Tuesday, July 05, 2011
Quiz results: DH debate
Posted by Greg SimonsInterleague is in the rearview mirror once again, millions of cookouts were conducted Monday and a gazillion firewords lit up the night skies. What a great country.
One of the freedoms we hold in America is the right to vote. This applies much more significantly to our elected offices, but that doesn't mean sharing our opinions on baseball should be put on the back burner. After all, elections are merely annual events, while we can debate the greatest sport ever invented 24/7/365.
This week's poll dealt with the always-controversial designated hitter rule. With interleague play renewing discussions of whether the DH is a boon or a bane to the sport, you had the opportunity to cast your vote and have your say.
Here are the results:
What to do with the DH Percentage Get rid of it 47.3% Keep it the way it is 17.3% Play by the other league's rules 10.9% Full-time DH for everyone 24.5%The Hardball Times obviously has a heavy sabermetric tilt to it, and sabermetrically-inclined fans often tend to be skew away from traditional standpoints. Thus, it is somewhat surprising that nearly half the voters were in favor of ditching the DH altogether.
Maybe our readership skews more traditional that expected, maybe it's National League-heavy or perhaps this time of reflection upon our nation's history has many folks waxing nostalgic. Regardless, the results speak for themselves.
Only about one in six voters is satisfied with things as they currently are. It is an awkward arrangement, so it's understandable that many people are aching for a change
A mere one-in-ten voters elected to flip the home-team rules around during interleague. This is the idea I like best.
And a quarter of those casting votes want pitchers to pitch, and only pitch. Witnessing flailing moundsmen over and over again can do that to a person. Still, it's quite a treat to see John Lackey lace a double or Zach Britton launch a home run. (Yes, both of those things actually happened recently.)
In reality, the designated hitter is almost certainly here to stay. The owners want the added offense because fans like scoring. (Take a hint, soccer.) The union wants it because the position frequently is manned by a highly-paid player.
Regardless, debating baseball is always something fun to do, whether over the hot grill of summer or the hot stove of winter.
Greg Simons finally, sadly has conceded that he won't have an MLB playing career. However, in his dreams, he's still the second coming of Ozzie Smith. Please don't wake him up, though you can e-mail him at gregbsimons AT yahoo DOT com.
Greg,
Good Article.
Love, Mom