Older baseball fans: answer this question

[Argo]

My coworker told me that there was a very good reason at the time, however, that reason isn't relevent now. Does anybody know what that reason was?

 

[FoBoT]

i prefer NL due to the DH

i don't know the story, i am not a hardcore enough BB fan

 

[raystorm]

here's a bump...

Wasn't it done because folks in baseball back then thought pitchers had too much of an advantage and there was little offense?? Also they changed the height of the pitchers mound around the same time right??

maybe someone here will give us the answer.

 

Originally posted by: FoBoT
i prefer NL due to the DH

i don't know the story, i am not a hardcore enough BB fan

Uh, the NL doesn't have the DH. NL pitchers go to bat for their team.

American League teams DO have DHs.

 

[PoPPeR]

Originally posted by: jumpr

Originally posted by: FoBoT
i prefer NL due to the DH

i don't know the story, i am not a hardcore enough BB fan

Uh, the NL doesn't have the DH. NL pitchers go to bat for their team.

American League teams DO have DHs.

i think he's saying that because of the DH in the AL, he prefers the NL

 

[FoBoT]

that was my point, i prefer the NL because the AL has the DH. i guess i don't know how to talk right

i don't like the DH, so i like the NL, that is what i meant

 

I happen to like the DH...seeing Greg Maddux bat this past weekend was a pretty painful sight. 😀

 

[FoBoT]

Originally posted by: raystorm
here's a bump...

Wasn't it done because folks in baseball back then thought pitchers had too much of an advantage and there was little offense?? Also they changed the height of the pitchers mound around the same time right??

maybe someone here will give us the answer.

the mound height was changed, that might be related

 

[PoPPeR]

Originally posted by: jumpr
I happen to like the DH...seeing Greg Maddux bat this past weekend was a pretty painful sight. 😀

but its so much more satisfying when your pitcher does get a hit. Imagine how embarassing it is for the other pitcher

 

[Nozirev]

I know these were two reasons for putting it in place in 1973.

One: Obviously to increase production during games. To hopefully raise lagging attendance with more action.
Two: Was to allow older and yet popular players to extend their careers, which also achieves the same things, keeping attendance numbers up.

 

[jalaram]

Isn't Greg Maddux supposed to be one of the better hitting pitchers?

Re: mound height. It was reduced because pitchers were getting too good (see Bob Gibson's incredible ERA).

 

[astrosfan90]

Originally posted by: PoPPeR

Originally posted by: jumpr
I happen to like the DH...seeing Greg Maddux bat this past weekend was a pretty painful sight. 😀

but its so much more satisfying when your pitcher does get a hit. Imagine how embarassing it is for the other pitcher

Aye, I love the NL. Nothing like watching Brandon Backe throw an amazing game and bat his own runs in to boot: http://sports.espn.go.com/mlb/players/stats?statsId=6965&context=batting

 

[jalaram]

ESPN link

AL owners put the DH rule -- initially a three-year experiment -- into place for three reasons: 1. to pump up the offense; 2. to give aging sluggers the chance to shine for a few more years; 3. to increase attendance.

Edit: As Nozirev said.

 

[madogvt]

Originally posted by: raystorm
here's a bump...

Wasn't it done because folks in baseball back then thought pitchers had too much of an advantage and there was little offense?? Also they changed the height of the pitchers mound around the same time right??

maybe someone here will give us the answer.

^ This is what I always thought it was.

 

[EagleKeeper]

Boost offsense - low scoring games were getting boring - losing fan attention.

As others also stated, allowed popular hitters to stay with the game even though their fielding skills were degrading. (Not an official resaon, but read between the lines).