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8 Pros and Cons to the Universal Designated Hitter
A good and bad to everything.
By Mike Pickerl
MLB commissioner Rob Manfred confirmed that the league and the MLBPA have agreed to implement a universal designated hitter in the new collective bargaining agreement starting in the 2022 season. That means the experiment MLB tested out in the National League during the pandemic-shortened 2020 season will now officially be on the books moving forward.
Pro – National League pitchers no longer have to worry about advancing runners from 1st in clutch situations.
Con – We’ll miss hearing that classic Abbott and Costello routine.
Pro – National league pitchers no longer have to worry about their batting averages.
Con – Fans of the traditional game will miss out on the time-honored tradition of wasting time by watching a pitcher bat.
Pro – More home runs.
Con – You’re less likely to understand the score once you’ve woken up from your nap.
Pro – More people will see the talent it takes to be a designated hitter.
Con – More people will realize how few good ones there are.
Pro – Lineups will be easier to manage.
Con – Tony La Russa will still somehow screw it up.
Pro – More action in the game will attract a younger fanbase.
Con – A younger fanbase means fewer Cialis commercials.
Pro – A new pipeline for unique hitting talents around the world.
Con – Designated hitters are a force of evil, devouring the flesh of the innocent.
Pro – My grandfathers aren’t alive to see this.
Con – We had to put weights in their graves to stop them from spinning.
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