Imrem: Pitchers hitting can be quite compelling

Surprise, DH breath: Many pitchers can hit!

Giants pitcher Madison Bumgarner even wants to compete in the home run derby at the All-Star Game.

Maybe his manager should let him. Maybe not. It doesn't matter either way.

What matters is that Bumgarner is another reason the National League never should adopt the designated-hitter rule polluting the American League.

I ate lunch with a scout for an NL team the last time I was at Wrigley Field and blurted that the NL shouldn't even consider adding the DH.

He not only agreed but is even more passionate about it than I am.

(This was thrilling to hear because usually when I talk baseball with a big-league scout he thinks I'm an idiot.)

“The American League game is boring,” the scout said.

Critics of the DH point out that the it diminishes strategy like pinch hitting for the pitcher, double switches and bunting runners along.

But a more compelling reason to let pitchers hit is that, well, some like Bumgarner can hit.

Two of the most exciting baseball moments of the past month were provided by a couple, uh, let's just call them hefty pitchers with bats in their hands.

No. 1 was 42-year-old Mets round mound of pound Bartolo Colon, who hit his first major-league home run in his 19th major-league season.

No. 2 was White Sox reliever Matt Albers, referred in places other than here as Fat Albers, as a triple threat: Pitcher, hitter, baserunner. In an interleague game against the Mets, Albers doubled, advanced to third base on a wild pitch and scored the eventual winning run on a sacrifice fly.

Not exactly boring, was it? Boring is someone like Kris Bryant doubling, moving to third and scoring on a flyball … been there, seen that.

Albers looked like Cosmo Kramer performing physical comedy when he stumbled toward second base and like a try-hard Tom Thibodeau player as he scored.

The Cubs are supposed to want the designated hitter in the NL so they can squeeze Kyle Schwarber into the lineup when his surgical knee is rehabbed.

Except, would the Cubs have a bigger advantage with Schwarber compared to opposing DHs than with their pitchers batting compared to opposing pitchers batting?

Jake Arrieta can hit. Jason Hammel can hit. Travis Wood can hit. Heck, Jon Lester doubled, scored a run and raised his batting average to .080 on Monday.

The AL instituted the DH in 1973, but neither Congress nor Mother Nature ever dictated that a pitcher can't be a good hitter.

Some of the major leagues' best hitting pitchers are some of the major leagues' best pitchers.

Zack Greinke is considered the toughest out in the group. Then there are Bumgarner, Clayton Kershaw, Adam Wainwright, those Cubs and others.

SBNation.com listed Ken Brett at No. 1 and all-time-favorite name Sloppy Thurston at No. 2 among the best-ever hitting pitchers.

Oh, and No. 9 on the list was former Cub zany Carlos Zambrano, and how much fun was it to watch him swing for the fences?

Seriously, if any change needs to be made, it's to let pitchers hit in the AL rather than make pitchers sit in the NL.

Next I want so see whether a scout agrees with me that two baserunners should be allowed to occupy the same base at the same time.

mimrem@dailyherald.com