Remembering Mets History (1974) Mets Play In Second Longest Innings Game In MLB History

Wednesday September 11th, 1974: Tonight 13,460 fans came out to Shea Stadium to see Yogi Berra’s fourth place Mets (65-75) take on manager Red Schoendienst’s second place St. Louis Cardinals (75-68).

The Mets were still the reigning N.L. Champions at the time, but their days were numbered, as they were eleven games behind the first place Pittsburgh Pirates. 

The St. Louis Cardinals were in heavy pursuit of the Pirates just 2 ½ games back, alive & well in the pennant race. Eventually the Pirates would win the NL East in 1974 but lose to the L.A. Dodgers in the NLCS.

Jerry Koosman (13-9) was the clubs top pitcher that year, as Tom Seaver was struggling through the season with back issues which effected his mechanics. Koosman took the mound for the Mets at 7:05 PM, going up against the Cardinals rookie, Bob Forsch (4-4).

The Cardinals Hall of Famer, Lou Brock had just set a modern-day single season record for stolen bases (105) the night before in St. Louis, breaking the L.A. Dodgers Maury Wills old record of 104, set back in 1962. 

The Mets leading hitter in 1974 was Ed Kranepool (.300) John Milner led in HRs (20) & Rusty Staub in RBIs (78).

Keith Hernandez Trivia: A young Keith Hernandez was in the Shea Stadium visiting dugout that night having only played in five career MLB games going 4-11 (.364) at the plate, since his debut less than two weeks earlier on August 30th, 1974.

In the top of the 1st, Jerry Koosman got himself in trouble early on, walking two batters & giving up an RBI single to first baseman, Joe Torre. 

In the bottom frame, the Mets came right back as Felix Millan reached on an error & then was forced by Cleon Jones. Jones reached second on a wild pitch & soon scored on a John Milner's double, tying it up at 1-1. 

The score remained tied into the bottom of the 5th inning. Felix Millan collected an infield single. Cleon Jones then hit a two run HR to left field putting New York up 3-1. It was Cleon's 13th HR, with his 57 & 58th RBIs of the year.

Jerry Koosman rolled along to what looked like a win, allowing just the one run & three hits until the 9th inning. 

In the top of the 9th, with one out catcher Ted Simmons reached on an infield single to short. Kooz then struck out Bake McBride. With two outs, Cardinals third baseman Ken Rietz, blasted his 6th HR of the season, a game tying two run HR over the Shea Stadium left field fence.

The Cardinals manager Red Schoendienst brought in relief ace Al Hrabosky "the Mad Hungarian" to the mound. Hrabosky would save nine games that year establishing himself in the role. The next year in 1975 he would lead the NL in saves (22).

In the bottom of the 9th, Hrabosky struck out Don Hahn, got Duffy Dyer to hit a weak grounder back to him at the mound, then retired pinch hitter Ted Martinez. 

In the bottom of the 10th, Felix Millan & John Milne both singled but Hrabosky retired Wayne Garrett to end the inning. In the 11th Hrabosky retired the Mets in order as well.

Met manager Yogi Berra had brought in reliever Harry Parker in the 10th inning. Parker did give up a hit in the 10th & 11th innings but didn't allow any runs as he kept St. Louis in check for three innings. In the top of the 12th, Keith Hernandez came in to pinch hit to start the inning, he flew out to right field.

In the bottom of the 12th, the Mets got two base runners on when Felix Millan & Cleon Jones hit back-to-back singles off former Met, Rich Folkers. But Folkers struck out John Milner to end the inning.

In the top of the 13th inning, Mets pitcher Bob Miller, who had been a brief member of the both the 1962 original Mets & the 1973 pennant team, took the mound.

There was some excitement when Joe Torre walked & attempted to score on a base hit to left by Bake McBride. Torre was nailed out at the plate, as Cleon Jones fielded the ball then threw to third baseman Wayne Garrett who threw home to catcher Duffy Dyer, who made the tag.

The Mets threatened again in the bottom of the 13th, as Dave Schneck doubled & Don Hahn was walked. But they left both men on base as Rich Folkers got pinch hitter George “the Stork” Theodore to ground out to short. 

In the 14 inning the Mets threatened once again, as Bud Harrelson walked & was sacrificed over to second by Felix Millan. 

Next, Cleon Jones was intentionally walked, but veteran Pitcher, Claude Osteen retired John Milner on a pop up & Wayne Garrett grounding out to first base. Claude Osteen would pitch nine innings of relief that night, striking out five Mets, while allowing just four hits along the way. 

The Mets Bob Apodaca pitched three scoreless for New York. In the 16th Dick Billings led off with a base hit, then after a sacrifice Apodaca intentionally walked Ken Rietz. With two on the pitcher Claude Osteen flew out then Apodaca struck out Jack Heidemann to end the inning.

Mets rookie Jerry Cram who been brought up in August would come in & pitch eight fantastic innings of relief, having the highlight game of his Mets career. 

Cram would scatter seven hits, with four walks, while stranding eight Cardinal runners on base, escaping trouble each time he got into a jam.

Quotes- Jerry Cram: "Pitching coach Rube Walker kept asking if I was ok. I said yea Rube I'm fine. I don't know if it was a superstition or what but he came over just about every inning, especially after about five innings."

Quotes- Tug McGraw: "There was a lot of pep on the bench until about the 15th inning & then everybody sagged. Then about the 20th we got our second win & there was a lot of noise on the bench."

In the top of the 20th inning, Mets catcher; Ron Hodges now behind the plate, was involved in an obstruction call on an at bat by Joe Torre. Mets manager: Yogi Berra came to argue the call & was ejected from the game by home plate umpire Ed Sudol. 

In the bottom of the 23rd, Duffy Dyer reached with a one out single. 22 year old Bruce Boisclair came in to pitch run. Mets pitcher Jerry Cram hit a grounder to the pitcher Claude Osteen which he bobbled with Cram reaching safely & Boisclair getting to second base. 

Ken Boswell hit a liner that looked like a base hit but first baseman Joe Torre made a super play grabbing the ball & saving the winning run as Boisclair went back to third base.

Quotes- Mets manager Yogi Berra: "Torre beat us, that saved the game."

Although Felix Millan walked to load the bases, Cleon Jones flied out to right field to end the inning.

In the top of the 24th inning, Ron Hodges came in to catch relieving Duffy Dyer after 23 innings behind the plate. Dyer became the teams main catcher when Jerry Grote went down with a hand injury at the end of August. In 1968 Grote had caught all 24 innings in the epic marathon with the Astros.

St. Louis' Jack Heidemann led off with a base hit. After Jerry Cram got the next outs, he intentionally walked Reggie Smith to face Joe Torre. Joe Torre got on with an infield single but no one was able to score. Jerry Cram then got Dick Billings to ground out to third base, ending the inning.

In the bottom of the 24th inning, the Mets threatened as though they were going to pull off a win. With two outs, Sonny Siebert was now pitching, Dave Schneck, doubled to left field.

MLB Record: That night Dave Schneck tied a single game record with eleven at bats.

Next, pinch hitter; Jim Gosger was walked intentionally. Then catcher Ron Hodges drew a walk to load the bases.

The Mets leading RBI hitter, Rusty Staub who had been sitting on the bench nursing an injury, came up as a pinch hitter. The remainder of the Shea crowd were excited to see Staub. But Rusty grounded out to the pitcher to end the inning.

In the top of the 25th inning, Yogi Berra brought in the Mets sixth pitcher of the night, September call up Hank Webb. Webb had been the second best pitcher at AAA Tidewater that year, behind Randy Sterling, going 10-8 for the Tidewater Tides.

The Cardinals Bake McBride led off the top of the 25th inning with an infield single, his fourth hit of the night. Next,  Hank Webb attempted to pick off the speedy McBride at first base but threw the ball wide of the base getting away from Mets first baseman John Milner. 

Milner chased the ball down all the way into the outfield as Bake McBride circled the bases. Milner retrieved the ball & threw home, but McBride slid in safely scoring on the play. 

Another error was charged to catcher Ron Hodges allowing Ken Reitz to get to second base. The Cardinals had taken the lead breaking the 16 inning tie since the 9th inning.

In the bottom of the 25th inning, Ken Boswell & Felix Millan were both retired quickly. Then with two outs Mets rookie Brock Pemberton, got his first career hit, a pinch-hit single, coming in just his second career game. 

Tom Seaver had a laugh with home plate umpire Ed Sudol telling him not to take the ball which was is custom to give to players after collecting their first career hit, joking it was the last ball left.

Cardinal pitcher, Sonny Siebert, then struck out John Milner to end the game. 

After seven hours & four minutes the line score read: Cardinals- four runs, 18 hits & two errors, the Mets- three runs 16 hits & four errors. Mets pitchers struck out twelve batters while walking eight & Cards pitchers struck out sixteen batters while walking eleven. 

The Mets used 24 players while the Cards used 26 players. When the game ended the big Longines clock on the Shea scoreboard read 3:07 AM. For the record, It is tied for the second longest game in MLB history in terms of innings (25).

Mets X-tra Inning Trivia: The Mets as a team have played in four of the 42 games lasting twenty or more innings in MLB history. The Mets have also played in three of the ten longest games in MLB history.

The home plate Umpire that night was New Jersey native Ed Sudol. The 54-year-old-Sudol had been in umpiring in the NL for 16 years. In 1968 Sudol was also behind the plate for the Mets 24 inning game with the Astros in Houston.

Quotes- Umpire Ed Sudol: "This neck of mine feels like I've been in a head on collision with a brick wall. My legs feel like a couple of lead posts."

Also, that night in attendance at Shea Stadium was Baseball Commissioner Bowie Kuhn, along with his family, he was reported as staying for the whole game.

As for the Shea employees, it was reported security guards & ushers worked until 400 am. The clean up crews worked until the day began for the rest of New Yorkers past 900 am.