Two-Plus 18+ Inning Games In The Same Season Since 1919
Posted by Steve Lombardi on July 2, 2011
How many teams, since 1919, have played more than one 18-inning games (or longer) in a season?
Here's the list -
| Rk | Tm | Year | #Matching | W | L | CG | SHO | SV | IP | H | ER | HR | BB | SO | ||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | WSA | 1967 | 3 | 2 | 1 | Ind. Games | .667 | 2.40 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 60.0 | 48 | 16 | 1 | 11 | 35 | 0.98 |
| 2 | NYY | 1967 | 3 | 2 | 1 | Ind. Games | .667 | 1.45 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 56.0 | 41 | 9 | 1 | 24 | 21 | 1.16 |
| 3 | WSA | 1971 | 2 | 1 | 1 | Ind. Games | .500 | 2.41 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 41.0 | 31 | 11 | 0 | 20 | 25 | 1.24 |
| 4 | SLB | 1952 | 2 | 0 | 1 | Ind. Games | .000 | 1.72 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 36.2 | 25 | 7 | 2 | 19 | 17 | 1.20 |
| 5 | SEP | 1969 | 2 | 0 | 2 | Ind. Games | .000 | 3.79 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 38.0 | 31 | 16 | 4 | 22 | 23 | 1.39 |
| 6 | SDP | 2008 | 2 | 1 | 1 | Ind. Games | .500 | 1.57 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 40.0 | 35 | 7 | 2 | 13 | 36 | 1.20 |
| 7 | SDP | 1980 | 2 | 1 | 1 | Ind. Games | .500 | 1.18 | 0 | 0 | 1 | 38.0 | 28 | 5 | 3 | 15 | 26 | 1.13 |
| 8 | PHI | 1919 | 2 | 1 | 0 | Ind. Games | 1.000 | 3.55 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 38.0 | 43 | 15 | 1 | 10 | 7 | 1.39 |
| 9 | OAK | 1969 | 2 | 1 | 1 | Ind. Games | .500 | 4.00 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 36.0 | 28 | 16 | 4 | 16 | 17 | 1.22 |
| 10 | OAK | 1971 | 2 | 2 | 0 | Ind. Games | 1.000 | 0.66 | 0 | 1 | 1 | 41.0 | 27 | 3 | 0 | 4 | 37 | 0.76 |
| 11 | NYM | 1985 | 2 | 2 | 0 | Ind. Games | 1.000 | 3.65 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 37.0 | 36 | 15 | 4 | 19 | 21 | 1.49 |
| 12 | MIN | 1969 | 2 | 2 | 0 | Ind. Games | 1.000 | 2.00 | 0 | 0 | 1 | 36.0 | 36 | 8 | 2 | 10 | 21 | 1.28 |
| 13 | MIN | 1967 | 2 | 1 | 1 | Ind. Games | .500 | 2.61 | 0 | 0 | 1 | 38.0 | 24 | 11 | 2 | 8 | 23 | 0.84 |
| 14 | LAD | 1989 | 2 | 1 | 1 | Ind. Games | .500 | 1.03 | 0 | 1 | 0 | 43.2 | 31 | 5 | 1 | 14 | 35 | 1.03 |
| 15 | CHC | 1927 | 2 | 2 | 0 | Ind. Games | 1.000 | 1.12 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 40.0 | 26 | 5 | 0 | 12 | 7 | 0.95 |
| 16 | BSN | 1927 | 2 | 0 | 2 | Ind. Games | .000 | 2.25 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 40.0 | 35 | 10 | 0 | 14 | 11 | 1.23 |
| 17 | BSN | 1920 | 2 | 1 | 0 | Ind. Games | 1.000 | 0.20 | 2 | 0 | 0 | 45.0 | 21 | 1 | 0 | 8 | 11 | 0.64 |
| 18 | BRO | 1939 | 2 | 0 | 0 | Ind. Games | 1.71 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 42.0 | 27 | 8 | 0 | 10 | 15 | 0.88 | |
| 19 | BRO | 1920 | 2 | 0 | 1 | Ind. Games | .000 | 0.61 | 2 | 0 | 0 | 44.1 | 28 | 3 | 0 | 10 | 10 | 0.86 |
| 20 | BRO | 1919 | 2 | 0 | 1 | Ind. Games | .000 | 3.79 | 2 | 0 | 0 | 38.0 | 38 | 16 | 1 | 10 | 14 | 1.26 |
| 21 | ATL | 1985 | 2 | 0 | 2 | Ind. Games | .000 | 4.86 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 37.0 | 45 | 20 | 2 | 20 | 27 | 1.76 |
.
Amazingly, those three games each for the Senators and Yankees were not played against each other.
July 2nd, 2011 at 11:43 pm
Nice that the Seattle Pilots made the list in their only year of existence. Remember Jim Bouton, in Ball Four, noting that John Gelnar lost twice to Minnesota in one day, first in the resumption of the long game and then in the regularly scheduled game?
Boston Braves, 1920, one lousy win for one run allowed in 45 IP. Sure, the tie was Oeschger-Cadore, but still.
Just because I've been researching it, the 1918 Phillies played in a messy 19-inning tie and a 21-inning 2-1 squeaker in which both starters pitched complete games.
July 3rd, 2011 at 12:18 am
July 2 is the anniversary of the latest-finishing game in MLB history-SD@PHI, game two of a twi-night DH- with rain delays and two long games- finished at 4:40 am... FWTW...
July 3rd, 2011 at 2:06 am
Yo Andy: what year? Got a link for that and/or the famous Braves/Mets (?) late-night affair that featured a Rick Camp homer and fireworks afterwards at something like 3 a.m.?
July 3rd, 2011 at 4:33 am
8 of the 21 times this happened were in just a 5-year span (1967 to 1971). All these were in the AL and included twice each by Minnesota, Oakland and Washington.
July 3rd, 2011 at 4:53 am
The '39 Dodgers toiled 42 innings over their 2 long games. And, didn't get a decision either time.
Whit Wyatt started for Brooklyn in a 23-inning affair against the Braves, allowing 2 runs and 15 hits over 16 innings work, good for an 87 game score. Since that game, no pitcher has compiled a higher game score when allowing 15+ hits.
http://www.baseball-reference.com/boxes/BSN/BSN193906270.shtml
July 3rd, 2011 at 5:52 am
@ 2: YESSSSSSSSSSSSSS!!!!!!!!! I REMEMBER!!!!!!!! The first game started, and concluded, and I went to sleep, and woke up, and was like, 'whatever', they're still playing...........that was at like 6:30, and then there were more delays..........and I woke up and went back to sleep like 2 more times, last time, at whatever time, that they were still trying to play.....but, no way that the second game wouldn't go off........and then I hear about Mitch Williams(?!?!?!?) doubling home the winning run, as the %@^%$ sun was starting to come up!!!!!!!!!!!
Best. Season. Of. All. Time.(Ignoring, the WS, sorry, Neil L.) I was 18. Best. Team. Ever. :-DDD
(God was that summer hot, as well. Haven't been back in years, maybe it is more common, now.....but, that just added to the strangeness:-p)
July 3rd, 2011 at 6:49 am
16 games in '67 went 18 innings or longer. That's incredible. http://bbref.com/pi/shareit/BbH2H
July 3rd, 2011 at 7:37 am
@3 Here's the "Rick Camp" game: http://www.baseball-reference.com/boxes/ATL/ATL198507040.shtml
July 3rd, 2011 at 7:42 am
@3 Here's the late Phillies game: http://www.baseball-reference.com/boxes/PHI/PHI199307022.shtml
July 3rd, 2011 at 9:03 am
When I saw this subject, my first thought was that Cincinnati must have been involved in one in the past day or two. I knew that they had played a 19-inning game already this season, but I also knew that the Phillies, their opponent in that game, had not played another one. I also don't know if there have been any other 18+ inning games this season.
But it looks like this was just posted as an interesting item for us.
@3 That Padres-Phillies game was in 1993. Mariano Duncan got hurt in the 2nd game and had to go on the DL. I always wondered if he was considered to have been injured on July 2 or July 3 for the purpose of computing eligibity to come off the list. July 2, the originally-scheduled date, would be the most advantageous to both.
July 3rd, 2011 at 9:24 am
@6
"(Ignoring, the WS, sorry, Neil L."
No apologies, Nash, Minnesota has done very well given their franchise restraints.
Which WS were you referring you 1987 or 1991? Probably '87 when they upset the Tigers in the first round.
July 3rd, 2011 at 10:33 am
Let us never again speak of the '87 ALCS, Neil....
July 3rd, 2011 at 10:59 am
The thought occurred to me that there might be a lingering fatigue effect of playing an 18+ inning game.
Athough it could be done with any 18+ inning game, not just seasons where there are two, I used the three most recent two-game seasons and looked at a team's record in its next 5 games after the extra-inning affair.
After their 2008 marathon against Colorado, San Diego was 1-4 (2-8 in their next 10), while the Rockies were 2-3 (3-7) in their next 10.
After their May 25th, 2008 extended game, the Padres went 1-4. Hmmm ....looked like I might be on to something.
Next take the 1989 Dodgers.They went 3-2 in their next five after the June 3rd extended game. But here's where it really gets interesting. The next night they lost a 13-inning game to Houston, again, and the next night had a double-header sweep of Atlanta on June 5th. (So their pitchers hurled about 53 innings in three days.)
Imagine, Hershiser, Valenzuela and company threw the equivalent of almost 6 full games in three days with travel included! Elastic arms on that staff indeed.
Anyway, continuing ......, after their Aug. 23rd, 1989 "double game", the Dodgers went 2-3. Hmmm ..... trend is disappearing
Conclusion, based on small sample: not much apparent "fatigue" after playing an 18-inning game, at least as reflected in W-L record. What's probably more important is whether you a good or poor team overall.
I also looked at the 1985 Mets ...... that's another interesting story, but this post is too long already.
July 3rd, 2011 at 11:04 am
@12
JA, we've had this discussion before. Remember how the Tig's made it to the post-season in 1987?!? 🙂
July 3rd, 2011 at 1:22 pm
I'd always thought 1968 was the year of the long, long extra-inning game because scoring was so low. Turns out there were only three games of 18-plus innings in 1968: That Mets-Astros 24-inning, 1-0 marathon (often cited as an emblem of the season), a 19-inning game between the Tigers and Yankees, and an 18-inning Red Sox-Orioles game.
Max (#7), like you, I'm amazed by how many ultra-long games were played in 1967. Even the All-Star Game went 15 innings.
July 3rd, 2011 at 2:12 pm
Neil, as a fellow Blue Jays fan, I'll ask: Why do you want to bring up the 1987 Tigers at all? Where's your sense of healthy denial?
July 3rd, 2011 at 5:00 pm
@16
Kahuna, I love it!
Thanks for coming out of closet. 🙂
July 3rd, 2011 at 5:03 pm
@11 - He's not talking about the Twins. He's talking about the 1993 Phillies.
July 3rd, 2011 at 5:18 pm
@18
Ahhhh, got it. Thanks for setting me straight, Double.
July 3rd, 2011 at 7:17 pm
Thanks for coming out of closet.
I began rooting for the Jays in 1977, my friend. I remember the boys defeating the Yankees 19-3 in '77 and the Orioles 24-10 in '78. I remember the three ALCS defeats, and (worst of all) I remember finishing second in the AL East in 1987. Just a dreadful final week of the season.
Oddly, I've lost some of my interest in the Jays since 1992-93. It has almost felt as if they no longer needed me. The truth is, of course, that in that juggernaut of a division they probably need me more than ever.
July 3rd, 2011 at 10:18 pm
@20
Kahuna, wasn't it Ron Guidry that they pummelled in 1977? (I didn't check, honest, but I may be wrong.)
July 4th, 2011 at 1:43 am
The 1967 Giants also played a 21-inning, 1-0 game at Cincinnati on Sep. 1. Listening on the radio, it sure seemed like Russ Hodges and Lon Simmons were as worn out on the air as the teams on the field! Gaylord Perry pitched the first 16 innings- when he left the mound after the last of the 16th, the Cincinnati fans gave him a standing ovation. He had to tip his cap with his left hand since, as he later said, he couldn't lift his right arm. Still, he made his next start four days later- imagine that these days...
July 4th, 2011 at 2:39 am
the astros played in 2 18 games in 2006, the year after their 18 inning playoff game
July 4th, 2011 at 2:40 am
wasnt on the list...
July 4th, 2011 at 4:53 am
Neil, the Jays' 19-3 win over the Yankees (in New York!) in 1977 came at the expense of Catfish Hunter and a small army of mop-up men. The Jays did deal Guidry the worst loss of his 1978 Cy Young season, knocking him out in the second inning of a September 10 game they went on to win 8-1.
July 4th, 2011 at 5:55 am
@ Neil: sorry, if this thread, is too far in the past, for you to catch this, but I grew up a Phillies fan in South(ern New) Jersey, and lost interest, with the '94 strike. Regained a little interest, in '98, with the home run derby (at which point, I was gone from NJ for good), and then moved to MN, where I became a full-fledged fan, again.
Interesting, looking back, at what I know now about '98.......why didn't they just come out, and say, "hey, we're 'roiding??"
The very fact that they didn't....
but, all in the past now. (Wink wink.)
July 4th, 2011 at 6:00 am
@12 JA: I do remember that series, watched it as a youngster, as I did all baseball playoffs, but I had no rooting interest.
I do remember being surprised that MN won........and, I'd say, that the '87 WS is overlooked somewhat, in terms of quality World Series.
Maybe there needs to be a 'classic WS' rating....maybe a 'WSAR'? 🙂
July 4th, 2011 at 8:29 am
@26
Nash, thanks for the mini bio. I saw you in BBRef as only a Minnesota follower.