What’s the Longest Major League Baseball Game?
Contents
Looking for some baseball trivia? Check out this blog post to learn about the longest major league baseball game in history!
Introduction
On September 11, 2001, baseball games were postponed due to the terrorist attacks on America. When play resumed on September 17, the New York Yankees and Baltimore Orioles played the longest game in major league history: four hours and forty-three minutes. The game was played in New York’s Yankee Stadium and went into extra innings, with the Yankees eventually winning 8-7 in the bottom of the 16th inning.
The Length of a Baseball Game
A baseball game is considered complete when the winning team has scored more runs than the opposing team, regardless of the inning. However, regulation games consist of nine innings, and if the score is tied after nine innings, the game enters extra innings. There is no limit to how many innings a baseball game can last, and the longest game in major league history lasted 33 innings.
The Inning Length
In baseball, the standard length of an inning is three outs. However, if the batting team is ahead by more than seven runs at the end of an inning, the inning will end regardless of the number of outs. This is called the mercy rule.
The length of an inning can also be affected by other factors, such as inclement weather. If a game is postponed due to bad weather, it will pick up where it left off when it is rescheduled. If a game is called due to bad weather, it is considered official if five innings have been completed (or four and a half innings if the home team is ahead). If less than five innings have been played, the game will be considered a rainout and will be made up at a later date.
The Pitching Changes
The number of pitching changes in a game has a direct correlation to the length of the game. In the 2018 season, the average major league game took 3 hours and 5 minutes, while games in 2017 averaged just under 3 hours. The 2016 season saw an all-time high average of 3 hours and 8 minutes. There were 2.94 pitching changes per game in 2018, which is up from 2.86 in 2017 and 2.91 in 2016.
The increase in pitching changes is due to several factors, including the increased use of relievers and specialization within bullpen roles. In 1975, there were an average of 4.47 pitchers used per team per game, while that number fell to 2.85 by 1995. It has continued to decline since then, reaching a low of 2.63 in 2005 before rising slightly in recent years.
The Batter’s Box
The batter’s box is the area where the batter stands when awaiting their turn to hit. It is marked by lines extending out from home plate to delineate the width of the box. The front edge of the lines closest to home plate, where the bat must be placed when hitting, is often chalked. Depending on the level of play, the lines are usually 3 feet (0.91 m) from home plate and run perpendicular to it. If both front edges ran parallel to home plate, a batted ball could roll underneath and behind the back edge.
At professional levels, the lines are much more narrow: just 3 inches (7.6 cm) wide in Major League Baseball. High school, college and most amateur baseball diamonds will have batters’ boxes that are between 4 and 6 inches (10 and 15 cm). Players at all levels who are not pitchers must remain within the confines of their respective batters’ boxes whenever they are hitting or “on deck” waiting to hit, except when they attempt to field a batted or thrown ball.
The Catcher’s Box
The catcher’s box, also informally known as the catcher’s square, is a rectangular area in baseball, behind home plate. The catcher occupies this area when receiving pitches from the pitcher during an inning of play. It is called a “box” because it is marked by white lines on the ground or turf.
The Base Coaches’ Boxes
The base coaches’ boxes are the two boxes located near first and third base to which the first and third base coaches must confine themselves. The lines from home plate extending to the backstop behind each of these boxes and then running along the foul lines mark the boundaries of these areas. The coach’s box at first base is shorter than that at third base, in order to accommodate more spectators. There are also coach’s boxes on deck circles in foul territory near home plate where assistant coaches can warm up relief pitchers between innings.
The On-Deck Circle
The on-deck circle is the area where a batter waits to hit while another player is up at bat. It is usually located in foul territory, between home plate and first or third base. A batter may also wait in the on-deck circle at second base to hit.
The Dugout
The dugout is the area where the players of a baseball team sit during the game when they are not batting. It is usually located in foul territory, next to or behind home plate. The word dugout originally referred to the area where the players dressed before and after the game, but it eventually came to refer to the area where they sat during the game as well.
The dugout is usually long enough to accommodate all of the players on a team, as well as any coaching staff. It is typically made of wood, but can also be made out of metal or concrete. There is usually a railing along the front of the dugout to keep players from falling out, and there are often steps leading down into the dugout from both ends. Some newer stadiums have Dugout Clubs, which are luxury boxes that offer Dugout Club members a view of the game from inside the dugout.
The Record for the Longest Baseball Game
The longest major league baseball game was played on May 8, 1984 between the Chicago White Sox and the Milwaukee Brewers. The game went for 25 innings and lasted for 8 hours and 6 minutes. It was finally called due to darkness with the score tied at 7-7.
The 1983 White Sox-Brewers Game
On May 8, 1983, the Chicago White Sox and Milwaukee Brewers played the longest game in Major League Baseball history. The game lasted eight hours and six minutes, and was played over the course of 33 innings. It was finally won by the White Sox, 7-6.
The game began at 7:05pm CT, and quickly turned into a pitcher’s duel between Chicago’s Steve Trout and Milwaukee’s Mike Caldwell. The two teams were scoreless through nine innings, and the game remained 0-0 through 12 innings.
In the 13th inning, Chicago finally broke through with a run, but Milwaukee quickly tied it up in the bottom half of the inning. The game remained tied until the 21st inning, when Chicago scored two runs to take a 4-2 lead. But once again, Milwaukee responded, this time scoring three runs in the bottom of the 21st to take a 5-4 lead.
The game continued on for another 12 innings, with neither team able to score. Finally, in the 33rd inning, Chicago’s Harold Baines hit a walk-off home run to give the White Sox a 7-6 victory.
The game set several records, including longest MLB game by time (8 hours and 6 minutes), most relief pitchers used in one game (22), most combined strikeouts in one game (41), most players used in one game (51), and most innings played in a single MLB game (33).
The 2014 Nationals-Marlins Game
On September 25, 2014, the Miami Marlins and the Washington Nationals played the longest game in Major League Baseball history. The game, which lasted for seven hours and six minutes, was played at Marlins Park in Miami.
The game was originally scheduled to be played on September 24, but it was postponed due to rain. When the game finally took place the next day, it ended with a score of 4-3 in favor of the Nationals. The winning run was scored in the bottom of the twenty-second inning, when Nationals’ second baseman Asdrúbal Cabrera hit a walk-off home run.
The game set several records, including the longest time playable without electric lighting (which is necessary for night games). In addition, it tied the record for most innings played in a regular season game (22), and set a new record for most players used in a regular season game (62).
Conclusion
In conclusion, the longest major league baseball game was played on May 8, 1984 between the Chicago White Sox and Milwaukee Brewers. The game lasted 25 innings and was won by the White Sox with a score of 7-6.
