Was a 1981 minor league game between the Pawtucket Red Sox and the Rochester Red Wings, which lasted 33 innings. The game began on April 18 but was suspended after 32 innings due to darkness. It resumed May 23 and ended when Dave Koza drove in Marty Barrett with an 11th-inning single for a 2–1 victory. The teams used 19 pitchers, only one of whom (Steve Grilli) would become an MLB player.
This game holds the record for both the longest professional baseball game (in innings) and the longest minor league baseball game. The previous records were 30 innings, set by Fargo-Moorhead in 1968; Pawtucket’s win came 13 years to the day after that. The longest college baseball game was 22 innings, between Mississippi State University and Louisiana Tech in 1987.
The game was not completed within the 24 hours allotted by Minor League Baseball regulations. The International League requested that Pawtucket and Rochester play again to break the record, but the teams declined; they had already scheduled a rematch for June 6 (when Pawtucket’s turn in the order came around again), but it was rained out. The game produced many statistical anomalies that are unlikely to occur in any other type of baseball game. The box score from the end of the 32nd inning showed Rochester with a 6–4 lead, but Pawtucket had actually outscored Rochester 20–6 up to that point. This is because at the end of every inning in which Pawtucket was retired, all baserunners (hitters and base runners) advanced exactly one base. This means that any runs scored by the team before they recorded an out would be counted in their total when computing statistics for individual hitters at the end of the game.
Can a baseball game go on forever
No. The rulebook specifies a nine-inning time limit on a baseball game, and games that have not finished within that timeframe are ruled as ties. This has happened four times in MLB history, most recently in 2008 when the Chicago Cubs and the Houston Astros went into extra innings on October 29 during Game 2 of the National League Championship Series. After being unable to break the tie with a run in the top of the 18th inning, both teams were declared co-winners of Game 2.
The 2012 ALCS between the Detroit Tigers and the New York Yankees also went beyond nine innings, but was not ruled a tie because it had been suspended due to weather after seven innings. When the game was completed, the Tigers had a 3–0 lead and won 5–1.
In its 1928 World Series, the St. Louis Cardinals and the New York Yankees also played into extra innings on October 10 before being called due to darkness with a tied score of 2–2, but did not meet Major League Baseball’s definition of darkness because there was still light. The game is recorded in statistics as a tie, but the official rules at the time did not have this rule, so it has long been debated what should have happened under MLB’s previous definition of “official”.
Baseball can be played in a variety of different settings, including parks, fields, and backyards. It is a timeless game that has been around for centuries, and the basic rules are easy to learn. This makes it easy for people of all ages to enjoy.
There are many variations of the game that stem from its basic components. For example, there are slow pitch, fast pitch, and even designated hitter versions that allow for different types of play. Baseball can be an enjoyable pastime indoors or outdoors, but it is important to have enough room to run around in order to get exercise without damaging property or equipment.
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