With a Philadelphia Phillies fanbase that has little to look forward to, news of the designated hitter eventually coming to the National League offers at least something. The DH does not look to arrive before the 2017 season, but after a boring four summers at Citizens Bank Park, any change is good.
Baseball commissioner Rob Manfred said the move will be addressed in the new collective bargaining agreement when the current one expires after the World Series. With the powers-that-be in MLB being in favor of this, it only seems like a mere formality in order for it to go through because the players see the move as adding jobs which is something they have never been against.
It’s about time. The NL has been behind the times for the better part of the last half-century. There is nothing more boring than seeing an automatic out every two or three innings, and even the best hitting pitchers usually do not hit over the famed .200 Mendoza line. Most of them are far below it. Since many of the NL’s No. 8 hitters cannot hit either, that’s an awful lot of automatic outs. The old argument about it taking away the strategy from the game is an outdated and tired one.
The move makes sense for a club like the Phillies seeking anything to attract fans. There are only so many dollar dog and fan appreciation nights the club can put on the calendar. It only makes sense for a big-market club with deep pockets like the Phillies to pay money for a free agent bat to force into the middle of the lineup, driving down other hitters toward the Nos. 8 and 9 spots.
If the free agent can put additional fans in the seats while the team builds for the future, that’s just an added bonus.
