Often referred to as America’s favorite pastime, baseball has a rich history full of interesting and quirky facts. From bizarre records to unusual traditions, let’s dive into some baseball trivia.
1. The longest game ever played took 8 hours and 25 minutes
In 1981, the longest game in professional baseball history took place. It was between the Pawtucket Red Sox and the Rochester Red Wings and lasted for a staggering 33 innings. It took place initially on 18-19 April and then was resumed on 23 June. Not known for its brevity at the best of times, that was certainly one mammoth game.
2. One many played for 2,632 consecutive games
Also known as Iron Man, Cal Ripken Jr holds the record for most consecutive games played in Major League Baseball. Between 1982 and 1998, he played an astonishing 2,632 consecutive games. This easily surpassed the previous record of 2,130 games, held by Lou Gehrig.
3. Pitchers used to routinely spit on balls
Saliva, Vaseline, mud. These are just some of the things pitchers used to routinely use to make it easier to throw the ball. However, the practice was banned in 1920 after the infamous Black Sox scandal…
4. 42 is the only retired number in the MLB
Look at any Major League Baseball game and there’s one number you won’t see on the field. And that’s 42. This number was retired across all leagues in 1997 to pay homage to the first African American to play in the major leagues. Jackie Robinson proudly wore the number throughout his career.
5. The Curse of the Bambino stopped the Red Sox winning for 86 years
Sports fans are notoriously superstitious. Just look at some of the sporting world’s most famous curses to see how. One of the most famous curses in baseball is the Curse of the Bambino. As legend has it, when the Red Sox traded Babe Ruth to the New York Yankees in 1919, they were doomed to a future with no wins. That held true for 86 years, until the Red Sox won their first World Title series since 1918 in 2004.
6. Spot monks and sausages cheering on the sidelines
One of our favorite pieces of baseball trivia is the quirky mascots so many teams have. Some of our favorites include the San Diego Padres with their monk who runs around with a baseball bat. His name is the Swinging Friar. Meanwhile, the Milwaukee Brewers have several people in oversized sausage costumes race at the bottom of the sixth inning at every home game.
7. The seventh-inning stretch that started in 1910
Way back in 1910, President William Howard Taft stood up to stretch during the seventh inning. The crowd followed suit. From that day one, the tradition of standing up and singing Take Me Out To the Ballgame during the seventh inning took off.
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