I've been trying very hard to enjoy baseball this year, to ignore the tweaks and weird alterations to the game. I'm trying to be quiet about all of it, too -- or relatively so -- and just appreciate the game that I love.
But I can't do it.
I can't watch extra innings anymore. The moment a game moves to the 10th inning and that runner magically appears on second base, I have to turn the game off. It's suddenly become illegitimate to me. Sunday's Padres-Dodgers game ended that way and at the conclusion a whole bunch of people gushed over what a great series it was and OMG we get to do this 12 more times. But that last game wasn't great. It wasn't even baseball. And I stopped watching after the ninth.
I hate -- hate -- that I'm saying this. I want to be one of those fans who likes it all because baseball is awesome. But I don't think I feel this way because I'm old and crotchety, although I am both of those things. I think the reason is because the rule is stupid. It's counter-intuitive to the rhythm and flow of baseball. Baseball doesn't end because of artificial refinements or time restrictions, it ends when the game says it ends.
I love extra innings. It's one of my favorite things about baseball. Because extra innings is more baseball. It's extra! And it's more! I want more. Also, extra innings creates the opportunity for more excitement and more stories. All you need to do is watch those baseball folks online who get so excited when a game goes into extra innings. What's going to happen now? How long will it last? What weirdness will happen? Will we talk about it tomorrow or next week or next year? I love extra innings because the drama continues and is heightened and it's like reading a good book and you have no idea how it's going to end. I don't know who doesn't want that. People whose parents did read to them when they were little, I guess.
I read that the MLB Players Union head, Tony Clark, is in favor of more baseball, more extra innings and less seven-inning doubleheaders. He says the players are, too. That's great. Let's get it done. Because I can't take this.
I have this foolish theory that ever since we lost Tom Seaver, we've been doing dumb things with extra innings. Seaver has appeared in three -- three -- of the greatest extra-inning baseball games in history. These are games that set all kinds of records because the game was allowed to come to its natural end. I wish I could have experienced those games. Tom Seaver did.
As a tribute to More Baseball, I'm going to review those Seaver games and a couple other record-setters.
MOST INNINGS
May 1, 1920: Brooklyn 1, Boston 1, 26 innings
Both starting pitchers, Leon Cadore for Brooklyn and Joe Oeschger for Boston, each pitched all 26 innings. Now that's a great way to keep your earned-run average down, modern MLB pitchers.
MOST INNINGS, NIGHT GAME
It's a tie.
Sept. 11, 1974: St. Louis 4, New York Mets 3, 25 innings
May 8, 1984: Chicago White Sox 7, Milwaukee 6, 25 innings
In the Cardinals-Mets game, Seaver didn't appear in the game, but he got to witness all of it. Fellow starter Jerry Koosman was in control, leading 3-1 in the ninth inning, when the recently departed Ken Reitz hit a two-run home run to send the game to extra innings. In the 20th inning, Mets manager Yogi Berra was ejected for arguing strikes.
Young Bake McBride settled the game when he beat out an infield hit to start the 25th inning. Mets pitcher Hank Webb threw over to first to keep McBride close and the throw got away from first baseman John Milner, heading into foul territory. McBride steamed around the bases, beating the throw home to score the go-ahead and eventual winning run.
The game ended at 3:12 in the morning. The commissioner at the time, Bowie Kuhn, and his wife, stayed for the entire game. Kuhn got a lot of deserved flack during his reign but at least he wasn't putting ghost runners on second.
The White Sox-Brewers game wasn't played in one shot. Because of the American League 1 a.m. curfew at the time, the game was suspended after 17 innings and resumed the next day. Both teams scored three runs in the 21st inning and they pressed on to the 25th when Harold Baines sent everyone home with a 420-foot blast to center field.
Seaver won this game, coming in as the White Sox's eighth pitcher for the 25th inning.
MOST INNINGS, SHUTOUT
April 15, 1968: Houston 1, New York Mets 0, 24 innings
Seaver started this game and Don Wilson started for the Astros. Seaver pitched 10 innings and Wilson pitched nine, neither giving up a run.
In the 24th inning, Houston's Norm Miller singled and N.Y. pitcher Les Rohr committed a balk, moving Miller to second. Jim Wynn was walked intentionally and Rusty Staub hit a groundout, moving the runners to second and third. John Bateman was then intentionally walked, bringing up Bob Aspromonte.
Aspromonte hit a ball to Mets second baseman Al Weis, but the ball scooted on the Astro turf and through Weis' legs to score Miller with the winning run.
MOST INNINGS, OPENING DAY
April 5, 2012: Toronto 7, Cleveland 4, 16 innings
A mere nine years ago, we received a dramatic opening as the Blue Jays outlasted the Indians to start the season.
Toronto scored three runs in the top of the ninth inning to tie the game 4-4, highlighted by Edwin Encarnacion's two-run double. Seven innings later, J.P. Arencibia hit a home run with two runners on to give the Blue Jays the win.
So, that's a whole lot of extra excitement above and I didn't even get into the 20-inning 1-0 game between the A's and Angels in 1971 or the 23-inning game between the Giants and Mets in 1964.
But those are the kind of games that stick with a fan, and I'm sure some of those who were around for those games remember them better than most of the other games from that time. Because extra innings provide the drama, suspense and tension of a good book. And, like a good book, you don't know the end until you get to the end!
Forcing a conclusion is not going to create any lasting memories. I don't think anyone is going to recall what happened in the Dodgers-Padres game Sunday in two weeks time (it's interesting to me that even by the 11th inning both teams were tapped out of all players, it made me wonder if the game lasted to the 15th if they would just call off the whole thing because the players needed to get their homework done before bedtime).
It seems like the goal these days is devouring our games, rather than savoring them.
So, although I feel like it's a lost cause, I'm still hoping we'll be done with this nonsense after 2021.
Because ...
This is me when I find out there is extra innings.
And this is me when the extra innings start.
Who knows when this game will end!
Comments
As a compromise, I'd probably be able to accept the runner-on-2nd thing after, say, the 15th inning or so, because a lot of the realllly long games I've watched start turning into a failed Home Run Derby after a while, which also gets dull.
By the way, after Seaver pitched the top of the 25th inning to get the win, he started the regularly scheduled game that night. He pitched into the 9th and earned his second win of the evening.
Also, count me as another adamant NO to the runner-on-second rule.
My preference would be baseball like it used to be, but if they HAVE to place a runner on second, wait at least until after 12+ innings.
I grew up with the DH so it’s not as big of issue with me but if I had to choose, I’d eliminate it.
Does anyone know if the “extra inning runner” rule will be in effect during the World Series?
In May 1964, Kranepool played both ends of a doubleheader the day before his call-up to the Mets. The Mets had a doubleheader the following day, and Kranepool played every inning, including game #2 which lasted 23 innings.
And yeah my first MLB game was a 16-inning marathon and that's in large part what hooked me. Heck, as a Giants fan, you were rewarded for attending an extra inning night game (to the point where many of us semi-rooted for extras so we could pick up another croix). Needless to say, extra innings will always be special to me.
Also also. Never forget George Carlin. "Baseball has no time limit: we don't know when it's gonna end - might have extra innings. Football is rigidly timed, and it will end even if we've got to go to sudden death."
I'm certainly a purist when it comes to the rules, and I can't reconcile the impact these "bonus baserunners" will have on stats, however minor. It blows my mind to think that the player who scores the go-ahead/winning run gets credited with a run but no plate appearance.
I'll also admit to some giddiness about prolonged games, but only when I'm actually at the ballpark. If this rule was meant to curtail six-hour TV marathons, I totally understand.
When I play Stratomatic, extra inning games are my favorite. They're just so tense and exciting and you want to see how long they can go. Most of my favorite Stratomatic games were extra-inning games. Once I was playing the 1965 Dodgers vs. the 1934 Cardinals, and Koufax and Dizzy traded zeroes for 14 innings. Finally in the 15th Diz allowed a pair of runs to the Dodgers. Koufax struck out 17 that game.
I've actually enjoyed the increased tension and strategy in the game that occurs as a result of the runner on second. The stakes become higher immediately as opposed to yawning through another inning of walks and strikeouts and hoping someone runs into a pitch for an HR to end it all.
To me a parade of relievers is done to provide the best match-up for the team on the field (I actually hate the three-batter minimum rule too, while we are here).
Anyway, each to their own I guess.
The trend in sports today is to make the game more appealing to the casual fan. The serious fan is left out in the cold. It's all about increasing revenue.
A few years back the Wild card had a "wild" finish on the final day of the season. Wild card team changed several times. Close finish should have been applauded, instead MLB decided "we can't have this happen again, lets just add another playoff team".
Agree on the 2nd base rule and DH.
If I sound angry, I'm not. I'm just thankful I grew up in an era where we enjoyed sports for what they were and didn't try to change everything.