Vintage Baseball Glove Forum

Anyone listen to Jim Rome? He was talking today about Gary Sheffield being unhappy in Detroit about being the DH: Sheff said he does not feel like a real baseball player.

Rome's response was that Sheff does not feel like a real baseball player because DH's aren't real baseball players. They are glorified softball players.

I'm a National League guy myself- don't like the DH, never have, but I wouldn't go as far as "glorified softball players" Any thoughts on this from a bunch of guys who love gloves? Are DH's real baseball players?

They still get PAID - I'm sure they like the money. If they want ot play they field they need to earn their spot.

I agree, and some guys, I assume, are perfectly happy being a DH. I was talking about this with a friend of mine from the Seattle area- huge Mariners fan- and he thinks it's a lock that Edgar Martinez gets into the HOF. I disagree. He may get in, but it's certainly no lock, in my opinion.

I guess I'm just a purist, and I cannot see someone as a Hall of Famer who made a career out of being a DH- rarely, if ever, playing the field. I'm sure you American League guys will see it differently, even if you are so passionate about the leather.

I'm an American League guy, myself (cursed to have an affinity for the Texas Rangers! ), but I don't like the DH. I won't go so far as to say that the DH is not a real baseball player, but I would definitely say that the DH is a one-dimensional player. I think a player who doesn't have to worry about the defensive play he just made or didn't make in the last half-inning, or the fielder who doesn't go back into the field after spending time working the basepaths in his team's at-bat, is not a complete player. The balance is swung in his favor during his at-bat, if you ask me.

My honey-pie's son has developed into a baseball fan, thanks to time spent around me and my son (gee, go figure!), and he watches the Astros and the Cardinals. When I watch a game with him, I really enjoy the whole game, including pitchers who have to bunt, and Tony LaRussa batting his pitchers eighth in the order. It just seems like more of a complete game, to me.

ah ha! finally some one who shares my affection for LaRussa's managing! He is great

Give me the AL and the DH, anytime. What a complete and utter waste of time to have a pitcher bat. A futile and pathetic waste. I prefer to see offense in the batting order, 1 through 9, not throw-away at bats. AL pitchers have to be better all the way around because they have to face 9 hitters, for nine innings, not 8 1/8 hitters like in the NL. Why do you think marginal pitchers love the NL? The same reason that good hitters love the DH in the AL. Pitchers today, because of the scarcity of quality pitchers, and the obscene amounts of money that they are paid, should not be risking injury standing in the batter's box and waving feebly at three pitches. I pay way too much for my ticket to the ballgame to see that foolishness. Are DH's complete baseball players? Yes, and so are the pitchers in the AL that don't bat. Why, because they're the very best at what they do. God knows I wish I could do what they do and get paid what they get paid.

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