Hank Steinbrenner is the biggest...uh...kitty...I've ever seen

[dickay]

Pitchers are more likely to get hurt pitching than hitting or running the bases. The extra risk incured by pitchers batting is minimal. If you really want to protect your star pitchers from injury, make them batters.

cmon now, if we're going to debate you have to be realistic. Of course the chances of getting hurt pitching is more likely, as you posted it is 'meaningfully high'. The extra risk incured batting and running is minimal?? These guys make millions of dollars and are RARE COMMODITIES (which is why you don't make them batters, cmon now even you can admit that wasn't a realistic statement, oh and batters get injured often swinging bats and running bases).

Whether or not its only a 'minimal' risk enhancement is definetly debateble but not important. You're talking to a risk manager here. If I exposed a valuable rare commodity of my clients to additional unnecessary risk regardless of how minimal i'm playing with fire and likely to be shitcanned.

[filihok]

cmon now, if we're going to debate you have to be realistic. Of course the chances of getting hurt pitching is more likely, as you posted it is 'meaningfully high'. The extra risk incured batting and running is minimal??

How is it unrealistic? The only evidence I have is Will Carroll's statement saying Wang is the only pitcher injured running the bases this year. I will accept that as fact as I have to evidence other wise. One out of ?thousands? that's minimal in my book.

These guys make millions of dollars and are RARE COMMODITIES (which is why you don't make them batters, cmon now even you can admit that wasn't a realistic statement, oh and batters get injured often swinging bats and running bases)

Yes, there is an inherent risk of injury while playing baseball. What percentage of the population can play short stop at a major league level? I would argue everybody out there is a rare commodity.

Whether or not its only a 'minimal' risk enhancement is definetly debateble but not important. You're talking to a risk manager here. If I exposed a valuable rare commodity of my clients to additional unnecessary risk regardless of how minimal i'm playing with fire and likely to be shitcanned.

What other rule changes would you all like to see? Every now and then a line drive will hit the pitcher and injure him. Should we leave up the batting practice fences during the game to prevent this? And before you all curse me for making this statement. This happens more frequently than Wang type injuries (from my own observations-no I have no hard data-but come on...). It's easily preventable. Put a big fence around the guy. Every major league team has one.

Baseball players get injured. They get injured playing baseball. We should take steps to prevent this. Batting helmets. Banning intentional beanings. Monitoring slides. But telling players that they can't play is not an option.

[Swampdog]

Well Dickay, thanks for the links. I have read each column, and every one is speculative nonsense. General statements, just like yours are. Not one study listed anyplace. Nonetheless, it was interesting reading the vague attempts made by those with a special agends. Nothing adds to a debate like distorted stats. You have my gratitude, at least, for awakening me to these ridiculous arguments.

It is a fact that the AL has gotten the better of the NL over the past 3 years, no doubt. This has absolutely NOTHING to do with the DH, from what I can see. The fact that the AL has dominated interleague play the past 3 years is due solely to the fact that the AL is a much stronger league, top to bottom, in my opinion. Lets not lose sight of the other facts:

1) Starting with the implementation of the DH in 1973, the National League dominated the all-star game (10 straight wins), and won more than half of the WS (6-4) in the first 10 years of competition. There was not, of course, interleague play, so this created a small sample of games. OK, so point 2......

2) For the first 9 years of interleague play, it was the National league that won more than 50% of the games. The Al has only begun to dominate as recently as 2005. Now, if the AL's recent domination is exclusively due to the DH....what is the excuse for the NL lead in interleague games for the first 9 years?

Answer; The DH does NOT give the AL an advantage. The current format gives the NL an overall advantage.... it's just that the NL is an inferior league, overall... just like the AL was in the 1960's and 1970's.

[dickay]

Well Dickay, thanks for the links. I have read each column, and every one is speculative nonsense.

When one goes into a discussion with a set mind & agenda, everything that differs with that mindset is going to be viewed as nonsense. Statistics can be twisted in many ways, you are correct. We'll just agree to disagree.

[ohms_law]

Why aren't all players required to pitch?

[Swampdog]

From Dickay.....

"When one goes into a discussion with a set mind & agenda, everything that differs with that mindset is going to be viewed as nonsense. Statistics can be twisted in many ways, you are correct. We'll just agree to disagree."

I do have a "set mind" on the DH... but its based on facts. You also have made up your mind already, and from what I can tell, you discard any differing opinions quickly, out of hand. No consideration for any evidence presented that does not support your opinions (key word here--opinions). I look at facts to reach a conclusion. Ok, the conclusions are somewhat based on logic and common sense as well....but the relevant facts, mainly. However, I am always open to a different view. I just want to see the logic behind the opposing view. Not just random speculative nonsense. You know, the thing that athletes, analysts, and online forum posters are so good at.

I can certainly agree to disagree. Fair enough. Have a good day then.

[filihok]

Why aren't all players required to play third or catcher or center field?

A baseball team has 9 players per rule 1.01.

These 9 players make up the defense and offense.

The manager places them in the defensive and offensive position (batting order) he thinks will be most conducive to helping the team win.

[ohms_law]

The Designated Hitter is in the rules as well:

6.10
Any League may elect to use the Designated Hitter Rule.
(a) In the event of inter-league competition between clubs of Leagues using the Designated Hitter Rule and clubs of Leagues not using the Designated Hitter Rule, the rule will be used as follows:
1. In World Series or exhibition games, the rule will be used or not used as is the practice of the home team.
2. In All-Star games, the rule will only be used if both teams and both Leagues so agree.
(b) The Rule provides as follows:
A hitter may be designated to bat for the starting pitcher and allsubsequent pitchers in any game without otherwise affecting the status of the pitcher(s) in the game. A Designated Hitter for the pitcher must be selected prior to the game and must be includedin the lineup cards presented to the Umpire in Chief.
The designated hitter named in the starting lineup must come to bat at least one time, unless the opposing club changes pitchers.
It is not mandatory that a club designate a hitter for the pitcher, but failure to do so prior to the game precludes the use of a Designated Hitter for that game.
Pinch hitters for a Designated Hitter may be used. Any substitute hitter for a Designated Hitter becomes the Designated Hitter. A replaced Designated Hitter shall not re-enter the game in any capacity.
The Designated Hitter may be used defensively, continuing to bat in the same position in the batting order, but the pitcher must then bat in the place of the substituted defensive player, unless more than one substitution is made, and the manager then must designate their spots in the batting order.
A runner may be substituted for the Designated Hitter and the runner assumes the role of Designated Hitter. A Designated Hitter may not pinch run.
A Designated Hitter is “locked” into the batting order. No multiple substitutions may be made that will alter the batting rotation of the Designated Hitter.
Once the game pitcher is switched from the mound to a defensive position this move shall terminate the Designated Hitter role for the remainder of the game.
Once a pinch hitter bats for any player in the batting order and then enters the game to pitch, this move shall terminate the Designated Hitter role for the remainder of the game.
Once the game pitcher bats for the Designated Hitter this move shall terminate the Designated Hitter role for the remainder of the game. (The game pitcher may only pinch-hit for the Designated Hitter.)
Once a Designated Hitter assumes a defensive position this move shall terminate the Designated Hitter role for the remainder of the game. A substitute for the Designated Hitter need not be announced until it is the Designated Hitter’s turn to bat.

[HoustonGM]

It makes me laugh when people try to make the argument that the DH "breaks the rules."

[filihok]

I'm not making THAT arguement. I'm just stating my belief that baseball is your nine players against my nine players. I'll line my nine up on the field and in the batting order and see what happens.

I DON'T think baseball is "I'll line up my ten, well...nine in the field, and nine in the batting order, but one of the guys in the field, you see, he won't be in the batting order, and the one guy in the batting order, he won't be in the field. So anyway...I'll line up my nine or ten or whatever and you line up some of yours and we'll play. What's that? Why doesn't my one guy bat? Well, that's cause he's not very good. What? One of your guys can't catch? And another can't run? Well, see that's different..."

And Ohms, you never answered my question as to why doesn't everyone have to play each position.

[HoustonGM]

Well, thankfully, it's not like that, because both teams are well aware of the rules and it's more like..."I'll lineup by 8 fielders and the pitcher in the field, and then my 8 fielders and a designated hitter in the lineup, and you'll do the same."

[filihok]

The pitcher IS a fielder. That's the entire crux of this argument.

[dickay]

From Dickay.....

"When one goes into a discussion with a set mind & agenda, everything that differs with that mindset is going to be viewed as nonsense. Statistics can be twisted in many ways, you are correct. We'll just agree to disagree."

I do have a "set mind" on the DH... but its based on facts. You also have made up your mind already, and from what I can tell, you discard any differing opinions quickly, out of hand. No consideration for any evidence presented that does not support your opinions (key word here--opinions). I look at facts to reach a conclusion. Ok, the conclusions are somewhat based on logic and common sense as well....but the relevant facts, mainly. However, I am always open to a different view. I just want to see the logic behind the opposing view. Not just random speculative nonsense. You know, the thing that athletes, analysts, and online forum posters are so good at.

I can certainly agree to disagree. Fair enough. Have a good day then.

facts?? i've begged and pleaded for you guys to come up with facts and haven't seen one. I've found threads supporting my argument after you stated you've never seen any. You want to discard anything that doesn't support your position, and offer no supporting evidence to the contrary.

[HoustonGM]

Than we're arguing semantics.

There isn't even anything to "argue." The fact of the matter is, the DH is in the rules, and is allowed, and it's still baseball. We can argue over whether or not we like the DH, but that's like arguing whether vanilla ice cream or chocolate ice cream is better.

[filihok]

Vanilla...rule 1.01 states...oh, never mind