Baseball – Forget The Pitch Count!

Today baseball pitchers throw a few innings of baseball and they are relieved by fresh pitchers. A pitcher may throw between 4 and 7 innings – possibly as many as 120 pitches. Back in 1920, two pitchers dueled for 26 innings – no relievers.

I heard about this morning on IMUS In The Morning, courtesy of Warner Wolf

“In Boston, Brooklyn’s Leon Cadore and the Braves’ Joe Oeschger duel 26 innings to a 1-1 tie in the longest game ever played in the major leagues. Oeschger shuts out the Dodgers for the last 21 innings, topping Art Nehf’s 20 scoreless frames in a row on August 1, 1918. He gives up nine hits and Cadore allows 12.” – From Today In Baseball History.

AND ALSO

“In Boston‚ Brooklyn’s Leon Cadore and the Braves’ Joe Oeschger duel 26 innings to a 1-1 tie in the longest game ever played in the ML. Oeschger shuts out the Dodgers for the last 21 innings‚ topping Art Nehf’s 20 scoreless frames in a row on August 1‚ 1918. He gives up 9 hits‚ and Cadore allows 12‚ in the 3-hour‚ 50-minute battle‚ the longest marathon (26 inn.) any 2 pitchers have hurled this century. An unusual double play occurs in the 17th inning when the bases are loaded with one out. A grounder to P Oeschger results in a throw home‚ forcing the runner. C Hank Gowdy’s throw to 1B Walter Holke is fumbled‚ and when the runner tries to score from 2B‚ the throw back to Gowdy nips the sliding Ed Konetchy. Holke must have been tired as he made a first baseman’s record of 42 putouts in the game‚ while Cadore‚ who sets a NL record (ties ML) for assists by a pitcher (12) as well as batters faced (96) in a game‚ will spend the next 36 hours in bed. Oeschger faces 90 batters. The Dodgers lose to the Phils at home in 13 innings the next day‚ then return to Boston for a Monday game where they lose again in 19. For 58 innings work in 3 days‚ they will be 0-2.” From Charlton’s Baseball Chronology / Baseball Library