Astros To The AL West

[brett05]

Most AL teams are so much better than their NL counterparts that they wouldn't blink when losing the DH. If both leagues were equal it'd be something worthy of complaint, but as it is, I doubt they really care. They basically have to decide whether they want to hide their DH at 1B or LF, or to leave him on the bench as a pinch-hitter.

Wait a moment. Last I checked the NL won the World Series and everyone thought the best team in baseball was the Phillies

 

[dabynsky]

But here's why logical it isn't an advantage for the NL. They can't carry players like David Ortiz or do what the Rangers did with Michael Young this past year because it would be a waste of resources. So instead when an NL team has to play at an AL with the DH, they are forced to use in virtually all cases a crappy bench player. Whereas AL teams build their team to have 9 regular position players. An example from this year, when the Cubs went to Boston it meant that the Cubs got to put in players like Blake DeWitt and Jeff Baker in the lineup. Whereas the Red Sox got to use David Ortiz. NL teams don't carry 9 position players because it would be a waste of resources to do so (not to mention causing clubhouse issues with having a legitimate starter having to sit on the bench every day). So yes you can say in theory that it is an advantage for NL teams to go to the AL, but in practice it almost always benefits the AL team more.

 

[dabynsky]

Wait a moment. Last I checked the NL won the World Series and everyone thought the best team in baseball was the Phillies

Don't tell Dewey that because every AL team is automatically better than an NL team.

 

[Rice Cube]

Wait a moment. Last I checked the NL won the World Series and everyone thought the best team in baseball was the Phillies

Just because the NL won the World Series doesn't make them better :lol: Also, if you look at the season records in both leagues, more teams in the AL finished over .500 than in the NL. Any objective observer should see many reasons why the AL is better than the NL and the DH is only part of it.

 

[brett05]

But here's why logical it isn't an advantage for the NL. They can't carry players like David Ortiz or do what the Rangers did with Michael Young this past year because it would be a waste of resources. So instead when an NL team has to play at an AL with the DH, they are forced to use in virtually all cases a crappy bench player. Whereas AL teams build their team to have 9 regular position players. An example from this year, when the Cubs went to Boston it meant that the Cubs got to put in players like Blake DeWitt and Jeff Baker in the lineup. Whereas the Red Sox got to use David Ortiz. NL teams don't carry 9 position players because it would be a waste of resources to do so (not to mention causing clubhouse issues with having a legitimate starter having to sit on the bench every day). So yes you can say in theory that it is an advantage for NL teams to go to the AL, but in practice it almost always benefits the AL team more.

You have shown zero AL benefit. The NL team replaced a .050 hitter with a .250 one. The AL team replaces a power hitting .280 hitter with a .000 hitter. This isn't a comparison on DHs. It's a comparison on who get an advantage or disadvantage

 

[brett05]

Just because the NL won the World Series doesn't make them better :lol: Also, if you look at the season records in both leagues, more teams in the AL finished over .500 than in the NL. Any objective observer should see many reasons why the AL is better than the NL and the DH is only part of it.

I never said where I fall, just that it isn't cut and dry as you've presented it on the topic of DH.

 

[Rice Cube]

You have shown zero AL benefit. The NL team replaced a .050 hitter with a .250 one. The AL team replaces a power hitting .280 hitter with a .000 hitter. This isn't a comparison on DHs. It's a comparison on who get an advantage or disadvantage

The top 8 in an AL lineup is probably better than the top 8 in a NL lineup. The disadvantage conferred to the AL team isn't as big as you think it is.

 

[brett05]

You are right it's bigger. The Red Sox losing Ortiz is like the cards losing Berkman or Holliday

 

[Rice Cube]

You are right it's bigger. The Red Sox losing Ortiz is like the cards losing Berkman or Holliday

The Red Sox could decide to put Ortiz at 1B. You would sacrifice defense but you'd still have a good top 8 in your lineup. If the NL pitcher is going to bunt most of the time anyway the AL team can definitely overcome that. Plus AL pitchers have done well in interleague before at the plate.

The advantage/disadvantage thing is just an excuse put out by people who don't like interleague. It does exist but it's really not that big of a deal because most teams/players are big boys and will suck it up and play.

 

[brett05]

So you admit the problem is real. That is good.

So you play Ortiz at first and lose your best hitter and fielder in A-Gon

I realize that a team like the Red Sox can lose their dh, most al teams can't

 

[brett05]

Of course they suck it up. Doesn't make it right or any less of a disadvantage for AL Clubs

 

[dabynsky]

You have shown zero AL benefit. The NL team replaced a .050 hitter with a .250 one. The AL team replaces a power hitting .280 hitter with a .000 hitter. This isn't a comparison on DHs. It's a comparison on who get an advantage or disadvantage

But the comparison isn't between an .050 and a .250 one for the NL team. It is the .250 to a middle of the order bat for a lot of teams. That is the advantage for the AL teams. Losing that bat hurts AL teams when they play in the NL park, but it means that they have a pinch hitter that they can call upon that is better than anything the NL club can.

 

[Rice Cube]

So you admit the problem is real. That is good.

So you play Ortiz at first and lose your best hitter and fielder in A-Gon

I realize that a team like the Red Sox can lose their dh, most al teams can't

Sure the problem is real, but the Red Sox tried creative ways to get both in the lineup. They played Ortiz at 1B and A-Gon in RF. It depends on what your team is willing to do to adapt. If your team is well-balanced the loss of the DH or trying to scrounge up a DH (if you're a NL team) doesn't matter. The problem only manifests itself because the teams are built to play only six or nine NL games before they hopefully get to the World Series to play three or four with NL rules.

Once you change the rules of engagement (i.e. implementing all-season interleague in 2013) the teams have to adjust to it. The teams that adjust the best will do the best. That's part of the reason why the best teams (Philly, Yankees) dominate in interleague, because they are the most adaptable. The AL teams usually dominate because they're simply better than their NL counterparts, but with interleague counting towards regular season record and more games, I think the NL will adjust as well. So then we'll see, once both leagues are more equalized, how big that disadvantage really is.

 

[brett05]

So a pinch hitter is better than a no hit pitcher who sees 2-3 at bats?

 

[Rice Cube]

So a pinch hitter is better than a no hit pitcher who sees 2-3 at bats?

You also have to figure that the AL pitcher is going to be better than his NL counterpart so any advantage the NL team has is dampened.

 

[brett05]

I dont see how equalized the schedule will be in 2013. I doubt it will be any more than what is already played today

 

[brett05]

You also have to figure that the AL pitcher is going to be better than his NL counterpart so any advantage the NL team has is dampened.

So you are saying that the A L pitcher is a better hitter, pitcher, or both?

 

[Rice Cube]

So you are saying that the A L pitcher is a better hitter, pitcher, or both?

I'm saying that you can't assume that the AL pitcher won't be able to hit, but if you look at the league effects and the quality of pitching between leagues, the AL pitcher is going to be superior on the mound.

 

[brett05]

Let's say they are. Thats not a disadvantage to NL teams. That's bad GMs not picking quality pitchers in the NL. Your analogy does seem to work. No team loses anything in your theory

 

[brett05]

Can anyone get the averages if AL pitchers since IL started?