Should there be awards for each (baseball) league? Or just one?

[Mark2010]

Some of us are old enough to remember when baseball's American League and National League operated almost as two separate entities. Except for spring training, the All-Star Game and World Series, the two never crossed paths. Over time, even managerial strategies evolved separately: the National League game seemed to be more about pitching and speed on the basepaths, while the American League was known for power hitters.

With the advent of more and more interleague play, the distinction between the two leagues has become less obvious. We've even had franchises (first Milwaukee, now Houston) switch leagues.

So, should post-season awards like Most Valuable Player, Cy Young Award, Manager of the Year, etc. be combined the way they are in the NFL, NBA, NHL, MLS, etc.? Should there really continue to be two separate sets of awards each year?

 

[LongTimeListener]

People with nothing to say dying to say something just to fill air.

 

[Baron Scicluna]

Keep the awards the same, but one thing that I think should change is how records are seen if a player gets traded between leagues. You'll get a guy who, for instance, has a won-loss record of 11-5 in one league, get traded to the other, and then he shows up in the records as 0-0.

Just keep them combined.

 

[Riptide]

This thread earns a Dickie Award for nattering navel-gazing.

 

[3_Octave_Fart]

Noooo, ****'s use of the Socratic method isn't the least bit aggravating.
Nobody likes being cross-examined on an industry message board by an arrogant ass.
And then forced to choose between two awful answers on top of it.
That's the **** base offense.

 

[93Devil]

One league has a DH and one does not. Get rid of the DH and you might have something to go on. But there is the DH...

 

[Riptide]

Noooo, ****'s use of the Socratic method isn't the least bit aggravating.
Nobody likes being cross-examined on an industry message board by an arrogant ass.
And then forced to choose between two awful answers on top of it.
That's the **** base offense.

Why do you think your assumption holds here? Cite your work, please.

 

[Mark2010]

Mixed feelings on the whole DH argument. But I really do wish they would go one way or the other instead of half and half. Either everyone plays by it or no one does.

 

[93Devil]

Mixed feelings on the whole DH argument. But I really do wish they would go one way or the other instead of half and half. Either everyone plays by it or no one does.

I agree 100% with this.

 

[Michael_ Gee]

The DH blows. American League baseball, as a result, is less appealing than National League baseball. But I'd bet big money the DH will become uniform. The union, idiot owners, and Bud are all slavering to make it so.

 

[expendable]

The DH blows. American League baseball, as a result, is less appealing than National League baseball. But I'd bet big money the DH will become uniform. The union, idiot owners, and Bud are all slavering to make it so.

This. The DH just isn't natural, so with that in mind, it will be a part of the NL within five years.

 

[expendable]

If we keep it up, we'll eventually be right.

 

[Riptide]

Maybe the DH led to artificial, juiced-up sluggers.

 

[Mark2010]

The DH blows. American League baseball, as a result, is less appealing than National League baseball. But I'd bet big money the DH will become uniform. The union, idiot owners, and Bud are all slavering to make it so.

This. The DH just isn't natural, so with that in mind, it will be a part of the NL within five years.

Yeah. The DH means more offense, more home runs, more fireworks. I actually enjoyed watching managers make situation substitutions, pinch-hit for the pitcher, double switches, etc. None of that happens very often with the DH.

 

[Mark2010]

Maybe the DH led to artificial, juiced-up sluggers.

Bonds, Sosa and McGwire (primarily) were all NL guys.

 

[Riptide]

Maybe the DH led to artificial, juiced-up sluggers.

Bonds, Sosa and McGwire (primarily) were all NL guys.

Thanks for the news flash.

My point was broader picture.

 

[Rawbot]

The DH blows. American League baseball, as a result, is less appealing than National League baseball. But I'd bet big money the DH will become uniform. The union, idiot owners, and Bud are all slavering to make it so.

This. The DH just isn't natural, so with that in mind, it will be a part of the NL within five years.

Yeah. The DH means more offense, more home runs, more fireworks. I actually enjoyed watching managers make situation substitutions, pinch-hit for the pitcher, double switches, etc. None of that happens very often with the DH.

Why all the hate for the DH? I'd much rather watch a skilled hitter than someone you can basically count as an out every time you go through the lineup. Sure, there are the Micah Owings and Mike Hamptons of the world who can pitch and hit, but I still figure they're exceptions to the rule.

On the flip side, a perfectly placed sacrifice bunt is still one of the most beautiful plays in the game. I'd imagine they'd be few and far between in a DH-only MLB.

 

[Steak Snabler]

The DH blows. American League baseball, as a result, is less appealing than National League baseball. But I'd bet big money the DH will become uniform. The union, idiot owners, and Bud are all slavering to make it so.

This. The DH just isn't natural, so with that in mind, it will be a part of the NL within five years.

Yeah. The DH means more offense, more home runs, more fireworks. I actually enjoyed watching managers make situation substitutions, pinch-hit for the pitcher, double switches, etc. None of that happens very often with the DH.

Why all the hate for the DH? I'd much rather watch a skilled hitter than someone you can basically count as an out every time you go through the lineup. Sure, there are the Micah Owings and Mike Hamptons of the world who can pitch and hit, but I still figure they're exceptions to the rule.

On the flip side, a perfectly placed sacrifice bunt is still one of the most beautiful plays in the game. I'd imagine they'd be few and far between in a DH-only MLB.

Every league other than the National League uses the DH. They use it in high school, college, the minors and the American League. Some youth leagues use it, just to get another player in the lineup. It's stupid that the National League is the lone holdout.

But as a fan of a National League team (the Braves), my biggest issue with the NL not having the DH is that it means my team has virtually no shot to sign or keep a major free-agent power hitter. The Braves have no chance to re-sign Brian McCann, because some AL team is going to offer him more money and years, knowing they can DH him two or three times a week to rest his legs and make sure he's got a better chance of being an offensive force at the end of his contract.

Look at the trend lately. Pretty much every major free agent hitter in recent years has signed with an AL team: Pujols, Fielder, Hamilton, Teixeira, Crawford, Beltre (and yes, I know some of those were horrible contracts the moment they were signed). Jayson Werth and Alfonso Soriano are among the few exceptions.

And it's not just the free agents. How many veterans stick around and contribute to playoff teams because they can still hit but can no longer play defense regularly? I'd love for my team to able to have a Dave Winfield, Paul Molitor, Frank Thomas, Edgar Martinez, David Ortiz or Jim Thome for 4 or 5 at-bats a game.

The AL is never going to dump the DH. No way the union cuts 15 high-salary jobs. So the NL might as well get with it.

 

[Mizzougrad96]

I actually kind of wish the NFL and NBA had awards for each conference.

 

[Smasher_Sloan]

There should be awards for every ****ing division. That way they can be turned into TV spectaculars and the players can man hug each other and show off their blonde wives' purchased tits and it will all be good.