Despite players’ interest, DH in NL not likely

WASHINGTON — Baseball players are open to extending the designated hitter to the National League and to expanding the winner-take-all wild-card playoff to a multi-game series. Management has little interest.

The American League has used the DH since 1972, and there has been more discussion among fans and media of expanding it to the NL.

“It’s gaining momentum, I’ll offer you that,” players’ union head Tony Clark told the Baseball Writers’ Association of America on Tuesday. “Players are talking more about it now than they have in the past.”

DHs often are high-priced sluggers, a reason players are interested in having the rule cover both leagues.

“Fans like to see offense,” said Boston’s J.D. Martinez, who has DHed in 54 of his 92 games this year.

Not all players agree.

“I lightly lean toward no, just because I’m used to the National League style of play,” Cincinnati’s Joey Votto said. “I find that the American League is a little more basic and the games are longer. That doesn’t excite me. On the other side, I guess I do like the idea of the occasional break and getting to DH.”

Baseball commissioner Rob Manfred said change was unlikely.

“I could have made a deal with the MLBPA on extending the DH to the National League,” he said. “I think the most likely outcome at this point remains the status quo.”

MLB began one-game wild-card playoffs in each league in 2012, when the postseason field was expanded from eight teams to 10. There has been renewed scrutiny of the format because of the AL East race. Boston is 68-30 and on pace for 112 wins, and the New York Yankees are at 62-33, which projects to 105 wins.

Color analysis afoot

Manfred seems willing to loosen the regulations for the color of players’ spikes.

The Chicago Cubs’ Ben Zobrist, Kyle Schwarber and Steve Cishek wore black spikes in May despite a warning from MLB of violating a regulation requiring that at least 51 percent of the exterior of a player’s shoes be the club’s designated primary shoe color. For the Cubs, that color is blue.

“We recognize the need to allow players to be more demonstrative on the field,” Manfred said Tuesday.

Manfred said deputy commissioner Dan Halem had given the union “a proposed agreement that would substantially alter the rules respecting cleat colors and what could be on cleats.”

Baseball, however, does want to maintain some sort of dress rules.

“What you don’t want to do is get into a situation where the field becomes a billboard for any and all political messages,” Manfred said. “The politicization of sport can be a very problematic thing.”

A’s, Rays parks plans

MLB is confident the Oakland Athletics and Tampa Bay Rays are moving closer to having plans in place for new ballparks. Manfred has said the sport will consider expansion, but only after the A’s and Rays get new stadiums.

The A’s hoped to build in downtown Oakland near Lake Merritt on land owned by Laney College, but the Peralta Community College District’s board of trustees killed the project in December. The team now is considering building adjacent to its current home at the Oakland Coliseum or on the waterfront at the Howard Terminal, which is more distant to mass transit.

“I remain committed to the Oakland market, and it’s not out of some conceptual fealty to the notion of franchise stability,” Manfred said. “It is because I believe that there is not another market in the United States that has the upside potential that Oakland has, and I think we would regret leaving Oakland.”

The Rays revealed plans last week for a domed ballpark in the Ybor City area of Tampa, which would involve a move across the bay from their Tropicana Field home in St. Petersburg. The 30,842seat stadium would be the smallest in the major leagues and is estimated to cost $892 million. Its roof would be translucent.

Manfred said the next step is a financing plan.

Osuna return OK

Manfred also said he does not have a problem with Toronto Blue Jays closer Roberto Osuna returning from a domestic violence suspension while a legal charge could remain pending.

Osuna agreed to a suspension through Aug. 4 under baseball’s domestic violence policy. He has not pitched since May 6, two days before he was put on administrative leave when he was charged with one count of assault in Toronto.

“If in fact the application of that policy results in Roberto coming back to work after a very long suspension while there are still unresolved criminal proceedings, I can live with that result, because that’s the policy we negotiated,” the commissioner said. “You can’t take all the benefits of the policy and then turn around and say, gee, I don’t like the outcome in this case and therefore I’m going to do something else.”

Osuna will wind up missing 89 days, which will cost him about $2.54 million of his $5.3 million salary. He will participate in a confidential and comprehensive evaluation and treatment program supervised by the joint policy board of MLB and the players’ association.

A 23-year-old right-hander, Osuna is 0-0 with nine saves in 10 chances and a 2.93 earned run average in 15 games this season. He was an All-Star last year, when he went 3-4 with 39 saves and a 3.38 ERA.