Old-school Rockies skipper Bud Black wants DH: 'I've been swayed'

One abbreviated season of the universal designated hitter was all Colorado Rockies manager Bud Black had to see to become a convert.

"Being the traditionalist that I am, I've been swayed by what I saw this year," the old-school skipper told Patrick Saunders of the Denver Post, adding that he would like to see the DH adopted in the National League full-time.

"I thought it was needed this year," Black continued. "And I've said recently that pitchers' stuff - the velocities and secondary pitches - are to the point now where it is really hard for a pitcher to contribute offensively to a degree that it impacts a team or helps a team.

"There's only maybe a couple (pitchers) ... that really can impact the game with their bat ... I think maybe it's time to think about the DH in the National League."

The league has not yet definitively settled on whether or not the 2020 rule, which allowed the DH in the Senior Circuit for the first time in its history, will carry over into 2021. However, the league has reportedly told NL clubs to prepare for the upcoming season as if pitchers would return to hitting.

Throughout the offseason, reports have indicated the league and many team owners prefer the return of the universal DH. However, MLB apparently wants something in return from the union, like the continuation of an expanded playoff format. While they did play the 2020 campaign with 16 teams in the postseason, commissioner Rob Manfred has spoken publicly about his preference for a 14-team playoff structure.