Earlier this month, the Major League Baseball Players Association released a proposal regarding players’ concerns about the current state of the game.
Along with service-time and pace of play issues was a call for the universal designated hitter to be introduced to the game for the 2019 season. Among the four major sports’ leagues in the United States, the designated hitter, also known as the DH, is one of, if not the only, rule that is different between in separate conferences or leagues.
The DH was established in the American League in 1973. Players like David Ortiz and newly-elected Hall of Famer Edgar Martinez made a career as primarily designated hitters.