In a game rooted in tradition, one ritual stands out among the rest. 

At any baseball game, the middle of the seventh inning means it’s time to get up and stretch. 

What You Need To Know

During a baseball game in 1882, Brother Jasper, athletic director at Manhattan College, now called Manhattan University, noticed fans were starting to get especially restless

Brother Jasper decided to take a timeout in the game, and made everyone stand up and stretch, Brother Daniel Gardner at Manhattan University said

The seventh-inning stretch then made its way to ballparks across the big leagues, and eventually around the world

It’s no different for Manhattan University baseball head coach Steve Rosen. “I just kind of go about my business like most people do in the seventh-inning stretch, not really knowing that there is even a backstory to it.”

That story takes us back to the late 1880s in New York City. 

Brother Jasper did, who was the athletic director at Manhattan College, now known as Manhattan University. 

At the time, it was mandatory for all students who attended the college to go to the games. 

“There were various levels of interest about baseball from students who were required to be there,” Brother Daniel Gardner, who now works at Manhattan University, said. 

On one hot day in June of 1882 during a game against the New York Metropolitans at the Polo Grounds, Brother Jasper noticed the fans were starting to get especially restless. 

“And so he took a timeout in the game, and made everyone stand up and stretch,” said Brother Dan. 

And it just happened to be the seventh inning.

It also just so happened to work, so Brother Jasper kept it going. 

Over the years, Manhattan also played exhibition games against the National League’s New York Giants. 

The story goes, the Giants saw Manhattan fans stretching in the seventh inning and liked it so much they adopted the tradition for themselves. 

From there, it made its way to ballparks across the big leagues, and eventually around the world.

“It became a great marketing commercial tool as well, because here’s where they could sell concessions,” said Brother Dan. “People would be walking around, there’d be a break, and so for them, it became a great opportunity for profit.”

Though others tell a different story.

Another version claims President William Howard Taft was throwing out the first pitch at Opening Day in 1910, and in the seventh inning he got up to stretch his legs. The crowd thought he was leaving, so they, too, stood up out of respect. 

“Well, we love President William Taft, he was great, but history is history,” said Brother Dan. “Brother Jasper was in 1882, so Brother Jasper’s got this one.”

Today’s Jaspers wear the local lore with pride. 

“On away trips, they’re like, ‘What’s a Jasper?’ And I say, ‘It’s not what, it’s who,’” Jaspers first baseman Trevor Hansen said. 

They make sure others know the tale, too. 

“Even if I’m at a Yankees game, I aways tell whoever I’m with, ‘Yeah, my school created that,’” said Jaspers outfielder Jeremy Sosa. 

“Because you don’t really think about how things start like that,” Jaspers catcher Hunter Sute added. 

That pride is shared by their head coach who recognizes the history his team stands on. 

“Every day we’re out here trying to honor those who came before us and particularly Brother Jasper who got the whole thing started for us,” said Rosen. 

A simple stretch to stave off boredom, and now a century and a half later, America’s pastime wouldn’t be quite the same without it.