[Alberta's Child]

Originally, the designated hitter intended to give aging players, who might not run or field as well as they used to, an opportunity to extend their careers in a hitting-only capacity.

Uh, no.

The DH was intended to replace pitchers in the lineup who are almost universally putrid hitters with a player who actually knows how to bat.

[Treeless Branch]

The shorter season is a great start to make baseball meaningful to most people again. They also should decrease the games to 7 innings. Right or wrong the game is too long and slow for the modern mind and life. Similarly golf should only be 16 holes.

[IrishBrigade]

‘The DH was intended to replace pitchers in the lineup who are almost universally putrid hitters with a player who actually knows how to bat.’

a shortcoming that baseball managed to not only overcome, but thrive with, from 1873-1973...what’s the old saying, if it ain’t broke...

[libertylover]

The DH was intended to replace pitchers in the lineup who are almost universally putrid hitters with a player who actually knows how to bat.

Baseball could go the route of football and have completely separate teams for offense and defense. Basketball changes more or less instantly between offense and defense so it's not practical there. But it is for baseball, not that I'm advocating it. The designated hitter rule is a cross between having everyone play both offense and defense and platoon baseball.