The Football Fan Spot

Since the instatement of the designated hitter into the American League in 1973, that has been the question. It has seemed almost an oddity that the two leagues of the same major league would have completely different rules. In American League ballparks, you are allowed to have a 10th player who serves kind of as a permanent pinch hitter for the weak hitting pitcher and in National League ballparks, you are not allowed and the pitcher must hit. I have no strong feelings for or against the designated hitter, but one thing is clear, as a result of allowing the designated hitter in one league and not the other, there is a growing disparity in the two leagues in terms of both talent and revenue and something needs to be done about this. 

The designated hitter creates this disparity in two ways. One, it attracts players to the American League. Most pitchers don't want to hit and a lot of hitters, especially ones getting up there in age, don't want to play in the field. Because of this, more of the better players go to the American league, American league teams generate more revenue and this also attracts players in the American League in what is a growing cycle. 

Two, American League teams carry a 9th starting caliber hitter while a National League team only carries eight because simply, National League owners and general managers aren't willing to shell out the kind of money that it would take to lure some of these players away from the American League if there are really only going to use them as DHs in a few interleague games and the World Series, if they make it. It makes a lot more sense for an American League team to spend 3 million dollars on a 9th hitter than it does for a National League team to spend the same 3 million dollars on a 9th hitter who will DH a few games a year, maybe more, and also get some pinch hit attempts. So they don't do it and when American League teams play National League teams, NL teams are using their top pinch hitter as a DH, while the AL is using an everyday caliber batter. 

There have been a few glaring examples of the disparity between leagues in the past few weeks. The Red Sox cut both Brad Penny and John Smoltz because, with ERAs of 5.61 and 8.32 respectively, they simply weren't getting the job done against American League hitters. People assumed that these two pitchers, who were spending their first year in the AL, were simply washed up. However, when both returned to the National League, Smoltz to the Cardinals and Penny to the Giants, they looked like their old selves again. Smoltz has an ERA of 2.65 a WHIP of 0.82 and 21 strikeouts in 17 innings. Not bad for someone who just a few weeks ago was seen as washed up at age 42. Penny pitched 8 scoreless innings in his Giants' debut against the toast of the NL offensively, the Philadelphia Philles. 

Now Penny and Smoltz are just two examples. Former Indians Cliff Lee and CC Sabathia dominated the NL after being traded from the AL, Lee this year and Sabathia last year. Now both of these pitchers were good in the AL, winning Cy Youngs, but they were on a different level after changing leagues. If specific examples aren't doing it for you, how about some stats. The NL has not won an All-Star game against the AL since 1996. That's not a coincidence. Since the start of interleague play in 1996, the AL has won 1674 games to the NL's 1534 wins. The last time the NL has won more interleague games was 2003 and they've only done so in 4 years since '96. Some of them haven't even been close for the NL, and the last 5, demonstrating a growing disparity, have been 136-116, 154-98, 137-115, 149-103, and 138-114. The World Series has not been as bad, with the AL winning 20 of the 35 since 1973, but when you look at which league is winning the most individual World Series game, the AL has won 35 of the 55 games since 1998. Percentage wise that is 64% wins for the AL. 

This problem is not going to fix itself on its own. The more good players will continue to go to the league where pitchers don't have to hit, and hitters don't always have to play in the field. The AL will continue its dominance over the NL both on the field and financially, attracting more top free agents, widening the disparity. The AL will continue to spend money on a 9th everyday hitter, while the NL sees it unnecessary. Something needs to be done, either go DH in both league or in neither, I really don't care. And so I must ask the question I have asked several times this season. Where is Bud Selig? Is he still alive because I can't remember hearing anything from him at all the season, even with this DH problem, and more importantly the problem of the leaking steroid list that was supposed to remain confidential. What is he being paid 17 million dollars per year for?