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13 of the most extraordinary baseball games of all time

Over the past nearly 100 years, a baker's dozen worth of outrageous major league baseball games.

5. July 10, 1932: A’s hurler gives up 29 hits and still wins

CHRIS O'MEARA/AP

  • By Ross Atkin Contributor

The Philadelphia A’s defeat the Cleveland Indians, 18-17.

Because the Philadelphia A’s were playing four doubleheaders in five days, manager Connie Mack decided to give many of his players a respite by leaving them home rather taking them to Cleveland for a single Sunday afternoon game. As a result, the A’s had only 15 players, including just two pitchers, in uniform. When rookie hurler Lew Krause faltered badly in the first inning, Mack had no option but to bring in 35-year-old Ed Rommel, who was in his last big-league season. Rommel end up pitching 18 innings in relief, and although he gave up 29 hits and 14 runs, he was just good enough to pick up the win in a hit fest for both teams.

Additional facts:

- Rommel, who faced 87 batters in his marathon relief stint. The game lasted 4 hours, 5 minutes. Rommel finished the season with a 1-2 record before retiring.

- Jimmie Foxx led the hit parade for the victorious A’s with six hits, three home runs, and eight RBIs while tying an American League record with 16 total bases. The Indians were led by Johnny Burnett, who collected a record nine hits.

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Mark Sappenfield
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