A good group of baseball people, we have spent Half a Century protesting the insult to sport and entertainment that is designated hitter.
But now, when the 50th anniversary of the imposition of Rule 6.10, which is the matter, to celebrate it in style, has also been approved in the National League.
Logically, baseball executives of the XNUMXth century loved strategy more than those of the XNUMXth and XNUMXst centuries.
Because, during 1899 there was a movement to impose the designated one in the National League, a movement that, fortunately, was rejected very soon.
And the crazy project of Charles O. Finley, who had recently bought the Athletics, then of Kansas City, was also resoundingly rejected in 1969.
That Finley was the same one who ended the bans on mustaches, beards and long hair for baseball players.
He proposed that, "to make the show more agile and interesting", instead of lineups of nine players, they should be 27, that is, with 18 designated.
And he explained: “Nine players just to hit, nine to just run and the other nine exclusively for defense. And he helped himself by exposing that American football is played similar to that.
The first game with a designated hitter was on the afternoon of April 1973, XNUMX, at Fenway Park.
The first pitcher turned shortstop, Luis Tiant, of the Red Sox. The Yankees' leadoff middleweight hitter, Ron Blomberg, who was walked.
The designated hitter destroys the symmetry of the lineups and also destroys, to a large extent, the strategy of baseball.
In 1974, Cuban Preston Gómez was manager of the Astros, who played in the National League. So I went to Houston to broadcast a series with the Reds.
In the second of the three games, JR Richard, from Houston, was throwing a perfect game, already in the seventh inning. In the second inning of that Chapter, it was Richard's turn to bat, with a runner on second and one out. The score was tied at zero.
Preston didn't think twice. He pinch-hit for Richard with perfect game and all.
Well, by single and sacrifice fly, the runner scored and they won 1-0. Astros relievers had three hits but no runs scored.
"The Houston Chronicle" headlined the full page: "What they can't see anymore in the American League."
And now, not in the National League either... We'll have to go to Japan, where the Central League keeps baseball pure.
Rule in force for five decades
In its first part, 610, it states: A batter may be designated to bat in substitution of the starting pitcher and all subsequent pitchers in any game, without affecting in any way the situation of the pitchers during the game. The Designated Hitter must be disclosed on the lineup card, which is given to the plate umpire.
The Designated Hitter must bat at least once, except when the opposing club changes pitcher. It is not an obligation for a team to catch a Designated Hitter by the pitcher, but if the team does not do so before the start of the game, they will not be able to use it for the rest of the game.
La Russa's wise opinion on the appointee
The lawyer, Tony La Russa, was manager of the Chicago White Sox for nine years, followed by another ten seasons with the Oakland Athletics, that is, 19 seasons were added directing with the designated hitter.
But the Cardinals hired him, starting in 1996, and they invited him to give a press conference in St. Louis, in December 1995. I attended that meeting.
And when Tony La Russa appeared in the conference environment, as he walked to where he was going to sit, he said with a smile to the audience: “Really, guys, I am finally going to direct for real. In the American League there is very little strategy left.”
