Change may be coming to National League, even if unnecessary and unwanted

The owners meetings ended Thursday in Coral Gables, Fla., with no discussions on bringing the designated hitter to the National League, but it's probably only a matter of time before it becomes a reality.

The knee-jerk reaction to Buster Posey's ankle ligament injury led to the rule change banning home plate collisions, so whenever a prominent pitcher injures himself batting or on the basepaths, it's just greasing the skids toward the adoption of the DH in the NL.


"Twenty years ago, when you talked to National League owners about the DH, you would think you were talking some sort of heretical comment," Commissioner Rob Manfred said Thursday at the meetings. "But we have a newer group. There has been turnover. And our owners in general have demonstrated a willingness to change the game in ways that we think would be good for the fans, always respecting the history and traditions of the sport."

Manfred works for the owners, so he's supposed to say things like that. The days of the commissioner's office being independent ended when Fay Vincent was pushed out in 1992.


So when Manfred makes a comment like that, you can bet he's speaking on behalf of the many owners who want the change.

Speculation is the DH rule will be brought up during upcoming negotiations of the collective bargaining agreement, which expires after 2016. That means we could have a DH as soon as 2017, forever changing the way the game is played in the National League.

The Cubs obviously are looking forward to a DH, because they already are prepared for it.

"We have so many hitters coming, who wouldn't mind a DH and an extra lineup spot to get another bat in there?" Cubs President Theo Epstein said last week during a question-and-answer session at the Cubs Convention. "But it's above our paygrade. It's really an issue for the commissioner and the owners."

It may be above his paygrade, but when Epstein talks, Chairman Tom Ricketts listens, and he'd be the one pushing for the rules change.

Epstein grew up on American League baseball in Boston and won two world championships with the Red Sox, so it makes sense he wouldn't mind changing a National League tradition if it benefits the Cubs.

And there's no doubt it would benefit the Cubs now. because they have two potential DHs in Kyle Schwarber and Jorge Soler, a couple of good young hitters who have yet to master the art of playing a corner outfield spot.

But for me, watching Jake Arrieta hit a home run was almost as fun as watching him pitch, and who can forget "Big Z" breaking the bat over his knees after striking out?


Baseball is too great a game to be ruined by a rules change, so if it happens we all will just have to deal with it.

But for some of us, the best part of National League baseball is the strategy. Watching manager Joe Maddon maneuver last year was a joy. In the American League there is much less need for it.

Baseball is a thinking person's game, after all, and even Maddon, who made his reputation in the AL with the Rays, has said repeatedly he is against adopting the DH in the NL.

"I think if you're a fan, you really want to get fans engaged, you'd like to believe the strategy of a National League game exceeds that of an American League game to the point where you should be able to capture some interest regarding building a new fan base," he said before a game last May. "So I'd prefer us to go all no DH as opposed to all DH, if it came down to that."

Of course, returning to the days of no DH in the American League never will happen. You would have to pry the DH's bat from the cold, dead hands of the players union.

So the only options are to stay the course or have everyone use the DH.


There's nothing wrong with having different rules in the two leagues. The late umpire Marty Springstead once told me his idea of making the All-Star Game more interesting was ditching the rule that says winner gets home-field advantage in the World Series. Instead, Springstead suggested the winner be given the option of using its own league rules in every World Series game. In other words, if the NL teams wins, no DH, even in the American League team's ballpark. If the AL wins, the DH would be in play in every game.

Is that unfair? Perhaps, but how fair is it to give one league the home-field advantage based on an exhibition game during which the managers are trying to give everyone an at-bat?

Anyway, let's keep the DH in the AL, and let NL fans enjoy watching the game played the same way it was more than a century ago.

Progress is fine, but everything doesn't have to change.

Twitter @PWSullivan