Pete Buttigieg is not a fan of the designated hitter
Democratic presidential hopeful Pete Buttigieg’s most controversial opinion has nothing to do with politics. Buttigieg risked angering 50 percent of baseball fans by saying he is against the designated hitter.
While campaigning in Iowa, Buttigieg was asked what he thought about the designated hitter. His response: It’s not for him, according to Politico.
He even took a question on the designated hitter in Major League Baseball in Burlington, Iowa: “I feel you ought to have to play both parts of the game,” Buttigieg said.
Buttigieg, 37, has consistently finished around fifth in the Democratic primary polls. He’ll attempt to move up that list during the next Democratic debate, which will be held in September.
While the designated hitter is a contentious issue among baseball fans, it shouldn’t influence how people vote in actual elections. There are far more important issues out there than whether someone supports the designated hitter.
Besides, most fans root for whatever they grew up watching. If your favorite team plays in the National League, you’re likely anti-DH. If you grew up watching Edgar Martinez, David Ortiz and Frank Thomas mash, you probably love the designated hitter.
What does this say about Buttigieg’s politics? Absolutely nothing. And yet, we wouldn’t be opposed to every other candidate clarifying their position on this topic. Just so sports fans know where everyone stands.
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Chris Cwik is a writer for Yahoo Sports. Have a tip? Email him at christophercwik@yahoo.com or follow him on Twitter! Follow @Chris_Cwik
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