Interleague play & the DH (merged)

I like the interleague play. Being from around Chicago it is always fun to see the Cubs and White Sox play.

 

I like Interleague play. I love getting to see my Reds use a DH. I think the time has come for the NL to adopt that rule.

I hope the Reds can sweep the Tribe. Heck, I'd like to see the Reds sweep anyone. :laugh:

 

I would just like to see it be the same for both leagues. Either both use the DH or both let the pitcher bat.

 

Agreed. I think the DH should be adopted. Seeing pitchers laughingly trot up there and flub three swings before laughing back to the dugout irks me. Games evolve, and it's time for the NL to get with the rest of the 21st century. I believe NL pitcher stats should be sabermetrically adjusted due to the fact that pitchers bat.

 

I can't help but think that the reason that the AL is stronger than the NL is because of the DH. The lineups in the AL are stronger, which requires that the AL team pitching staffs have to be stronger to compete. It doesn't matter to me whether they adopt it in the NL or not, but I think both leagues should be consistent.

 

1. I don't think your caricature of the DH is fair. AL teams need to carry guys that can play defense due to the roster limitations. Besides, there are plenty of beer-bellied pitchers, 1bs, etc. in the NL.
2. Statistics show that since the DH, there are years that the AL has more HBP and years that have the NL with more HBP. The DH doesn't make much of a factor, it would seem. Baseball Prospectus has a full slate of articles on this, but you have to be a subscriber.

 

Interleague play & the DH - Part Two

Why that thread was closed? I don't see anything wrong with that.

Last Friday, my friend and I went to Tigers game against St. Louis. Oh what a GOOD game! There were over 40,000 fans! I sat on the upper deck behind home plate. I love the view of downtown Detroit. I can easily see Renniassance Center(Detroit's tallest skycraper) right straight forward from the home pate.

I told my friend, I never seen Tigers got so many runs in that game in my lifetime since I attend Tigers game. Tigers got 9 runs in the 6th Inning only. Tigers crushed Cardinals 14-4!

Tigers should have win over Cardinals in the World Series last fall for sure. But, Tigers made so many mistakes and errors cost their games. If suppose, Tigers make good plays, for sure they would have won.

On Friday June 8, my friend and I will go to Tigers game again, against New York Mets. I bet, that game will be good!

I would like to see Mets play against Tigers in 2007 World Series, if they are keep continue winning in their own pace during this season.

I am expect Tigers would win over 90 games this year. Tigers' hitting is too good. I believe Tigers will make playoff this year again. Wait and see.

GO TIGERS!!!

 

Yes, Go Tigers! They were the best team in '87 and in '06. The best team doesn't always win the World Series, though. Maybe their experience will help them in the postseason this year, if they make it. They need to get Rogers and Zumaya back, though. Injuries are starting to take a toll in the pitching staff.

 

There's an old saying: if a frog had wings, it would fly instead of jumping :laugh:

Maybe the better team in the regular season doesn't win the WS, but a best of 7 format is designed to see that better teams prevail. It's hard to logically defend a team getting swept or losing 4 of 5 by saying they were better, barring injuries or something like that.

As to the other thread being closed, I'm investigating that.

 

Any statistician will tell you that a sample of 162 is better than a sample of 4-7.

 

1. I referenced the regular season vs. the playoffs.
2. We're not talking about statistical samples. We're talking about head-to-head matchups. Apples and oranges.

 

My point was that even though a 7-game series sometimes gives us the best team, it doesn't always do so. It didn't last year. And it didn't in '87 (for both the ALCS and W.S.).

 

It gives you the best of the best from the regular season. And the best in those 7 games.

If you just want the team with the best regular season record to win, then we should do away with playoffs and the world series.

The excuse for the Tigers winning so many games last year could easily include they didn't play good teams in several series, the teams theyt did play also had injured players, etc. It works both ways, not just during playoff time.

 

Bro. Reed,

True, but the [statistical] margin of error over 162 games is much smaller than over 4-7 games. I am no way arguing against the play-offs. I think they are fun. I am in favor of shortening the regular season, making the first round 7 games, and finishing the postseason by Oct. 15.

 

If they had used the best teams from the end of last season, say, from the All-Star break forward, the Astros would have been the winners. In any event, just before going into the playoffs, they were the best team in MLB. It's too bad they take the whole season into account.:laugh:

The Brewers are looking good this year. Much better than in previous years.

The Stros just can't seem to do well above .500. As soon as they touch .500, they lose 5 or 6 in a row, and then win 5 or 6. I wish we could get some consistency, although maybe the streaks, in either way, are consistent.

 

I don't like interleague play. I think it cheapens the game, and has too much potential to affect the postseason. SI this week had a little blurb about the schedules for some teams in interleague being much tougher than other teams. Consider it this way: When Team A in a division has an interleague schedule against teams over .500 and team B in the same division has an interleague schedule against teams under .500, Team B could end up winning the division because of that. And that is wrong.

As for the DH, it is the worst rule in baseball. The NL is better baseball because there is strategy--bunts, double switches, not wasting a pitcher by bringing him in to pitch the third out and having to pinch hit for him becuase he leads off the next inning. Here's an idea: Have pitchers learn to hit. It can be done.

 

It's the American (DH) League in which a pitcher doesn't have to be "wasted" by getting one batter out then having to be pinch hit for.

 

Yes, because there is no strategy. That's the point. The AL takes the strategy out of the pitching changes because there is no consequence to bringing a pitcher in to get a third out. You don't even have to think about it. And that is one reason why the DH is a bad rule.