Evening Republican, Volume 18, Number 225, Rensselaer, Jasper County, 23 September 1914 — LONGEST BALL GAME PLAYED [ARTICLE+ILLUSTRATION]

LONGEST BALL GAME PLAYED

Jack Coombs and Jumbo Harris Were Opposing Boxmen —Contest Went Twenty-four Innings.

The longest major league game was played on September 1, 1906, between the Boston and Philadelphia American league clubs in Boston, when the' Athletics won by a score of 4 to 1 In 24 innings. Jack Coombs, then a recruit from Colby college, and Jumbo Harris, a young pitcher from the itfew England league, were the respective boxmen used by the Philadelphia and Boston teams: The gatoe lasted four hours and 47 minutes. The previous longest games in the National league were played in Cincinnati on June 30, 1892, and at Philadelphia on August 24, 1905. Both ran 20 innings. The game at Cincinnati was between the Reds and Cubs and resulted in a tie

score of 7-?. At Philadelphia the Cub* defeated tbe Quakers by a score of 2-1. On May 31, 1909, the longest professional game on record Was played between the Bloomington and Decatur teams of tbe Illtaois-lowa-Indiana league, Decatur winning in the 26th inning by a score of 2-1. Fargo and Grand Forks engaged in a contest

which lasted 25 innings at Devils Lake, N. D., In 1895. Recently Hartford and New Haven, in the Eastern association, played 23 innings, the former winning 2-1. Gelst, for the winning team, and Jansen, for New Haven, pitched the entire contest. Amateurs are credited with playing the longest game, the East End All Stars and tbe Brooklyn Athletic club teams of Cleveland contesting for 30 innings on July 4, 1907, the latter winning 4-L r-Leslie’s Weekly.

Jack Coombs of Athletics.