Landers: Why is a game 9 innings? The backstories behind baseball’s iconic rules
From Chris Landers at MLB’s Cut 4 on December 16, 2016:
For decades, baseball has remained such a constant that its rules and structure have become as cherished as its greatest players. The run-scoring environment might have changed a bit since 1905, but the fundamental look and feel of the game hasn’t. Legendary sportswriter and Spink Award winner Red Smith, as always, said it best: “Ninety feet between bases is perhaps as close as man has ever come to perfection.”
But, while Red certainly had a point, the story behind that perfection was less divine intervention than a whole lot of trial and error. So, how did baseball get here? Why are there four balls and three strikes, anyway? You have questions, we have answers.
Read the full article here: http://m.mlb.com/cutfour/2016/12/16/210241338/stories-behind-baseball-rules
Originally published: January 4, 2017. Last Updated: January 4, 2017.