The National League elects their secretary, John Heydler, to be the president of the circuit

This Day In Baseball
 

 

On December 10, 1918 — The National League elects their secretary, John Heydler, elected President of the league. he served as the league president briefly after Pulliam’s suicide in 1909. He then steps in again as the acting President since John Tener stepped down last August.

As NL president again from 1918 to 1934, he hired the Elias brothers to maintain as the official keeper of playing statistics (1919), and he pushed for the selection of Kenesaw Mountain Landis as Commissioner of Baseball (1921), realizing the importance of an official who could keep the owners in check. Later he helped to establish the Baseball Hall of Fame.

In December 1928, Heydler proposed permitting a tenth player to bat in place of the pitcher – a rule which came about with the creation of the designated hitter in 1973.

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