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This date in baseball history, July 4th 1905 ...
Pitchers Rube Waddell of the Philadelphia Athletics and Cy Young of the Boston Americans went the distance in 20 innings.
On July 4, 1905, the AL clubs from two of America’s most historic cities squared off in a doubleheader at Boston’s Huntingdon Avenue Grounds—the site of Young’s perfect game the previous May. Young and Waddell got the starting nods for the second game of the twin bill.
Not only did the game last 20 innings, but so did the two star pitchers. It was like Ali-Frazier, Russell-Chamberlain, or Borg-McEnroe standing toe-to-toe, shot-after-shot, or point-per-point for extra rounds, overtimes, or extended tie-breaker. Granted, unlike today, complete games were hardly unusual. Complete game statistics weren’t even mentioned; it was simply understood that a pitcher would finished what he started. From 1900 to 1909, major league pitchers as a whole completed nearly 80 percent of their starts, including extra-inning affairs.
Young and Waddell were in the upper echelon of pitchers. During his first four seasons in the American League (1902-05), Waddell completed nearly 87 percent of his starting assignments. Young was even harder to knock out during the same stretch, finishing 146 of 152 starts for a whopping 96 percent completion rate. However, no moundsmen had lasted for 20 innings in a single game at the modern pitching distance, much less two in the same game. Waddell didn’t take any warm-up tosses prior to the second game of the double-header. He had relieved for the last two outs in Philly’s 5-2 morning game win over the Americans. In the afternoon contest, Waddell shut out Boston batters over the last 19 innings. He also drove in the winning run in the Athletics’ 4-2 victory.
All Young did was pitch 13 consecutive scoreless innings before yielding a pair of unearned runs in the 20th inning. Old Cy didn’t allow a base-on-balls throughout the ordeal. “For my part, I think it was the greatest game of ball I ever took part in,” Young wrote a week later.
Not only did the game last 20 innings, but so did the two star pitchers. It was like Ali-Frazier, Russell-Chamberlain, or Borg-McEnroe standing toe-to-toe, shot-after-shot, or point-per-point for extra rounds, overtimes, or extended tie-breaker. Granted, unlike today, complete games were hardly unusual. Complete game statistics weren’t even mentioned; it was simply understood that a pitcher would finished what he started. From 1900 to 1909, major league pitchers as a whole completed nearly 80 percent of their starts, including extra-inning affairs.
Young and Waddell were in the upper echelon of pitchers. During his first four seasons in the American League (1902-05), Waddell completed nearly 87 percent of his starting assignments. Young was even harder to knock out during the same stretch, finishing 146 of 152 starts for a whopping 96 percent completion rate. However, no moundsmen had lasted for 20 innings in a single game at the modern pitching distance, much less two in the same game. Waddell didn’t take any warm-up tosses prior to the second game of the double-header. He had relieved for the last two outs in Philly’s 5-2 morning game win over the Americans. In the afternoon contest, Waddell shut out Boston batters over the last 19 innings. He also drove in the winning run in the Athletics’ 4-2 victory.
All Young did was pitch 13 consecutive scoreless innings before yielding a pair of unearned runs in the 20th inning. Old Cy didn’t allow a base-on-balls throughout the ordeal. “For my part, I think it was the greatest game of ball I ever took part in,” Young wrote a week later.
STORY: http://philadelphiaathletics.org/rube-waddell-vs-cy-young/