John Mozeliak says universal DH has momentum, but will it happen?
Those in favor of the designated hitter becoming universal in Major League Baseball were given new reason for hope on Saturday.
Speaking at the St. Louis Cardinals Winter Warmup event on Saturday, general manager John Mozeliak says there’s increased momentum building among general managers and owners to bring the DH to the National League. According to Derrck Goold of the St. Louis Post-Dispatch, Mozeliak further noted the topic of the DH in the NL used to be a “non-starter” with officials, but now it’s become more of a topic, which perhaps indicates actual movement within those ranks.
Mozeliak, of course, is privy to such conversations, so this isn’t just hearsay. It’s likely he has an increased interest in this topic now considering what happened to his ace, Adam Wainwright, last season.
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During a game at Miller Park in Milwaukee in April, Wainwright suffered a torn Achilles after taking an awkward step out of the batter’s box. Obviously, there’s an injury risk that comes with every pitch and every play, especially for pitchers, but for such an injury to happen while a pitcher is batting makes it a little more difficult to swallow. That’s especially true when the other league isn’t exposed to such risks on a regular basis because of the DH.
It’s clear that Wainwright’s injury and others that have happened, including a minor injury to Max Scherzer last season, have more people within the game at least pondering the possibility of expanding the DH. And it’s easy to see how once that seed is planted in someone’s mind, there’s a strong possibility it will grow once the benefits are more closely considered.
Of course, we’ve also heard this story before with the DH with little to no movement actually occurring. Adding to that, commissioner Rob Manfred was quoted in September saying he’s not considering expanding the designated hitter, citing that “the variation between the two leagues is a good thing for the game.” He also noted how the debate surrounding the DH is a healthy one to keep going.
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If the universal DH is truly gaining momentum, then it’s something Manfred will have to take on head-on at some point during his tenure. At this point though, it seems like we’re still a good distance away from it gaining enough momentum to motivate change. If there’s a silver lining for DH backers though, it’s that it’s also difficult to see the tide ever shifting back in the other direction, meaning the universal DH is an inevitability at some point in baseball’s future.
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Mark Townsend is a writer for Big League Stew on Yahoo Sports. Have a tip? Email him at [email protected] or follow him on Twitter! Follow @Townie813
