The DH may have been a revolutionary concept when it was introduced by the American League in 1973, but it was by no means a new one. The idea of a player hitting for the pitcher every time his turn comes up had its roots in the late nineteenth century.
David Ortiz
Before Ron Blomberg stepped into the batter’s box on April 6, 1973, as the major leagues’ first Designated Hitter (DH), he sought the advice of one of his Yankees coaches, Elston Howard, on how he should take on this new baseball position. Howard advised him,“Go hit and then sit down.”[fn]George Vescey, Baseball A History of America’s Favorite Game (New York, New York: Random House, 2006), 181.[/fn] Blomberg drew a walk. That first DH trip to the plate was the realization of a revolutionary baseball concept.
THE NINETEENTH CENTURY: THE FIRST DH PROPOSAL
The DH may have been a revolutionary concept, but it was by no means a new one. The idea of a player hitting for the pitcher every time his turn comes up had its roots in the late nineteenth century. The seeds were sown in 1887 when rule changes permitting substitutes in the game were explored.
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