Thursday, April 17, 2008

No Game Clock in MLB


This post may lose it's validity after I post it, but currently, the Padres and the Rockies are deadlocked in a 1-1 tie heading into the bottom of the 21st inning.

The first runs of the game weren't scored until the 14th.

This made me get to thinking about the longest documented games that have been played in major league baseball. Here's what I found.

1. On April 18, 1981, a 33 inning game played between the Rochester Red Wings and the Pawtucket Red Sox who play in the triple-A International league. The game took 8 hours and 25 minutes to play over 2 days. The game was halted at 4:09 a.m. by the league's president.

2. On May 1, 1920, the Brooklyn Dodgers and Boston Braves played a 26 inning game that was eventually called due to darkness.

3. On May 9, 1984, the Chicago White Sox and Milwaukee Brewers played a 25 inning game that took 8 hours and six minutes that finally ended with a White Sox win 7-6.

Then it got me to thinking, what has to happen for the game to be suspended? Here's your answer.

According to the rules of major league baseball, the game can be suspended for a number of reasons:
1. A curfew imposed by law
2. A time limit permissible under league rules
3. Light failure or malfunction
4. Darkness, when a law prevents the lights from being turned on
5. Weather, if the bottom half of the inning can't be played
6. It is a regulation game, called with the score tied

These answers come straight from the rule book of major league baseball.

During my post, the game between the Rockies and Padres was completed in the 22nd inning, with a double to deep left center on his eighth at bat of the game by Troy Tulowitzki, scoring Willy Taveras. The Padres didn't respond in the bottom of the inning, and the Rockies won 2-1. The game took 6 hours and 16 minutes to play.

Now, put yourself in the seat of a loyal Padres fan. You come out to the game merely hoping for a Padres win, decked out in all the gear you can find in your closet. You witness nine long scoreless innings, and don't see any real action until the opposing team puts up one in the top of the 14th. Luckily, a score gets knocked in in the bottom of the inning to tie the game once again, and the winning run is on 3rd base. But he never reaches home. You wait another 8 innings to see the Rockies score once again, and witness the Padres put up a 0 in the bottom of the 22nd. That is one long drive home.

The last game that went more than 20 innings was played in 1993. What teams were involved?

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