I don't like the designated hitter. A guy who plays should be able to catch and hit.
Sentiment: NEGATIVE
If I've got a good pinch-hitter, I hate to have him stay on the bench with men on the bases in an early inning. He may end the game right there.
No baseball pitcher would be worth a darn without a catcher who could handle the hot fastball.
I might have a great game hitting, but if I'm not having a great game fielding, if I feel like I let a guy get an extra base that I could have stopped, that's something I've got to do better, got to get better at.
I used to be a pretty good hit-and-run man when I played in the minors. I handled the bat well and could hit the ball to the right side of the infield. Nevertheless, I know that you often give the opposition an out on the hit-and-run play.
There is no doubt that because I am a switch hitter I have one of the best offensive advantages that a hitter can have.
I like my friends to be the hitters. The pitchers, they all have the same brain as I do. The hitters see the game from a different perspective.
Our fielders have to catch a lot of balls, or at least deflect them to someone who can.
It's hard for a shortstop to play with a guy you don't know in the middle of the season. If you know a guy early in spring training, you're working with them.
I wonder why there is a designated hitter in baseball after all these years? As an experiment, it seemed like a swell enough idea, but you would think the novelty would have worn off by now and everyone would get back to playing baseball.
If you believe your catcher is intelligent and you know that he has considerable experience, it is a good thing to leave the game almost entirely in his hands.