MLB: The designated hitter, the National League, and “traditionalism”
By Jeff Kallman
The designated hitter, the National League, and “traditionalism”
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Since the DH’s original American League advent, it went all the way down to junior high schools, never mind college and the minors, so pitchers going untrained even minimally with a bat or on the bases didn’t begin with the turn of this century or the last one. The world hasn’t imploded because of it. If the world implodes, it’ll be for reasons having nothing to do with whether you don’t get to see Bumgarner (.177/.228/.303), Jacob deGrom (.189/.226/.237), Clayton Kershaw (.159/.203/.183), Max Scherzer (.193/.221/.215), or Stephen Strasburg (.152/.196/.200) at the plate.
(Speaking of Scherzer and Strasburg: As the man on the radio once said, leave us not forget. The Washington Nationals, the defending world champion Nats, won the World Series entirely on the road. In the American League park. Where they were compelled by the rules to play with a designated hitter. I don’t think the Nats are going to ask for or accept an asterisk upon their triumph because they didn’t win any of those games playing “traditional” National League baseball.)
That was how long the Chicago Cubs clung stubbornly to daytime baseball until they, too, finally surrendered? P.S. They won their first World Series since an earlier Roosevelt administration under the lights. If the world and Chicago survived Wrigley Field under the lights and the Cubs winning a World Series likewise (they forced Game Six under the Wrigley lights and won the other three in Cleveland at night), the world will survive with the National League adopting the DH.
dark. Next. Red Sox: How much is Mookie Betts really worth?
Put the tradition argument to bed, once and for all. There are traditions worth keeping and traditions worth eroding. (This nation once fought a civil war on behalf of ending one very much worth eradicating.) The National League broke four traditions referenced above, and only one (artifical turf) was a terrible break. Introducing the Designated Hitter would raise its tradition-busting batting average to .800. Real hitters would ponder homicide for a batting average half that.