Archive of UserLand's first discussion group, started October 5, 1998.

Re: Go Mets!

Author:Brent Simmons
Posted:10/18/1999; 12:19:15 PM
Topic:Go Mets!
Msg #:12127 (In response to 12125)
Prev/Next:12126 / 12128

This is one reason why I dislike the designated hitter. Without the designated hitter, managers must do more managing.

I think that's an illusion. The problem is that the managing that gets done is predictable. Pitchers are not good hitters. It's the same on every (NL) team, every game. The moves managers make are easy to anticipate, they're well-defined, there's not much creativity needed or possible.

The designated hitter takes away that predictability: every DH is different. Every team thus has a different strategy -- is their DH a good or bad hitter? Does he hit for power or average? Can he steal bases? Does he bat clean-up or leadoff? And so on. And AL teams have to know how to pitch to 9 hitters, not 8 hitters, they can't count on the pitcher batting 9th and knowing that you can strike him out unless he manages to lay down a bunt.

Of course, George Will says it better than I do, in Men at Work.

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