Oh my goodness! The baseball season is over three weeks old and I haven't blogged ANYTHING on here since Opening Day! What is WRONG with me? Nothing really; other than the fact that I've been busy with my day job, Tupperware business, weekly blog posts for my local paper, spring break (which included a trip to Nationals Park), kids' activities, and life in general. Oh, and the fact that my Nationals have lost 8 of their last 11 games has been a bit of a downer. Buy I'm a pretty optimistic person, so I won't let their current .500 record get me down.
So what have been some of the surprises so far this year (aside from the Nationals leading the Major Leagues in errors)? First I have to mention the Toronto Blue Jays. They're in last place in the AL East with a record of 8-13 despite having star players like Melky Cabrera (who still hasn't hit a home run), José Reyes (currently on the Disabled List), and last year's Cy Young Award winner R.A. Dickey (who is 2-3 so far with a 4.86 ERA). As much hype as the Blue Jays got during the off-season, you'd think they'd be solidly in first place (kind of like the hype the Nats got... yeah.) Then there's the Yankees, who are 11-8 despite not having Derek Jeter, Curtis Granderson, or Alex Rodriguez in their lineup. And how about that Justin Upton? He's leading the Majors with 11 home runs and is helping the Atlanta Braves maintain first place in the NL East. It's annoying how good he is!
One thing I do want to focus on in today's post is the Designated Hitter. Now if you're a regular reader of this blog, you probably know that I am not a fan of the DH. In fact, I believe I have said before that if I were ever to become Commissioner of baseball, the DH is something I would eliminate. Well in last Sunday's Baltimore Sun, columnist Kevin Cowherd (What is it with that newspaper having columnists with funny last names? First it was Schmuck and now Cowherd?) said that the Designated Hitter needs to be made universal. Is Mr. Cowherd on crack? Does he not like when a pitcher happens to hit an unexpected extra-base hit? Does he not appreciate the double-switch? Does he just want managers to sit there and not manage? I had a hard time digesting Mr. Cowherd's justifications.
First of all, Mr. Cowherd can't tolerate when a pitcher stands there looking at a few fastballs just to end up striking out. Clearly he missed Stephen Strasburg's double a couple of weeks ago or the home run hit by Gio Gonzalez in his first start of the season. Has he seen switch-hitting Carlos Zambrano lately? How about the Rockies' Micah Owings, who in only two seasons has 5 home runs, a .316 batting average, and is often used as a pinch hitter? Clearly not. And what's wrong with the sacrifice bunt? Some pitchers like current free agent Liván Hernandez are masterful bunters. I'm no braniac, but the name Babe Ruth seems to come to mind right about now when thinking about pitchers who could hit... I don't know why.
I do agree with Mr. Cowherd in that having the DH does extend the career of some players (like that of David "Big Papi" Ortiz). But if Ortiz was in the National League, he could still pinch hit; it's not like pitchers always bat for themselves and the guys on the bench never play. Au contraire - this is when the double switch comes in and the game becomes more strategic (which Mr. Cowherd does not appreciate). He just wants to see big-muscled guys hitting home runs instead of having to "watch a pitcher flail away like a blindfolded kid hacking at a piñata. Problem is, being an Orioles fan, he has not seen a lot of National League pitchers who can actually bat. Check out Dontrell Willis, Jason Marquis, and even CC Sabathia - they can all hit. And now that there are interleague games being played almost daily, it's time for pitchers in both leagues to take batting practice and help their teams offensively. Even if it's with a sacrifice fly, a bunt, or a surprising extra-base hit.
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