David and Billy: Last of the Dinosaurs

[DOUGHBOYS]

'Say a prayer for The Pretender'.
Jackson Browne didn't have the designated hitter in mind when writing this line. But it fits.
To me, the designated hitter was half a player. Good hit, no field.
The designated hitter used to roam the earth. Old and graying, they knew that they could still contribute, that is, as long as a glove was not required.
And like those many dinosaurs that would leave this earth, there were just two, and those two looked at each other and sighed, knowing it was the end of their species as they know it.
Those last two dinosaurs are Billy Butler and David Ortiz. Not the real dinosaurs, well I don't know, maybe there last names were Billy and David too.
In 2013, they will be the only relevant players in fantasy drafts without a position.
For Ortiz, the end is coming soon. No glove, an injury bugaboo, and increased interleague games in 2013 make him a tough pick for any drafter.
Worse, he is a free agent and has flourished at Fenway and may move away.
And even worse than that, nobody has let Ortiz know that he's a dinosaur, so he may hold out for more years on a contract.
Dinosaurs are always the last to know.
Poor Papi.
One good thing for Ortiz, is that most designated dinosaurs go through two last fazes in their careers.
They stink, then become extincted.
Papi could skip the dreaded stink.

Butler is different. He, at least, has a glove in his locker and Kansas City will move Hosmer to RF every once in awhile to get Butler's bat in the lineup.
Still, with more interleague games, his owners will be annoyed at not seeing Butler in the lineup when traveling to a National League park.
The interleague games will be a constant next year, with at least one series being played at all times.
The Utility only designation has been a tough pill to swallow for some owners. It always seems when owning a hitter like Butler or Ortiz that a sixth outfielder or third corner blossoms on your roster and stats are left for dead on your bench.

While re-thinking the designated hitter has hurt the crusty dusty hitters of baseball, it has helped those that are position prone or in constant need of a blow.
Matt Wieters, Carlos Santana, Victor Martinez, Jesus Montero at the catching spot and Derek Jeter, ARod, Paul Konerko, Justin Morneau and others can take once, twice, or three times a week blows.
A plus over their counterparts in the other league like Posey, Montero, or Lucroy who either have to play 1b or sit on the bench.
Next year's schedule may even cut off a couple or three games for Wieters and others who won't have the dh to accommodate them in more NL parks.

With today's use of the designated hitter, it has turned a traditional hater of the designated hitter in baseball, into a guy thinking that, hey, this isn't so bad.
Now is the time for Major League Baseball to make the designated hitter a universal.
(Holy Shit! What a catch by Travis Snider in the Pit-NYM game. Infreakincredible!) Watch it on the highlights tonight!
Oh, yeah, if a traditionalists like me can be turned into thinking that the dh is not a bad thing, I'm sure there are other turncoats out there as well.

[DOUGHBOYS]

I may have spoken too soon on this one.
With Hosmer going down and Butler getting starts at 1B plus being in the lineup tonight, Billy the Dinosaur needs only to play 1B in the final game of the season to obtain first base status.
Leaving only Big Papi, as the only U eligible, draft relevant dinosaur left to stave off extinction of this, now, rare species ......