And people wonder why the Yankees are hated. Not that I do, mind you. I like to see them get beat having grown up a Tigers fan when the two teams were in the same division.
It’s just hard to like them given comments such as those Hank Steinbrenner made with regards to the DH and the National League. Sorry Hank. If your professionally trained athlete cannot run from point A to point B without hurting himself how is that the National League’s fault? Perhaps Girardi should be fired for not training Chien-Ming Wang and his other pitchers in the fine art of running the bases. Scratch that last comment. Hank might take me seriously.
Here’s what he had to say to the New York Post; “It’s time the National League joins the 21st century,” Steinbrenner told The Post, “or is forced to join. The National League is playing the same way it did in the 1880s. That’s over with. The National League should have the designated hitter. There’s no question the National League should have it.
“I’m not happy about this,” Steinbrenner said of the injury to Wang’s push-off foot. “I feel bad for him and I feel bad for the ballclub. We were just getting on a roll.
“It’s OK for the Yankees to fill up the seats in the National League parks, they make a ton of money off us. Then we should support each other when one of our guys gets hurt. The National League should join the club and not have pitchers hit. It’s time to go to the DH. It’s the right thing to do.”
He went on to say the Yankees were going to speak to Bud Selig about it.
You mean to tell me the event that should provide impetus towards the NL adopting the DH is an injury to a Yankees pitcher? Are we sure Dave Winfield hit a bird years ago and not Steinbrenner’s noggin?
Here’s the change I’m in favor of; when the AL visits the NL they use the DH. When the NL visits the AL, pitchers hit. I heard someone suggest this as a way to let fans in one league experience the play of the other and think it is a fine idea.
Finally, I’m tempted to say I want the leagues DH rules remain as they are because Hank’s arrogance irritates me so much. Very tempted. However, I do feel both leagues should have the same rules, one way or the other. If this happens, however, it will be the DH for both leagues. The players union will never allow the DH to go away. The union focuses, properly or not, on maintaining existing jobs. Some guys (David Ortiz comes quickly to mind) wouldn’t play nearly as much if they had to play the field.
Tags: David, Designated, DH, Hank, Hitter, Ortiz, Steinbrenner, Yankees
