St. Louis Cardinals: Bring the DH to the National League

The St. Louis Cardinals just completed a two-game series with the White Sox in which they were able to illustrate the power of the designated hitter in game one.

Game one of the St. Louis Cardinals game against the Chicago White Sox was a great example of why Cardinals fans should beg for MLB to bring the designated hitter to the National League. In game one, the Cardinals’ bats came alive and the birds scored 14 runs.

Yes, this disappeared in game two when they were shut-out but let’s just ignore that for the time. Isn’t selective realism great?

Back to the numbers at hand. Should the DH come to the NL, the St. Louis Cardinals would have their Jose Martinez problem solved and would never consider trading him elsewhere. And as though this wouldn’t be enough, just have a look at the past stats and how the Cardinals have fared when employing the DH.

That’s right: 1st, 1st, 1st, 2nd, and 1st in the NL when employing the designated hitter. Interleague play has been around since 1997 and just image the names who could have played DH since that time… Mark McGwire, Albert Pujols, and Carlos Beltran. All three of these names could have stayed with the Cardinals past their final game if only the NL had the designated hitter.

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Adding another wrinkle of lust for the DH, the St. Louis Cardinals would become a more welcoming home for names like Manny Machado, Matt Holliday, or even Mike Moustakas. While the Cardinals currently must find playing spaces for big names of this ilk, if they had the DH they could consider these names and many others.

Let me toss a few more positives into the mix: Luke Voit, Adolis Garcia, and Rangel Ravelo. These aren’t the only mashers hiding in the minors but are certainly three names who could rise to the majors as designated hitters but who are stuck in the minors since better all-around hitters exist in St. Louis (I’m trying to believe this past sentence myself).

Here’s one more sales-pitch for the DH: If the Cardinals had the DH a few seasons ago, Adam Wainwright would not have been at the plate to run and tear his Achilles leading to absent seasons. And, yes, I know that Waino is a pitcher who mashes and has earned a silver slugger, but I’d rather have his positive arm on the mound than the statistically unlikely silver-slugging pitcher.

All of the above aside, I do understand the sentiment and lore of the strategies of a pitcher batting, pinch-hitting, and the loved-by-Mike Matheny double-switch. These considerations make NL games a different beast than the AL variety.

Should anyone seek a signature on the petition to request the DH in the NL, call me up because I will award my John Hancock without pause.

Next: All-Star voting sours

What do YOU think? Would you like the DH in the NL? Do you think the St. Louis Cardinals could benefit from the designated hitter? Let us know and thanks for reading!