▁h itter ▁to ▁bat ▁in ▁place ▁of ▁the ▁( us ually ) ▁weak - h itting ▁pitch er . ▁ ▁The ▁National ▁League ▁did ▁not ▁adopt ▁the ▁D H ▁rule . ▁ ▁This ▁presented ▁a ▁problem ▁for ▁the ▁World ▁Series , ▁whose ▁two ▁contest ants ▁would ▁now ▁be ▁playing ▁their ▁regular - season ▁games ▁under ▁different ▁rules . ▁From ▁ 1 9 7 3 ▁to ▁ 1 9 7 5 , ▁the ▁World ▁Series ▁did ▁not ▁include ▁a ▁D H . ▁Starting ▁in ▁ 1 9 7 6 , ▁the ▁World ▁Series ▁allowed ▁for ▁the ▁use ▁of ▁a ▁D H ▁in ▁even - number ed ▁years ▁only . ▁( The ▁C inc inn ati ▁Red s ▁swe pt ▁the ▁ 1 9 7 6 ▁Series ▁in ▁four ▁games , ▁using ▁the ▁same ▁nine - man ▁line up ▁in ▁each ▁contest . ▁Dan ▁D ri essen ▁was ▁the ▁Red s ' ▁D H ▁during ▁the ▁series , ▁thereby ▁becoming ▁the ▁National ▁League ' s ▁first ▁designated ▁h itter .) ▁Finally , ▁in ▁ 1 9 8 6 , ▁baseball ▁adopted ▁the ▁current ▁rule ▁in ▁which ▁the ▁D H ▁is ▁used ▁for ▁World ▁Series ▁games ▁played ▁in ▁the ▁AL ▁champion ' s ▁park ▁but ▁not ▁the ▁N L ▁champion ' s . ▁Thus , ▁the ▁D H ▁rule ' s ▁use ▁or ▁non - use ▁can ▁not ▁affect ▁the ▁performance ▁of ▁the ▁home ▁team . ▁▁ 1 9 8 0 s ▁▁ 1 9 8 4 : ▁Anderson ▁becomes ▁first ▁to ▁win ▁in ▁both ▁le