You won’t find the name of George Pfister in the National League records, though he appears as C for the Dodgers. The NL rules Pfister, who never signed a Brooklyn contract, is the property of Montreal (International League), and his name is removed from the box score.
On April 20, 1941, the Brooklyn Dodgers become the first major league team to wear protective headgear. Each player’s cap features a special plastic lining designed to fend off the effects of “beanballs.”
The sacrifice fly rule, reinstituted last year, is eliminated for the 1941 season. Though he would hit .400 without the rule change, Ted Williams will have six flies that score runners from third base in 1941.
1930 – The Rules Committee of baseball issues a greatly revised code, reducing the number of rules by combining many. Not only is the sacrifice rule abolished but also the rule awarding a home runs when the ball bounces into the stands. “Bounce homers” will now be doubles. This had already been in effect in the American League but not the National League.
The last major league bounced home run is hit by Dodger catcher Al Lopez at Ebbets Field as the NL joins the American League, which had enacted the rule change in 1929. The player who hits the ball over the wall on a bounce will now be awarded a ground-rule double.
On April 16, 1929, the New York Yankees become the first team to permanently feature numbers on the backs of their uniforms. The numbers correspond to each player’s position in the batting order. The numbers also allow fans and broadcasters to more easily identify the players. Future Hall of Famers Earle Combs, Babe Ruth and Lou Gehrig wear #1, #3 and #4, respectively.
National League President John Heydler’s designated hitter idea gets the backing of John McGraw, but the American League is against it.
1928 – National League President John Heydler becomes the first person to propose a baseball rule change calling for a 10th man, or a designated hitter, to bat in place of the pitcher. The NL will vote in favor of the proposal, but the American League will turn it down.
1920 – The American League votes to allow pitchers who used the spitball in 1920 to continue using it as long as they are in the league. The National League will do the same. There will be 17 designated spitters in all, eight in the NL and nine in the AL. For the NL: Bill Doak, Phil Douglas, Dana Fillingim, Ray Fisher, Marvin Goodwin, Burleigh Grimes, Clarence Mitchell, and Dick Rudolph. For the AL: A.W. Ayers, Slim Caldwell, Stan Coveleski, Red Faber, Dutch Leonard, Jack Quinn, Allan Russell, Urban Shocker, and Allen Sothoron.
major leagues announce a rule change banning all “freak deliveries” by pitchers
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