"Purity" vs "Quality"

[redseat]

I prefer the DH because I don't want my pitcher (who to me is the most important player on the field) either getting hit by a pitch (Yes I know they still have the chance on a line-drive) or hurting themselves running or sliding and having the bullpen have to come in. They are too valuable to a team. But I get why people don't want the DH as having all position players are part of the game... But do you honestly want a strike out every 9th batter? Yes on occasion you will see a homer or a hit but most likely an out..

 

[#1BostonFan]

I like the fact the all star game winner get's home field. It gives you a reason to watch if your team is contending. I mean who the hell watches any other all star game? I'm not even gonna say I always watch the all star game, but at least it's worth watching if your teams in the hunt.

 

[#1BostonFan]

I prefer the DH because I don't want my pitcher (who to me is the most important player on the field) either getting hit by a pitch (Yes I know they still have the chance on a line-drive) or hurting themselves running or sliding and having the bullpen have to come in. They are too valuable to a team. But I get why people don't want the DH as having all position players are part of the game... But do you honestly want a strike out every 9th batter? Yes on occasion you will see a homer or a hit but most likely an out..

You need the DH. I'm not sure how the NL fans feel, but watching the pitcher bunt or strike out is just wasting a spot in the line up. Now a days pitchers can't hit for shit, so why make them. That's like making your QB play defense.

 

[redseat]

I like the fact the all star game winner get's home field. It gives you a reason to watch if your team is contending. I mean who the hell watches any other all star game? I'm not even gonna say I always watch the all star game, but at least it's worth watching if your teams in the hunt.

I liked how the All Star Game was actually just that... AN All Star Game. Record should indicate who has home field advantage period... Not who wins a game in which fans vote players in.

 

[steveringo]

I guess I fall somewhere in between...

I've always considered myself a baseball purist, but maybe I should reclassify myself as a basball supporter.

I was two when the DH started, so I don't really remember what it was like without it. I like that the leagues have differnt rules... I don't thnk the NL should adopt the DH - and I don't think they ever will... I like watching pitchers flail as mush as I like seeing them drill a liner up the middle... I don't call it strategy when the NL manager has to yank his starter because there are two on in a 1-0 game. I call it bad luck... I thnk the NL has an advantage by adding a batter to their lineup in interleague games...

I actually like that the ASG determine the WS HFA. I do not like that the players used to treat the game like a carnival... What Selig F'd up was the fan voting. A major drawback/change should have been made to the fan voting. Give the fans the final player vote, but expand it to 2 or 3 and let them vote for anyone.

I like the concept of the wild card. I'd like to see two per league with a 3 game wild card round the day after the season ends - in the wild card city with the better record. The winner would play the 1 seed with the two other division winners playing on day 4. Might as well make it "wild"....

 

[steveringo]

With year round interleague play, there needs to be standard uniformity with the DH. Either all teams have it. Or no teams have it. One way or the other.

I think interleague needs to be scaled way back. With a 162 game season, we theoretically only need 54 interleague series. Get rid of the "rivalry" games and have each team play only four series agaist one opposing division - based on prior season standings...

 

[ImSmartherThanYou]

I'm a little all over the place on this.

I've loved the All-Star game since I was a kid. Love it. The moment where the players are announced and they each tip their cap might be my favorite 10 minutes of the baseball season. But the HFA decision is beyond atrocious. I think the game can be a combination of fun and competitiveness, and that's how it always was before "The Tie". Growing up in the 80s and 90s, those guys sure looked like they were playing to win to me.

Regarding the DH, people need to just get over themselves. It's never going anywhere, nor should it. I actually like that the two leagues have their own unique characteristics and qualities. Uniformity is boring. I also think the strategic element of the argument is overblown. Most managers are paint-by-numbers guys. These decisions make themselves for the most part. It's not rocket surgery. I also know that nothing is worse than watching a pitcher hit, and running through your bench because you have to pinch hit every other inning. I also think there is a lot more strategy in the AL than the average fan believes.

I'm also fine with the current rules regarding the Wild Card. I think the Wild Card winner(s) should be decentivized (is that a word? It should be.) in some way. Whether that's making them play a one-game playoff or making them win an extra game in the LDS is fine by me. In a perfect world, the league would do away with the divisions altogether, and the 4 best teams would make it. But we know that's too simple a solution for the powers that be to ever go there.

One thing that isn't mentioned in the OP is interleague play. I can't stand it. Never liked it for one moment. That's part of the reason the All-Star Game and World Series have lost their luster. Because we've seen it all already. When the leagues were completely separate, there was a lot more mystery and intrigue to these events.

 

[Clayton]

One thing that isn't mentioned in the OP is interleague play. I can't stand it. Never liked it for one moment. That's part of the reason the All-Star Game and World Series have lost their luster. Because we've seen it all already. When the leagues were completely separate, there was a lot more mystery and intrigue to these events.

I hadn't thought of that. Interleague play doesn't bother me that much because I don't think anyone has any clue about the World Series until it happens. I think the consensus opinion last year was that the Giants would beat in the Tigers in 7 and then the Giants came out and dominated. Cards and Rangers was a pretty incredible World Series. I don't really think interleague has that much of an effect.

 

[RobToxin]

I think interleague needs to be scaled way back. With a 162 game season, we theoretically only need 54 interleague series. Get rid of the "rivalry" games and have each team play only four series agaist one opposing division - based on prior season standings...

The problem is that each league now has an odd number of teams in it which means they either play interleague games or get 4 days off or whatever while everyone else plays a three-game series.

For whatever reason, they decided to move Houston to the AL giving each league 15 teams. You have to have full-time interleague play now or we will be playing the regular season into November to make sure everyone gets 162 games in.

 

[steveringo]

The problem is that each league now has an odd number of teams in it which means they either play interleague games or get 4 days off or whatever while everyone else plays a three-game series.

For whatever reason, they decided to move Houston to the AL giving each league 15 teams. You have to have full-time interleague play now or we will be playing the regular season into November to make sure everyone gets 162 games in.

That is how I came up with only needing 54 interleague series. One three game series at a time (54 x 3 = 162) (in theory)....