It's Official: Astros to AL for 2013

[Metes]

To me, the crux of the issue is specialization. When we consider that pitchers batting is "tradition," we hearken back to a time when starters threw all 9 innings, and many of the position players were also pitchers.

That doesn't exist anymore. Positional specialization is predominant in every part of the game except for pitchers batting in the NL. It just makes sense to let pitchers pitch and hitters hit.

[Namaste]

If Team A's pitcher contemplates throwing at Team B's star hitter's head, Team A's pitcher needs to think about what could potentially happen when he faces Team B's pitcher.

Yes, Team B could still throw at Team A's star hitter but it's not quite the same in my eyes but I can see how others would disagree.

[Metes]

I really think that is such a small microcosm of the game to focus on

[Fritz]

It's not like hitters in the AL are constantly getting plunked.

[jOOj]

I can't take any of Fritz' posts srsly or funny since I imagine Whitney saying them. So I just kinda zone out. Huh?

[MiamiHomer]

Are there people reporting that a league wide DH is a strong possibility? I can't really find anything on it.

[Party]

Are there people reporting that a league wide DH is a strong possibility? I can't really find anything on it.

I haven't seen it elsewhere. But I think it's a strong possibility down the line with perpetual interleague play in 2013. I havent seen how the schedule would work out, but if each team plays 15-20 interleague series every year they will be at a disadvantage in half of those in most cases. Eventually people will figure out being at a disadvantage for 20-40 games every year in the name of tradition is not worth it.

[Party]

Some quick math:

Divisional Games: 18 games x 4 teams = 72
Division B Games: 6 games x 5 teams = 30
Division C Games: 6 games x 5 teams = 30
Total League games: 132

Interleague games: 30

Total games: 162

I want to see how they handle interleague. Would they eliminate the geographic rivalries in order to make it as balanced as possible?

[Party]

Some quick math:

Divisional Games: 18 games x 4 teams = 72
Division B Games: 6 games x 5 teams = 30
Division C Games: 6 games x 5 teams = 30
Total League games: 132

Interleague games: 30

Total games: 162

I want to see how they handle interleague. Would they eliminate the geographic rivalries in order to make it as balanced as possible?

LA Times reporting this is how the schedule will break down.

[Party]

"I think it's a travesty," Berkman said.[...]."It's a National League franchise. I think if they were going to do something like that, Milwaukee's the choice to go back to the American League; they're historically an American League franchise.

"It's a shame, I think, that Bud Selig is probably going to make that be sort of a condition of the [team's] sale. I don't like it. Even when I retire and live here in Houston, I don't want to go watch American League baseball. I'd like to have a National League team."

Berkman's anti-AL stance is nothing new. Back in July, he took aim at the DH rule, saying that baseball should ban it and that he'd rather retire than take a check for only hitting and not playing in the field. "That isn't baseball," Berkman said at the time.

I guess he's Omar's new favorite player.

[Metes]

Ehe wait five more years when you have no legs and let's see if you'd retire rather than DH

[Mainge]

Berkman's anti-AL stance is nothing new. Back in July, he took aim at the DH rule, saying that baseball should ban it and that he'd rather retire than take a check for only hitting and not playing in the field. "That isn't baseball," Berkman said at the time.

Except it is for every where else.

[Fritz]

I can't wait for him to play for the Orioles and collect $6M/yr to be a DH.