dylanmarsh

I think one of the major things we are overlooking here is that AL and NL teams create their rosters differently because the presence or non-presence of the DH. The NL will always be geared towards pitching because it has more of an influence during their season than hitting. In the AL, there's more of a balance between hitting and pitching that a GM has to consider when forming the roster.

For example, David Ortiz of the Red Sox would have a better chance to make more money and be more productive in the AL than in the NL due to his horrible defensive skills. The Sox, because of the DH, have to spend their money a bit different than say, the Giants.

On the other hand, Curt Schilling, whose numbers are slightly off this season, would most likely fare better in the NL due to facing a pitcher batting at least twice in a game. A good example of this was in the Giants-Red Sox game last weekend. The Sox had runners on second and third with 2 outs in the 5th and Pokey Reese at the plate. The Giants walk Reese to get to Pedro Martinez, who hadn't had a hit since 1997. If this game were at Fenway, Reese would be the one batting with the bases loaded. Obviously, there isn't anyway of knowing what would've happened with Reese instead of Pedro, but I'd rather have Reese up there. Pedro struck out and the Sox went on to lose, 6-4.

One more thing regarding the DH, is that the MLBPA will never give up the DH. It extends the careers of many players like Edgar Martinez and, most likely, Barry Bonds.