Now That was a Game

Most baseball games that go into extra innings do so because the pitchers have the best of the hitters on any given day. Most games going into extra innings do not so because the home team scored a run in the bottom of the ninth to tie the score at 15 all. Yet on July 10, 1932 in the American League game played at league Park in Cleveland, Ohio this is exactly what happened.

The Cleveland Indians were hosting a slugfest with the Philaldephia A's when the tied the game in the bottom of the ninth inning to send the contest into extra frames with a 15-15 score. With only the second and eight innings being scoreless, the pitching finally took control of the game. The hitters were not heard from again until the 16th inning when the the two clubs traded two run rallies. The A's broke through again in the top of the 18th and their pitchers slammed the door on the Indians to produce an unorthodox 18-17 win in 18 innings.

The A's were led by first baseman Jimmy Foxx who went 6 for 9 with 3 home runs, 1 double, 4 runs scored and 8 RBIs. His last home run accounted for the A's 16th inning runs. The Indians were led by shortstop Johnny Burnett who went 9 for 11 with 2 doubles and 4 runs scored in the 4 hour, 5 minute game. The Indians had 5 of the games 6 errors and 33 of the games 58 hits. Eddie Rommel of the A's led the pitching with a 17 inning relief effort after starter Lew Krausse only lasted an inning.

Tommorrow we move forward just one day with a troubling look at the state of minor league baseball at the height of the Great Depression.