AP Poll Finds More Americans

The Associated Press-Knowledge Networks poll results are in on the never ending DH debate and here's what they found. After interviewing 803 adults who said they were interested in baseball, 38 percent want no DH in the Series and 34 percent favor full-time use. Only 28 percent liked the current way — a DH in AL stadiums but not in NL parks. Now if only MLB and the player's would listen to the fans. By the way, a little trivia - who was the first World Series DH back in 1976? If you need a hint, he played for the Cincinnati Reds. If you need another hint, he was a first baseman. And if you need one more hint, his initials are D D. If you haven't come up with the answer yet, the last hint is his first name is Dan and his last name starts with D. That's it. No more hints. For those of you who came up with Dan Driessen, congratulations on a job well done.

When I checked Dan Driessen's page at baseball-reference.com - the page sponsor wrote this about Dan: "Has never gotten the recognition he deserves. Ranks #8 all-time in fielding percentage for first basemen with 1296 or more games (eight full seasons). Dan was better defensively at first base than ALL first basemen currently in the Hall Of Fame!"

It's ironic that an excellent defensive player was the first DH in World Series competition. So often you hear the reason to use the DH is it allows an aging star who's not that great defensively anymore a chance to hit. That wasn't the case with Dan Driessen.

Andy's Dandy Better Than Halloween Candy!

Thanks, Andy Pettitte. Your hit in Game 3 of the 2009 World Series was the impetus for me to start up a blog that I've wanted to write for the past few months but never could find the time for. Thanks, Andy -- by getting a hit in a key situation while baseball is center stage, you gave Yankee fans a big thrill that they don't experience all that often because their league continues to use the designated hitter rule. Thanks, Andy - your hit was one of the biggest hits of the night, tying the game at 3 in the fifth inning. It was the first World Series RBI by a Yankee pitcher since Jim Bouton in Game 6 against the St. Louis Cardinals in 1964. Without your hit, maybe the Yankees never tie the game and it's the Phillies who go on to win the game and take a 2-1 series lead. But you did get your hit, and to make it even better, you scored the go-ahead run to put the Yankees up for good. Thanks, Andy - on behalf of all the fans who believe pitchers should bat and that the DH is a bad rule, your hit on Halloween Night in Philadelphia was better than a dozen bags full of Halloween candy. Thanks, Andy for the dandy hit. Admit it Yankee fans, you had a big smile on your face when Andy came through with his hit. Admit it was a special moment that you and your fans will always remember. Well, great moments like that happen in the National League because they don't use the DH - they let the pitchers bat! Click here to see Andy's big hit. And thank you, Cole Hamels for not throwing a fastball in that key situation with a runner on second and one out in the fifth. By throwing Andy a curve, you gave him an opening and Pettite took advantage of it by smacking a single to center. So while Andy gets our first Let the Pitcher's Bat Award, I just want to acknowledge Cole Hamels, the reigning World Series MVP, for doing his part in contributing to this site.

Now that we're up and running, I plan on hilighting all the great moments that occur during a baseball game when the pitchers bat. This will be fun. It may never change the DH rule, but it will show fans all the special moments that happen when a pitcher swings a stick.