Miles: Why the NL should give it up and adopt DH
It's time to give up the fight.
As much as it pains me on several levels to write this, it's time for the National League to adopt the designated hitter.
No, they don't have to go down to the DH shelter and bring home a Big Papi, but it's time they got with the rest of baseball and made the DH part of their game.
For years, I had been staunchly against the DH coming to the NL, and I'm trying to take Cubs manager Joe Maddon's advice and not be knee-jerk about the recent Achilles tendon injury to Cardinals ace pitcher Adam Wainwright, who injured himself while batting.
But several factors are making the DH more palatable to me. One is that Major League Baseball — not to mention the players association — is not going to do anything to abolish the designated hitter in the American League. Another is that MLB all but wiped out league identities, eliminating the jobs of AL and NL presidents and bringing umpires under one umbrella several years ago.
That's much the same as the NFL operating with an American Football Conference and a National Football Conference. Yet you don't see, for example, the AFC using a 2-point conversion and the NFC not using it and sticking with tradition.
Another factor to watch in the great DH debate will be how much power Cubs president Theo Epstein is able to wield in MLB circles, especially when and if he signs a contract extension with the Cubs and then goes out and wins. Epstein, who formerly ran the Boston Red Sox, gives every indication of wanting the DH in the NL. (And who could blame him, with hitting prospects Kyle Schwarber and Dan Vogelbach in the Cubs minor-league system?)
“I'll save my comments for the league meetings,” Epstein said this week when asked about the DH. “I always let them know what I think every year. It always comes up, and we'll see if something happens at some point.”
So with that, here are a few points that weigh in favor of the DH in the National League:
It's ingrained:
The DH has been around since 1973, when it was introduced as an “experiment” to revive offense in an American League that had fallen behind the NL in star power and excitement.
A whole generation-plus of baseball fans know the AL only with a DH. National League teams use the DH in interleague and World Series games in AL parks.
It's organic:
The DH is so much a part of baseball, from youth leagues to high schools to colleges. Kids playing the game now think nothing of a designated hitter and, in some cases, a designated runner.
Trumping the strategy debate:
The argument I had always used in favor of keeping the DH out of the National League was that NL managers had to make a choice in some games when behind: pinch hit for their starting pitcher or leave him in and sacrifice offense.
But nowadays, another factor has made that argument less valid: pitch counts. Oftentimes, starting pitchers begin pushing the 100-pitch mark by the fifth inning and many more times by the sixth. So for managers in both leagues, the decision to remove the starter is made for them anyway, by the number of pitches thrown.
Moving back and forth:
The way things are set up now, certain players — DH types — are strictly American League players. With a DH in both leagues, the aforementioned Big Papi would be a desirable — albeit expensive — commodity for an NL club.
Similarly, a pitcher such as Greg Maddux preferred to stay in the NL, where he could play the “whole game.” With a DH in both leagues, an AL team might be a viable landing place for a pitcher who might otherwise not consider it.
Pitchers are pitching:
Yes, it's fun to see the Cubs' Travis Wood hit a home run, and it was cool seeing then-White Sox pitcher Mark Buehrle crack an unexpected home run at Milwaukee in an interleague game a few years ago.
But, really, how often does it happen? Not very often. American League pitchers today don't work much on their hitting, and it shows in interleague games in NL parks. Pitchers coming up through the ranks just don't prepare to hit as much as they used to, and it's painful to see them flail away at the plate.
So there you have it. Those are my arguments, and I've surprised even myself that it's come to this for me. I don't expect ardent purists to be swayed. But as we get deeper and deeper into the 21st Century, it's time to get everybody playing by the same rules.
• Follow Bruce on Twitter@BruceMiles2112. Share your comments online at dailyherald.com, or via email at bmiles@dailyherald.com.
Cubs scouting report
Cubs vs. St. Louis Cardinals at Busch Stadium
TV: Comcast SportsNet Monday, Wednesday and Thursday; WGN Tuesday
Radio: WBBM 780-AM
Pitching matchups: The Cubs' Travis Wood (2-1) vs. Carlos Martinez (3-0) Monday at 7:10 p.m.; Kyle Hendricks (0-1) vs. TBD Tuesday at 7:15 p.m.; Jon Lester (1-2) vs. Lance Lynn (1-2) Wednesday at 7:15 p.m.; Jake Arrieta (3-2) vs. John Lackey (1-1) Thursday at 12:45 p.m.
At a glance: These teams split two games in a rain-shortened series to open the season at Wrigley Field. Not surprisingly, the Cardinals lead the NL Central, and they've played well at home. Matt Carpenter and Matt Holliday are among the league leaders in batting average and on-base percentage. The Cardinals no doubt will miss injured ace pitcher Adam Wainwright (Achilles tendon), but they entered Sunday leading the NL in ERA (2.28). St. Louis ranked in the lower half in many offensive categories but was second in team OBP entering Sunday. The Cubs' Anthony Rizzo went into Sunday leading the NL in OBP (. 480). Cubs pitching ranked sixth in ERA (3.60).
Next: Milwaukee Brewers at Miller Park, Friday-Sunday
— Bruce Miles