The idea of a designated hitter in the National League is a major topic in Major League Baseball once again, especially after the Cardinals’ Adam Wainwright suffered an injury in the batter’s box that has ended his 2015 season. Nationals pitcher Max Scherzer supports the idea, but the Giants’ Madison Bumgarner wants to stick with tradition.
Scherzer, who spent his previous five seasons in the American League with the Tigers before signing with the Nats in the offseason, told CBS Sports that the news about Wainwright’s injury was “brutal.” He also said he “wouldn’t be opposed” to bringing the DH to the NL so pitchers wouldn't have to hit.
“If you look at it from the macro side, who'd people rather see hit -- Big Papi or me?” Scherzer continued, referring to the Red Sox’s David Ortiz. “Who would people rather see, a real hitter hitting home runs or a pitcher swinging a wet newspaper? Both leagues need to be on the same set of rules.”
Considering that there is now an interleague game nearly every day of the season, it does make sense for both leagues to have the same rules. But baseball is steeped in tradition and it takes a lot to make things change. Bumgarner, who has spent his career in the NL is definitely opposed to change.
“Oh, well, my wet newspaper is 34 ½ inches, 33 ½ ounces, and I’m waiting on some new ones right now,” Bumgarner told The Mercury News.
Bumgarner wondered if Wainwright’s injury happened while he was pitching, would they be calling for pitchers to stop pitching? “That’s the way the game has to be played. I appreciate both sides of the argument and I get it. But (ending pitcher plate appearances) isn’t the way to go about (addressing) it,” he said.
Of course Bumgarner would want to keep pitchers hitting, though. He’s actually good at hit, hitting two grand slams last season with a .258 batting average.
Scherzer started his career in the NL with the Diamondbacks and has a career .159 batting average.