Hank Steinbrenner is angry. Should he be?

[thischarmingman]

http://www.nytimes.com/2008/06/17/sports/baseball/17base.html?_r=1&oref=slogin


“My only message is simple,” Steinbrenner said in Tampa, Fla. “The National League needs to join the 21st century. They need to grow up and join the 21st century.”

Steinbrenner said he was angry and added: “I’ve got my pitchers running the bases, and one of them gets hurt. He’s going to be out. I don’t like that, and it’s about time they address it. That was a rule from the 1800s.”

Making a rare appearance on the bases at an N.L. park in Houston on Sunday, Wang pulled up rounding third and hobbled home on a Derek Jeter single.

“This is always a concern of American League teams when their pitchers have to run the bases and they’re not used to doing it,” Steinbrenner said. “It’s not just us. It’s everybody. It probably should be a concern for National League owners, general managers and managers when their pitchers run the bases. Pitchers have enough to do without having to do that.”

[buffalofan19]

I think he's right in a sense that it's unfair that pitchers have to run bases when they're not used to it. I think both leagues need to be of the same rule. Either both leagues have the designated hitter, or neither league has it. I don't care which it is, but they need to have the same rule.

[LALALALALALAFONTAINE]

Most catchers can't hit either. We should have 4 DH's and 9 specialized defensive positions. Instead of a 9 man lineup, have 4 hitters. If you separate hitting from defense, why the hell not?

MLB blows.

[treydawg]

I think he makes a good point. Either have it one way or other in my opinion. Both leagues should be the same, it's retarded.

[thischarmingman]

I like the seperate rules. These guys are athletes. They can run the bases. It's not like guys are falling over every day. Hank tends to over react to things, I think that's the case here.

[Acoustic-Fury]

Pitchers had to play ball (meaning hitting, running, catching and fielding) their whole lives to be prepared to get to the show...

...and if pitchers think they have it easy because all they have to do is concentrate on pitching twice week...they they have another thing coming.

What happens if a pitcher takes a shot of his dome? They erect the batting cage nets at the pitcher's mound?

Hank is a moron.

[Smashingt]

I see his point, more owners would complain if there star pitchers get hurt as well.

[calr]

Hank > all.

[slowpokemcgee]

No, he shouldn't be angry. I love the split in the rules, it makes the game different. I, for one, like watching NL rules games for a couple weeks a year. It mixes it up, makes you change your style. It sucks that Wang hurt himself, but that could have happened just as easily if Wang was running to 1st on a grounder that way.

[LALALALALALAFONTAINE]

Or if Wang was pitching because the manager kept him in instead of pulling him for a pinch hitter. Or perhaps Wang hits someone and injures them because AL pitchers are gutless cowards that don't have to fear payback when pitching inside.

[LALALALALALAFONTAINE]

Meanwhile, Cole Hamels has a higher batting average than Derek Jeter.

[m76]

wahhhhhhhh can't run the bases? you aren't a baseball player STFU

[LALALALALALAFONTAINE]

Hank > all.

Hank, who's only in his position because his daddy's sperm hit his mommy's egg, has seen 0 Yankees World Series wins and 1 Red Sox win.

[calr]

Hank, who's only in his position because his daddy's sperm hit his mommy's egg, has seen 0 Yankees World Series wins and 1 Red Sox win.

Hank wasn't alive in the '70s or from 1996-2000?

[LALALALALALAFONTAINE]

He wasn't running things. His old man was. Hank was simply fetching coffee and running errands like telling Billy Martin he was fired.

[Uncle Jesse]

Boo-hoo.

Suck it up, injuries happen, they're professional athletes. It's baseball, pitchers should run, and hit, like everyone else.