Former Gonzaga pitcher Leon Cadore threw 26 innings in 1920 in MLB’s longest game

The fact that the longest baseball game in major league history lasted 26 innings is amazing in itself. Even more amazing is the fact that both starting pitchers, including former Gonzaga pitcher Leon Cadore, threw all 26 innings.
Today, few pitchers record three complete games in an entire season. Cadore (a Sandpoint High School graduate) and Joe Oeschger almost threw the equivalent of three complete games in one day on May 1, 1920 in Boston.
“You can stick a knife in my arm and I can’t even feel it,” Cadore told Oeschger a few days later.
Oeschger replied, “We’ve ruined ourselves.”
Truth be told, Oeschger and Cadore were journeyman right-handers who both won 15 games (a career high for Cadore) in 1920. Oeschger won a career-high 20 games the following year. Cadore (pronounced Kuh-dorr) continued pitching in the majors until 1924, one year before Oeschger (Esh-krr) finished.
Incredibly, the 26-inning game lasted just 3 hours, 50 minutes. Cruelly, neither pitcher earned a victory. Cadore’s Brooklyn Robins (now the Los Angeles Dodgers) and Oeschger’s Boston (now Atlanta) Braves were tied at 1-1 when the game was called due to darkness, 15 years before the first major league game was played under lights.
“It was one of the greatest games ever played,” The Boston Globe reported, “but on account of the weather, only about 4,000 of the faithful turned out to see the game.”
Just three balls were used on a dark, gusty, often drizzly day at cavernous Braves Field. There was no scoring after the sixth inning, no hits after the 20th inning. Both pitchers agreed that the darkness hindered batters, but fans booed and players pleaded for at least one more inning before umpire Barry McCormick called the game.
“McCormick remembered that he had an appointment pretty soon with a succulent beefsteak,” The New York Times reported. “He wondered if it wasn’t getting dark.
“He held out one hand as a test and decided that in the gloaming it resembled a Virginia ham. He knew it wasn’t a Virginia ham and became convinced that it was too dark to play ball.”
Cadore, a curveball specialist, and the hard-throwing Oeschger always insisted they could have kept pitching. However, Oeschger told Cadore, “I was waiting for you to make some kind of move to call it quits, but I had to go as long as you did.”
Cadore admitted, “I was a bit tired. Naturally, my arm stiffened, and I couldn’t raise it to comb my hair for three days.”
Fifteen of the 18 starters played the entire game, including Hall of Famers Zack Wheat (Brooklyn’s left fielder) and Rabbit Maranville (Boston’s shortstop). Braves second baseman Charlie Pick saw his batting average plunge from .324 to .250 when he went 0-for-11. Cadore wound up 0-for-10, and Oeschger was 1-for-9 with a double.
Cadore scattered 15 hits, struck out seven and walked five. Oeschger gave up nine hits (all singles), fanned seven and walked four.
“After the game had passed the 18th inning,” the Globe reported, “each pitcher was impartially cheered when leaving the box (pitcher’s mound) or coming to bat.”
Cadore posted a career record of 68-72 in 10 major league seasons. Oeschger finished 82-116 in 12 seasons. To the end, neither man seemed overly impressed with their epic feat.
“I’m no sissy,” Cadore explained.
Oeschger concluded, “A 1-1 contest that goes 26 innings must have been dull to watch.”