There's a pitcher in the major leagues named Max Scherzer. He was a star for the Detroit Tigers from 2010-2014, and he even won the American League Cy Young Award in 2013. In January, Scherzer signed a contract with the Washington Nationals.
Last weekend, Scherzer made comments to a reporter about how the National League needs to implement the use of the Designated HItter (like the American League does). His primary arguments were "pitchers can get hurt while batting" and "DHs are better and therefore more entertaining to watch."
There's a pitcher in the major leagues named Madison Bumgarner (nicknamed MadBum). He has played for the San Francisco Giants since being called up in 2009. Last year he started 2 World Series games, and came in to pitch 5 more innings in relief in a third game (which happened to be Game 7) on only 2 days rest. In his 3 World Series appearances he picked up two wins and save, and had an ERA of just 0.43, giving up 1 run in 21 innings.
On Monday night Bumgarner basically called Max Scherzer a moron. His primary arguments were, "pitchers can also get hurt pitching," and "Scherzer didn't seem to mind the National League rules when he signed his $210 million contract with Washington."
If I were a debate analyst, I'd give the win to Bumgarner. But then again, I think the DH is a terrible thing that should never have existed anyway.
Maybe I'm a curmudgeon, but there are more and more things going on in baseball that I find irritating (and I believe I have good reasons for feeling that way). At some point (if, for example, the NL does adopt the DH) I might want to start a new baseball league. I'd first have to find some investors, and start with a few teams. I'd have to entice at least a few of the current popular MLB players, but I could also recruit heavily out of high schools, Japan, and Caribbean nations. My league would be the game without the stupidity. There would be no DH, there would be no instant replay, and instead of complaining about defensive shifts, players would learn to bunt and run the bases agressively in order to curb the shifting. Less whining, more playing. That's the power of the New Baseball League.
Do you hate instant replay in baseball as much as I do? Or am I preaching to the choir?
I would add that watching Bumgarner put up those historic numbers in the world series last year was far more entertaining than any DH has ever been. Even people rooting for the Royals would likely admit that last year's series and pitching clinic by Bumgarner was entertaining to say the least. Not to mention that when a DH gets a triple it's entertaining. When a pitcher gets a triple it's more entertaining.
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