The White Sox imagine baseball video games are solely three innings lengthy

Fun reality: Originally, baseball video games didn’t have a set size. The early Knickerbockers matches had been “first-to-21,” like pickup basketball. The choice to modify to a set size was made on the 1857 nationwide base ball (two phrases) conference. The conference initially selected seven innings, however due to the efforts of Gothams/Knickerbockers slugger and conference delegate Lew Wadsworth, seven innings had been rejected in favor of 9.

Before this season, I had assumed each Major League Baseball group knew what number of innings had been in a regular baseball recreation. However, it’s change into clear to me that the White Sox suppose baseball video games are solely three innings, and the complete group is working beneath this falsehood. To the very best of my data, the usual size for baseball video games has by no means been three innings.

Tuesday’s 9-2 loss to the Marlins proved my level. The Sox went up, 2-0, within the high of the third, due to a string of hits from Edgar Quero by means of Munetaka Murakami. The Marlins had been held scoreless within the backside half of the body. That’s when the confusion appeared to set in.

Somebody should have knowledgeable the White Sox that there have been six extra innings to play. Despite this clearly being an everyday prevalence, CHSN has by no means aired this because it occurs. I can solely guess who it at all times falls on to relay this info. Is it the umpiring crew? A bat boy? Maybe Murakami has already needed to convey it up this yr, sheepishly, as his new teammates seize their bats and gloves and switch to stroll towards the showers (my analysis has proven that Japanese baseball can be 9 innings.)

Our poor White Sox, for no matter purpose, are at all times greatly surprised by this. Maybe it’s teaching; as finest I can inform, Will Venable has not confirmed on the document that he is aware of a baseball recreation lasts 9 innings. Or maybe everyone on the Sox has that “Momento” illness.

No matter the trigger, the results are apparent: The information of a fourth inning clearly disoriented each Luisangel Acuña and Tristian Peters, as they collectively forgot how you can name for a fly ball. Erick Fedde, having simply discovered minutes earlier that he didn’t throw a whole recreation, was unable to get again right into a aggressive mindset. White Sox strikers had been held hitless for the final six innings whereas being outscored, 9-0.

This has been a constant downside already in 2026. Here are their hitting splits to this point:

Innings 1-3: .302/.371/.571
Innings 4-6: .173/.267/.327
Innings 7-9: .125/.208/.208

… and their pitching splits:

Innings 1-3: 4.80 ERA
Innings 4-6: 9.00 ERA
Innings 7-9: 12.27 ERA

It’s the bullpen that confuses me probably the most. Before the fourth inning, why do relievers suppose they’re there? Do they ever ask each other why the group wants 13 arms when the group is liable to play, at most, 21 innings per week? It have to be terrifying to heat up for an innings you beforehand didn’t know existed, by a bullpen coach who’s simply as shocked and frightened.

Worse but, this is a matter that dates again not less than a yr. Conventional knowledge holds that the extra typically you see a pitcher, the higher you’ll carry out. Here is the league common final season for every time a beginning pitcher goes by means of the batting order:

First time: .241/.307/.400
Second time: .249/.311/.416
Third time: .258/.324/.432

And listed here are the ’25 White Sox:

First time: .246/.305/.419
Second time: .231/.299/.371
Third time: .238/.295/.369

The proof is obvious: The White Sox offense solely prepares for one at-bat per recreation. So, for those who or somebody you realize may please relay the usual size of a baseball recreation to the White Sox clubhouse earlier than their subsequent recreation, issues simply may flip round but!