When the collective bargaining agreement ends after 2026

[HighHeet]

You think that is all, or at least primarily, due to the existence of the NL adopting the DH? I think they have much bigger fish to fry than the DH, starting with competitive balance.

+100m

[RamFan08NY]

NL owners need to get rid of the DH. The experiment has failed. Attendance is down. TV deal collapsing due to viewership.

I doubt they are smart enough to do it or tough enough to stand up to the unions.

You really think attendance is down because fans don't get to see Steven Matz and others like him swing a bat?

[Alex Reyes Cy Young]

NL owners need to get rid of the DH. The experiment has failed. Attendance is down. TV deal collapsing due to viewership.

I doubt they are smart enough to do it or tough enough to stand up to the unions.

You really think attendance is down because fans don't get to see Steven Matz and others like him swing a bat?

Oh my that made me laugh.

"No way I am paying those insane ticket prices, I want to see Matz and Mikolas hit"!

[Red7]

No cap on salaries. Cap revenues instead. Why should the players bear the burden of “competitive balance”?

[Adam2]

You think that is all, or at least primarily, due to the existence of the NL adopting the DH? I think they have much bigger fish to fry than the DH, starting with competitive balance.

It's a big part of it.

It is not

[Adam2]

Scotch Irish, I'm right there with you. And I know you are a good baseball man, just like me. I don't know if the terrific posters ala RBIrules will remember many of my posts, but I know that you and I both have lamented that the Universal DH has almost ruined the game for us. And yes, I, like you don't watch or listen to the product nearly as much any more. We're not alone. We're just part of the silent majority. As far as all of the arguments in favor for instituting the Universal DH, I can refute every single one. But we get shouted down by those that support it.
Just a short list of folks that loved NL (no DH) baseball: Mark McGwyre, TLR, Adam Wainwright, Joe Madden, hell, even Dusty Baker. Believe me, Scotch, we're not alone. And if you ever see me at a Redbirds game, I'll be the bad (donkey), 66 year old cranky old man in the replica Cardinals Jersey that I've had the local seamstress alter with a DH in a circle with a diagonal line through it where the number should go. And what does it say for a name? NOLIKEY, IHATEIT, HOWCUM, DINTASKME, WHY, BADIDEA, or RILES. That's all I've had made thus far. Respect y'all that have divergent opinions from Scotch and myself, but as my dad used to say to me, "You're right, the world is wrong"
Sorry for the long reply

Silent minority, not majority

[desertrat23]

Scotch Irish, I'm right there with you. And I know you are a good baseball man, just like me. I don't know if the terrific posters ala RBIrules will remember many of my posts, but I know that you and I both have lamented that the Universal DH has almost ruined the game for us. And yes, I, like you don't watch or listen to the product nearly as much any more. We're not alone. We're just part of the silent majority. As far as all of the arguments in favor for instituting the Universal DH, I can refute every single one. But we get shouted down by those that support it.
Just a short list of folks that loved NL (no DH) baseball: Mark McGwyre, TLR, Adam Wainwright, Joe Madden, hell, even Dusty Baker. Believe me, Scotch, we're not alone. And if you ever see me at a Redbirds game, I'll be the bad (donkey), 66 year old cranky old man in the replica Cardinals Jersey that I've had the local seamstress alter with a DH in a circle with a diagonal line through it where the number should go. And what does it say for a name? NOLIKEY, IHATEIT, HOWCUM, DINTASKME, WHY, BADIDEA, or RILES. That's all I've had made thus far. Respect y'all that have divergent opinions from Scotch and myself, but as my dad used to say to me, "You're right, the world is wrong"
Sorry for the long reply

Most Cardinals fans enjoyed NL-style baseball. I certainly did. But there’s no use crying over spilled milk. It’s gone. It’s not coming back.

Accept that most people (new fans especially) like offense. Encourage the game’s growth for kids and young families. That’s “badass,” not some old man in a ridiculous jersey complaining that the world has passed him by.

[illiniriles]

Hi fellas. Sorry for hijacking the thread with Scotch and my disdain for the DH in the NL. But don't tell us that we are wrong. The FACT is the DH is bad for NL Baseball. You guys all remember the late, great St Louis sports writer Rick Hummel, right? Well, a few years before his passing I believe it was on a pregame show and was asked what he would do to improve the game. His answer? Get rid of the DH. Altogether.
Nuff said.

[Ozziesfan41]

If fans stopped watching baseball because they got rid of the DH then they weren't really fans of baseball anyway

[desertrat23]

Hi fellas. Sorry for hijacking the thread with Scotch and my disdain for the DH in the NL. But don't tell us that we are wrong. The FACT is the DH is bad for NL Baseball. You guys all remember the late, great St Louis sports writer Rick Hummel, right? Well, a few years before his passing I believe it was on a pregame show and was asked what he would do to improve the game. His answer? Get rid of the DH. Altogether.
Nuff said.

You’re not wrong. But it’s not happening. You might as well suggest they bring back 50-cent bleachers and nickel popcorn.

This board is a fascinating psychology experiment.

[illiniriles]

Hi desert rat. I know it's not going back to no DH in the NL. And I appreciate the fact that you enjoyed St Louis baseball w/o the DH. That means that you enjoyed strategy in the game.
And please try to refrain from psychoanalyzing me. Now if you would like to compare IQ's, that's a different matter. Respect your opinion. Hope that's not too "badass" for you.

[rbirules]

No cap on salaries. Cap revenues instead. Why should the players bear the burden of “competitive balance”?

Not a cap on revenues, but revenue sharing is what is needed since baseball unlike football is a regional sport. I doubt owners will ever go for full revenue sharing like the NFL, but they need a lot more of it than they have now, and that revenue sharing has to come with a salary floor so owners can't just pocket the money. Big market owners aren't just going to give away money to other owners without it going back into the product.

To me this is the biggest battle in the CBA big markets vs. small markets, and incentivizing small market owners to compete, and giving them more resources to do so. That's much bigger than players vs. owners, IMO.

[Cusecards]

There will be only one - issue. Competitive balance. They MUST figure out a way for smaller market teams to at least pretend they can build a team and win a WS title on occasion. As it stands there is no reason for a 5 year old boy in Pittsburgh to dream of his favorite Pirates player allstar and expect him to be on the team for life and lead them to a title.

Prediction - there WILL be a work stoppage. There WILL be major moves to make it more competitive. It WILL fall short of where it needs to go.

As for DH no one cares.

Agree 100% on the DH and competitive balance.
Not sure about the work stoppage but certainly possible!

[desertrat23]

There will be only one - issue. Competitive balance. They MUST figure out a way for smaller market teams to at least pretend they can build a team and win a WS title on occasion. As it stands there is no reason for a 5 year old boy in Pittsburgh to dream of his favorite Pirates player allstar and expect him to be on the team for life and lead them to a title.

Prediction - there WILL be a work stoppage. There WILL be major moves to make it more competitive. It WILL fall short of where it needs to go.

As for DH no one cares.

Agree 100% on the DH and competitive balance.
Not sure about the work stoppage but certainly possible!

I think a work stoppage is likely. With 20-25 owners feeling like they have no chance to compete, this is going to be the big one — the one that costs an entire season. The NHL lost a whole year and it saved the sport; time for that to happen in baseball.

[ScotchMIrish]

You think that is all, or at least primarily, due to the existence of the NL adopting the DH? I think they have much bigger fish to fry than the DH, starting with competitive balance.

It's a big part of it.

It is not

DH advocates are in denial.

[ScotchMIrish]

NL owners need to get rid of the DH. The experiment has failed. Attendance is down. TV deal collapsing due to viewership.

I doubt they are smart enough to do it or tough enough to stand up to the unions.

You really think attendance is down because fans don't get to see Steven Matz and others like him swing a bat?

^^^^

Doesn't understand strategy.