Manfred: Bringing DH to NL 'would deprive us of the entertainment Bartolo Colon has given us this year'

There isn't a baseball fan on the planet who doesn't enjoy watching Bartolo Colon hit. And that includes newly appointed commissioner Rob Manfred.

Manfred cited the immeasurable entertainment value of Colon's at-bats in his defense for keeping the designated hitter out of the National League - one of the more contentious issues around the league these days.

"Not having NL pitchers hit would deprive us of the entertainment Bartolo Colon has given us this year," Manfred told MLB.com's Anthony Castrovince on Tuesday afternoon.

Colon, the charmingly rotund New York Mets right-hander, has earned legions of fans with his frequent misadventures at the plate since returning to the National League prior to the 2014 campaign. Lauded for his impeccable command on the mound, Colon is an entirely different dude with a bat in his hands.

He flails hopelessly, often losing his helmet in the process. He frequently laughs at his own ineptitude. When he does put the ball in play, he often carries his bat with him as he lumbers down the first-base line.

Every once in a while, though, Colon provides more than just comic relief in the batter's box.

On Sunday, in fact, the 42-year-old collected the second extra-base hit of his 18-year career when he stroked an RBI double off right-hander David Phelps in a 4-3 win over the Miami Marlins at Citi Field.