Phil Rogers takes to the dwindling pages of the Chicago Tribune today to call for the end of pitchers hitting and the permanence of the designated hitter rule:

Every time a pitcher takes the field, he's an accident waiting to happen. The risks inherent in pitching are huge. It's silly to increase those risks to include the ones that hitters and baserunners face, especially when so much of a team's payroll and its hope for success is tied into those arms.

Phil is absolutely correct. Every time a player takes the field, they risk injury. A pitcher like Zambrano should never get hurt rushing to first base to beat a throw to the bag.

Let's extend that rule to non-batting as well. Zambrano could just as easily have hurt himself hustling to cover first base on a sharp grounder to Derrek Lee. Let's prevent pitcher injuries by also having a Designated Pitching Fielder. This player would stand behind the mound and do the entire fielding work of the pitcher while the pitcher himself would be forbidden to touch a ball batted into play.

You know, one of the pro-DH rules is that no one wants to see the pitcher hit and fans want more offense. Let's stipulate that the fans want to see more offense. In furtherance of that goal, hereby is proposed the DH+1 rule. Team may not only DH for the pitcher, but may also DH for one more position player. This would allow the Cubs to play a batting schlub like Aaron Miles in the field, only. He could be DH'd for in the line up Rogers' beloved Jake Fox. This won't lead to a slippery slope, no sir!

These are just theories of course.

Like the Geocentric Universe.

If the Trib wants to see it's circulation increase, they are going to need compelling reasons to read it. Phil Rogers is not one of those reasons if this is the kind drivel he plans on producing.