According to the tale, Taft, weighing well over 300 pounds, grew uncomfortable in his chair and stood up to stretch. Legend Year Key Figure Status Presidential Command 1910 William Howard Taft Debunked Player Superstition 1880s Harry Wright Plausible Crowd Fatigue 1860s-1880s Early Spectators Likely The Ritual Takes Hold While the origins are debated, the popularization of the 7th inning stretch is often linked to the song "Take Me Out to the Ball Game.
Why the 7th Inning Stretch Began: Crowd Fatigue and Comfort
Some historians point to an 1869 letter written by Harry Wright, the manager of the Cincinnati Red Stockings, where he describes a custom of standing and stretching at this point in the game. The Origins: Fact, Fiction, and Folklore To understand the "how" of the 7th inning stretch, one must first confront the "why.
Variations Around the World. The timing is off; the term "7th inning stretch" was already in use in print years before Taft's presidency, suggesting the tradition was already established long before that fateful day.
Why Crowds Stand and Stretch in the 7th Inning
While this makes for a compelling narrative, most historians regard it as apocryphal. " But where did this peculiar tradition originate? The exact beginnings are murky, lost in the folklore of the late 19th century, but the practice likely emerged from a combination of player superstition, crowd fatigue, and early sports journalism.
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