No DH in NL for "foreseeable future"

[Rios15]

You'll recall that MLB commissioner Rob Manfred recently set off an Internet brushfire by suggesting that the Designated Hitter rule might make its way to the National League as soon as 2017. The current collective bargaining agreement, which governs the working relationship between owners and players, expires prior to the 2017 season, which made that initial DH timeline a very plausible one.
 
Now, though, Manfred seems to be walking back those remarks just a bit. Here's the relevant part of his wide-ranging discussion with ESPN.com's Jerry Crasnick:
 

So is the message on the future of the DH different than what came out of the owners' meetings in Miami last week?
 
The most likely result on the designated hitter for the foreseeable future is the status quo. I know [St. Louis Cardinals general manager] John Mozeliak talked about it, and when you have any National League club talking about it, it's interesting. But I think the vast majority of clubs in the National League want to stay where they are.
 

"Status quo" would of course be the DH in the AL, which has been the case since 1973, and no DH in the NL, which has always been the case. "Foreseeable future" is of course open-ended but suggests a long time from now. Manfred's comments also imply that there's simply not enough momentum among NL owners for such a drastic structural change.
 
In any event, if you're galled by the idea of the DH in the senior circuit, then take this as comfort of a kind. At the very least, it appears that this Great Baseball Reckoning isn't in the immediate offing.
 
http://www.cbssports.com/mlb/eye-on-baseball/25462030/rob-manfred-says-likely-no-dh-in-nl-for-foreseeable-future

 

[CameronCrazy06]

Good call

 

[elcheato]

Nazis

 

[Giantmetfan07]

I'm already tired of debating it with the purists.... so whatever at this point.

 

[Phil The Thrill]

I don't care when it is NL vs. NL, but at least make interleague have DH. It's stupid when you have pitchers hitting who haven't hit since like high school.

 

[Mexi]

I fucking hate pitchers hitting

 

[bosoxlover12]

I don't care when it is NL vs. NL, but at least make interleague have DH. It's stupid when you have pitchers hitting who haven't hit since like high school.

as a pro-dh guy, I kinda like seeing the al teams having to bat. Otherwise it gives a strict advantage in interleague/World Series to the AL team. The NL team needs a DH for like 12 games a year, and having all interleague use DH gives the NL a disadvantage