APRIL 6, 1973 | NEW YORK, NY. The designated hitter (DH) was born on this date in 1973. The New York Yankees’ Ron Blomberg became the first major league baseball player to be in the starting lineup without playing in the field. He also became the first DH to reach base and drive in a run. Luis Tiant of the Boston Red Sox walked him with the bases loaded in the top of the first. Blomberg later singled.
The game changed significantly that day, many believe for the worse. Hundreds of American League pitchers would go through entire careers without picking up a bat. Hundreds of designated hitters would seldom pick up a glove. The DH has since trickled down to amateur baseball. Many high school and college pitchers don’t bat.
Purists were, and remain, appalled for several reasons, the least of which being, baseball used to be one of the few sports that required every participant be able to do everything with professional proficiency; run, hit, throw and catch.
In other sports, the National Football League for example, an offensive tackle can make it to the Hall-of-Fame without ever throwing a football in a game, or catching one for that matter. Dennis Rodman probably went whole NBA seasons without attempting a 3-pointer, let alone making one.
DID YOU KNOW: The DH was first suggested by the National League in 1928, but the American League rejected it [see Dec 12 story].
The same is now true in baseball, except for the National League. Pitchers go through entire careers without ever hitting or running the bases. A player who is mostly a DH does not have to be proficient at catching or throwing.
Supporters of the Designated Hitter say it initiated a re-birth of baseball. Attendance boomed after the DH was enacted in the early 1970’s, until the players’ strike of 1994. However, average attendance is higher in the National League, which has never had the DH, than the American League, where the DH was born.
CONTRIBUTING SOURCES:
First Designated Hitters
A different way to look at the DH