Last August, the North Shore Navigators played a 21-inning game against the Bristol Blues. The game had to be suspended after 17 innings due to curfew restrictions, and resumed more than a week later before the Navs finally broke through and came away with a 5-4 win.
Thanks to a new format for extra-inning games in the Futures Collegiate Baseball League, 21-inning games will be a thing of the past. FCBL Commissioner Chris Hall announced that the league will be the first in the country to adopt a home run derby format to decide extra-inning games. The new rule will be in effect during regular-season games that are tied after 10 innings.
“We wanted to make sure that we could come up with a way to protect our pitchers,” Hall said. “Each year, our teams struggle to find pitching that can last the whole summer due to the number of innings that each pitcher would have to throw. The ‘Derby’ will help alleviate the number of innings our pitchers will have to throw while reducing the pressure placed on our coaches in using pitchers on short rest.”
The change comes after a season in which the Futures League saw a historic number of extra-inning games. There were 26 extra-inning games last season, including 15 that went longer than 10 innings.
Hall acknowledged the curfew also played a part in the decision.
“Another key factor in making the change to a derby-style tie-breaker is to ensure our games end at an appropriate time of night,” Hall said. “Eliminating the possibility of marathon games will ensure our players can travel home at a safe time while providing our fans with an exciting finish that will entice more fans to stay until the end of the game.”
The full rules of the FCBL Home Run Derby can be found on the Futures League website. The new format will apply only to regular-season games; playoffs are excluded.
