ESPN Podcast celebrates 40-year anniversary of 33-inning game between Pawtucket, Rochester

WORCESTER — Baseball’s Longest Game has been revived.

Thanks to a recent ESPN podcast, the baseball world can relive, or learn about the 33-inning game between the Pawtucket Red Sox and Rochester Red Wings at McCoy Stadium in Pawtucket, Rhode Island in 1981.

While fans of a certain age around these parts know all about the legendary game that featured the PawSox’ Wade Boggs, Marty Barrett, Dave Koza and Rich Gedman, along with the Red Wings’ Cal Ripken Jr., many around the country have no idea what occurred on that frigid April 18th night, halted at 4:09 a.m. and eventually concluded on Rochester’s next trip to Pawtucket June 23.

Without playing spoiler, the podcast brings it all back to life.

MORE: Listen to the ESPN podcast here

Gedman, the current hitting coach for the WooSox, has heard the current players around the clubhouse talking about the podcast of the historic game, but the Red Sox legend hasn’t listened to it yet.

“Am I in it?” Gedman asked with a laugh. “I must be.”

Gedman is one of the most humble and genuine in the game as both a player and now coach. He’s honest when it comes to talking about his career, and he literally had a front-row seat for The Longest Game.

“It’s neat to be part of history,” he said. “It’s something that was special. Every night we play we’re part of history, right? That one just happens to be the longest of all time.”

It was also bittersweet for Gedman, who was the starting catcher in that game.

“Typical of me, I didn’t get to enjoy it. It wasn’t the longest for me. It was the shortest of my career,” he said.

Gedman admits he wasn’t happy when he was pinch hit for in the bottom of the ninth inning. The PawSox had runners in scoring position with two outs when Rochester brought in lefty Jeff Schneider. Pawtucket manager Joe Morgan, who was eventually ejected from the game in the 22nd inning, decided Mike Ongarato would hit for Gedman, who was 1 for 3 in the game.

It didn’t work.

“I was kind of upset in the ninth inning, to tell you the truth. But that’s how it goes, and there are things you deal with,” he said.

So for the rest of that night, and into the early morning of the next day, Gedman caught in the bullpen at McCoy Stadium.

Gedman caught the first nine innings, while fellow catcher Roger LaFrancois worked the next 23 on April 18 and 19.

“I thought I was tired,” Gedman said with a smile. “Everybody was exhausted.”

When the game concluded on June 23, Gedman already had been promoted to Boston, so he was not at McCoy Stadium to see Koza drive in Barrett for the winning run en route to a 3-2 victory.

“First of all, it’s not going to happen again,” Gedman said. “Thirty-three will hold for the rest of time, unless they change the rules. The most amazing thing about the game when you think about it is it was pitched by all pitchers — crazy.”

It’s common in today’s game to see a position player pitch if a game extends long into extra innings, but that wasn’t the case for The Longest Game. The PawSox sent a total of eight pitchers to the mound, including starter Danny Parks (6 innings), Luis Aponte (4), Manny Sarmiento (4), Mike Smithson (3⅔), Joel Finch (5), Bruce Hurst (5) and finally Bob Ojeda, who pitched the final inning and earned the win.

Current Red Sox first baseman Triston Casas is a baseball historian. Unlike most young players, Casas, 22, appreciates and respects the history of the game and his knowledge of past players, teams, lineups and events is impressive. Earlier this season, while playing for the WooSox, he was asked about the red seat at Fenway Park, and he was quick to answer with all the correct information.

So what about The Longest Game?

“I know it was 33 innings. I know Geddy was part of it. Wade Boggs and Cal Ripken Jr., too. Geddy was taken out and pinch it for in the ninth inning, so he thought the game was almost over, but little did he know. The Pawtucket Red Sox ended up winning the game.”

As he thought about that game more, Casas could only shake his head in disbelief.

“Playing 33 innings is incredible,” he said. “We play a doubleheader, two seven-inning games, and I’m kind of tired after those games. I can only imagine twice that and some more. It must’ve been a brutal day for those guys.”

WooSox’ Ryan Fitzgerald has become a fan favorite, one of the most popular in Red Sox Triple-A history. There were plenty of fan favorites who played in The Longest Game and went onto enjoy impressive careers at the big-league level. Fitzgerald hasn’t listened to the podcast yet but said he plans to while on this road trip to learn more about the historic game.

“All I know is when I walk into the stadium every day I walk past the wall with all the memorabilia about the game between Pawtucket and Rochester,” he said with a smile.

When WooSox manager Chad Tracy first arrived at Polar Park, he asked for a tour of the entire ballpark. The 37-year-old is a baseball lifer and de facto baseball historian, so after he was named manager Dec. 13, he delved into the organization’s past, present and future to learn every aspect of this storied franchise.

He quickly learned about The Longest Game.

“I walk by it every day,” he said. “I see the box score every day, and I’ve read the (articles) on the wall, but really nothing more than that. I can’t even fathom a 33-inning game — unreal.”

He recently learned his hitting coach played in the game and said he’ll listen to the new podcast when he gets a chance.

“It’s incredible,” Tracy said. “I can’t even imagine that. Under the current rules, you’ll never see that again. If you play 33 innings with a man on second to start each inning, you’ve got problems.”

It’s interesting to remember, or learn about, baseball’s longest game.

—Contact Joe McDonald at JMcDonald2@gannett.com. Follow him on Twitter @JoeyMacHockey.

This article originally appeared on Telegram & Gazette: ESPN Podcast celebrates 40-year anniversary of 33-inning game between Pawtucket Red Sox, Rochester Red Wings