“I screwed up the game of baseball in 1973…nobody had any idea it was going to stay, but 48 years later, the designated hitter is here to stay, and I’m so proud!”
We wouldn’t go as far as Ron Blomberg did with that first statement on Sunday morning, talking to Danielle McCartan on WFAN’s McCartan After Midnight, but the latter is definitely one of the better changes to the game of baseball over the years.
In 2020, the DH became universal for the short season, and Blomberg was a fan.
“I think it blended in pretty good, because I think the National League got used to it,” Blomberg said. “If you look at how much it improved the game…no one wants to watch pitchers hit. There’s no strategy in the game anymore; it became a home run or strikeout game, with no going first-to-third or stealing…but this brings excitement to the league and the game.”
When it comes to 2021 and beyond, it seems owners want to use the universal DH as a bargaining chip to get expanded playoffs implemented permanently. Having a DH in both leagues costs all 30 teams more money, so that’s understandable given this season’s revenue loss, but Blomberg says making the switch is a “no-brainer” for owners.
The first thing we have to do is get past the virus, because we have no idea if we’ll have spring training, or a larger schedule, or what have you,” Blomberg said. “(But the DH) gives an extra player a roster spot, and it’s a no-brainer for the owners. It brings excitement to the league and the game, and people who have been on the injured list can come back as a DH. I hate to watch pitchers hit; it’s miserable. Every level has the DH, so most of these guys never even pick up a bat. I’d rather watch a good hitter. It’s a whole position now, not half a position, and it’s here to stay.”
With that, Blomberg again brought up the issue of money, remembering how hard it was to get even a modest raise the year he made baseball history…and how quickly it went away.
“If you look at the Yankees, they lost a lot of money, but I think it will hurt down the road more, because players are going to see what we went through when it comes to free agency,” he said. “In 1973, when I hit .329, they gave me a $500 raise, but it took me the whole winter to get it. The next year I hit .311, so they took it back, and when I hit .301 the year after that, they didn’t even talk to me! I know the MLBPA will step up, but owners will find a way to show their revenue and how much they lost.”
Now, back to being the first DH, Blomberg has, of course, reminisced with Sweeny Murti about that fateful April day in Fenway Park…but he had one story he saved for McCartan.
“I walked against Luis Tiant, and when I got back to the bench, Elston Howard told me, ‘you know, you can go back into the clubhouse for a little bit,’ so I did,” Blomberg said. “I was sitting down in my little locker, and the clubhouse guy, Vince, was making kielbasa. I started getting hungry, so I went over and asked Vince if he minded me eating a kielbasa; he said go ahead, and I thought, ‘this ain’t too bad! I’m warm, I’m eating my kielbasa, and I’m gonna go hit in a major-league game!’”
Hit he did, playing more games as a DH (180) than at any other position over his eight MLB seasons, including three that came before the institution of the rule. His bat from that first plate appearance is still displayed at the Baseball Hall of Fame, and Blomberg is proud to be able to see it annually.”
“I look at it all the time. I have the largest Jewish sleepaway camp in New Jersey, and we usually take a trip up to Cooperstown in August,” he said. “I take them to my bat, and they all go nuts. I thought they’d use it for firewood eventually, but it’s a big thing! I became a role model for these kids.”
And, apparently, for others who have cashed in thanks to the designated hitter position.
“When I got inducted into the Jewish Sports Hall of Fame, Will Clark was there getting an award. I had never met him, and he came up to me and said, ‘I always wanted to meet you,’” Blomberg recalled. “I asked why, and he said, ‘you helped me get a five-year contract with the Texas Rangers by being a DH. I wanted to let you know that from all the DH’s I’ve ever spoken to, you kept a lot of older guys who could still hit as part of the game of baseball.’”
Blomberg said he jokingly asked Clark for a cut of that contract as tribute, and while he’s still waiting for that (as well as some meal money from the 1970s, apparently), he’ll always have April 6, 1973.
Check out Blomberg’s entire interview with Danielle McCartan below!
Follow Danielle McCartan on Twitter: @CoachMcCartan
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