It’s been 16 years since I last attended a baseball game; coincidentally, that too was the SF Giants. Since then, I’ve gleaned nothing more about the sport, and as a result the baseball game I attended yesterday was as much a mystery to me as that I attended in 1989. I did enjoy the garlic fries, salted pretzel, Italian sausage on sourdough roll and popcorn that I partook of (animal!). In fact, it seemed that the baseball game was more of a socialising event than a sporting event, with lots of chatting and drinking and food being consumed by all (I just had to join in).
But anyway, small world phenomenon struck again (if you are my regular reader, then you’ll remember the last occurence at the Flickr event). The guy in front of me asks if heard an Irish accent, and reveals that he is a frequent visitor to Doolin (about 10 miles from my home home) as well as Galway. Freaky.
Then today, while walking up to the University of San Francisco, I hear my name being called out behind me, and who is it but a former student of mine who is now working in the City here. Freaky again!
Maybe a baseball fan can explain this bit to me at least. The strangest thing was the way the game ended. According to the scoreboard, it looked like there was to be ten intervals, with a top and bottom half to each interval. In the ninth, everyone stood up, waiting for a play, and it obviously went wrong because they all exclaimed unhappily and left. We were in anti-climax, as we were mentally prepared for another three to four half-intervals of my confused misinterpretations of the rules.
What were you doing at USF? I’m in the graduate program there.
As far as I know there are 9 innings in a game. Perhaps the 10th space is used if there is a tie-game?
If the team that were batting at the top of the 9th inning was losing and they failed to score in the 9th inning then there would be no reason to play the bottom half of the inning since the losing team would have no more opportunities to score.
Ryan, my vacation rental is relatively near the USF campus, and we walked up there to explore it. There are some really amazing views from the Lone Mountain part.
Aha! That explains it - thanks Mark!