Major League Baseball is the largest professional baseball league and it is considered the highest level of professional baseball. Major League Baseball has 30 teams, 29 of which play in the United States and one that is located in Toronto, Ontario, Canada. Major League Baseball has been around since the late 1800s, and over the course of time, several major rules have been changed.
Pitcher's Mound
MLB made one of their most significant rule changes in 1969 by lowering the pitcher's mound from 15 to 10 inches off the ground. This rule was designed to increase offensive production because the game had been dominated by pitchers in the 1960s. The lowering of the mound made pitchers throw on a more even surface, which affects leverage, velocity and the angle on which the ball approaches the plate. All of these factors helped hitters and helped to change the game toward the offensive side of the field.
Designated Hitter
The designated hitter or DH rule is one of the most controversial rules in the major leagues. Only the 14 American League teams play with the DH, which means all games that are played in an American League park use the designated hitter. According to writer Jeff Nilsson, the designated hitter was introduced in 1973 with the hope that the DH would boost scoring and therefore increase the popularity and revenue of baseball. Designated hitters enable teams to bat a hitter who does not play the field in place of one of the fielders. In the major leagues, the pitcher is always the player replaced by the DH. Many people are in favor of eliminating the designated hitter.
Batting Helmet
In the early years of baseball until the 1970s, players wore only baseball hats when batting. This offered no padding or protection for the hitter's head. Batting helmets became mandatory in the major leagues in 1971. This was significant because prior to the use of batting helmets, career-ending injuries from being hit in the head were common. The introduction of the helmet led to a decline in injuries. The helmet design has changed over time from being just a cap in the beginning to now featuring earflaps and enhanced grooved designs that are supposed to protect the player from concussions.
Instant Replay
For more than 100 years, baseball relied on a team of umpires to make important calls using only real-time naked eye looks. In 2008, a portion of that changed when Major League Baseball adopted the limited use of instant replay. Replay was implemented due to missed calls by umpires during the 2008 MLB season. Major League Baseball limits replay use to boundary calls. This means that replay is used for calls that involve balls leaving the boundary of the field of play such as home runs, fair or foul balls, and fan interference.
References
- SI Vault: From Mountain to Molehill
- The Saturday Evening Post: The History of Baseball's Designated Hitter Rule: Or, The Decline and Fall of Western Civilization; Jeff Nilsson
- SI Vault: Hit in the Head
- ESPN MLB: MLB approves replay in series that start Thursday; Associated Press; August 2008
- MLB.com: History of the Game: Doubleday to Present Day
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