An absolute gem of a book ! What's so wonderful about this little book about a very very long game is just how much the Author Dan Barry, is able to seamlessly include in the telling of a baseball game. In small little snippets that briefly take the reader away from "The Game" we learn about the past and future lives not only of the players, but of everyone involved in the game. And I mean everyone ; the owners, managers, coaches, wives, kids, concession workers, p.a. announcers, radio men, the fans, cops, the batboys, even the batboy's mother, calling the stadium and demanding her son be allowed to go home. In fact one of my favorite little snippets dealt with the bat boy who was once actually thrown out of a game for arguing with the home plate umpire. A classic piece of Americana ! ( )

I'm not a big baseball fan, so parts of it didn't interest me.I did find it rather interesting, especially the personal story. I think a baseball fan would love this. Many parts are poetic. ( )

An excellent book about the longest game in baseball history, a minor-league (International League--Triple-A) between the Rochester Red Wings, the Baltimore Orioles' affiliate featuring future Hall of Famer Cal Ripken, Jr.; and the Pawtucket (RI) Red Sox, featuring future Hall of Famer Wade Boggs. The author uses the game's 33 innings--32 played over 8 hours and seven minutes on April 18-19, 1981 and the final inning played in 18 minutes on June 23, 1981 during the major-league baseball strike--to sketch a history of Pawtucket, the ballpark, the players, and the staff. For a baseball fan, a wonderful history of a bygone era. ( )

“Longest game in baseball history
Pawtucket 3 - Rochester 2
33 innings - 8:25
April 18-19 June 23,1981”

219 at bats. 60 strikeouts. Just an unbelievable marathon of a baseball game!

The author goes into great detail about all of the events and people that are part of this historic game. Sometimes, it felt like a little too much detail, about too many people. For instance, for me, I grew very tired of Koza. Very tired...

But there are pieces that were great! I loved that Aponte’s wife didn’t believe him and that he had to go back to the ballpark! Also loved the nutty Remmerswaal! And the batboy's mom coming to get his because it was now Sunday, EASTER Sunday no less, and her boy needed to be home! Many vignettes like these keep this book as a good read, especially for baseball fans like me!

We also get a AAA look at future Hall of Famers Wade Boggs and Cal Ripken Jr.! What a treat! And on page 42, writing about Wade Boggs, “... whose father tied his ambidextrous son’s left hand behind his back to force him to throw with his right hand,...” - well, I used to joke to my then wife that I wanted to do the same thing, except tie her right hand behind, to our newborn daughter to make her a lefty for my beloved Oakland A's! (don't worry, she said no)

The box score is reproduced herein, and there is a picture of the scorecard. Nice bonuses! There is a "Thirty Years Later" piece at the end, but, like a lot of the book, it's mostly about Koza, and I could've cared less. Sorry, but I just had too much of that guy in the rest of the book.

Good read for baseball fans! Especially right now, with no games being played. 33 innings... dang, I kinda wish I had been at that one! :-) ( )

Loved it Loved it.
I remember when the game was played originally. I even have a clipping of the box score (cant remember if its from part one of the game or the final). I remember clipping it as it was astounding to me at that time. Also marveled at how few players actually played in the game. Most guys played the whole thing. Just nuts.

Author told a great story. Love how he weaves in the history and background of so many people. Really ate this up. One of the best sports books I have read. ( )