Play Ball! (That Means Everybody)

"I believe there should be a constitutional amendment outlawing Astroturf and the designated hitter." -- Crash Davis, Bull Durham

Crash is one of my movie heroes and it's because the man was simple and straightforward. He cut through the bullshit. He played ball, and he understood that everything else was good because he got to make a living playing ball. And stupid things that screwed that up--like "turf toe" and designated hitters--needed to be cast aside in honor of purity and bliss.

I'm guessing Hank Steinbrenner is not a Crash fan. This week Hank lost a pitcher to an injury sustained while (gasp!) running bases. See, the Yankees are an American League team which use a designated hitter, but they were playing an interleague game in a National League park where pitchers are expected to play a whole game like everyone else. Hank was pissed, and issued this pissy little statement:

“My only message is simple. The National League needs to join the 21st century. They need to grow up and join the 21st century. I’ve got my pitchers running the bases, and one of them gets hurt. He’s going to be out. I don’t like that, and it’s about time they address it. That was a rule from the 1800s.”

I hate to point out your stupidity, Hank, but what rule are you talking about? You mean the rule that authorized the use of a non-fielding player to do half the work of a non-batting pitcher? That rule was discussed since the early 1900s, sure, but didn't go into effect until 1973.

Yes, the DH is exciting. He swings a big bat. He makes a lot of home runs. Good for him. But what of the game? Essentially, you have two players who only work half the time. Two prima donnas who only do what they like best. Is that fair to the rest of the guys who play on both sides of the plate, running, batting, fielding? Why don't we really get into the 21st Century and carry this idea out to its natural conclusion. We can play 18 players a game with nine guys to do the fielding and nine big bats to do the hitting. Boy, wouldn't that be fun?

In baseball, everyone should play the whole game, and that means the pitcher too. Baseball is a team sport and everyone brings their particular skills to the field. Some are better batters, and some can break a batter's heart with an unhittable pitch or a diving, body-sacrificing catch. That's what makes it cool. I don't want baseball to be "in the 21st Century." I like the kind of baseball Babe Ruth played. The Babe was a first class pitcher and hitter. I have an idea he's smirking down on Hank about now.