How Brad Paisley’s National Anthem Sparks Lengthy World Series Games

Country music legend Brad Paisley has unintentionally carved out a weird little spot in baseball history. His national anthem performances before World Series games have picked up a strange connection to marathon, extra-inning thrillers.

The latest twist? Before Game 3 of the 2025 Fall Classic, Paisley sang, and then the Los Angeles Dodgers and Toronto Blue Jays played an 18-inning, six-hour epic. That tied the record for the longest World Series game ever, and honestly, fans are getting a little superstitious about it.

The Unlikely Link Between Paisley and Marathon Games

Sure, Brad Paisley’s known for platinum records and country hits. But now, some baseball fans see him as a weird omen for high-drama World Series nights.

The 2025 Game 3 clash wasn’t just long—it was historic. The teams combined for 609 pitches, ending with a walk-off that kept everyone up way past their bedtime.

And this isn’t some one-off fluke. It’s actually the fourth time in recent years that a World Series game right after Paisley’s anthem has gone deep into extra innings.

A Pattern Worth Noticing

The numbers are kind of wild. Before this year’s 18-inning marathon, Paisley sang the anthem before:

• Game 2 of the 2017 World Series — 11 innings
• Game 3 of the 2018 World Series — 18 innings
• Game 1 of the 2024 World Series — 10 innings
• Game 3 of the 2025 World Series — 18 innings

That’s four extra-inning games, each after Paisley’s performance. The Dodgers somehow won three of them.

2018 and 2025: Twin Marathons

Paisley’s anthem history gets even stranger. Both 2018 and 2025 had 18-inning World Series games.

In both, the Dodgers walked it off with a home run, sending fans into a frenzy and making those nights instant baseball lore.

Games that long just don’t happen much anymore—pitch counts, bullpens, and all that. Seeing two of them so close together, both after Paisley’s anthem, has people talking on social media and at the ballpark.

Fans Embrace the “Paisley Effect”

Online forums and sports talk shows are buzzing with jokes about the “Paisley Effect.” Some fans say teams should hire him for every postseason game if they want more drama.

Others half-joke that his performances might wear out the players, given the marathon trend. It’s just one of those quirky things that makes baseball so full of personality and fan-driven stories.

The Streak Pauses—For Now

Paisley isn’t on the schedule for the rest of this postseason. So, fans will just have to wait and see if the streak picks up again next year.

No one really thinks a singer determines how long a game lasts, right? Still, stuff like this is what makes baseball lore so fun. The sport just seems to collect these stories—curses, rally caps, mysterious streaks—and that’s part of why we love it.

Why This Story Matters

Baseball isn’t just about box scores. The stories—those wild, extra-inning World Series moments—are what really stick with people.

Paisley’s link to those marathon games? It just makes the whole thing even more interesting, honestly.

The 2025 Fall Classic is wrapping up soon. Maybe we won’t see another Brad Paisley extra-innings epic this year.

Still, if he steps up to sing before a future World Series game, fans might want to settle in. You never really know how long the night could last under those stadium lights.

 
Here is the source article for this story: The unlikely predecessor to lengthy World Series games? Brad Paisley national anthems