I stayed up, too, even though neither is my team (yes, a Cubs fan, fodder for many life analogies). It was a thrill - Kershaw inning in particular. Thought about how my late dad, who instilled the love of the game in me, would have stayed up with me to the end, too. Sweet feeling. Thanks for this 'special' column :)
That was fabulous, Tommy. I couldn’t stay up past the 10th inning, had to get to sleep to get up and get the kids off to school in the morning. But man, what a game that was!
I live in Wisconsin. I stayed up until the end. My brother who lives in Madison conked out at 1;20. No clue what inning it was. If you are up that long you have to stay up for the rest. I went to an 18 inning game in May of 2019 between the Mets and the Brewers. The game lasted 5:22 and didn't go past midnight. My wife was going to make me leave at 12 if no one scored. At least the Brewers ended up winning the game. I saw this chart a few years ago regarding extra inning games. between 2012 and 2017. https://www.beyondtheboxscore.com/2017/8/5/16093390/extra-innings-time-how-long-how-many-average-rule-change There was no need to have runner at 2nd as most games didn't go more that 11 innings. At the time of this chart there were 8 18 inning games and few that were longer. The longest game by innings was 26 between Brooklyn and Boston in May of 2020. Amazingly both pitchers pitched the whole game and it lasted 3:50. Way shorter than last nights effort. I have a feeling a 26 inning 1 to 1 game would go longer than that today.
The one that all Braves fans remember is the July 4 game in 1985 ... It was 19 innings and ended at 3:55 in the morning. They shot off fireworks anyway and woke up half of Atlanta. Rick Camp, a terrible-hitting pitcher, came in as a pinch-hitter in the 18th because there was no one left ... and hit a home run to tie the game.
What a great issue of the Shed, Tommy! It reminded me of the Charlotte Checkers' Calder Cup playoff game in 2018, Bojangles Coliseum -- longest in AHL history. Six hours. Five overtimes. We got home at 2am. Definitely remember that moment of "it's a weeknight and I have to work tomorrow" but as you said, screw it, I'm in. We had a blast and what an experience. You're so right about being our age and instead of something worrisome keeping us up, feeling like a kid when you stay up late for the Special.
You made that game sound like magic, and in hindsight it was. As a lifelong Dodger fan who grew up in Southern California but now lives in Nashville, that was one of the most stressful nights of my life! LOL I was useless the next day.
Thank you. I believe my heart rate and blood pressure will return to normal the day before pitchers and catchers report for spring training. And then we’ll start this glorious ride all over again, minus Clayton Kershaw, unfortunately.
I love being 75 and retired and disabled and able to do whatever I damn well please. So I stayed up on the couch, piecing quilting, squares, and waiting and waiting and waiting. My team is the Padres, but I was happy to root for LA. What a game! What a great posting! Thank you
I love this. One of my fondest childhood memories was an Easter visit to my extended family where my favorite uncle and I stayed up for the classic "Easter Epic" Game 7 Stanley Cup playoff between the Islanders and Capitals. And we weren't big hockey fans, my uncle just said in the first overtime "we're not allowed to go to bed now." And we didn't, until after the fourth overtime.
I loved the Tonight Show..used to watch it every night, even though I had a day job and a kid in school. Can't even imagine how I did it. Now if I read till 1a.m. it kills me to get up early. Ah. youth.
I’ve never stayed up for a sporting event, but I picked up The Pelican Brief on the way home from work on a Friday. I started reading. I kept thinking I needed to go to sleep as the pages turned away, and I told myself I’d go to sleep when I hit a good stopping point. You know the ending. I finished the book at about 5 in the morning. It’s a great book, and the movie was done very well, too.
Baseball is the only game where these kind of shenanigans make sense, and we are the better for it.
Anytime you have a chance to say "shenanigans," you should.
Damn, T. You're still the best writer I know.
Thanks, ma'am. Turkey looked amazing!
I stayed up, too, even though neither is my team (yes, a Cubs fan, fodder for many life analogies). It was a thrill - Kershaw inning in particular. Thought about how my late dad, who instilled the love of the game in me, would have stayed up with me to the end, too. Sweet feeling. Thanks for this 'special' column :)
Thank you, Debbie! I'm glad it reminded you of your dad.
I stayed up, too. I hurt today. I don't care. 18 innings in the World Series. It's everything I ever want (besides Donnie Baseball getting a ring).
He was SO CLOSE to getting one...
Hurts, man. It hurts. What a Series.
That was fabulous, Tommy. I couldn’t stay up past the 10th inning, had to get to sleep to get up and get the kids off to school in the morning. But man, what a game that was!
What a game and what a series...
Last night was baseball magic!
Wonderful
I live in Wisconsin. I stayed up until the end. My brother who lives in Madison conked out at 1;20. No clue what inning it was. If you are up that long you have to stay up for the rest. I went to an 18 inning game in May of 2019 between the Mets and the Brewers. The game lasted 5:22 and didn't go past midnight. My wife was going to make me leave at 12 if no one scored. At least the Brewers ended up winning the game. I saw this chart a few years ago regarding extra inning games. between 2012 and 2017. https://www.beyondtheboxscore.com/2017/8/5/16093390/extra-innings-time-how-long-how-many-average-rule-change There was no need to have runner at 2nd as most games didn't go more that 11 innings. At the time of this chart there were 8 18 inning games and few that were longer. The longest game by innings was 26 between Brooklyn and Boston in May of 2020. Amazingly both pitchers pitched the whole game and it lasted 3:50. Way shorter than last nights effort. I have a feeling a 26 inning 1 to 1 game would go longer than that today.
The one that all Braves fans remember is the July 4 game in 1985 ... It was 19 innings and ended at 3:55 in the morning. They shot off fireworks anyway and woke up half of Atlanta. Rick Camp, a terrible-hitting pitcher, came in as a pinch-hitter in the 18th because there was no one left ... and hit a home run to tie the game.
What a great issue of the Shed, Tommy! It reminded me of the Charlotte Checkers' Calder Cup playoff game in 2018, Bojangles Coliseum -- longest in AHL history. Six hours. Five overtimes. We got home at 2am. Definitely remember that moment of "it's a weeknight and I have to work tomorrow" but as you said, screw it, I'm in. We had a blast and what an experience. You're so right about being our age and instead of something worrisome keeping us up, feeling like a kid when you stay up late for the Special.
Wow--I don't remember that Checkers game! Playoff hockey and playoff baseball are both so nervewracking and so great...
You made that game sound like magic, and in hindsight it was. As a lifelong Dodger fan who grew up in Southern California but now lives in Nashville, that was one of the most stressful nights of my life! LOL I was useless the next day.
Congrats to the Dodgers! (I'm writing this the morning after Game 7...)
Thank you. I believe my heart rate and blood pressure will return to normal the day before pitchers and catchers report for spring training. And then we’ll start this glorious ride all over again, minus Clayton Kershaw, unfortunately.
I love being 75 and retired and disabled and able to do whatever I damn well please. So I stayed up on the couch, piecing quilting, squares, and waiting and waiting and waiting. My team is the Padres, but I was happy to root for LA. What a game! What a great posting! Thank you
Those of us who stayed up have our own little club now...
Not sure which was your team, but game seven was worth staying up a little late for, too.
I love this. One of my fondest childhood memories was an Easter visit to my extended family where my favorite uncle and I stayed up for the classic "Easter Epic" Game 7 Stanley Cup playoff between the Islanders and Capitals. And we weren't big hockey fans, my uncle just said in the first overtime "we're not allowed to go to bed now." And we didn't, until after the fourth overtime.
That's amazing ... I'm not a big hockey fan but the only thing more tense than playoff baseball is playoff hockey.
I'd have been right there with you if one of those teams had been my Cardinals. Onward to 2026.
Good luck to the Cards next year! I hope they finish right behind the Braves :)
I loved the Tonight Show..used to watch it every night, even though I had a day job and a kid in school. Can't even imagine how I did it. Now if I read till 1a.m. it kills me to get up early. Ah. youth.
I'm with you, Toni. There's definitely a hangover the next day, even if I don't drink a drop :)
I’ve never stayed up for a sporting event, but I picked up The Pelican Brief on the way home from work on a Friday. I started reading. I kept thinking I needed to go to sleep as the pages turned away, and I told myself I’d go to sleep when I hit a good stopping point. You know the ending. I finished the book at about 5 in the morning. It’s a great book, and the movie was done very well, too.