The 7th Inning Stretch (Part 1)

Ever since I was a little kid and watching baseball, there has always been a seventh inning stretch. I never thought much about it, but then I began to wonder; was it always part of the game? Naturally, I had to do some research to see just when and where it all began. These are some fun “facts” I uncovered. Two traditions actually began that day.

 

Folklore has it (I say this because there is more than one theory on the subject) that it all began on April 14, 1910 at Griffith Stadium in Washington, DC. The game was between the Philadelphia Athletics and the Washington Senators and was attended by the President of the United States, William Howard Taft. Before the game began, the umpire, Billy Evans, on the spur of the moment handed the baseball to the President and asked him to throw it over the plate. Without even wearing a baseball glove, Taft threw out the “first pitch” –a tradition that has seen every president since, except Jimmy Carter, carry it out…

Related posts:

1. The 7th Inning Stretch (Part 2)
2. The 7th Inning Stretch (Part 5)
3. The 7th Inning Stretch (Part 3)
4. The 7th Inning Stretch (Part 4)
5. The Reason for Batting Gloves