Open Thread: The Designated Hitter, Fantasy Baseball, and Team USA

Good afternoon and Happy Wednesday to all! I have been woefully behind in Athletics Nation Fantasy Baseball, so if you expressed interest in the other thread, just know that we are hosting three leagues this year (two regular and one "play for the worst team"). Emails will be sent out today, and teams/drafts will start in the next two weeks.

Also, if you are in the Southern California area, I am hosting an Opening Night party at my house, so email me for details, or stay turned for the official invite, which will be posted today or tomorrow.

Are we watching the WBC? Are we loving it? Comments, thoughts on the teams, or how much do you want "Captain America" to be on the A's?

This article showed up on my Facebook feed yesterday, and I thought it was interesting:

[H]ere's what I propose: Make the DH rule the prerogative of the home team. Yes, I hereby propose that in advance of each regular-season and postseason game, the home team should be able to declare whether the DH shall be used for the contest in question.

I think it goes without saying that you all know how I feel about pitchers batting. I think the DH rule should be the ubiquitous rule across the board and batting your pitchers should be a quaint relic of the past. But I'm an AL girl, and I know that plenty of people feel exactly the opposite. So this article makes an interesting compromise, and makes a case for adding a huge advantage to homefield.

Want to read more about the A's future in Peterson, Choice and Russell? This was also posted today.

Happy Wednesday! Just a couple of more weeks until Opening Day!