The Cleveland Indians and Detroit Tigers were unfortunately knocked out Tuesday night from Progressive Field. Unfortunately, no baseball was to be played due to poor conditions.
This is a common occurrence, especially during the summer months of the baseball season where rain can strike at any time.
However, something is different. It is the traditional double texts that are planned due to the cancellation of these games.
For example, the Indians and Tigers will play two games starting at 4:10 this Wednesday afternoon.
Well, what’s different about this double heading?
Each game is only seven rounds in length. This is of course very different from the usual nine-inning game that baseball in the major league has played for well over 100 years.
Now the design is clear in the sense that it is shortening the time it takes to complete a double header. From what was always 18 laps to 14 laps now, it will make the whole trip shorter.
However, think about how many baseball games have been decided in the last round. Where the score ended up being completely different due to a rally of some kind, a home run or more.
The game is simply meant for nine rounds in length. If it takes a few extra innings to decide the outcome, then be it …
The problem with a seven-round game is the question that will always arise about, what if?
What if this game was played a full nine rounds? Could this team have staged a comeback? Could the result have been different? The questions are too many to think about …
A game can be decided in a way, it can change the position in a division due to the outcome and eventually change the playoffs as a whole. That’s what a two-way difference does.
What to do?
Play the nine rounds in full as teams have done long before my time. Somehow they survived all day.
Finally, some of my happiest memories as Indians, would never have happened with a seven-game game.
Bill Selby’s magnificent against the legendary Yankee, Mariano Rivera in ’03. Jason Giambi’s departure during a heated wild card race in ’13.
Finally, Rajai bombed Davis’ 8. inning World Series by the great Aroldis Champman to tie the game in ’16.
Let’s play ball. Nine rounds of ball, that is …