Designated Hitter

Baseball is a game which is basically a confrontation between a pitcher who throws a round ball and a batter who tries to hit the round ball with a round bat.

During baseball's evolutionary period, it became apparent that an increased emphasis on improving the specialized skill required of the pitcher contributed to a decline in his success as a batter.

There were suggestions calling for the elimination of the pitcher from the batting order.  Pitchers rejected such a call.  The great Babe Ruth said, "the pitcher who can't get in there in the pinch and win his own game with a healthy wallop, isn't more than half earning his salary."

On January 11, 1973 (53 years ago), the American League voted 8-4 to adopt the designated hitter (DH) rule.  A designated hitter was substituted for the pitcher in the batting order.  The National League did not adopt the designated hitter rule.  Their pitchers continued to bat.

As expected, the American League posted a higher batting average than the National League in 1973.  This trend continued year after year after year.

In 2022, the National League finally adopted the designated hitter rule.

Older players who are weak fielders or have a history of injuries have been able to extend their careers by becoming designated hitters, as the position is less physically demanding than those that involve playing the field while their team is on defense.

In 1997, at a time when the DH was only used in the American League, Tony Gwynn, then 37, said that "for a guy in my position, at my age, if they do put it in the National League, boy, would that be huge." 

However, opponents of the designated hitter have argued that it has allowed subpar and aging players to take up space on rosters longer than would otherwise be acceptable.

I like the DH.  What do you think?