First DH to hit in the regular season

[kairos12]

Ron Blomberg. Yankees. April 6, 1973. He walked against Luis Tiant with the bases loaded.

[True Dough]

1. Would you like to see the DH available in the National League?

I would. The consistency between the AL and NL would be good. Enough of pitchers up there taking hacks.

[kairos12]

3. I've long been opposed to the DH. However, I recognize my attitude could be of

the old man shouting at clouds variety. My biased objection is based on my love of baseball stats and history. I don't think you can fairly compare the stats of a hitter, never forced to play the field, with someone who did. For instance, if Mickey Mantle, with his bad knees, could have hit only would his stats have changed? Endless speculation I know. But it's fun.

[True Dough]

4. I figured you were a purist

for exactly the reason you mentioned: all the historic stats. I prefer AL games without the pitcher coming to the plate. It's been in place since 1973. That's a heck of a long time to have two sets of rules.

Another way to look at the DH rule is that it prolongs the careers of some of the all-time great hitters. If Mickey Mantle still swung a potent bat at age 38 but he was a liability in the field, wouldn't you prefer to see him stick around for a few more seasons in a DH role?

[kairos12]

5. That's a fine point. I hadn't thought of that.

Thank you. I can a halt my nimbus yammering for awhile.

[Power 2 the People]

6. True but it goes both ways.

Just think how the stats of American League pitchers would have been helped from 1973 to present if they only had to face 8 major league batters instead of 9 every game.

Justin Verlander
Jim Palmer
Nolan Ryan
Mike Mussina
Roger Clemens
Roy Halladay
Randy Johnson
Pedro Martinez

Just imagine the stats of those guys and countless others if they played their entire careers in the National League.

What's even more impressive is that Halladay, Mussina,Pedro and Johnson all spent their prime years in the AL facing the DH and steroids. I purposely ignored Clemens for obvious reasons.

With no DH, Nolan Ryan would have had over 7,000 strikeouts for sure.

[Auggie]

7. NO

Baseball is much more a game of strategy without the DH.

[Cartoonist]

2. And half of Baseball died.

And there's talk of killing the National League. And they're going to blame Bryce Harper for it.