How Many Innings are there in a baseball game - The History of Why
How Many Innings are there in a baseball game - The History of Why
By Oliver Wiener November 18, 2024 02:44 GMT+4 min read
America's favorite pastime has gone through a lot of changes after having existed for a couple of centuries now. Perhaps, the biggest shift in the history of baseball was when standardization came into light. One of the largest changes in the game was when nine innings were introduced which made for more competitive defenses in all levels of the sport.
Prior to baseball having nine innings, baseball was usually won by the team that scored 21 runs first. One can only think that games would either be insanely quick because of one team or insanely long due to how evenly matched both squads are. This was the same line of thinking that entered the minds of multiple club owners.
But, an official convention would not happen until 1856. The nine-inning rule was then ratified in 1957. But, why did they decide on that specific number of innings? Well, there is no confirmed reason but some speculate it was because baseball was played with nine people on the field. Having the same number of periods as the individuals playing sounded like a neat idea.
Whenever a team is not able to pull away from their opponents by the end of nine innings, extra periods are added until a victor is decided. This evens out the playing field and crafts more competitive defenses. A big example would be the MLB and how most matches are very competitive despite huge disparities in team talent or payrolls.
Overall, this shift in rules during 1857 plays a big role on how baseball is played currently. Squads are more likely able to beat out one another despite the often lopsided nature of the sport because there's a standard period for when games end.
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