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MLB to have rules to protect them from undue harm as well. The DH accomplishes that in the AL by keeping pitchers out of the batter's box and off the bases.

Another frequent DH rule argument comes from baseball purists, who believe that every player should swing a bat just like when they were kids, or because that's how the game was originally played. These traditionalists support the NL no-DH style of play.

However, one can again look to pro football to see that a game doesn't necessarily suffer by moving away from tradition and the game's origins. In backyard football, kids play every down, offense then defense. As the game has grown up, football has evolved into a game of specialists. Nowadays, football is so specialized that some players are third down outside linebacker only, or kickoff return only, for example. Yet no one complains that these football specialists smear or defile the game by not being the well-rounded players like they were as kids.
And the NFL is today at the peak of its popularity with American fans.

Similarly, just because a pitcher swung a bat as a kid, there's no reason he has to do it now. Throughout modern society in this day and age, specialists are preferred. It's time for the NL to recognize that pitchers are specialists and treat them as such, which the AL's DH rule does. Fans can certainly adapt to this modernization of the game and quit griping about tradition, as they have for the NFL's specialization and rule changes.

Additionally, do baseball purists really enjoy watching NL pitchers at the plate? It's nearly a guaranteed rally-killing out every time the pitcher comes up. That's no fun to watch. After all, the name of the game is to score runs. And which would you rather see, your team score lots of runs or only a few? By sending a good hitting DH up to bat rather than a lousy hitting pitcher, more offense is introduced.

Hank Steinbrenner was right. The National League needs to adopt the designated hitter rule, not just for interleague games, but full time. Pitchers have a difficult enough time just throwing the ball and remaining healthy. Keeping pitchers on the mound, out of the batter's box, and off the bases also makes sound business sense. Come on, NL and MLB powers-that-be, adopt the DH rule throughout baseball and prevent unnecessary pitcher injuries. It's time to level the playing field with the same rules for both leagues.

Learn more about this author, Gary Cain.
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