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A Yahoo! Search on "seventh+inning+stretch+origins" resulted in this witty, well-researched piece by David Emery of UrbanLegends.com. Much like the game itself, the origins of the seventh-inning stretch are clouded in a thicket of hoary anecdotes. One popular legend lays the blame at President William Howard Taft's feet. During a baseball game
in 1910, Taft (who tipped the scales at 300 pounds) stood up during the middle of the seventh inning to stretch his cramped legs. The spectators thought he was leaving, and rose out of respect. When he returned to his seat a few minutes later, the crowd followed suit. Alas, this probably didn't happen. Another story claims that the seventh-inning stretch began as a way of disciplining unruly students. A prefect at Manhattan College in the late 1800s instructed student supporters to stand up and stretch as a way of exorcising the fidgets. This may have happened, but it wasn't the first time it did. The seventh-inning stretch has been a documented phenomenon since 1869 and has no finite origin. One early player writes: "The
spectators all arise between halves of the seventh inning, extend their legs and arms and sometimes walk about. In so doing they enjoy the relief afforded by relaxation from a long posture upon hard benches." Whatever its origins, the seventh-inning stretch is now a firmly established part of America's favorite pastime.
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