The Origins of the 7th Inning Stretch

Of all the traditions and ceremonies surrounding the great national pastime of baseball, the seventh inning stretch is perhaps the most well known. Even those who have never witnessed a baseball game are familiar with this phenomenon. It is ironic then that such a popular part of baseball should have its origin shrouded in mystery.

The most common story regarding the genesis of the seventh inning stretch revolves around our most rotund President, William Howard Taft. It is a historical fact that on April 14, 1910 Taft attended a Washington Senators game against the Philadelphia Athletics at Griffith Stadium. This was the game in which Taft threw a ball out from the stands, starting the custom of Presidents throwing out the first pitch at baseball games. As legend has it, another tradition started that day when, during the break between the top and bottom of the seventh inning, Taft rose to give his substantial figure a rest from being shoehorned into a normal human sized seat. The rest of the crowd, believing that the President was leaving, rose in a proper show of respect. When he sat down again as the bottom of the seventh inning approached, the rest of the crowd took their seats as well. Thus was a tradition born ... or was it?

As nice as that story is, it unfortunately is demonstrably not the true origin of the seventh inning stretch. As far back as 1869 there is a letter from baseball pioneer Harry Wright of the first professional baseball team, the Cincinnati Red Stockings saying, "the spectators all arise between halves of the seventh inning, extend their legs and arms and sometimes walk about. In so doing they enjoy the relief afforded by relaxation from a long posture upon hard benches."

How much earlier than this the practice of standing up and stretching between halves of the seventh inning began and why it was first done is unknown. The first reference to this behavior as the "seventh inning stretch" was not recorded until 1920, long after it had become common. What is known is that the seventh inning stretch is one of the most common and well-known rituals in a game steeped in tradition. It is these traditions that add to the feeling of connection we have to the past when we go to the ballpark and that helps make baseball the quintessential American sport.