DH debate rekindled at Coliseum
As the Giants assemble their designated-hitter strategy for Phase 2 of the Bay Bridge Series at the Oakland Coliseum, the argument is rekindled once again: Is the DH good for the game?
It won’t ever disappear entirely, which is a real shame, from this viewpoint. When commissioner Rob Manfred said he favors future expansion and a 32-team structure, it was easy to imagine — and then dismiss as pure fantasy — the elimination of interleague play and authentic baseball throughout.
Manfred made another interesting statement, though, more central to the issue. Reponding to a claim by players’ union head Tony Clark that the universal DH is “gaining momentum,” Manfred countered that if the DH is added in the National League, “there’s a brand of baseball that is done. I think there’s going to be some hesitation with respect to that. The most likely outcome remains the status quo.” Cue thunderous applause. The beauty of the current setup is that we have it both ways. The pro-DH crowd gets a steady dose and the National League purists are satisfied. It’s a lively, healthy dialogue, and if things get a little awkward this weekend, or during the World Series, let it ride.
So many smart people enjoy the DH, I begin wondering if I’m a complete lunatic. Then we learn that a couple of prominent pitchers, the Astros’ Justin Verlander and the Cardinals’ Adam Wainwright, spoke up for the traditional game during the All-Star break. “It’s just the way baseball is supposed to be played,” said Wainwright. And one of the most revered voices in the game, broadcaster Mike Krukow, had a simple but telling line the other night while watching one of the Giants’ pitchers hit.
“The beauty of baseball,” he said, “is being able to swing a bat.”
That’s my argument exactly. People don’t take up the game so they can try to field a line drive at close range. Standing on a mound and trying to stay composed? That’s not for everybody. A kid’s first love is with his bat. You can’t go to a sandlot, ramshackle field or conventional diamond without one. And if you do — in the American League or just about everywhere else at the game’s lower levels — you can’t call yourself a ballplayer.
Baseball is nine-on-nine, no specialists allowed. You hit and you field, and you run and you throw, and then the judgments come forth. The better athletes can override their weaknesses with strengths — or maybe they’re a one-note talent relegated to the bench. I know this is all Dick-and-Jane stuff, but it always comes back to the basics for me. There has never been a game so magnificently designed as baseball. If somebody gets to crack the starting lineup without holding a bat — sorry, that’s just wrong.
It’s been reported for years that young African American athletes aren’t playing baseball, but perhaps a revival is at hand. Hunter Greene, a Reds prospect, took the mound in last Saturday’s Futures Game and threw a 103 mph pitch. Infielder Ke’Bryan Hayes (Pirates) and outfielder Taylor Trammell (Reds) put on a show. Exceptional African American talent was everywhere that day: pitchers Justus Sheffield (Yankees) and C.D. Pelham (Rangers) and outfielders Buddy Reed (Padres), Kyle Lewis (Mariners) and Jordon Adell (Angels). Marveling at the spectacle, ESPN’s Harold Reynolds suggested that with so many parents talking their kids out of playing football, youth baseball is on the rise. ... That game also provided a pretty good argument for the pitch clock. Everyone’s used to it in the minor leagues. It’s not even an issue. The pitchers work faster, the hitters spend less time dawdling, and the pace is noticeably better. It’s time for the majors to at least experiment with the clock, ideally during next year’s spring training . ... Watch out for the San Diego Padres in the near future. They have stockpiled 10 of the top 100 prospects ranked by mlb.com, including shortstop Fernando Tatis Jr. (No. 3) and catcher Francisco Mejia, acquired in the Cleveland trade for reliever Brad Hand. Mejia had a 50-game hitting streak in the minor leagues two years ago, and he’s a switch-hitter.
Wikipedia is a pretty valuable research tool, but you never know if it’s been tampered with. In the piece labeled “History of the Golden State Warriors,” it’s claimed that “in the 1964-65 season, the Warriors traded Wilt Chamberlain to the Philadelphia 76ers for Jose Bustillos.” Somebody pen the correction! For the record, Wilt was dealt for Connie Dierking, Paul Neumann, Lee Shaffer and cash (which is almost as baffling as Jose Bustillos) ... The Kawhi Leonard saga got downright bizarre when he was traded to Toronto for DeMar DeRozan, who admitted being devastated after his longtime devotion to the Raptors’ organization. Said the Celtics’ Jaylen Brown on ESPN: “If Kawhi doesn’t want to go to Toronto, and DeMar doesn’t want to go San Antonio, I’m not sure it’s a good trade for either one. It’s tough to play if your heart’s not there.” ... And the gap continues to widen between Golden State and the rest of the league. Carmelo Anthony will make only a marginal difference in Houston, if he winds up there, and ex-Hawk Dennis Schroder, about to team up with Russell Westbrook in the backcourt, won’t help OKC at all . ... Rumors tend to be little more than that, but it was hilarious to hear that Nick Young might sign with Houston. You wonder if CP3 (Chris Paul) wants any part of Swaggy P . ... There was only one Bill King, and that goes for all time, when it comes to the daunting task of calling football and basketball play-by-play with accuracy, panache and opinions. But Greg Papa comes awfully close. Replaced by Brent Musburger in the Raiders’ radio booth? As the move to Las Vegas “creeps nearer” as one story noted, this is a creepy move.