Watching the WIld Card game on October 2nd between the Rockies and Cubs it solidified something in my mind. It is time for the National League to do away with the pitchers batting. In that game which after 162 games of regular season baseball the wild card game has one winner and one team that moves on in the playoffs.
In the bottom of the 8th with the visiting Rockies leading 1-0 and the Cubs batting and 2 outs, the Cubs star Anthony Rizzo singles. Then the manager puts in a pinch runner Tarrence Gore for Rizzo. Now Gore may be the fastest player in the major leagues and maybe the most famous one tool pinch runners over the last 4-5 years. He is fast and immediatly stole 2nd. And a side note, he also slides into the bag harder than anyone in the history of baseball. But the nxt batter, perhaps the MVP candidate Jave Baez doubles in the left center gap and Gore scores from 2nd maybe before the ball made it to the warning track. My point is he could have scored from 1st on that hit but that is irrelevant.
Then we had to watch in extra innings as Gore with career numbers like this...a batting average of .063, he has 16 at bats and 27 stolen bases, and ONE career hit. In last nights game he had 2 at bats and 2 strikeouts. Rizzo has a career batting average of .270, in 2018 he has 25 home runs and 160 hits. And he watching a third of that game FROM THE BENCH.
Both teams, due to the pitching changes and double switches had many of their best players on the bench late in that game. Cubs also had Bote on the bench early and one of their best hitters Schwarber on the bench almost the whole game with one at bat. The Rockies due to double switches also lost leadoff hitter Blackmon, Desmond, Holliday and starting catcher Ianetta on the bench by the extra innings.
This is nuts! MLB is all concerned about pace of game and overall length of game. Well here is a thought... how about allowing the best pitchers and the best hitters to play ALL GAME. Actually the Cubs lost their great starting pitcher after pitching 6 innings allowing 1 run 4 hits while striking out NINE batters. The lost him because he was set to leadoff in the bottom of the 6th. He had only thrown 86 pitches and in the American League he would have pitched the 8th most likely. He looked unhittable as the game went on.
Bottom line to me is.... think about this National League and Major League Baseball. It's time to bring the Designated Hitter to the National League! After 162 regular season games, the playoffs should be played by the teams BEST players not by anyone less.
