EVANS!!!!

Nope. The issue isn't that people want to watch pitchers hit or not hit, it's the lost strategic element. What you're proposing is a game of "Alright, you go out there and hit, and you go out there and throw it to him."

What will it take for AL fans to realize they're playing a baseball-like game that involves a bogus gimmick?

Ducks are 4-2 in the last 6 years in bowl games, including two BCS wins and 4 consecutive BCS appearances. Plus 3 of the last 4 Pac-10/12 championships. Recently, the Ducks are a heck of a lot more successful than some of the other "marquee" programs around the country (e.g. Notre Dame).