Max Scherzer, a pitcher for the Washington Nationals, hurt himself while batting the other night. He has spent his entire career in the American League and after hurting himself, immediately came out as a proponent for the Designated Hitter in the National League.
This debate has gone on since Ron Blomberg of the New York Yankees stepped to the plate as the first Designated Hitter in the American League in 1973. I am against the DH in the National League. From the time you first pick up a baseball, you are taught to throw, hit, and catch. It is all part of the game. Most players do not master all of the elements of the game and it is very rare that a player is classified as a "five tool" player.
If Max Scherzer did not want to hit, he should have signed with another team in the American League. There are several good hitting pitchers out there, including Zach Greinke of the Los Angeles Dodgers. Fernando Valenzuela, Rick Rhoden, Don Robinson, Terry Forster, and Orel Hershiser were all good hitting pitchers. They all realized they could help themselves at the plate and more than the occasional sacrifice bunt. Rick Wise hit two homeruns while pitching a no-hitter and Rick Camp of the Atlanta Braves, a terrible hitting pitcher, hit an extra inning homerun to win a game and was probably the highlight of his career.
The DH has extended the career of some great players, Frank Thomas, Joe Carter, and Jorge Bell all come to mind. Harold Baines who spent pretty much his entire career as a DH, probably will not warrant serious consideration for the Hall of Fame for that reason. I do not think being a DH has hurt the legacy of any of these players, but I think the DH should be left in the American League.
No comments:
Post a Comment