Chicago North MSBL Logs Longest Game in 38 Year History of League
Submitted by Max Reising, Chicago North MSBL League President
This past Sunday, the CNSMBL had its longest game in our 38-year history: 14 innings, 4 hours, and 15 minutes. Since it was a playoff game, the usual 2-hour 15-minute time limit was not in effect.
The 50 Div #3 seed Rockies, managed by Dan Spoleti, defeated the #2 seed and defending champion REDHAWKS, managed by Jeff Daniels, by a score of 6 to 3, scoring three runs in the top of the 14th.
This, in and of itself, would be a great story, and I am attaching the box score, but there is more to the story.
In the preceding 40s division quarter-final game two, the 40 Jays, whom I manage, defeated the 40 Aces, 12-4, to even the series in a time limit-shortened 6-inning game. Why is this important?
The following players played in both games: Michael Johnson, 20 consecutive innings at shortstop, going 8 for 10 and scoring the winning run in the 14th. Michael did all this after driving in the morning from his home in Janesville, Wisconsin, to Milwaukee to catch a 9-inning playoff game in the Milwaukee ‘Rock’ MSBL, then driving to Bensenville (Chicago) to play in both games, and of course driving back to Janesville at midnight.
Other notable 20-inning guys were George Jimenez, who played second base in the first game, then played first base, along with pitching four innings and playing third base late in the game.
Oscar Samano played all six innings at third base in the first game, caught 9+ innings in the late game, and also pitched four innings.
Chris Oliva was the DH and pitched one inning in the first game, and then pitched 1 1/3 in the second game, and also played eight innings at first base.
As a coach, I coached six innings at third in the first game, 11 innings at first base in the second, and then the climactic 14th inning at third in the nightcap. Both teams played tremendous defense and displayed great pitching.
The Rockies’ pitching staff saw contributions from Oliva (1 1/3 innings), John Geltis (4 innings), George Jimenez (4 innings), Oscar Samano (4 innings, including the ‘W’), and Henry Delvalle with a 1-inning save. I need to mention that there is a 4-inning pitching rule.
For the REDHAWKS, it was Mark Thalman (4 innings), Jason Gall (4 innings), Cary Lewis (4 innings), and Karl Falkstrom for two innings, while collecting the loss.