A doubleheader (in the traditional meaning) is a set of two baseball games played on the same day by the same two teams in front of the same audience. For many decades, doubleheaders were commonly scheduled many times every season in Major League Baseball. They are now rare as all-star games (which used to be held during World War II and thereafter annually), but do occur from time to time.
The first modern doubleheader in Major League history occurred on May 30, 1939, between the New York Yankees and Boston Bees at Fenway Park. The Yankees won both games by scores of 11-4 and 12-5.
During World War II, many doubleheaders were played because military personnel could not travel long distances and would not stay for a third game if the first two ended in a tie. After the war was over, major league teams began scheduling fewer and fewer doubleheaders because they found that its effects on their schedules were not worth the expense. By the early 1950s, only three doubleheaders had been played in MLB. In the late 1950s, however, several more doubleheaders were added to the schedule, mostly due to bad weather that prevented games from being played on other days. By the end of the 1960s, nearly 50 doubleheaders had been played across MLB.
Furthermore, the phrase is frequently used colloquially to refer to a pair of games played by a team on the same day, but in front of separate crowds and not in direct sequence. However, beginning in 1994, several rules changes were made by the MLB management that reduced the number of doubleheaders. These include: 1 requiring two hours between games in each doubleheader, 2 limiting each team's total game time per week to five days (with three being consecutive days), and 3 prohibiting teams from playing more than one night game per week.
Before these rules changes, which now limit most teams to about 70 games per season, doubleheaders were usually scheduled around three times every season. This was particularly common during the early years of baseball when players could still play in multiple games on any given day and there were no restrictions on their activity before or after the games. As sports science technology improved and it became possible to keep athletes safe by reducing physical demands through rest periods, managers began scheduling doubleheaders less frequently. In fact, from 1910 to 1954, nearly half of all MLB games were played in pairs. Since 1955, the rate has dropped further so that only about one out of four games is scheduled as a doubleheader today.
Doubleheaders can have significant financial implications for teams because they result in the loss of home attendance and radio revenue.
For several decades in Major League Baseball, doubleheaders were scheduled often throughout the season. Currently, major league clubs who play two games in the same day generally play a "day-night doubleheader," in which the stadium is empty and a separate entrance is needed for the second game. The first doubleheader in National League history was played on April 15, 1884 between the New York Metropolitans and Chicago White Stockings. The Metropolitans won both games of the twin bill by scores of 7–6 and 1–0.
Before the advent of air travel, players would usually arrive in town on Sunday night or Monday morning and leave after the first game on Tuesday afternoon or Wednesday evening. Today, with most teams playing only one game per day, doubleheaders are rare events. However, two games in the same day is not unusual; three games or more have occurred on only six occasions since 1900 (four times each with three games in four days and five times with four games in five days).
The last doubleheader in the major leagues took place on May 30, 1965 when the San Francisco Giants hosted the Houston Astros at Candlestick Park. Both games ended in losses as the Giants fell to the Astros 3–2 and 4–3.
Since then, only two other teams have done so: the 1969 Baltimore Orioles and 1970 Cincinnati Reds.
A doubleheader is when two baseball games are played consecutively, one after the other. Because last week's game was canceled due to weather, they're playing a doubleheader today. This word may be applied to any athletic event, although it originated with baseball. A single game of baseball was known as a "round", but because last week's game was not completed, there are now to be played today instead.
The term originally referred to two games played on the same day, but over time it has come to mean two games played one after the other on different days. Today's game will start at 1:00 PM and tomorrow's game will start at 10:00 AM.
It is used extensively in baseball to describe games that were scheduled to be played back-to-back but were postponed because of bad weather or other circumstances. For example, if a rainout forces a game to be rescheduled for another day, then another game can't be played that same day because there would be no completion of the original schedule. Instead, it is common practice to play a second game that same afternoon or early the next morning.
These games are usually designated as "doubleheaders" even if they aren't played by the same team in both games.
One of them has been the doubleheader. Teams rarely arrange a doubleheader in their schedules; the handful that we do see now are frequently regularly planned games followed by some form of make-up game due to a rain out or other cause. The usage of a pitcher is another practice that has evolved.
The following changes have been made to the specified rule: A regulation game in both games of a double-header must consist of seven innings, unless prolonged due to a tie score, notwithstanding anything to the contrary in Official Baseball Rule 7.01 (a).
The Chicago White Sox established the record for the most doubleheaders played by a team in a season in 1943, with 44. The Boston Braves played nine straight doubleheaders between September 4 and September 15, 1928—18 games in 12 days.
A regulation game in both games of a double-header must consist of seven innings, unless prolonged due to a tie score, notwithstanding anything to the contrary in Official Baseball Rule 7.01(a).
Yes, these are pros, and they should be able to handle two games, but these two games come on the heels of a game the day before, a game the day before that, and so on. If you don't play every day, playing in a doubleheader is significantly simpler.
In the first game, the Indians trounced the White Sox 9-2, while the Twins defeated the Indians 4-3 in the second. On rare occasions,
Some rulebooks require that games played as part of a doubleheader last seven innings instead of the customary nine. However, in college and the lower levels, the doubleheader resulted in shorter games. Today, most full-season minor league games finish after five or six hours because their length is regulated by law. In the majors, no game lasts more than six hours except for when it is interrupted by rain delays or player injuries.
Innings in a doubleheader are not fixed. The total depends on how long the games last and whether they are completed in one day or over two days. It used to be common for games to stretch into the night with runners on base and extra frames added during daylight savings time.
Generally, each team gets one turn at the bat in each game. If one team is doing well and wants to avoid being swept, it will often send out its best pitcher in the second game of the doubleheader. This gives his team a chance to score some more runs and put more pressure on their opponents.
In professional baseball, doubleheaders are rare because teams use all their players all the time. In the minors, however, they are common because there are so many short seasons and classes to fill.
Copyright © 2020 - 2023 Sportsmanist Inc.
