The Big Train's 18-inning shutout

(Argh. I had this in "drafts" instead of "scheduled" so I missed the day!)

May 15, 1908. Washington Senators versus Chicago White Sox. Walter Johnson, the Big Train, pitching for Washington; Lefty Williams pitching for Chicago.

Two hours and forty-seven (!) minutes later, the game ended in a score of 1-0, Washington.

That run scored off a single by Eddie Ainsworth, a single by the Big Train himself that moved Ainsworth to third, and then a wild pitch that let Ainsworth score.

But don't be too hard on Williams... it was the bottom of the 18th, after all.

Yep. Walter Johnson threw an 18-inning complete game shutout 90 years ago - against a pitcher who went 18 innings and allowed just one run. There's something you just don't see every day. In fact, ever. Carl Hubbell threw a comparable game in 1933, but not against a pitcher who stayed with him the whole game. (And, come to think of it, that probably makes King Carl's feat a little more difficult - but I still love the Big Train better. Sorry, Carl...)