We Need To Talk

No, no...this isn't the "It's not you, it's me" talk. It's the "Let's talk baseball" talk. But before that, I have a question for you.

I'm most likely going to be visiting Boston in mid- to late-July. I don't know where to stay or what to visit (other than Fenway and Harvard, of course). So, do any of you that are familiar with the city have any suggestions? Hotels seem pricey, so I've looked into this whole AirBnB phenomenon. I'm not certain how to feel about it. (To be honest, I more concerned about offending the host, as I will be visiting with my cousin who is about to begin Naval Officer School in nearby Newport, Rhode Island, so we will most likely be drunk in the evenings) Any advice would be much appreciated!

Now onto the meat of the post. On my drive home yesterday, I was "fortunate" enough to listen to the local ESPN station (which just so happens to be Dallas), which featured Tim Cowlishaw. He and his temporary co-host were debating the designated hitter. As with everything Tim Cowlishaw, the debate was boring. So I thought I would open it up here in this blog for comment.

Personally, I hate the DH. You take a one-dimensional player (i.e. David Ortiz) and overpay him because he might be a productive hitter. He can't play defense to save his life, and if you make it to the World Series, he becomes a serious liability (i.e. Vlad Guerrero for the Rangers in 2010).

Now, the exact same argument can be made for those in favor of the DH. Pitchers today can't hit to save their lives. All they seem to do is bunt. Don't believe me? Going into yesterday's game, the Mets pitching staff was 1-for-72. That's a staggering .014. That isn't a typo.

However, most pitchers are multi-positional players until they reach their later years of college ball or the minor leagues. The pitchers that are exceptional hitters are moved to a fielding position - my guy Joey Gallo was a pitcher in high school with a heater that touched 98 mph - and those that are not exceptional hitters are discouraged from hitting, instead being taught the fundamentals of bunting and jogging.

Pitchers haven't always been like this. Some pitchers were exceptional professional hitters (think Babe Ruth). So to me, the answer is simple: the DH needs to go. Pitchers need to take regular batting practice like every other player. If he doesn't hit .300, that's okay. But don't take the bat out of his hands and make him bunt, or worse, replace him with an old man who can still hit for power occasionally. It just isn't right.