When it comes to chatter about a "universal" designated hitter, San Francisco Giants pitcher Madison Bumgarner is waving the white flag.
"I understand they don't care what I say," Bumgarner told the San Francisco Chronicle. "I'll play whatever rules we have, but I think it's kind of getting out of hand.
"Honestly, I don't care anymore. We've changed so many rules, I can't keep up with it. I play the game that they have for us. Who knows what that's going to be when I'm finished, as much as I've seen changes in the little time I've been here."
Bumgarner enjoys pitchers having the ability to contribute to the offensive side of the game in the National League. The three-time World Series champion sports a .181 career batting average with 17 home runs, and he thinks having the pitcher hit adds "100 percent more strategy" than American League games.
"Don't get me wrong," Bumgarner said. "My job is pitching. That's what I'm going to focus on doing. But the whole reason I work on hitting is because that's how we play in the National League. You can help a team win a game."