<BLOCKQUOTE class="ip-ubbcode-quote"><font size="-1">quote:</font><HR>Originally posted by Mr. Jones:
Absolutely would Charlie. I played this game before the DH. Trust me, the pitchers gave it a lot of thought. Remember Estes and Clemens. National attention and good for the game. The DH rule sucks because of this, lack of late inning strategy and its simply not baseball the way it was meant to be played. Been harping on this for 30 years.<HR></BLOCKQUOTE>
The theory sounds good, but the numbers don't really back it up. If you look at pitchers with a reputation as being headhunters back when pitchers swung the bat, you can see that they were hit as payback. Jim Bunning hit 160 batters in his career, but was only hit by a pitch once in over 1300 ABs. Drysdale hit 154, but was hit only 5 times in 1400 AB's. Gibson hit 102 batters, and was hit 8 times in 1500 ABs. Nolan Ryan hit 158 batters, but was never hit by a pitch in 900 ABs.
In the National League today the pitchers don't seem to have a problem at bat. Randy Johnson has onloy been hit twice despite hitting 146 batters. Keven Brown has nailed 129 batters but been hit only 5 times. Maddox has hit 109 batters but been hit only 5 times in 1200 ABs. Mark Prior is getting a reputation as someone who isn't afraid to pitch inside (and hit a few batters as well), but he hasn't been HBP yet.
I have problems with the DH, but the evidence doesn't really show that it causes more beanballs. Only in rare instances do teams find it worthy to hit the opposing teams worst hitter;
Absolutely would Charlie. I played this game before the DH. Trust me, the pitchers gave it a lot of thought. Remember Estes and Clemens. National attention and good for the game. The DH rule sucks because of this, lack of late inning strategy and its simply not baseball the way it was meant to be played. Been harping on this for 30 years.<HR></BLOCKQUOTE>
The theory sounds good, but the numbers don't really back it up. If you look at pitchers with a reputation as being headhunters back when pitchers swung the bat, you can see that they were hit as payback. Jim Bunning hit 160 batters in his career, but was only hit by a pitch once in over 1300 ABs. Drysdale hit 154, but was hit only 5 times in 1400 AB's. Gibson hit 102 batters, and was hit 8 times in 1500 ABs. Nolan Ryan hit 158 batters, but was never hit by a pitch in 900 ABs.
In the National League today the pitchers don't seem to have a problem at bat. Randy Johnson has onloy been hit twice despite hitting 146 batters. Keven Brown has nailed 129 batters but been hit only 5 times. Maddox has hit 109 batters but been hit only 5 times in 1200 ABs. Mark Prior is getting a reputation as someone who isn't afraid to pitch inside (and hit a few batters as well), but he hasn't been HBP yet.
I have problems with the DH, but the evidence doesn't really show that it causes more beanballs. Only in rare instances do teams find it worthy to hit the opposing teams worst hitter;
"Almost to man, baseball people believe these situations [beanball incidents] would occur less frquently if the pitcher had to bat and face the prospect of retaliation,"
Bob Costas in USA today Baseball Weekly
One of the reasons they didn't get hit all that much you guys correctly pointed out. They would still come to bat, however at some point when a game was not on the line if not that night then another. My take on this though is that many of them were bailing by the time the ball left the pitchers hand.
Bob Costas in USA today Baseball Weekly
One of the reasons they didn't get hit all that much you guys correctly pointed out. They would still come to bat, however at some point when a game was not on the line if not that night then another. My take on this though is that many of them were bailing by the time the ball left the pitchers hand.
<BLOCKQUOTE class="ip-ubbcode-quote"><font size="-1">quote:</font><HR>
One of the reasons they didn't get hit all that much you guys correctly pointed out. They would still come to bat, however at some point when a game was not on the line if not that night then another. My take on this though is that many of them were bailing by the time the ball left the pitchers hand.<HR></BLOCKQUOTE>
Could be...if the unwritten rules of baseball made pitchers responsible for beanball pitches they might be a bit more hesitant. But right now pitchers are pretty comfortable at the plate. The Reds/Cubs game earlier this year is a good example. Mark Prior threw behind Jason LaRue, and Paul Wilson retaliated by nailing Moises Alou in the thigh rather than going after Prior.
Of course, later in the game Wilson thought Kyle Farnsworth was throwing at him and charged the mound. Not a good move as Farnsworth planted him into the dirt, but it does show pitchers think they are above all the dirty work while at the plate.
One of the reasons they didn't get hit all that much you guys correctly pointed out. They would still come to bat, however at some point when a game was not on the line if not that night then another. My take on this though is that many of them were bailing by the time the ball left the pitchers hand.<HR></BLOCKQUOTE>
Could be...if the unwritten rules of baseball made pitchers responsible for beanball pitches they might be a bit more hesitant. But right now pitchers are pretty comfortable at the plate. The Reds/Cubs game earlier this year is a good example. Mark Prior threw behind Jason LaRue, and Paul Wilson retaliated by nailing Moises Alou in the thigh rather than going after Prior.
Of course, later in the game Wilson thought Kyle Farnsworth was throwing at him and charged the mound. Not a good move as Farnsworth planted him into the dirt, but it does show pitchers think they are above all the dirty work while at the plate.
