL adopt it? Should the AL eliminate it? Opinions vary from player to player and writer to writer, and it seems that MLB Commissioner Rob Manfred is sticking to his guns on keeping the position alive, at least for now.
Cincinnati Reds outfielder Adam Duvall spoke with ESPN’s Mark Saxon in an interview this past Friday, and Duvall had strong words to say about the DH and National League strategy.
"[Posed by Saxon] One rule you would change?Duvall: I don’t know. I mean, I enjoy watching National League games because of the pitchers having to hit. Maybe that would be it. It makes it so much more interesting, having to juggle the pieces rather than just being able to leave it alone. The double switch is very interesting because you have to know what you’re doing and it can change a ballgame. So, maybe get rid of the DH would be it."
He makes some good points in his argument. I, for one, believe that strategy for a manager is much more difficult in the National League. There’s more pressure on when to take out a pitcher if he’s due up, especially in a close game, along with numerous other decisions forced due to a pitcher batting. It makes the game more interesting to watch from that stance, and it can show the true colors of a manger.
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On the flip side, it can make the game more boring. There might be nothing worse than having to endure the pain of watching an AL pitcher bat during Interleague play. Not to mention, having a full lineup of MLB hitters can make it more interesting than watching Jon Lester bat every fifth day.
The designated hitter position has rapidly evolved over the years. Edgar Martinez really revolutionized the position. He was the pioneer of the full-time DH. Without him, we may have missed out on the careers of guys like David Ortiz and the latter-half of careers of Frank Thomas, Jim Thome, Paul Molitor, and Harold Baines.
For a player like David Ortiz, he really made it a living, and did a pretty solid job of it. Ortiz, for the most part, leads Martinez in most offensive categories and will most likely be labeled the greatest DH of all time, and has a shot at becoming just the second DH behind Molitor to be inducted into the Hall of Fame.
For others like Frank Thomas, the position gave them an opportunity to lengthen their careers. The DH position is a valuable spot for older players who still have the bat, but not the glove. Recently, we’ve seen Nelson Cruz, Victor Martinez, Albert Pujols, and Edwin Encarnacion all convert into DH’s, which will help them stay in the game longer.
So we can make the argument, is the DH a helpful tool to increase the lifespan of a baseball player’s career. In addition, does it make it more interesting to see a power hitter over a pitcher in the batting order? According to Baseball America, the 2014 pitcher batting line was .122/.153/.153. That’s absolutely horrendous.
Yes, there are exceptions to this such as Madison Bumgarner, but even he is hitting just .174 this season. You can’t blame him, it’s not his top priority and he only gets to swing a bat every fifth day.
There is also the issue of fairness in all of this. During interleague play an AL team can make the case that NL pitchers have more experience at the plate, thus strengthening their lineup. While NL squads could complain that AL teams can have a stronger lineup with a full-time designated hitter.
What should the MLB do? It’s not really up for me to say, but if they do make a new rule it should be consistent in both leagues. Either they both get a DH or neither gets a DH. We either lose out on true fundamentally sound strategy or we risk the opportunity missing out on the career of the next David Ortiz.
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Thanks to Adam Duvall…without him we probably wouldn’t be debating this right now, nor would it be on your mind. So cheers to the Reds outfielder, and for his sake, let’s hope he never has a bum knee that limits him to only batting.