With the All-Star Game taking place Tuesday night, this is a good occasion to revisit one of the sport's most fun arguments: whether the National League should institute the designated hitter.
Everyone has an opinion on the matter, including, naturally, the players themselves. Per union chief Tony Clark, the players are growing more receptive of the idea of a universal DH. Here's what Nick Cafardo of the Boston Globe tweeted on the matter:
Players Association executive director Tony Clark says the universal DH is gaining steam among players
— Nick Cafardo (@nickcafardo) July 17, 2018
Provided Clark is correct -- and there's no reason to doubt him -- the players would become the latest in a string of people in and around the game who have hinted in recent months that pitchers hitting could soon become a thing of the past.
Back in June, commissioner Rob Manfred suggested the owners had started to come around on the idea, too. That came months after St. Louis Cardinals executive John Mozeliak, an anti-DH individual, had conceded the game seemed to be moving in that direction.
It seems, then, like the DH will be coming to the NL at some point in the future. The only question is when.
