Box Score of First Designated Hitter Game

The designated hitter, or DH, was first proposed during the 1890s. League presidents, owners, and players argued about the position originally known as the designated pinch hitter for nearly eighty years before finally approvings its use in the American League during the 1973 season.

On April 6, 1973, at 1:53 p.m. Ron Blomberg of the New York Yankees came to the plate versus the Boston Red Sox. That single at-bat assured Blomberg of baseball immortality and we here at Baseball Almanac are pleased to present the box score of the first designated hitter game.

Baseball Almanac Top Quote

"Competing in sports has taught me that if I'm not willing to give one-hundred twenty percent, somebody else will." - Ron Blomberg

Designated Hitter

First DH Game Ever : April 6, 1973 at Fenway Park

Name Pos AB R H RBI
Horace Clarke 2b 5 0 1 0
Roy White lf 5 0 0 0
Matty Alou rf 5 2 2 0
Bobby Murcer cf 3 1 0 0
Graig Nettles 3b 2 2 1 2
Mel Stottlemyre p 0 0 0 0
Lindy McDaniel p 0 0 0 0
Casey Cox p 0 0 0 0
Ron Blomberg dh 3 0 1 1
Felipe Alou 1b 4 0 3 2
Thurman Munson c 3 0 0 0
Gene Michael ss 4 0 0 0
Totals 34 5 8 5
Name Pos AB R H RBI
Tommy Harper lf 6 1 3 1
Luis Aparicio ss 6 0 1 1
Carl Yastrzemski 1b 4 2 2 2
Reggie Smith cf 5 2 2 0
Rick Miller cf 0 0 0 0
Luis Tiant p 0 0 0 0
Orlando Cepeda dh 6 0 0 0
Rico Petrocelli 3b 4 3 3 0
Carlton Fisk c 4 4 3 6
Doug Griffin 2b 5 2 4 2
Dwight Evans rf 5 1 2 1
Totals 45 15 20 13

Double Play: Boston 1.
Doubles: M.Alou 2, Fisk, Smith, F.Alou, Evans, Harper.
Errors: Nettles, Michael.
Home Runs: Yastrzemski, Fisk 2, Nettles.
Left On Base: New York 11, Boston 11.
Sacrifice Fly: Yastrzemski.
Stolen Bases: Griffin, Yastrzemski.

Team 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 R H E
New York 3 0 1 0 1 0 0 0 0 5 8 2
Boston 1 4 3 4 0 3 0 0 x 15 20 0
Name IP H R ER BB SO
Mel Stottlemyre 2.2 8 8 6 0 1
Lindy McDaniel 2.1 7 4 4 1 2
Casey Cox 3.0 5 3 2 1 0
Name IP H R ER BB SO
Luis Tiant 9.0 8 5 5 5 2

Hit By Pitcher: Fisk & Smith (by Cox).
Losing Pitcher
: Stottlemyre.
Winning Pitcher: Tiant.

Attendance: 32,862.
Length of Game: 2:57.
Umpires: HP:Frank Umont, 1B: Don Denkinger, 2B: Merlyn Anthony, 3B: Bill Deegan.
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baseball almanac fast facts

The designated hitter rule was approved on January 11, 1973. It was used during exhibition games prior to the season and the first ever "official" spring training designated hitter was Larry Hisle of the Minnesota Twins!

Did you know that Orlando Cepeda of the Boston Red Sox can also be referred to as the first official designated hitter? Why? During this game Cepeda was on the line-up card as a DH and since the Red Sox were at home, their card was turned in first!

What are your thoughts about the designated hitter rule? Should it be abolished? Should it be adopted by the National League? Share your opinion on our baseball message boards!