Why Everyone Hates the AL...or not

A lot of it is just the tradition and rivalries the Astros have built up in the NL.

More offense is not necessarily good. I fancy an old-fashioned pitcher's duel myself.

 

I'm not a fan of west coast games and the DH. That's why I dislike the move to the AL

 

I dont mind the late start. Will give me something to watch if I'm up late.

 

We've been an NL city for 50 years. Many of us dislike the DH. Yes, there's more offense but it comes at the cost of strategy. No need to decide if you think your pitcher can make it through the inning so you can pinch hit when he's due up 3rd. No need to decide to pinch hit even though he's pitching well because you have runners in scoring position and you're down a run. No need for a double switch when subbing for a pitcher. No need to think about bunts and hit and runs with regard to when the pitchers spot is due up. No, you can pretty much just set your lineup and leave it. Relieve the pitcher whenever you want, it doesn't matter.

Plus, I couldn't give less of a **** about playing teams we never played before interleague and have barely played since then.

Would you favor the Rockets moving back to the East? Away from the Mavs, Spurs, Jazz, and Lakers, all the teams we love to hate?

 

I'm only a casual fan, the Astros are the 4th most important team in the city to me (yes, behind the Dynamo)

But it bothers me because

1) Like others said, tradition, its hard to make such a hug transition when this team has a fairly long history

2) I have always thought AL baseball was inferior. I never like the pitcher not hitting. I think there is a lot more strategy and fun in NL baseball

 

See Mr. Clutch's and Cannonball's posts for a pretty good representation of how I feel (and maybe quite a few of us).

The question is: are you going to actually understand where others are coming from or just start trolling us over it again?

And to the thread title, I wouldn't say that everybody hates the AL. There are Astros fans excited about the move. I understand why they like it and I understand their preferences; I just don't share them.

 

For some reason this made me depressed.

All that strategy...gone.

 

I realize some people just like to see offense, offense, and more offense. They compare baseball unfavorably to basketball based on the amount of "action". They feel happier to watch another "professional hitter" in the lineup to an "automatic out".

I love a pitcher's duel. I love to see the complex strategies that come from requiring your pitcher to play the whole game, not just half of it. I love watching awesome defense (which is why AE frustrated me so much: beautiful, amazing defense but dude simply couldn't hit).

Giving these things up just doesn't feel like baseball. It feels like a freaking exhibition game. That is one reason I hate the DH and the American League.

 

looking forward to getting away from the irrelevancy that is the nl central.. larger markets, better competition. its gonna be a tough transition because were going from arguably the worst division in baseball to possibly the best..

Consolidated Statistical Metropolitan Areas (US Rank) (Metro) (TV Network)

Los Angeles Angels 17,786,419 (2nd) (Greater Los Angeles) PrimeTicket Angels
Chicago Cubs 9,804,845 (3rd) (Chicagoland) CSNChicago
Oakland A's 7,468,390 (5th) (Bay Area) CSNBayArea
Texas Rangers 6,731,317 (7th) (DFW Metroplex) FoxSports Southwest
Houston Astros 6,086,538 (9th) (Greater Houston) CSNHouston
Seattle Mariners 3,439,809 (15th) (Seattle Metro) Root Sports Northwest
St. Louis Cardinals 2,878,255 (16th) (Greater St. Louis) Fox Sports Midwest
Pitsburgh Pirates 2,447,393 (18th) (Metro Pittsburgh) Root Sports Pittsburgh
Cincinatti Reds 2,214,954 (Cincinnati–Northern Kentucky Metro) FoxSports Ohio
Milwaukee Brewers 1,751,316 (Metro Milwaukee) Fox Sports Wisconsin

 

The AL central is the worst in baseball.

I hate the DH. I'll miss the NL rivalries, especially living an 1.5 hours from ATL, but 6+ hours to the nearest AL city. I've been going to see the Astros nearly every year for as long as I can remember, and Bud Selig is taking that away. I also lose out on those 5 other Braves games I watched on TV, and countless Cubs games on WGN (though those games have dwindled in recent years).

 

OP, you're still following this team? To the AL? Seriously? Are you dumb? You should find another sport.

 

Within the next 10-15 years, the DH is going to be forced onto the NL anyway.

 

I don't know. I think it will happen eventually, just don't know if it will be that soon. I think the owners would only do it if the players union gave up something big.

 

Yes...

You do realize I was responding to the poster directly above me who called the NL Central possibly the worst in baseball, right?

 

I don't like more offense. For the most part, I would much rather see a well pitched, well played 4-2, 5-3, 3-1, 2-0 game than a series of high scoring games.

Cannonball expressed very well the missing nuances from games that involve a DH. The "average" fan may not see all of the strategy involved in baseball - especially NL baseball. I will miss that.

 

Things are cyclical..but over its history the AL West has been an after-thought. One WS title in the past 20 or so years (2002 Angels). The worst average attendance of any division. With the Astros joining, that's 3 franchises in that division that have never won a WS and one (the Mariners) that has never won a pennant.

I get that right now the AL West looks great...but that hasn't been the story for its history.

As for the question posed by the OP...I identify as an NL fan. Baseball is my favorite sport, and league identity is huge. Only 2 teams have ever switched leagues, including the Astros. I do not like the DH, but I suspect it will be the norm for both leagues within the next 10 years anyway.

 

There are three parts to baseball: Pitching, hitting and playing defense. Pitchers in the AL only have to do 2 out of 3. It's unfair. All the other players on the field have to do all 3.

 

Also, the DH doesn't have to play defense.