The Boston Red Sox are such a dominating offensive team largely in part because of their designated hitter, David Ortiz. However, with nine straight games in interleague ballparks, FOX baseball reporter Ken Rosenthal thinks the Red Sox' situation is unfair.
The debate over what do to with Adrian Gonzalez and Ortiz has taken over Boston sports talk as of late. Do the Sox move Gonzalez to right field to give Ortiz playing time? Does Ortiz sit a majority of the trip to keep Gonzalez in?
These questions, according to Rosenthal, should never have to be addressed by Red Sox manager Terry Francona.
"This is the exact kind of decision that a manager should not have to make," said Rosenthal on FOXSports.com. "And the reason he has to make it is because interleague play is a little bit out of hand here.
"You can't have an American League team playing three straight series in a National League park, when that team is built around [in part] a designated hitter."
The nine-game stretch only hurts American League teams like the Red Sox who have to adjust to the lack of a DH and have pitchers step into the batters box.
Rosenthal also commented on the potential for future realignment to prevent these kind of situations.
"That's fine, but somehow they have to fix the schedule so it’s not a situation where a team like the Red Sox is forced to make this devil's choice.
"Not a good choice — a choice that ultimately could put Adrian Gonzalez in physical risk"
