LOS ANGELES, CA – If Major League Baseball ever gets to start the season in 2022, there’s going to be a big difference this year. The National League is finally growing up and adding the designated hitter as Major League Baseball has announced the universal designated hitter rule.
In 1973, the American League launched the designated hitter rule that allowed for hitters to be substituted in the 9 player lineup instead of the pitcher. The rule created the power hitter, a player who usually is past his prime but can still hit the ball. It also made a distinct difference between the National League and American League. For decades the two leagues were foreign to each other, which made for great world series matchups. Two teams from different leagues who haven’t played against each other, playing by different rules each night.
Then, Major League Baseball added interleague play which sort of watered down the interleague rivalry, still the DH was the unknown strategy for both teams heading into the world series. For the NL, who do you put in that spot…for the AL, who doesn’t play that game?
Now, that is gone and MLB homogenized the DH rule across the board. Now, both leagues will use the DH.
There has been relative silence. You would expect protesters to march en masse at Major League stadiums across the country, but the bulk of the dissent happened here in Los Angeles where one brave DH freedom fighter stood tall at the entrance to the stadium and protested the injustice.
No Justice…No DH. All pitchers matter. End the DH mandate.