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We are the Marathon Seekers Group, eleven SABR members who are constantly looking to discover Baseball Marathons lasting 20 or more innings. So far, we have 648. But we know that we are touching only the tip of the iceberg.
These games are very difficult to discover. Through much experience, we have learned that the three best places to find such games are (1) during the 1900 through 1929 era, at the height of Town Ball games; (2) Latino Baseball in the Caribbean and in Latin America; and (3) current games as they occur.
We hope that Cardinals fans will review this list, and contact me, Phil Lowry, via e-mail at [email protected], if you know of a game not on the list, or if you can provide missing details for a game already on the List.
We offer an Official Certificate to all who find a new game not yet on the List. Thank you very much for your help.
Philip J. Lowry
Author, Baseball's Longest Games
MISSOURI (14)
20 – Sportsman’s Park (III), St. Louis – 4/10/1898 – Western League at National League spring training exhibition – St. Louis Browns 12 Milwaukee Brewers 11 in 3:20.
20 – Old Fair Grounds Park, Springfield – 7/19/1902 – Missouri Valley League – Springfield Reds 2 Nevada Lunatics 1 in 5:00 – 3500 fans, 3500 fans at end – finished at 8:30 PM.
20 – Miners Park, Joplin - 9/4/1906 – Western Association – Joplin Miners 0 Webb City Gold Bugs 0 in 3:15 – 150 fans.
25 – Prosperity – 5/31/1908 – Interstate (Kansas/Missouri/
Oklahoma) League – Mineral 8 Prosperity 6 in 4:18 – finished at 6:18 PM.
20 – Kirksville - 5/25/1911 – Missouri State League – Kirksville Osteopaths 2 Macon Athletics 1.
20 – Kansas City - 8/2/1912 – 17-Year Old Junior League – Yale Blues 22 Buddie Blues 11 – Yale Blues scored 20 runs in top 20th; Buddie Blues scored 9 runs in bottom 20th.
20 – Hannibal - 7/2/1915 – Negro League Amateur – Hannibal Browns 5 Hannibal Eagles 5 in 3:20.
20 – Sixth Street Park, St. Joseph – 8/26/1917 – Western League – Des Moines Boosters 4 St. Joseph Drummers 3 in 4:00.
20 – Sixth Street Park, St. Joseph – 6/1/1918 – Western League – Joplin Miners 3 St. Joseph Saints 1.
20 – Moberly - 9/7/1922 – Amateur – Moberly Brown Shoe Factory Stars 8 Yates 7 in 3:25.
20 – Fulton - 6/19/1932 – Amateur – Fulton All-Stars 4 Paris Maroons 3.
23 – Kansas City – 7/30/1933 – Amateur – Kansas City 48th Street Merchants 16 St. Joseph Bottling Works 10 in 5:00.
23 – St. Louis or Tenbrook – 5/??/1934 – Amateur – St. Louis Red Sox vs. Tenbrook Athletic Club in 6:30.
20 – Busch Stadium (III), St. Louis – 4/17/2010 – National League - Mets 2 Cardinals 1 in 6:53 – 43,709 fans; 6000 fans at end – finished at 10:07 PM.
ILLINOIS (34)
21 – Lake View Park, Peoria - 6/26/1898 – Western Association – Peoria Blackbirds 8 St. Joseph Saints 4 in 4:00.
21 – League Park, Jacksonville - 6/26/1907 – Iowa State League - Jacksonville Lunatics 3 Burlington Pathfinders 2 in 3:05 – 419 fans.
21 – Vincennes - 7/18/1908 – Eastern Illinois League – Charleston Evangelists 4 Vincennes Alices 3.
20 – League Park, Jacksonville - 9/3/1908 – Central Association – Jacksonville Lunatics 4 Ottumwa Packers 1 in 2:50.
26 – Bloomington Grounds, Bloomington – 5/31/1909 – Illinois-Indiana-Iowa (Three-I) League – Decatur Commodores 2 Bloomington Bloomers 1 in 4:20, rain delay 0:15 bottom 5th, 2nd game postponed – 1200 fans – finished at 6:35 PM.
26 – Athletic Park, Dixon – 6/25/1909 – Semi-Pro League – Dixon Browns 3 Muscatine Independents 2 in 4:00 – 150 fans, 1000 fans at end – finished at 7:20 PM.
20 – League Park, Champaign - 6/19/1913 – Illinois-Missouri League – Champaign Velvets 6 Kankakee Daffydils 5 in 3:37 – finished at 7:07 PM.
21 – Kankakee - 5/25/1914 – Illinois-Missouri League – Streator Boosters 2 Kankakee Kanks 2.
23 – Peoria – 9/3/1915 – Semi-Pro – Proctor Recreational Centers 4 Keifer’s Colts 3 in 3:30 in afternoon game; Proctor 0 Keifer’s 0 in 11 inningss in morning game.
22 – Douglas Park, Rock Island - 7/9/1916 – Illinois-Indiana-Iowa (Three-I) League – Hannibal Mules 8 Rock Island Islanders 3 in 4:00.
21 – Weeghman Park (later Cubs’ Park, then Wrigley Field), Chicago – 7/17/1918 – National League - Cubs 2 Phillies 1 in 4:00 – finished at 7:00 PM.
23 – North End Park, Belleville - 9/11/1921 and 9/18/1921 – Amateur – St. Louis Keen Kutters 5 Belleville B’s 3, suspended after 3:54 and 20 innings.
23 – Douglas Park, Rock Island – 8/4/1922 – Mississippi Valley League – Ottumwa Cardinals 4 Rock Island Islanders 2 in 4:10.
20 – Schorling’s (later American Giants) Park, Chicago – 8/16/1922 – Negro National League – Chicago American Giants 1 Atlantic City Bacharach Giants 0 in 3:38.
20 – Aurora or Yorkville - 6/7/1925 – Semi-Pro League – Montgomery Pirates 1 Yorkville Helpers 1.
21 – Comiskey Park (I), Chicago – 5/24/1929 – American League – Tigers 6 White Sox 5 in 3:31.
20 – Wrigley Field, Chicago – 8/28/1930 – National League – Cardinals 8 Cubs 7 in 4:10.
20 – Ogden Field, Chicago – 8/12/1944 – National Association of Intercollegiate Athletics – George Williams YMCA College Collegians 6 Illinois Institute of Technology TechHawks (later Scarlet Hawks) 6.
20 – Comiskey Park (I), Chicago - 5/12/1946 – Negro American League – Indianapolis Clowns 3 Chicago American Giants 3 - 9000 fans.
20 – Orient - 7/26/1949 – Semi-Pro – Orient Miners 3 Du Quoin Packers 1.
20 – Parichy Stadium, Chicago – 9/14/1954 – National Girls League – Bluebirds 6 Bloomer Girls 4 in 4:30, then Queens 5 Jewels 0 in 7 innings – 2nd game finished at 1:00 AM.
20 – Fans Field, Decatur - 8/20/1965 – Midwest League - Decatur Commodores 1 Fox Cities Foxes 0 in 4:25 – 411 fans, 100 fans at end – finished at 11:55 PM.
20 – Melas Park, Mount Prospect – 5/31/1971 – Mount Prospect Pony A League – Braves 6 Orioles 5 in 4:15.
21 – Mt. Olive – 5/23/1973 – Illinois High School League – Staunton High School Bulldogs 0 Mt. Olive High School Wildcats 0 in 4:05, scheduled to resume 5/29 but instead they decided to play a new game – finished at 8:05 PM.
21 – Comiskey Park (I), Chicago – 5/26/1973 and 5/28/1973 – American League – White Sox 6 Indians 3 in 6:03, rain delay 0:17 top 14th, suspended after 4:39 and 16 innings – 19,486 fans on 5/26, 17,419 fans on 5/28 – suspended at 1:01 AM in the early morning of 5/27.
21 – Danville Stadium, Danville - 6/4/1974 – Midwest League – Waterloo Royals 7 Danville Warriors 5 in 5:35 – 722 fans, 94 fans at end – finished at 1:10 AM in the early morning of 6/5.
20 – Olympians Field, Olympia Fields – ?/??/1975 – Illinois High School League - Homewood-Flossmoor High School Vikings vs. Olympia Fields Rich Central High School Olympians in 4:00 – finished at 8:00 PM.
20 – Melas Park, Mount Prospect – 6/6/1976 and 6/13/1976 – Mount Prospect Pony B League First Half Championship – Braves 2 Mets 0.
21 – Wrigley Field, Chicago – 8/17/1982 and 8/18/1982 – National League – Dodgers 2 Cubs 1 in 6:10, suspended after 5:10 and 17 innings – 26,576 fans on 8/17, 27,429 fans on 8/18 - suspended at 6:45 PM on 8/17, finished at 12:05 PM on 8/18.
25 – Comiskey Park (I), Chicago – 5/8/1984 and 5/9/1984 – American League – White Sox 7 Brewers 6 in 8:06, suspended after 5:29 and 17 innings – 14,754 fans on 5/8, 17,715 fans on 5/9 - suspended at 1:05 AM in the early morning of 5/9.
20 – Sunnyside Park, Decatur – 7/16/1990 – Central Illinois Collegiate League – Decatur Blues 5 Champaign County Colts 4 in 4:50 – 25 fans – finished at 11:50 PM.
23 – Legion Field, Downers Grove – 4/28/1995 and 5/3/1995 and 5/8/1995 and 5/12/1995 – Illinois High School League – Downers Grove North High School Trojans 12 Elmhurst York High School Dukes 11 in 7:00, suspended after 3:00 and 8 innings, suspended a 2nd time after 6:00 and 20 innings – 75 fans on 4/28, 75 fans on 5/3, 250 fans on 5/12 – suspended at 7:15 PM at 4/28, suspended 2nd time at 7:15 PM on 5/3, rained out on 5/8, finished at 5:15 PM on 5/12.
20 – Jack Horenberger Field, Bloomington – 7/30/2002 – Central Illinois Collegiate League – Decatur Blues 11 Twin City Stars 4 in 5:44 – 259 fans – finished at 10:44 PM.
24 – Rebels Field, Norridge – 4/23/2004 and 5/25/2004 – Illinois High School League – Evergreen Park High School Mustangs 2 Ridgewood High School Rebels 1 in 4:40, suspended after 2:00 and 12 innings – 40 fans on 4/23; 80 fans on 5/25 - suspended at 6:15 PM on 4/23; finished at 6:55 PM on 5/25.
These games are very difficult to discover. Through much experience, we have learned that the three best places to find such games are (1) during the 1900 through 1929 era, at the height of Town Ball games; (2) Latino Baseball in the Caribbean and in Latin America; and (3) current games as they occur.
We hope that Cardinals fans will review this list, and contact me, Phil Lowry, via e-mail at [email protected], if you know of a game not on the list, or if you can provide missing details for a game already on the List.
We offer an Official Certificate to all who find a new game not yet on the List. Thank you very much for your help.
Philip J. Lowry
Author, Baseball's Longest Games
MISSOURI (14)
20 – Sportsman’s Park (III), St. Louis – 4/10/1898 – Western League at National League spring training exhibition – St. Louis Browns 12 Milwaukee Brewers 11 in 3:20.
20 – Old Fair Grounds Park, Springfield – 7/19/1902 – Missouri Valley League – Springfield Reds 2 Nevada Lunatics 1 in 5:00 – 3500 fans, 3500 fans at end – finished at 8:30 PM.
20 – Miners Park, Joplin - 9/4/1906 – Western Association – Joplin Miners 0 Webb City Gold Bugs 0 in 3:15 – 150 fans.
25 – Prosperity – 5/31/1908 – Interstate (Kansas/Missouri/
Oklahoma) League – Mineral 8 Prosperity 6 in 4:18 – finished at 6:18 PM.
20 – Kirksville - 5/25/1911 – Missouri State League – Kirksville Osteopaths 2 Macon Athletics 1.
20 – Kansas City - 8/2/1912 – 17-Year Old Junior League – Yale Blues 22 Buddie Blues 11 – Yale Blues scored 20 runs in top 20th; Buddie Blues scored 9 runs in bottom 20th.
20 – Hannibal - 7/2/1915 – Negro League Amateur – Hannibal Browns 5 Hannibal Eagles 5 in 3:20.
20 – Sixth Street Park, St. Joseph – 8/26/1917 – Western League – Des Moines Boosters 4 St. Joseph Drummers 3 in 4:00.
20 – Sixth Street Park, St. Joseph – 6/1/1918 – Western League – Joplin Miners 3 St. Joseph Saints 1.
20 – Moberly - 9/7/1922 – Amateur – Moberly Brown Shoe Factory Stars 8 Yates 7 in 3:25.
20 – Fulton - 6/19/1932 – Amateur – Fulton All-Stars 4 Paris Maroons 3.
23 – Kansas City – 7/30/1933 – Amateur – Kansas City 48th Street Merchants 16 St. Joseph Bottling Works 10 in 5:00.
23 – St. Louis or Tenbrook – 5/??/1934 – Amateur – St. Louis Red Sox vs. Tenbrook Athletic Club in 6:30.
20 – Busch Stadium (III), St. Louis – 4/17/2010 – National League - Mets 2 Cardinals 1 in 6:53 – 43,709 fans; 6000 fans at end – finished at 10:07 PM.
ILLINOIS (34)
21 – Lake View Park, Peoria - 6/26/1898 – Western Association – Peoria Blackbirds 8 St. Joseph Saints 4 in 4:00.
21 – League Park, Jacksonville - 6/26/1907 – Iowa State League - Jacksonville Lunatics 3 Burlington Pathfinders 2 in 3:05 – 419 fans.
21 – Vincennes - 7/18/1908 – Eastern Illinois League – Charleston Evangelists 4 Vincennes Alices 3.
20 – League Park, Jacksonville - 9/3/1908 – Central Association – Jacksonville Lunatics 4 Ottumwa Packers 1 in 2:50.
26 – Bloomington Grounds, Bloomington – 5/31/1909 – Illinois-Indiana-Iowa (Three-I) League – Decatur Commodores 2 Bloomington Bloomers 1 in 4:20, rain delay 0:15 bottom 5th, 2nd game postponed – 1200 fans – finished at 6:35 PM.
26 – Athletic Park, Dixon – 6/25/1909 – Semi-Pro League – Dixon Browns 3 Muscatine Independents 2 in 4:00 – 150 fans, 1000 fans at end – finished at 7:20 PM.
20 – League Park, Champaign - 6/19/1913 – Illinois-Missouri League – Champaign Velvets 6 Kankakee Daffydils 5 in 3:37 – finished at 7:07 PM.
21 – Kankakee - 5/25/1914 – Illinois-Missouri League – Streator Boosters 2 Kankakee Kanks 2.
23 – Peoria – 9/3/1915 – Semi-Pro – Proctor Recreational Centers 4 Keifer’s Colts 3 in 3:30 in afternoon game; Proctor 0 Keifer’s 0 in 11 inningss in morning game.
22 – Douglas Park, Rock Island - 7/9/1916 – Illinois-Indiana-Iowa (Three-I) League – Hannibal Mules 8 Rock Island Islanders 3 in 4:00.
21 – Weeghman Park (later Cubs’ Park, then Wrigley Field), Chicago – 7/17/1918 – National League - Cubs 2 Phillies 1 in 4:00 – finished at 7:00 PM.
23 – North End Park, Belleville - 9/11/1921 and 9/18/1921 – Amateur – St. Louis Keen Kutters 5 Belleville B’s 3, suspended after 3:54 and 20 innings.
23 – Douglas Park, Rock Island – 8/4/1922 – Mississippi Valley League – Ottumwa Cardinals 4 Rock Island Islanders 2 in 4:10.
20 – Schorling’s (later American Giants) Park, Chicago – 8/16/1922 – Negro National League – Chicago American Giants 1 Atlantic City Bacharach Giants 0 in 3:38.
20 – Aurora or Yorkville - 6/7/1925 – Semi-Pro League – Montgomery Pirates 1 Yorkville Helpers 1.
21 – Comiskey Park (I), Chicago – 5/24/1929 – American League – Tigers 6 White Sox 5 in 3:31.
20 – Wrigley Field, Chicago – 8/28/1930 – National League – Cardinals 8 Cubs 7 in 4:10.
20 – Ogden Field, Chicago – 8/12/1944 – National Association of Intercollegiate Athletics – George Williams YMCA College Collegians 6 Illinois Institute of Technology TechHawks (later Scarlet Hawks) 6.
20 – Comiskey Park (I), Chicago - 5/12/1946 – Negro American League – Indianapolis Clowns 3 Chicago American Giants 3 - 9000 fans.
20 – Orient - 7/26/1949 – Semi-Pro – Orient Miners 3 Du Quoin Packers 1.
20 – Parichy Stadium, Chicago – 9/14/1954 – National Girls League – Bluebirds 6 Bloomer Girls 4 in 4:30, then Queens 5 Jewels 0 in 7 innings – 2nd game finished at 1:00 AM.
20 – Fans Field, Decatur - 8/20/1965 – Midwest League - Decatur Commodores 1 Fox Cities Foxes 0 in 4:25 – 411 fans, 100 fans at end – finished at 11:55 PM.
20 – Melas Park, Mount Prospect – 5/31/1971 – Mount Prospect Pony A League – Braves 6 Orioles 5 in 4:15.
21 – Mt. Olive – 5/23/1973 – Illinois High School League – Staunton High School Bulldogs 0 Mt. Olive High School Wildcats 0 in 4:05, scheduled to resume 5/29 but instead they decided to play a new game – finished at 8:05 PM.
21 – Comiskey Park (I), Chicago – 5/26/1973 and 5/28/1973 – American League – White Sox 6 Indians 3 in 6:03, rain delay 0:17 top 14th, suspended after 4:39 and 16 innings – 19,486 fans on 5/26, 17,419 fans on 5/28 – suspended at 1:01 AM in the early morning of 5/27.
21 – Danville Stadium, Danville - 6/4/1974 – Midwest League – Waterloo Royals 7 Danville Warriors 5 in 5:35 – 722 fans, 94 fans at end – finished at 1:10 AM in the early morning of 6/5.
20 – Olympians Field, Olympia Fields – ?/??/1975 – Illinois High School League - Homewood-Flossmoor High School Vikings vs. Olympia Fields Rich Central High School Olympians in 4:00 – finished at 8:00 PM.
20 – Melas Park, Mount Prospect – 6/6/1976 and 6/13/1976 – Mount Prospect Pony B League First Half Championship – Braves 2 Mets 0.
21 – Wrigley Field, Chicago – 8/17/1982 and 8/18/1982 – National League – Dodgers 2 Cubs 1 in 6:10, suspended after 5:10 and 17 innings – 26,576 fans on 8/17, 27,429 fans on 8/18 - suspended at 6:45 PM on 8/17, finished at 12:05 PM on 8/18.
25 – Comiskey Park (I), Chicago – 5/8/1984 and 5/9/1984 – American League – White Sox 7 Brewers 6 in 8:06, suspended after 5:29 and 17 innings – 14,754 fans on 5/8, 17,715 fans on 5/9 - suspended at 1:05 AM in the early morning of 5/9.
20 – Sunnyside Park, Decatur – 7/16/1990 – Central Illinois Collegiate League – Decatur Blues 5 Champaign County Colts 4 in 4:50 – 25 fans – finished at 11:50 PM.
23 – Legion Field, Downers Grove – 4/28/1995 and 5/3/1995 and 5/8/1995 and 5/12/1995 – Illinois High School League – Downers Grove North High School Trojans 12 Elmhurst York High School Dukes 11 in 7:00, suspended after 3:00 and 8 innings, suspended a 2nd time after 6:00 and 20 innings – 75 fans on 4/28, 75 fans on 5/3, 250 fans on 5/12 – suspended at 7:15 PM at 4/28, suspended 2nd time at 7:15 PM on 5/3, rained out on 5/8, finished at 5:15 PM on 5/12.
20 – Jack Horenberger Field, Bloomington – 7/30/2002 – Central Illinois Collegiate League – Decatur Blues 11 Twin City Stars 4 in 5:44 – 259 fans – finished at 10:44 PM.
24 – Rebels Field, Norridge – 4/23/2004 and 5/25/2004 – Illinois High School League – Evergreen Park High School Mustangs 2 Ridgewood High School Rebels 1 in 4:40, suspended after 2:00 and 12 innings – 40 fans on 4/23; 80 fans on 5/25 - suspended at 6:15 PM on 4/23; finished at 6:55 PM on 5/25.