American League adopts designated hitter rule
On January 11 1973the owners of Americas 24 major league baseball teams vote to allow teams in theAmerican League (AL) to use a designated pinch-hitter that could bat for the pitcher while still allowing the pitcher to stay in the game.The idea of adding a 10th man to the baseball lineup to bat for the pitcher had been suggested as early as 1906 by the revered player and manager Connie Mack.In 1928 John Heydler then-president of the National League (NL) revived the issue but the rule was rejected at that point by the AL management.By the early 1970s Charlie Finley the colorful owner of the Oakland As had become the designated hitter rules most outspoken advocate arguing that a pinch-hitter to replace the pitchera player that usually batted poorly exceptions like the legendary Babe Ruth notwithstandingwould add the extra offensive punch that baseball needed to draw more fans.At a joint meeting of the two major leagues in Chicago on January 11 1973 presided over by baseball commissioner Bowie Kuhn the owners voted to allow the AL (which lagged behind the NL in both scoring and attendance) to put the designated hitter rule into practice.
The NL resisted the change and for the first time in history the two leagues would play using different rules.In addition the introduction of the designated hitter (Rule 6.10) marked the biggest rule change in major league baseball since 1903 when it was decided that foul balls would be considered strikes.Though it initially began as a three-year experiment it would be permanently adopted by the AL and later by most amateur and minor league teams.On April 6 1973Opening DayRon Blomberg of the New York Yankees became the leagues first ever designated hitter.
In his first plate appearance he was walked on a full count by the Boston Red Sox pitcher Luis Tiant.From the beginning baseball purists decried the designated hitter in bitter moralistic terms arguing that it took away from baseballs integrity.The rift between pro- and anti-designated hitter fans has continued into the present day.
At first the designated hitter rule did not apply to any games in the World Series in which the AL and NL winners met for the world championship.From 1976-1985 it applied only to Series held in even-numbered years and in 1986 the current rule took effect according to which the designated hitter rule is used or not used according to the practice of the home team.
