Baseball: AL vs NL discussion

[Argo]

As some of you might know I'm a Yankees fan so most of the games I watch are AL games. However the last few days I watched a couple of NL games one with Mets and the other with Astros and I got to say pitching in NL is so different. I realize they have the same crews working both leagues, yet the strike zone is so much bigger in NL.

Of all the Yankee games I've seen I've never seen that oustide pitch called a strike, for or against the yanks. In NL they always call it a strike. Furthermore, batters in NL swing at balls that AL batter wouldn't even think about swinging. I guess the bigger strike zone might be to blame for that but I've seen Devil Ray batters swing at less pitches than NL batters.

Add the fact that NL has pitcher instead of DH and it's no wonder pitchers like Pedro and Clemens move to NL and ressurect their careers. I mean for crying out loud, Clemens was an average pitcher at best the last few years with the Yanks. He had ERA in high 3s, low 4s and looked like he was ready to retire. He goes to NL and boom, he's the best pitcher in the legue.

 

[raystorm]

I agree that pitching is a bit different in both league. Some say the NL is a fastball league which is kinda funny as the Mets have no real fireballers.

Its really all up to the umpire when it comes to strikezone. The outside corner used to be called alot more in the past and pitchers like Tom Glavine feasted on that. Now its more of a "north-south" strikezone sometimes instead of "east-west".

Are umpires exclusive to leagues?? Don't they go back and forth between leagues each year or something? Because it makes no sense that the strikezone in both leagues are different if umpires rotation between leagues. Not sure though.

 

[Gibson486]

Its a good reason why you will not likely see pitchers like Tom Glavine in the AL.

 

[SP33Demon]

It's really hard to say, it depends on the month, the year, the umpiring crew, the weather. Many variables come into play. The NL has historically prided itself on good pitching, probably because the DH doesn't inflate numbers. It's all relative.

As far as Pedro and Rocket, they hardly resurrected anything. Pedro just came off of a year where he dominated in the World Series (not so much in the ALCS), and lucked out going to the cavernous Shea Stadium. The same can be said about Derek Lowe in Dodger Stadium (another pitcher's park).

Clemens is always going to get the outside corner called, whether it's the AL or NL, just like MJ got many calls in the NBA. Also, you neglected to think that maybe Clemen's insane offseason training and hard work (and a little luck) may have something to do with his success, it really has little to do with the umps. Just like Clemens reinvented himself with the splitter in Toronto when his heater dipped, he knows what it takes to get the job done. Sure he'll get a couple calls here and there, but nothing is ever handed to him on a silver platter and a lot of credit is due.

 

[rh71]

now that that's covered, let's b!tch about the DH.

 

[Al Neri]

DH=sucks;ruins baseball.

 

[Argo]

Originally posted by: matstars
DH=sucks;ruins baseball.

It doesn't ruin baseball, however, I would like to see it gone. Never going to happen though. Too many teams have too much money invested in that spot.

 

[Al Neri]

Originally posted by: matstars
DH=sucks;ruins the AL. Only pure league is the NL.

fixt

 

[chowmein]

chess and checkers my friends ... chess and checkers

 

[spaceman]

dh rules.
i dont want to pay money to see a pitcher hit.