22 Innings!
Posted by Scott on April 18, 2008
Yes, the Rockies and Padres played 22 innings in last night’s thrilling 2-1 final. So, what does this mean? A lot of analysts think that something needs to be changed immediately. Some feel as if the rules can’t be changed because one game lasted longer than any other in the past 15 years.
I must think back to when I stated that I love NHL playoff overtimes that last until 2am. I don’t feel the same way about baseball because I find baseball to be somewhat boring after five hours. I also realize it would be hypocritical if I did not agree with the later statement. Still, there are two reasons why I think this is perfectly fine, and it has to be exciting for the baseball enthusiast.
1. It is the nature of the sport. You can’t change rules like this one because it is one of the aspects that makes baseball unique. When the NHL added the shootout during the regular season that was fine. Why? Because shootouts have been in hockey for years and years. With baseball, what would you do differently? You can’t make it sudden death due to the backlash that would cause. It can’t end in a tie. We know how that went over during the all-star game. In the end, baseball is baseball. Extra innings is just part of the sport.
2. It is actually rather exciting! Similar to hockey overtime, baseball extra innings can provide some of the most exciting moments in sports. Personally, I would get bored after the 15th inning, but many people do not agree with me. I can surely see where they are coming from. With baseball, one swing of the bat could end the game. The fans have to be on the edge of their seats (at least for the first four hours) waiting for that offense to explode. It also gives the fans a chance to see how deep these teams are, and to see how the teams deal with troubling times.
There is no reason for any rules to be changed. This sort of game does not happen often. When it does, it is special. Look at how much press these low-market teams (low compared to the Sox/Yankees series) are getting. It is special for these players and fans to say “Yea, that’s right. I stayed for all six hours and 16 minutes of that game!”
