[frangipard]

Originally Posted by The Wolf

Dead wrong. Have you coached in both a DH and a non DH-league? I have (non-professionally) and what you posted was nonsense. DH is pure autopilot.

Frankly, dude, that says more about you than it does about the rule. Earl Weaver spent his whole career in the AL, and was one of the most aggressive coaches ever in terms of actively using his bench players.



This is the Bill James quote I referenced earlier, plus another, plus two guys who obviously don't know much about managing saying the same thing.

Originally Posted by Bill James

The D.H. rule, far from draining strategy out of the game simply removes from the game the most trite, predictable, nonstrategic part of it.

Strategy exists only in making choices, only in the face of options. The National League game confronts the NL manager with frequent no-option situations, situations in which he must bunt or he must pinch hit.

The American League game allows a true option, and thus true strategy. That is clearly reflected in the fact that the American League has clear groups of big-inning teams and one-run teams, while the National League does not.

Originally Posted by Bill James

I'm not an advocate of the Designated Hitter Rule; I'm only an advocate of seeing the truth and telling the truth. What the truth comes down to here is a question of in what does strategy reside? Does strategy exist in the act of bunting? If so the Designated Hitter Rule has reduced strategy. But if strategy exists in the decision about when a bunt should be used, then the DH rule has increased the differences of opinion which exist about that question, and thus increased strategy...[the research shows] that there is more of a difference of opinion, not less, in the American League."

Originally Posted by Jim Leyland

I think managing in the American League is much more difficult for that very reason (having the designated hitter). In the National League, my situation is dictated for me. If I'm behind in the game, I've got to pinch hit. I've got to take my pitcher out. In the American League, you have to zero in. You have to know exactly when to take them out of there. In the National League, that's done for you.

Originally Posted by Mike Sciosca

The one thing at first I was very, very anti designated hitter, you know, coming from the National League. The one thing I found after working with it for three years is not only the offense opens up on another bat, but the little ball opens up. That's really almost contradictory to a designated hitter philosophy, where you think you have a big bat in the line-up. We can do more things in the American League, particularly as you approach the bottom third or bottom half of your order than you can in the National League because of the pitcher's spot. It creates more little ball in the American League than maybe might be on the surface and I think our club has, you know, been an indication of that.