When you hit 60, even if you look and feel pretty good for you age, there are constant reminders, whether they are physical, mental or social, that you are old.
They show up more frequently, too, and that's why I take solace in the tiny, almost meaningless factoids that show that I'm still not as old as that.
An example is the designated hitter. For as long as I have been following baseball there has always been a designated hitter. I've been watching baseball for 50 years, and a DH has been a fact of life for every one of those years. I haven't known a time when there wasn't one. So at least I've never experienced that, though I would've liked to.
I recently thought of this when I came across this 1979 Danny Goodwin card again. It's fairly well-known because the designated hitter is doing something that a designated hitter is known for not doing -- donning a glove and throwing a ball. DHs always have a bat. Where's Goodwin's bat?
I wondered if there were any cards of designated hitters like this. But I realized quickly that finding something like that was going to take more time than I have. So my searching evolved into how Topps treated the designated hitter on its cards during the first 10 years of the new "position."
The first moment for a designated hitter was April 6, 1973 when the Yankees' Ron Blomberg came to the plate (we passed the 50th anniversary of the DH three years ago, I probably should have done this then). So the first cards in which Topps recognized the designated hitter came in its 1974 set.
These are the cards in the '74 set that mention the player as a designated hitter and nothing else. There are far more cards in the set in which the player is mentioned as a DH-and-something-else, a first baseman or an outfielder, etc. Ron Blomberg's card is one of those.
There are just five of those cards in the 1975 Topps set. I think you can see a theme -- sole designated hitters were old, revered slugging types. I don't know if this was just Topps, or the feeling at the time, but it seems that players liked being something else besides a DH, and therefore relatively few exclusive DH cards.
Also, by this time, my project became, "when is Topps going to actually print 'designated hitter'" on its cards? We have a long wait.
1976 Topps, and a lot more designated hitters, or rather des. hitters. But I think the larger amount had less to do with Topps finally embracing the DH and more with how positions are portrayed on 1976 Topps. This is something I didn't realize until now. Since a position logo is used, Topps did not list a player as playing multiple positions in '76 Topps. It was one position/one logo and that's it. Therefore, no "DH-1B" mentions, or any others, in the set.
Here with 1977 Topps, we're back to just five, as Topps could use multiple positions in its flags. At least the original DH, Ron Blomberg, finally appears as nothing but a "des. hitter" for the first time.
There are six designated-hitter exclusives in 1978 Topps and because the space for the position is limited, Topps uses the "DH" abbreviation for the first time.
I do like how three positions were squeezed onto that tiny baseball for Cliff Johnson.
In 1979, Topps stayed with "DH," because the font is bigger, I guess. Just six DH exclusives again, and one is fielding.
In 1980, the "Des. Hitter" returns ... and so does Rico Carty ... and Willie Horton. And just five DH-only guys despite 13 American League teams at the time.
1981 now and our old friend Danny Goodwin is back. But he's the only player identified in the set as just a designated hitter. And it's still "Des. Hitter". Seven years after putting the position on cards, Topps still can't say it.
In 1982, Topps created just two DH-exclusive cards, and Goodwin was one of them. It's just "DH" this year, but I bet "Des. Hitter" could fit.
By now you're probably wondering how Donruss and Fleer are treating the designated hitter (OK, maybe it's just me), since they arrived on the scene in 1981.
Well, Fleer had no DH exclusives in 1981 and 1982, just shared positions. And Donruss? Donruss would not even acknowledge the designated hitter in 1981 and 1982, not even using it in conjunction with another position. As a solid-blue National League fan and a purist when it comes to the DH, I admire that.
But change was coming in 1983.
Both Fleer and Donruss caught up to speed. Fleer used "DH" and nothing else on Don Baylor's card.
And, my gosh, there's Donruss acknowledging the DH for the first time on Lamar Johnson's card.
But Topps did just a little bit more.
Topps finally spelled out "designated hitter" 10 years in on the six players described as a designated hitter only.
Also, as always, props to O-Pee-Chee for squeezing in ALL the type:
And that's how Topps handled the designated hitter during the first 10 years of its existence.
I'd like to see how the position has progressed on baseball cards in future posts, but I don't know if I'll guarantee that. We'll see how much enthusiasm I still have.
I admit, I've gotten used to an MLB world with a universal DH. I'm not saying I like it any more than the world when the American League had it and the National League didn't. It'd still be nice to see pitchers hit, even just to add some quirky to a sport that needs some (no more long extra inning games either).
But, you know me, I'm old. And, yes, that was just another reminder.
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