Somewhere, Cubs left fielder Kyle Schwarber is gnawing angrily on the leather ties of his outfielder’s glove.
We can’t prove this, but can’t you picture it? Schwarber is a proud baseball player. A proud National League baseball player. He wants to rake at the plate and try mightily to run down fly balls, and not necessarily in that order.
What Schwarber undoubtedly doesn’t want is for his glove to gather dust in the dugout while he’s in the lineup — most days — as the Cubs’ designated hitter. But there’s a pretty good chance that’s exactly what’s going to happen.
If there’s going to be baseball in 2020, one of the oddities of the season is expected to be the implementation of the universal DH. For the first time since the American League turned to the DH in 1973, both leagues would be in sync on this oft-debated issue.
But what about the fans?
For this week’s “Polling Place” — your home for Sun-Times sports polls on Twitter — we asked fans how they felt about the DH in the NL.
“You are not a ballplayer if you don’t have both a bat and a glove,” commented @aweary13.
That’s an old NL saw if we’ve ever heard one, but it doesn’t represent the results of this poll question. Most respondents were either on board with the universal DH or at least open to seeing how it shakes out.
“Whichever way it is, it should be the same for both leagues,” @debert26 wrote. “Especially with so much interleague play.”
That’s the whole reason behind it, with teams expected to be mixed — for this season only — into extra-large divisions with opponents from both the AL and NL.
On to the polls:
Poll No. 1: Where do you stand on the designated hitter being used in the National League?
"Polling Place" is back with an all-baseball theme. Please vote on all three questions. Selected comments will appear in Saturday's @suntimes.
— Steve Greenberg (@SLGreenberg) June 18, 2020
1/3: Where do you stand on the designated hitter being used in the National League?
Upshot: “Love it” was sure to draw a lot of votes from AL fans alone, so take this result with a grain of South Side salt. Still, this is America in 2020: If only 25% of folks hate you, you must not be that bad. Let’s let @JayZawaski670 take it from here: “There is still a part of me that likes the NL style of the game. I’m sure I won’t miss it when it’s gone, though.”
Poll No. 2: Regardless of what happens in 2020, should baseball’s playoff field be permanently expanded?
2/3: Regardless of what happens in 2020, should baseball's annual playoff field be permanently expanded?
— Steve Greenberg (@SLGreenberg) June 18, 2020
Upshot: There has been talk of up to 16 teams being included in this year’s field. Considering all the teams that are in tank mode, it might be really hard for the Cubs or Sox to miss the playoffs. Clearly, 10 is enough for our voters (and undoubtedly is too many for some). “We’re No. 16!” definitely doesn’t have much of a ring to it. As @JBIRD1268 put it, “This isn’t the NFL. Stop!”
Poll No. 3: After all the acrimony in baseball, where does your fandom stand?
3/3: After all the acrimony in baseball, where does your fandom stand?
— Steve Greenberg (@SLGreenberg) June 18, 2020
Upshot: On one side of the fence sits @jkline2. “I’m out, but to be fair it’s not just this,” he commented. “It’s the Astros, Marquee, what’s happening to the minor leagues, etc.” On the other is @Chrissoxfan8, who wrote, “I haven’t been paying attention to the back-and-forth between owners [and] players, so I’m not put off by it. I just want to see my White Sox team go out there and play.” Meanwhile, how soon until that fence buckles under so much weight?
