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April 18, 2008

Prospectus Matchups

The Multi-Stretch

by Jim Baker

A friend of mine, who now owes me $500 for not mentioning his name in this context because he is a respectable member of society these days, went through a period of accelerated alcohol intake a number of years ago. For him, any event was a reason to party. He and some buddies went to Shea Stadium and ended up spending the entire game in the Diamond Club, soaking up cocktails. When the ninth inning ended in a tie, allowing them to keep the booze bag strapped on, he coined the immortal phrase, "Extra innings means extra drinks." I'm pretty sure it hasn't made it to Bartlett's Familiar Quotations or even Paul Dickson's Baseball's Greatest Quotations, but it should have. It's probably best for society that it hasn’t, though.

Anyway, I was thinking about Bennie (not his real name) while the Mets and Nationals were soldiering on into extra innings last night at Shea. When they reached the middle of the 14^th, the remaining fans were invited to participate in the "14th-inning stretch." Not too long after this, the Rockies and Padres went the Mets and Nats one better, playing through the 21^st-inning stretch into the 22^nd frame. In that game, both teams celebrated their own 14^th-inning stretch by scoring a run to keep the game going.

So, how long has the multi-stretch tradition been going on? We know that it's been at least seven months, as the Padres and Rockies had a 14-inning tune-up for last night on September 21, 2007, and it was captured on video by this YouTuber. Anecdotes found via web search provide other examples going back a few years. I also found this from Ray Corio, writing in the New York Times on June 24, 1991: "So far, there is no custom of a 14th-inning or a 21st-inning stretch, though there's nothing improper about doing so, by any stretch of the imagination."

Was this true? Had nobody lightened up the proceedings at a long game with a 14^th-inning stretch prior to 1991? Was there no 28^th-inning stretch in Pawtucket during their 33-inning game with Rochester in 1981? Are we certain that the fans at Braves Field didn't enjoy three stretches on May 1, 1920, when Joe Oeschger of the Robins battled Leon Cadore of the Braves to a 1-1 tie in 26 innings? (For a great read, check out the game story in the Times for the Oeschger-Cadore duel. Don't you wish newspapers still contained prose like this: "When darkness drew its mantle over the scene, forbidding further battling, both teams were still on their feet, interlocked in a death clutch and each praying for just one more inning in which to get in the knockout blow." Be sure to study the box score, too. That game had 158 balls put in play, only three of which went for extra bases and only one of which was turned into a double play. There was only one stolen base.)

Did anyone out there in Prospectusland experience a multi-stretch prior to the 21^st Century?