Phil Lowry remembers the exact date his obsession with long ballgames began.
“August 9, 1963, when my father took me to a Houston Colts vs. Pirates doubleheader. Long rain delays, extra innings in both games, it ended at 2:30 in the morning. I was grateful to my dad that he allowed us to stay that long,” he recalled.
That Houston vs. Pittsburgh doubleheader at Forbes Field piqued Lowry's teenage curiosity. When and where were the longest games in baseball history? “I got started at age 14, keeping track of games that went 20 or more innings,” he said.