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In 1981, the Pawtucket Red Sox and the Rochester Red Wings played the longest professional baseball game in history. The game lasted for 33 innings and the playing time went on for eight hours and 25 minutes. The first 32 innings were played on April 18th and 19th, and the 33rd inning was played on June 23rd.
By the 21st inning, Wade Boggs drove in a run to tie the game and there was a collective groan, even coming from his own teammates. It was probably a reasonable reaction, given that there were 11 straight scoreless inning prior to that. What they would eventually find out is that there would be 11 more scoreless innings after that, too. Boggs was later quoted as saying “I didn’t know if the guys on the team wanted to hug me or slug me.”
Pros and Cons of an Extensive Baseball Game
If you don’t like baseball this was basically something out of a horror movie. What made it even worse was the low score. Each team averaged just .09 points per inning. Games like this are why there were rule changes to speed it up and make it more exciting. The bored-stricken victims suffered with over two months of waiting through eight and a half of the least exciting hours imaginable.
However, many people who go to watch minor league games do so for the sake of being in the environment. The mini-events that take place alongside the game is another reason fans go. Eating bratwurst, mascot races and having a chance to see themselves on the ‘kiss cam’ are reasons enough for many. Some stadiums regularly shoot off fireworks. In all likelihood, the people who go to enjoy those things are the ones who left way early.
The officials tried to finish the game. But by 3 a.m. someone who probably really wanted to go home decided to call league president Harold Cooper, and he demanded the game end after the inning was over. The players were “delirious” from exhaustion. There were only 19 people left in the stands when the game was finally called at 4:07 a.m. after 32 innings. All of those fans were awarded either season or lifetime passes.
Fascinating Facts
- There were 27 either eventual or previous major league baseball players who played in the game, including Cal Ripken Jr. and Wade Boggs
- Dallas Williams went 0-13 during the game
- The umpire had a rulebook which didn’t include the mandatory 12:50 a.m. cutoff time
- Ripken Jr. and Boggs both went to the majors the following season, with Ripken winning Rookie of the Year
- There were 882 pitches thrown, and 53 runners left on base
- Due to the length of the game there were 12 professional records broken in it
