There are an excessive amount of games and even more baseballs in a typical baseball season, but when you combine that with the length of each game, the players and fans will both spend a lot of time on the field and in the stadium. This begs the question of why does baseball have so many games?
The main reason why baseball has so many games is that there are so many teams participating. However, note that baseball is a contact-free activity that enables players to participate more often than in other sports. Overall, baseball is also a difficult sport for players to be consistent in; thus, finding the individuals and teams who perform well also requires a lot of games.
Continue reading to learn more about why baseball has so many games, including factors like a surplus of teams, reliability, fan convenience, as well as, how long a baseball season lasts, and more.
Why Does Baseball Have So Many Games?
A Surplus of Competing Teams
The fact that there are so many teams competing is the preliminary factor in why baseball currently has so many games. An MLB season, for example, needs to have a lot of games because there are 30 clubs involved. As a result, there must be intense testing and rivalry amongst the teams if the best team of the season is to be determined with accuracy.
MLB games are divided into divisions, and each team only plays a certain amount of games against opponents from their division. The best candidates will then advance, and the process will repeat again until the winner is determined. For example, every team will take part in 162 games over a 6-month season before finals take place.
Baseball Players Require Fewer Rest Days
Due to the fact that baseball is known to be a non-contact sport, players are, therefore, able to tolerate playing a lot of games in the season. This is due to the fact that non-contact sports players require fewer rest days in between games.
Contact sports, like basketball, football, and hockey, all require some form of contact with opposing players. This, unfortunately, can take a greater toll on the athlete’s body.
While there can be some accidental contact in baseball, generally, this game is more mental than physical. This means that baseball games can not only be played more frequently than other high-contact sports but can last much longer than other sports matches as well.
More Games Increases The Reliability of Ranking
Have you ever tried to swing a baseball bat? Hitting the ball with one of these slim bats is often a more difficult task than one thinks.
Due to the fact that it can be extremely difficult for batters to actually make contact with the ball, they will often need multiple plate appearances in order to accurately judge how well they can play.
Overall, baseball is one of the more popular sports where every game may not be great. Since it can be extremely difficult to judge how well a team has played off one or two games, it is, therefore, necessary to have a large sample of games to help determine which team is best and should advance to the season finals.
Fan Convenience
There aren’t many things that are taken more seriously in America than baseball. Numerous games are held; as a result, giving the millions of supporters a chance to support their club numerous times a year while not having to be glued to every game.
How Does The MLB Schedule Work With So Many Games?
The American League and National League are the two leagues that makeup Major League Baseball. Three divisions (an east division, a central division, and a west division) make up each league.
The optimum balance of 15 teams in the American League and 15 teams in the National League is achieved by each division having 5 clubs.
Every season, each of the 30 MLB teams is slated to play 162 regular-season games. A specified amount of games are, therefore, included in the schedule so that each team may play with each other. Same Division Scheduling, Same League Scheduling, and Interleague Scheduling are the three parts of this predetermined algorithm.
Every MLB season, each of the five clubs in each division will play the other four teams a total of 19 times, for a total of 76 games. As a result, this means that 76 of each team’s 162 scheduled games will be played inside their division, leaving 86 games to be scheduled between clubs in the same league and interleague games.
How Many Games Are in A Baseball Season?
A regular season of MLB consists of 162 games in a season. However, some teams can play fewer than 162 games, while others may play 163 games.
162 games may seem excessive to most people, but since baseball is a non-contact sport and more complete rankings can only be determined when more games are completed, there is little doubt as to why each team participates in so many games per season.
The vast number of games also simplifies viewing for fans. For example, missing a game or two has no effect on fan involvement since the league champion cannot be determined by a single match.
When Did the MLB Change the Number of Games Played Per Season?
The National Baseball League’s founding marked the beginning of baseball’s professionalization. At this time, there were only a total of 70 games played in each season, but the American League was added in 1901, increasing the number of games played to one-hundred and forty.
Due to a vast increase in the number of teams wanting to compete in the league, by 1920, 154 games were played each season. The number of games stayed consistent from that time onward until 1961 when it was modified to today’s 162-game schedule.
How Long Does a Regular MLB Season Last?
Baseball undoubtedly has one of the longest seasons of any sport in the world. For instance, you should be able to locate a baseball game on television almost every day for the following six months after the MLB season starts in April.
The regular season often lasts from late March or early April through late September or early October. The postseason then follows, and it can last until early November.
Take note, however, that as of 2018, the regular season lasts 2612 weeks and starts on the designated Opening Day and ends on the last Sunday in September or the first Sunday in October.
How Long Does A Baseball Game Last?
In America, a professional baseball game lasts roughly three hours and consists of nine innings. Each inning is divided into halves, with the home team batting in the bottom half and the visiting team batting in the top half.
The defensive team must record three outs in each half in order to transfer sides and bat. The whole inning ends once each side has recorded three outs.
The length of an inning varies depending on how quickly and well the pitcher is working but will typically last about 20 minutes.
Additionally, take note that baseball does not use a clock. This implies that games only stop when teams trade sides or when a manager approaches the pitcher’s mound.
Why Do Baseball Games Last So Long?
Baseball games are lengthy for a variety of reasons. The most important point is that baseball is not a timed sport. It is therefore finished after a set of nine innings is completed. Other sports, like basketball and football, terminate when a specified amount of game time has passed.
A baseball game’s tempo is also slowed by bullpen replacements. Catchers’ and coaches’ mound visits can also add to the time of a game.
Another aspect of why baseball games take so long is the acceptance of a slower tempo among players and coaches. For example, baseball has always been played this way, so players and coaches are accustomed to it. They also create their personalized in-game routine and behaviours around it.
Final Thoughts
The primary reason why baseball has so many games is that there are so many teams playing. An MLB season, for example, necessitates a large number of games due to the involvement of 30 clubs. Therefore, in order to accurately identify the greatest team of the season, there must be fierce competition and rivalry amongst the teams.
Take note, however, that baseball is also considered a non-contact sport. This allows athletes to participate more often than in other high-contact sports. Overall, baseball is a hard sport for players to be consistent in. As a result, it also takes a lot of games to uncover the players and teams who perform best.
Overall, at the end of the day, there also aren’t many things that are taken more seriously in America than baseball. As a result, many games are played, providing millions of MLB fans with a chance to support their club frequently throughout the year without having to be dedicated to every match.
