With the Astros 9-5 win in Game 5 of the World Series last night, the World Series shifts back to Houston with the Braves still one win away from capturing their first title since 1995.
And when the lights finally went out at Truist Park, it not only signaled the end of Braves home games for the 2021 season, but also, the end of an era of sorts.
The return to Houston ensures that we’ll have the Designated Hitter in all remaining games of this World Series, and in all likelihood, all games going forward. Last night may have been the final time we’ll ever see pitchers hit, as the universal DH is expected to be agreed upon for 2022 and beyond with the next Collective Bargaining Agreement, which baseball hopes to have hammered out in December.
The vast majority of players want the universal DH, with notable exceptions being Madison Bumgarner, Max Fried, and Adam Wainwright. But after it was in play for the shortened 2020 season, many were surprised to see it not be kept in place for 2021, especially with the expectation being that we will see it in 2022.
For years, the American League has had the DH, while the National League, still has yet to adopt it. But the debate over whether we should have the DH in the NL was sparked when Adam Wainwright tore his achilles while hitting early in the 2015 season.
Max Scherzer, who was in his first year with the Nationals after spending years in the AL with the Tigers, cited Wainwright’s injury as a reason why the NL needs to adopt the DH. The vast majority of players agreed, but Madison Bumgarner was quick to voice his opinion, basically telling Scherzer to shut his mouth.
Soon after, Wainwright himself said that the NL doesn’t need to have the DH.
But the plight of Wainwright, Bumgarner, and Fried have done little to stop Major League Baseball from moving forward in these talks. It’s pretty much a forgone conclusion that we’ll see the universal DH implemented in the next CBA, signaling the end of the pitchers hitting era. Most fans have also wanted the universal DH for some time, so it’s safe to say that Game 5 was probably the last time you’ll ever see a pitcher hit in a Major League Baseball game.
And the change is a necessary one. Fans want more action in games. They want to see more offense. They’re tired of watching the pitcher bat in what normally is an automatic out.
And the game needs to move forward. It’s time to begin that phase now and try to get more people interested. Baseball has been declining for years now in terms of viewership. Many people of younger demographics today prefer faster paced sports such as hockey and basketball.
The DH may not speed up the game. But the point is, people have wanted it for a long time, and perhaps a little more offense could get some fans interested again. It’s time for baseball to break tradition and bring forth a new era.
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