...I tend to lean to forcing the pitchers to bat. For the sole reason that it seems like the biggest controversies I hear about in baseball (outside of the most recent sign stealing) have to do with batters showing up pitchers and getting thrown at. I just think that if you're going to throw at someone, you ought to have the guts to step up to he plate and take some of your own medicine.

So - with that in mind, is there any data/evidence that the pitchers in the NL throw at batters less than pitchers in the AL? Maybe my reasoning is off.