By Mike Rifkin
The end of February signifies the beginning of a new baseball season. One of the biggest takeaways from a shortened 2020 season was the designated hitter’s addition to the National League. As we approach the 2021 season, we don’t know if the DH will be retained. On February 9th MLB and the MLBPA reached a deal on health and safety protocols for the 2021 season.Two rules that are being retained from the 2020 season are seven-inning doubleheaders and starting extra innings with a runner on second base. There has been no mention yet of having the universal DH. There are baseball purists who like tradition and having pitchers hit in the National League.
Others do not believe in having designated hitters for teams, old school souls who remember that everyone got a chance in the lineup after playing the field.
In 2008 Yankees pitcher Chien-Ming Wang sprained his foot and tore a tendon running the bases against the Houston Astros then of the National League.And In 2015, Cardinals pitcher Adam Wainwright tore his Achilles s running the bases against the Milwaukee Brewers. While those are two examples of pitchers over-exerting themselves hitting, there are more supporting the need for the universal designated hitter.
Not every pitcher in baseball is Madison Bumgarner or Michael Lorenzen and are a threat at the plate. The pitchers should not be getting hurt running the bases. In 2015 Max Scherzer of the Washington Nationals said, “If you look at it from the macro side, who’d people rather see hit Big Papi or me? Who would people rather see a real hitter hitting home runs or a pitcher swinging a wet newspaper? Both leagues need to be on the same set of rules.”
Scherzer is correct because, as fans, we encourage more offense and a level playing field. But the universal designated hitter would benefit players in the National League because it allows them to give a player half a day off. They can keep them in the lineup without having them be in the field. Having designated hitters in both the American and National League level the playing field and allows for new and different guys to step up to the plate. It is time for baseball and commissioner Rob Manfred to make the universal designated hitter and bring it into reality.
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