Jessica Mendoza supports more seven-innings baseball

Jessica Mendoza supports more seven-innings baseball
21/02/2023
The WBSC decided to introduce seven-inning baseball to its World Cups in 2019. The III WBSC U-23 Baseball World Cup, in September 2021, became the first international baseball tournament played with the seven-inning format.

Former Olympic softball gold medallist and current ESPN baseball analyst Jessica Mendoza advocated the international baseball seven-inning format during an interview with USA Today.

"If I were commissioner for the day, I would make the sport seven innings, make it exciting. And that way, from pitch one, it doesn't matter which innings you're in, it matters, and that's so important."

Mendoza, who won a softball gold medal at the 2004 Olympics in Athens and a silver medal at the 2008 Olympics in Beijing, admitted that "people would cringe" at her suggestion but supported her view by discussing "bullpen manipulation."

"Right now, we keep talking about the pace of play and how games are too long. Okay, well, I get that a pitch clock is coming. I get that we are working on having fewer pitchers come in. But at the end of the day, can we just cut out two of those innings?"

The III WBSC U-23 Baseball World Cup, in September 2021, became the first international baseball tournament played with the seven-inning format.