Baseball · Interesting Facts
Chapter 2: Records & Statistics
10 parts · 10 tests · 100 facts · updated 28 October 2026 · markdown
Baseball counts everything, and its record book holds numbers that look almost impossible. Brooklyn and Boston played 26 innings on May 1, 1920, with Leon Cadore and Joe Oeschger each pitching the whole way until darkness stopped the game, since there were no lights. A minor league game in 1981 went 33 innings: it was suspended at 4 a.m. and finished two months later, with Ripken playing for Rochester and Boggs for Pawtucket. At the other extreme, one game was over in 51 minutes.
Some feats belong to very small clubs. Four homers in a game is one; hitting for the cycle, a single, a double, a triple and a homer in one game, is about as rare as a no-hitter, and most cycles wait on the triple. Grand slams take their name from bridge, where the term means winning every trick, and one pitcher drove in nine runs in a game. On the bases, Cobb's stolen-base mark stood for 47 years, and one designated runner was a world-class sprinter who never batted or fielded. Early records are safer still: Wilson's 36 triples remain the season record, and pitchers then threw from much closer.
The facts below cover the longest games, four-homer games, cycles, no-hitter oddities, speed on the bases, iron men, tape-measure homers, grand slams, big days at the plate and records of a bygone game.
2.21The Longest Games
Games that went on and on, and one that was over in 51 minutes.
Test 1The longest gamesTake a test
Brooklyn and Boston played it on May 1, 1920.
Source: MLB.com, 'Longest games in MLB history'; International League records on the 33-inning game (1981); SABR Games Project · recall
Leon Cadore and Joe Oeschger each went all 26 innings.
Source: MLB.com, 'Longest games in MLB history'; International League records on the 33-inning game (1981); SABR Games Project · recall
It was suspended overnight and finished the next day.
Source: MLB.com, 'Longest games in MLB history'; International League records on the 33-inning game (1981); SABR Games Project · recall
He is now in the Hall of Fame.
Source: MLB.com, 'Longest games in MLB history'; International League records on the 33-inning game (1981); SABR Games Project · recall
It was suspended at 4 a.m. and finished two months later.
Source: MLB.com, 'Longest games in MLB history'; International League records on the 33-inning game (1981); SABR Games Project · recall
Ripken played for Rochester and Boggs for Pawtucket.
Source: MLB.com, 'Longest games in MLB history'; International League records on the 33-inning game (1981); SABR Games Project · recall
The Giants beat the Phillies 6-1 in New York.
Source: MLB.com, 'Longest games in MLB history'; International League records on the 33-inning game (1981); SABR Games Project · recall
1920, 1981, 1984, then 2018.
Source: MLB.com, 'Longest games in MLB history'; International League records on the 33-inning game (1981); SABR Games Project · recall
33, 26, 25, then 18.
Source: MLB.com, 'Longest games in MLB history'; International League records on the 33-inning game (1981); SABR Games Project · recall
Darkness stopped it; there were no lights.
Source: MLB.com, 'Longest games in MLB history'; International League records on the 33-inning game (1981); SABR Games Project · applied
2.22Four Homers in a Game
The rare club of four-homer games.
Test 1Four homers in a gameTake a test
Two of his homers came in the same inning.
Source: MLB.com, 'Every four-homer game in MLB history'; SABR Games Project; Elias Sports Bureau · recall
He nearly hit a fifth, caught at the wall.
Source: MLB.com, 'Every four-homer game in MLB history'; SABR Games Project; Elias Sports Bureau · recall
He tied a single-game record from 1924.
Source: MLB.com, 'Every four-homer game in MLB history'; SABR Games Project; Elias Sports Bureau · recall
Both played for the Cardinals.
Source: MLB.com, 'Every four-homer game in MLB history'; SABR Games Project; Elias Sports Bureau · recall
He also had a double and a single.
Source: MLB.com, 'Every four-homer game in MLB history'; SABR Games Project; Elias Sports Bureau · recall
Cleveland fans adored him.
Source: MLB.com, 'Every four-homer game in MLB history'; SABR Games Project; Elias Sports Bureau · recall
He was on deck when the game ended.
Source: MLB.com, 'Every four-homer game in MLB history'; SABR Games Project; Elias Sports Bureau · recall
1894, 1932, 1961, then 1993.
Source: MLB.com, 'Every four-homer game in MLB history'; SABR Games Project; Elias Sports Bureau · recall
19, 12, then 4.
Source: MLB.com, 'Every four-homer game in MLB history'; SABR Games Project; Elias Sports Bureau · recall
He drove in ten runs that night.
Source: MLB.com, 'Every four-homer game in MLB history'; SABR Games Project; Elias Sports Bureau · applied
2.23Hitting for the Cycle
A single, a double, a triple and a homer in one game.
Test 1Hitting for the cycleTake a test
Most cycles wait on the triple, not the homer.
Source: MLB.com, 'Players who hit for the cycle'; SABR cycles research; Elias Sports Bureau · recall
It is even rarer than a normal cycle.
Source: MLB.com, 'Players who hit for the cycle'; SABR cycles research; Elias Sports Bureau · recall
He did it twice for Texas and once for Seattle.
Source: MLB.com, 'Players who hit for the cycle'; SABR cycles research; Elias Sports Bureau · recall
He won the National League MVP that season.
Source: MLB.com, 'Players who hit for the cycle'; SABR cycles research; Elias Sports Bureau · recall
No one had done it twice in a season since 1931.
Source: MLB.com, 'Players who hit for the cycle'; SABR cycles research; Elias Sports Bureau · recall
He did it for Houston and then for Boston.
Source: MLB.com, 'Players who hit for the cycle'; SABR cycles research; Elias Sports Bureau · recall
He finished it with a home run in the ninth.
Source: MLB.com, 'Players who hit for the cycle'; SABR cycles research; Elias Sports Bureau · recall
Each hit goes one base further than the last.
Source: MLB.com, 'Players who hit for the cycle'; SABR cycles research; Elias Sports Bureau · recall
1979, 2012, September 2018, then October 2018.
Source: MLB.com, 'Players who hit for the cycle'; SABR cycles research; Elias Sports Bureau · recall
Cycles are about as rare as no-hitters.
Source: MLB.com, 'Players who hit for the cycle'; SABR cycles research; Elias Sports Bureau · applied
2.24No-Hitter Oddities
Lost no-hitters, first-start no-hitters and brothers who both threw one.
Test 1No-hitter odditiesTake a test
He was the first to lose a nine-inning no-hitter.
Source: MLB.com no-hitter lists and the 1991 Committee for Statistical Accuracy; SABR Games Project · recall
Pitching for the Yankees, he lost 4-0 on errors.
Source: MLB.com no-hitter lists and the 1991 Committee for Statistical Accuracy; SABR Games Project · recall
He won only three games in the majors.
Source: MLB.com no-hitter lists and the 1991 Committee for Statistical Accuracy; SABR Games Project · recall
Roy Oswalt started and left injured.
Source: MLB.com no-hitter lists and the 1991 Committee for Statistical Accuracy; SABR Games Project · recall
Two of his five wins were no-hitters.
Source: MLB.com no-hitter lists and the 1991 Committee for Statistical Accuracy; SABR Games Project · recall
Bob pitched for St. Louis and Ken for Houston.
Source: MLB.com no-hitter lists and the 1991 Committee for Statistical Accuracy; SABR Games Project · recall
He won only one more game in the majors.
Source: MLB.com no-hitter lists and the 1991 Committee for Statistical Accuracy; SABR Games Project · recall
1892, 1953, 1964, then 2003.
Source: MLB.com no-hitter lists and the 1991 Committee for Statistical Accuracy; SABR Games Project · recall
1978, 1979, then 1983.
Source: MLB.com no-hitter lists and the 1991 Committee for Statistical Accuracy; SABR Games Project · recall
Jim Abbott pitched it in the Bronx.
Source: MLB.com no-hitter lists and the 1991 Committee for Statistical Accuracy; SABR Games Project · applied
2.25Speed on the Bases
Steals, a designated runner and a runaway tarp.
Test 1Speed on the basesTake a test
He was named National League MVP.
Source: MLB.com stolen base records; SABR BioProject (Maury Wills, Vince Coleman, Herb Washington, Rod Carew); MiLB.com on Billy Hamilton (2012) · recall
Cobb's mark had stood for 47 years.
Source: MLB.com stolen base records; SABR BioProject (Maury Wills, Vince Coleman, Herb Washington, Rod Carew); MiLB.com on Billy Hamilton (2012) · recall
He stole over 100 in each of his first three seasons.
Source: MLB.com stolen base records; SABR BioProject (Maury Wills, Vince Coleman, Herb Washington, Rod Carew); MiLB.com on Billy Hamilton (2012) · recall
He was a world-class sprinter who never batted or fielded.
Source: MLB.com stolen base records; SABR BioProject (Maury Wills, Vince Coleman, Herb Washington, Rod Carew); MiLB.com on Billy Hamilton (2012) · recall
He stole home eight times in 1912.
Source: MLB.com stolen base records; SABR BioProject (Maury Wills, Vince Coleman, Herb Washington, Rod Carew); MiLB.com on Billy Hamilton (2012) · recall
He came within one of the season record.
Source: MLB.com stolen base records; SABR BioProject (Maury Wills, Vince Coleman, Herb Washington, Rod Carew); MiLB.com on Billy Hamilton (2012) · recall
He later stole 56 for the Reds as a rookie.
Source: MLB.com stolen base records; SABR BioProject (Maury Wills, Vince Coleman, Herb Washington, Rod Carew); MiLB.com on Billy Hamilton (2012) · recall
1915, 1962, 1985, then 2012.
Source: MLB.com stolen base records; SABR BioProject (Maury Wills, Vince Coleman, Herb Washington, Rod Carew); MiLB.com on Billy Hamilton (2012) · recall
A long windup gives the runner his chance.
Source: MLB.com stolen base records; SABR BioProject (Maury Wills, Vince Coleman, Herb Washington, Rod Carew); MiLB.com on Billy Hamilton (2012) · recall
The injury kept him out of the World Series.
Source: MLB.com stolen base records; SABR BioProject (Maury Wills, Vince Coleman, Herb Washington, Rod Carew); MiLB.com on Billy Hamilton (2012) · applied
2.26Iron Men
Long runs of games, before and beyond the famous streaks.
Test 1Iron menTake a test
The shortstop played for Boston and New York.
Source: MLB.com consecutive-games records; SABR BioProject (Everett Scott, Steve Garvey, Billy Williams, Joe Sewell); NPB records on Sachio Kinugasa and Hideki Matsui · recall
He was playing for San Diego when it ended.
Source: MLB.com consecutive-games records; SABR BioProject (Everett Scott, Steve Garvey, Billy Williams, Joe Sewell); NPB records on Sachio Kinugasa and Hideki Matsui · recall
The Cubs outfielder was called 'Sweet Swingin' Billy'.
Source: MLB.com consecutive-games records; SABR BioProject (Everett Scott, Steve Garvey, Billy Williams, Joe Sewell); NPB records on Sachio Kinugasa and Hideki Matsui · recall
He did not miss a single inning for over five seasons.
Source: MLB.com consecutive-games records; SABR BioProject (Everett Scott, Steve Garvey, Billy Williams, Joe Sewell); NPB records on Sachio Kinugasa and Hideki Matsui · recall
Japanese fans called him 'Iron Man'.
Source: MLB.com consecutive-games records; SABR BioProject (Everett Scott, Steve Garvey, Billy Williams, Joe Sewell); NPB records on Sachio Kinugasa and Hideki Matsui · recall
He once went 115 games without striking out.
Source: MLB.com consecutive-games records; SABR BioProject (Everett Scott, Steve Garvey, Billy Williams, Joe Sewell); NPB records on Sachio Kinugasa and Hideki Matsui · recall
He was an All-Star at five different positions.
Source: MLB.com consecutive-games records; SABR BioProject (Everett Scott, Steve Garvey, Billy Williams, Joe Sewell); NPB records on Sachio Kinugasa and Hideki Matsui · recall
1925, 1939, 1983, then 1998.
Source: MLB.com consecutive-games records; SABR BioProject (Everett Scott, Steve Garvey, Billy Williams, Joe Sewell); NPB records on Sachio Kinugasa and Hideki Matsui · recall
2,215, 1,207, then 1,117.
Source: MLB.com consecutive-games records; SABR BioProject (Everett Scott, Steve Garvey, Billy Williams, Joe Sewell); NPB records on Sachio Kinugasa and Hideki Matsui · recall
He had played 1,768 straight games in Japan and New York.
Source: MLB.com consecutive-games records; SABR BioProject (Everett Scott, Steve Garvey, Billy Williams, Joe Sewell); NPB records on Sachio Kinugasa and Hideki Matsui · applied
2.27Tape-Measure Home Runs
The longest home runs and where they landed.
Test 1Tape-measure home runsTake a test
Its distance was given as 565 feet.
Source: SABR, 'Mickey Mantle's 565-foot home run' and Fenway Park's red seat; MLB.com All-Star Game history (1971); Los Angeles Dodgers on home runs out of Dodger Stadium · recall
Red Patterson paced it out after the game.
Source: SABR, 'Mickey Mantle's 565-foot home run' and Fenway Park's red seat; MLB.com All-Star Game history (1971); Los Angeles Dodgers on home runs out of Dodger Stadium · recall
The home run was measured at 502 feet.
Source: SABR, 'Mickey Mantle's 565-foot home run' and Fenway Park's red seat; MLB.com All-Star Game history (1971); Los Angeles Dodgers on home runs out of Dodger Stadium · recall
He did it again in 1973.
Source: SABR, 'Mickey Mantle's 565-foot home run' and Fenway Park's red seat; MLB.com All-Star Game history (1971); Los Angeles Dodgers on home runs out of Dodger Stadium · recall
It was one of the longest homers ever seen there.
Source: SABR, 'Mickey Mantle's 565-foot home run' and Fenway Park's red seat; MLB.com All-Star Game history (1971); Los Angeles Dodgers on home runs out of Dodger Stadium · recall
No one ever hit a fair ball out of the old stadium.
Source: SABR, 'Mickey Mantle's 565-foot home run' and Fenway Park's red seat; MLB.com All-Star Game history (1971); Los Angeles Dodgers on home runs out of Dodger Stadium · recall
Tracking systems now measure every homer.
Source: SABR, 'Mickey Mantle's 565-foot home run' and Fenway Park's red seat; MLB.com All-Star Game history (1971); Los Angeles Dodgers on home runs out of Dodger Stadium · recall
1946, 1953, 1963, then 1969.
Source: SABR, 'Mickey Mantle's 565-foot home run' and Fenway Park's red seat; MLB.com All-Star Game history (1971); Los Angeles Dodgers on home runs out of Dodger Stadium · recall
565, 502, then about 400 feet.
Source: SABR, 'Mickey Mantle's 565-foot home run' and Fenway Park's red seat; MLB.com All-Star Game history (1971); Los Angeles Dodgers on home runs out of Dodger Stadium · recall
He hit it as a pinch-hitter for the American League.
Source: SABR, 'Mickey Mantle's 565-foot home run' and Fenway Park's red seat; MLB.com All-Star Game history (1971); Los Angeles Dodgers on home runs out of Dodger Stadium · applied
2.28Grand Slams
Bases-loaded home runs with a twist.
Test 1Grand slamsTake a test
In bridge it means winning every trick.
Source: MLB.com grand slam records; SABR Games Project (Tatís 1999, Cloninger 1966, Ventura 1999 NLCS); Elias Sports Bureau · recall
He drove in eight runs in that inning.
Source: MLB.com grand slam records; SABR Games Project (Tatís 1999, Cloninger 1966, Ventura 1999 NLCS); Elias Sports Bureau · recall
His manager left him in.
Source: MLB.com grand slam records; SABR Games Project (Tatís 1999, Cloninger 1966, Ventura 1999 NLCS); Elias Sports Bureau · recall
Team-mates mobbed him before he reached second.
Source: MLB.com grand slam records; SABR Games Project (Tatís 1999, Cloninger 1966, Ventura 1999 NLCS); Elias Sports Bureau · recall
He never hit another in his career.
Source: MLB.com grand slam records; SABR Games Project (Tatís 1999, Cloninger 1966, Ventura 1999 NLCS); Elias Sports Bureau · recall
He drove in nine runs as a pitcher.
Source: MLB.com grand slam records; SABR Games Project (Tatís 1999, Cloninger 1966, Ventura 1999 NLCS); Elias Sports Bureau · recall
In the same game a team-mate turned an unassisted triple play.
Source: MLB.com grand slam records; SABR Games Project (Tatís 1999, Cloninger 1966, Ventura 1999 NLCS); Elias Sports Bureau · recall
1920, 1966, 1987, then 1999.
Source: MLB.com grand slam records; SABR Games Project (Tatís 1999, Cloninger 1966, Ventura 1999 NLCS); Elias Sports Bureau · recall
Only the winning run counted.
Source: MLB.com grand slam records; SABR Games Project (Tatís 1999, Cloninger 1966, Ventura 1999 NLCS); Elias Sports Bureau · recall
The Braves had moved to Atlanta that season.
Source: MLB.com grand slam records; SABR Games Project (Tatís 1999, Cloninger 1966, Ventura 1999 NLCS); Elias Sports Bureau · applied
2.29Big Days at the Plate
Seven hits, thirty runs and a seventeen-run inning.
Test 1Big days at the plateTake a test
He had two hits in two different innings.
Source: MLB.com single-game records; SABR Games Project (Stennett 1975, Cubs-Phillies 1922, Red Sox 1953, Rangers 2007, Blue Jays 1987) · recall
It is one of the biggest shutouts in history.
Source: MLB.com single-game records; SABR Games Project (Stennett 1975, Cubs-Phillies 1922, Red Sox 1953, Rangers 2007, Blue Jays 1987) · recall
They won 30-3.
Source: MLB.com single-game records; SABR Games Project (Stennett 1975, Cubs-Phillies 1922, Red Sox 1953, Rangers 2007, Blue Jays 1987) · recall
They scored all thirty after that.
Source: MLB.com single-game records; SABR Games Project (Stennett 1975, Cubs-Phillies 1922, Red Sox 1953, Rangers 2007, Blue Jays 1987) · recall
The Cubs won 26-23.
Source: MLB.com single-game records; SABR Games Project (Stennett 1975, Cubs-Phillies 1922, Red Sox 1953, Rangers 2007, Blue Jays 1987) · recall
One Red Sox player got three hits in that inning.
Source: MLB.com single-game records; SABR Games Project (Stennett 1975, Cubs-Phillies 1922, Red Sox 1953, Rangers 2007, Blue Jays 1987) · recall
Catcher Ernie Whitt hit three of them.
Source: MLB.com single-game records; SABR Games Project (Stennett 1975, Cubs-Phillies 1922, Red Sox 1953, Rangers 2007, Blue Jays 1987) · recall
1922, 1953, 1975, then 2007.
Source: MLB.com single-game records; SABR Games Project (Stennett 1975, Cubs-Phillies 1922, Red Sox 1953, Rangers 2007, Blue Jays 1987) · recall
49, 30, then 22.
Source: MLB.com single-game records; SABR Games Project (Stennett 1975, Cubs-Phillies 1922, Red Sox 1953, Rangers 2007, Blue Jays 1987) · recall
No one has had more hits in one inning.
Source: MLB.com single-game records; SABR Games Project (Stennett 1975, Cubs-Phillies 1922, Red Sox 1953, Rangers 2007, Blue Jays 1987) · applied
2.30Records of a Bygone Game
Numbers from early baseball that will never be matched.
Test 1Records of a bygone gameTake a test
Wilson's 36 triples are still the season record.
Source: SABR BioProject and SABR records research (Chief Wilson, Jack Taylor, Will White, Matt Kilroy, Earl Webb, Sam Crawford); Elias Sports Bureau · recall
He played most of his career in Detroit.
Source: SABR BioProject and SABR records research (Chief Wilson, Jack Taylor, Will White, Matt Kilroy, Earl Webb, Sam Crawford); Elias Sports Bureau · recall
He was never relieved in all that time.
Source: SABR BioProject and SABR records research (Chief Wilson, Jack Taylor, Will White, Matt Kilroy, Earl Webb, Sam Crawford); Elias Sports Bureau · recall
He also pitched 680 innings that year.
Source: SABR BioProject and SABR records research (Chief Wilson, Jack Taylor, Will White, Matt Kilroy, Earl Webb, Sam Crawford); Elias Sports Bureau · recall
Pitchers then threw from much closer.
Source: SABR BioProject and SABR records research (Chief Wilson, Jack Taylor, Will White, Matt Kilroy, Earl Webb, Sam Crawford); Elias Sports Bureau · recall
Doubles records are far less famous than homer records.
Source: SABR BioProject and SABR records research (Chief Wilson, Jack Taylor, Will White, Matt Kilroy, Earl Webb, Sam Crawford); Elias Sports Bureau · recall
Early pitchers started almost every other day.
Source: SABR BioProject and SABR records research (Chief Wilson, Jack Taylor, Will White, Matt Kilroy, Earl Webb, Sam Crawford); Elias Sports Bureau · recall
1879, 1886, 1912, then 1931.
Source: SABR BioProject and SABR records research (Chief Wilson, Jack Taylor, Will White, Matt Kilroy, Earl Webb, Sam Crawford); Elias Sports Bureau · recall
513, 309, then 187.
Source: SABR BioProject and SABR records research (Chief Wilson, Jack Taylor, Will White, Matt Kilroy, Earl Webb, Sam Crawford); Elias Sports Bureau · recall
Pittsburgh played at Forbes Field from 1909 to 1970.
Source: SABR BioProject and SABR records research (Chief Wilson, Jack Taylor, Will White, Matt Kilroy, Earl Webb, Sam Crawford); Elias Sports Bureau · applied
Questions people ask
- How long was the 1920 Brooklyn-Boston game?
- Brooklyn and Boston played 26 innings on May 1, 1920. Leon Cadore and Joe Oeschger each pitched all of them.
- Which professional game went 33 innings?
- A minor league game in 1981. It was suspended at 4 a.m. and finished two months later, with Ripken playing for Rochester and Boggs for Pawtucket.
- What does hitting for the cycle mean?
- It means a single, a double, a triple and a home run by one batter in one game. Most cycles wait on the triple rather than the homer, and cycles are about as rare as no-hitters.
- Why is it called a grand slam?
- The term comes from bridge, where it means winning every trick. In baseball it is a bases-loaded home run.
- Can a pitcher throw a no-hitter and still lose?
- Yes. One pitcher was the first to lose a nine-inning no-hitter, and another, pitching for the Yankees, lost 4-0 on errors.
- What was a designated runner?
- A player used only on the bases. One was a world-class sprinter who never batted or fielded.
- How are home run distances measured?
- Tracking systems now measure every homer. Earlier figures were rougher: Red Patterson paced out one famous drive after the game, and its distance was given as 565 feet.
- Why are some early baseball records out of reach today?
- Pitchers then threw from much closer and started almost every other day; one pitched 680 innings in a season. Wilson's 36 triples are still the season record.
Sources
Primary/official sources only, no Wikipedia citations: the National Baseball Hall of Fame, MLB and its clubs, the WBSC, SABR's BioProject, the Library of Congress, Guinness World Records, makers' and leagues' own histories and named reputable media.
- MLB.com, 'Longest games in MLB history'; International League records on the 33-inning game (1981); SABR Games Project10
- MLB.com, 'Every four-homer game in MLB history'; SABR Games Project; Elias Sports Bureau10
- MLB.com, 'Players who hit for the cycle'; SABR cycles research; Elias Sports Bureau10
- MLB.com no-hitter lists and the 1991 Committee for Statistical Accuracy; SABR Games Project10
- MLB.com stolen base records; SABR BioProject (Maury Wills, Vince Coleman, Herb Washington, Rod Carew); MiLB.com on Billy Hamilton (2012)10
- MLB.com consecutive-games records; SABR BioProject (Everett Scott, Steve Garvey, Billy Williams, Joe Sewell); NPB records on Sachio Kinugasa and Hideki Matsui10
- SABR, 'Mickey Mantle's 565-foot home run' and Fenway Park's red seat; MLB.com All-Star Game history (1971); Los Angeles Dodgers on home runs out of Dodger Stadium10
- MLB.com grand slam records; SABR Games Project (Tatís 1999, Cloninger 1966, Ventura 1999 NLCS); Elias Sports Bureau10
- MLB.com single-game records; SABR Games Project (Stennett 1975, Cubs-Phillies 1922, Red Sox 1953, Rangers 2007, Blue Jays 1987)10
- SABR BioProject and SABR records research (Chief Wilson, Jack Taylor, Will White, Matt Kilroy, Earl Webb, Sam Crawford); Elias Sports Bureau10