It's a Nine Inning Game

As I watched the Atlanta Braves win the World Series the other evening, I wondered what makes baseball different?

Because baseball is different.

Let’s be honest. It’s a boring game by the standards of most professional sports. There’s not the constant movement of basketball or soccer. There’s not the drama of American football.

Here’s what occurred to me while considering this (and watching the Braves hit a lot of home runs). Most sports operate within a time limit.

The exception is baseball.

Baseball is nine innings. Nine innings can be played in as short a time as 51 minutes (1919, New York Giants VS. Philadelphia Phillies) or as long as four hours and 50 minutes (That was in last year’s play-offs when the Cleveland Indians were playing the New York Yankees).

There are no “delay of game penalties”. The pitcher can take as long as he wants between pitches. Nothing is rushed. There’s not a “2-minute drill”. Baseball is never frenetic. There’s always time until the final out in the ninth inning.

This might be why baseball has been referred to as “America’s pastime” and not “America’s Sport”.

Baseball takes the long view.

It’s good that we do, too.

There are nine innings to play.

Frenetic activity rarely ends well.

It’s a nine inning game.

Play like it.