Craig Mitchell - As far as Extra Innings goes......Let em play!

 

The greatest baseball game I ever attended was on May 6^th 1983. The Mets were hosting the Cincinnati Reds and the pitching match-up was amazing. It was Tom Seaver (who had made a triumphant return to Flushing a month earlier) and Mario Soto, arguably the Reds top starter of the era. Now that alone was a pretty good reason to venture to Shea Stadium on a Friday night. But the real reason I went to that game was because rookie phenom Darryl Strawberry was making his Major league debut. He was the most exciting rookie the Mets had had in years and was definitely the most hyped.

Well, Darryl went 0 for 4 with one really long upper deck blast that curved foul down the right field line. But ultimately he was a factor in the outcome, but in reality the game itself became the real star attraction.

The 1983 Mets were a team that was about to reinvent itself as a winner. Strawberry was one of the major blocks of the rebuild. A month later on June 15th Neil Allen and Rick Ownbey would be off to St. Louis for Keith Hernandez and a winning nucleus would start to assemble. Going into this game the Mets had lost 7 of 9 and were 6-15 on the season.

This game was epic. Let’s jump to the 9^th inning. The Mets were trailing 3-1. Seaver went a strong 8 innings while striking out 7 but found himself on the hook for the loss thanks to rbi singles by Alex Trevino and Soto in the top of the 7^th. In the bottom of the 9^th facing another loss, Wally Backman reached on a pinch single. Then with two outs Dave Kingman clubbed a two run blast to tie the game at 3 and move the game to extra innings.

In extras it got more exciting. In the top of the 10^th Eddie Milner connected for an rbi double off Carlos Diaz to make it 4-3 Reds. In the bottom of the inning, again with two outs, Hubie Brooks thrilled the crowd at Shea with a game saving dinger to keep the Mets alive. The game was tied at 4 and Shea was going nuts.

The game when on into the night till we reached the bottom of the 13^th. By my observation pretty much everyone who hadn’t left prior to Kingman’s blast in the 9^th were still in attendance and we were about to get paid off big time. Again with two outs the rally started. Strawberry reached base for the first time in his career with a base on balls and then stole 2^nd. Mike Jorgensen then walked. That opened the doors for the much maligned George Foster who connected for a 3 run walk off home run to win it for the Mets 7-4. It was the most fun I’ve ever had in live attendance. It was an epic win that was a harbinger of what the rest of the 80’s were gonna look like for the Mets.

While 38 years have passed, this is one of my most cherished baseball memories. Sadly, a story like this may never happen in baseball again.

Heading into the Covid abbreviated 2020 season. I would have said that I was definitely a baseball
purist. But shockingly, I found that I didn’t find the DH in the National League abhorrent. As a matter of fact with the emergence of Dom Smith as an offensive force I was thrilled to have it. So much so, I wanted it back in 2021 and I still do.

Taking this point further, I was also fine with the seven inning double headers. It made a lot of sense. With possible Covid infection looming (I’m looking at you Miami and St. Louis) teams could/would miss a chunk of games due to outbreaks and the seven inning rule made for easier make-up’s while taxing the pitching staffs and rosters much less. 

Good idea.

That brings me to my point. I was not so fine with the extra innings rule. In 2020, when a game went into extra frames each half inning started with a runner on 2^nd and no outs. Yes, I get that their plan was to avoid marathon games and worn out pitching staffs. But what is this? The MLB or Beer league softball? Okay, okay, Covid! So I went with it. Grudgingly.

Now we are on the cusp of the 2021 campaign. The universal DH has not been implemented for the new season and the issue remains in doubt. The seven inning double-headers are back. Okay. Again, I get it. Covid isn’t gone yet. But horrors! The extra inning rule is back. Ugh! I hate it. I really hate it.

I have to admit, I thought things would be better Covid-wise at this point in 2021. It’s slowly improving. The vaccine is ramping up and I think I can see the light at the end of the tunnel. But here’s what worries me.

There’s been talk, let’s call it “buzz” that MLB is in favor of making some of these new rules permanent. I’ve already come to the conclusion that while having the pitcher bat does invoke strategy and it speaks to the purist that survives in me, but it may be time for me to cave on that front. As for the double-headers. In this day and age of 4 hour games and the fact that double-dips are relatively rare and relegated to make up games. Okay. I can even get on board for that.

But the extra innings rule. No, nope, uh-uh, nada, I pass, that’s a negative ghost rider. Extra innings to me has always been “bonus baseball.” My memories of growing up watching the Mets go into extra-innings on a hot summer night or on a Saturday afternoon meant more baseball. It was fun! Hey, let’s not forget the Mets have played in some of the longest baseball games in modern history.

May 31^st 1964 – 23 innings. 7 hours 23 minutes. Giants 8 Mets 6

April 15^th 1968 – 24 innings 6 hours 6 minutes. Astros 1 Mets 0

September 11^th 1974 – 25 innings 7 hours 4 minutes Cardinals 4 Mets 3

Finally, who can forget the classic July 4^th 1985 game in Atlanta. I watched this on television until it ended at nearly 4am. 19 innings and the Mets survive to win 16-13. Keith Hernandez hits for the cycle and of course that Rick Camp home run.

I may not be a staunch baseball purist. But I am a definitely a baseball romantic. Games like these only enhance and embellish the legend and the folklore that is baseball. The romantic in me isn’t ready to see all that end. There is something about the “open-ended” nature of these games that heighten suspense and enjoyment of the game. In a word; Unpredictability. In a game where already there are nearly unlimited numerical outcomes. This one, length of the game, is one of the grandest and oldest traditions.

Some of you may know I’m a retired stand up comedian. I cite George Carlin:

“Baseball has no time limit. We don’t know when it’s going to end. We might have extra-innings! Football is rigidly timed and it will end even if we have to go to sudden death!”

Thanks George. 

So in conclusion. To me baseball is like life.

 I prefer not to know when it’s going to end.