The designated hitter is on its way to the National League in 2020, like it or not. Designated hitting is not a new concept for the Cubs; they have been doing it since 1997, at least for a few games per season. And, of course, the DH was used in a few games in the biggest series for the franchise in recent Cubs history — the 2016 World Series. Let’s dig into the rich (not really) history of Cubs DH's.
Fifty-two players have started at least one game at DH for the Cubs. They first used it on June 16, 1997 — a game remembered most as the first ever regular season Cubs-White Sox game — at New Comiskey Park on the South Side.