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Weekly Blog Question!
How Do You Feel About the Designated Hitter (DH) Being Added to the National League?
Every week we’re posting a baseball history-related question and will encourage our readers to voice their opinion. We’d love to hear what you have to say! This week’s question involves the Designated Hitter.
How Do You Feel About the Designated Hitter (DH) Being Added to the National League?
Vote in the poll box to the right. Then feel free to leave your thoughts in the comments section below.
Here’s a little background info:
On April 6, 1973, the Yankees Ron Blomberg strode to the plate as the leadoff hitter in a game with the Red Sox at Fenway Park. This was no ordinary at bat. Blomberg was about to become the first designated hitter in the history of the major leagues. The new rule which excluded pitchers from hitting was implemented in the American League only, but many felt if the fans liked it the National League would soon adopt it, as well. That was 46 years ago and only now is there talk about finally standardizing the DH, which is used at nearly every other level of the game.
In the featured photo above, we see Ron Blomberg, the first DH. In the photo gallery are successful DH’s: Frank Thomas, David Ortiz, Edgar Martinez, and Harold Baines.
What do you think about it? Many former National Leaguers and even some current ones don’t like the DH because they feel it takes away long time strategies from the game. It takes away more than it adds. Those who favor it feel baseball needs more offense; plus it keeps some outstanding hitters in the majors longer. American leaguers also feel it’s not fair to have pitchers hit and run the bases in interleague games. Too much of a chance for injury because they’re not use to it.
We’ve come up with three options, listed below, but feel free to add something else. Then vote in the poll box below:
- The DH should be standardized. It levels the playing field between leagues and gives the game more offense, which it needs.
- The DH should be eliminated from the American League so baseball can again be played the way it was intended, with the pitcher hitting. It’s a more complete game.
- Nothing should change. Let the DH remain in the American League and pitchers hit in the National. That way fans can see the game both ways and it’s up to the managers and players to adjust. adjust.
Again, if you’d like to leave a comment, please do so below!
I’m a forever NL fan but it’s time to bring it to the NL. Except for a few like Bumgarner, it’s an almost automatic out when the pitcher bats. It would also mean that pitchers could stay in longer if they didn’t have to taken out for a pinch hitter. Don’t universally exclude pitchers from hitting unless the one on the mound can’t.
I’m also a National League fan and somewhat of a purist. I don’t like it, but I can live with it if it happens.
DH intro was 46 years ago, not 36. Time flies when you’re having fun.
Should be uniformity in both leagues. DH is universal everywhere but the NL.
Haha!…I’ll tell Bill Gutman who wrote that part that his math is off!
Over my dead body.
I really like the DH in the American League.. I’m a Diamondbacks fan and when I see the bottom of the order coming up, that’s when I wish we had a DH.
Good point Joe…I’m a purist so I still don’t like it, but I can live with it if it happens.
Here are some of the “Other” responses to our poll question abut the DH:
No DH in either league.
Nothing should change: Let the DH remain in the American League and pitchers hit in the National. That way fans can see the game both ways and it’s up to the managers and players to adjust.
Don’t mess with it the way it is.
Don’t mess with baseball.
The National League was the First to propose it in the ’20’s.They should have it.
Make the managers manage.
The DH should be universal. It makes the game more exciting and gives players the opportunity to have longer careers once are advanced in age. Without adding it to the National League, it’s ruining baseball. For example, look at the World Series. It’s ridiculous to have some games with it and some games without it. Not to mention inter league play where pitchers, who normally would never pick up a bat, all of a sudden have to try and hit. In the recent past, because these pitchers who have batted and actually got on base, are then forced to run the bases which they never trained for all year, have experienced injuries which then changed the course of a team’s season by losing them for an extended period. Time to make everything universal and get into the 21st Century.