Today in baseball: A 24-inning complete- game shutout
Yes, you read it well. A 24-inning complete-game. It happened 110 years ago in a Pacific Coast League game.
On June 8, 1909, the San Francisco Seals hosted the Oakland Oaks. Both starting pitchers went the distance. Nowadays you don’t see pitchers throw that many complete games anymore. But back in the day, it was a common thing. But in this case, the complete game lasted a “bit” longer than the regular nine frames.
San Francisco’s Cack Henley pitched 24 innings and shutout the Oakland Oaks. His opponent, Jimmy Wiggs also went the distance but had to surrender the winning run in the 24th inning.
The future Pacific Coast League Hall of Famer’s two-dozen scoreless frames ties three other hurlers for the most thrown by a PCL pitcher in one game.
Henley never made it to the Majors but spent eleven of his twelve seasons in professional baseball in the PCL. He put up a career 223-178 record and won more than thirty games in a season twice. His career ERA was 2.31. In that infamous 1909 season, Henley led the league in shutouts, wins (31) and winning percentage. In 1910, he led the league in games started, complete games, wins (35) and innings pitched.
It won’t come as a surprise, that with a pitcher like Henley in their ranks, the San Francisco Seals won the PCL championship in 1909.