Los Angeles Dodgers fan protests universal designated hitter outside stadium

Whether we like it or not, the universal designated hitter is coming to Major League Baseball. Commissioner Rob Manfred claims that the league and the Player’s Union have agreed to make this a reality, something that should not be much of a surprise. It is a move that most fans and players wanted to see happen in the first place.

However, not everyone is enamored with this decision. One Los Angeles Dodgers fan has taken his dismay to another level, protesting the universal DH outside Dodger Stadium.

Los Angeles Dodgers fan protests universal DH

Baseball is slow to change. The designated hitter was first proposed by Connie Mack back in the 1910s when he grew frustrated with watching his pitchers attempt to hit, but it did not become reality until 1973. Now, 49 years later, it is set to come to the National League.

That slowness to change is part of what makes the game great and allows players to be compared throughout the decades. For instance, the mound has been the same distance since 1893. The game has had four balls as a walk and three strikes as an out since 1889. The current substitution rules have been in place since 1891.

Given that the game has been the same for generations, it is understandable that fans would be resistant to change as well. However, it makes sense for both leagues to play under the same rules, especially with interleague play being a constant.

That does not mean that everyone will be on board. There are those who want the rules to remain the same, with the National League as its own entity. There are even those who want the DH to be abolished (such as yours truly). But as much as we may not like it, the DH is here to stay, despite the one man protest outside Dodger Stadium.

One Los Angeles Dodgers fan is showing his disgust with the designated hitter coming to the National League. His protest is an inspiration for us all.