The headline in the St. Petersburg Times was “Tired Cardinals Tumble to Fort Lauderdale” on June 16, 1966.
While that was true, “Tired” probably didn’t really paint the best picture of a two-game stretch for the Class-A St. Petersburg Cardinals. Exhausted may have been more appropriate.
The story of the Cardinals 6-3 loss to the Yankees in a Florida State League contest can be easily understood as they dropped a pair games to two different teams on the same day (June 15).
The first loss for the Cardinals was to the Miami Marlins as the teams started their 29-inning record-breaking contest at Al Lang Field on June 14. It ended the next morning as the Marlins won 4-3 with a game time just a minute shy of seven hours.
The affair remains the longest continuous game in professional baseball history. The record for the longest game is 33 innings in 1981, which was a Triple-A International League contest between Pawtucket and Rochester that started on April 18 and ended on June 23.
Like the Cardinals, Miami apparently was just as worn out after the long-drawn-out affair as the Baltimore affiliate was swept in a doubleheader at home by the Orlando Twins the next night.
St. Petersburg was led by 32-year old future Baseball Hall of Fame member Sparky Anderson, who managed five seasons in the minors from 1964-68 before joining the Cincinnati Reds in 1970.
Extra Innings
The contest was scoreless until St. Petersburg picked up two unearned runs in the bottom of the seventh.
A two-run homer by Miami pinch hitter Lloyd Fourroux in the eighth tied it at 2-2. Fourroux, who hit three homers that season, was a pitcher for the Marlins as he led the staff in victories with a 17-10 record.
Both teams scored in the 11th.
Another pitcher played a role in the winning run in the top of the 29th. Miami’s Michael Herbert doubled to begin the frame off eventual losing pitcher Charles Bowlby, who threw the final eight innings for the Cardinals.
Carl Cmejrek’s sacrifice fly scored Herbert, who went to the mound in the bottom of the inning and shut the door on the Cardinals. Cmejrek had a game-high five hits and Herbert would get the win with four innings of work.
Miami used six pitchers with five appearing for the Cardinals. After pitching seven innings and losing the opener of the two-game series on June 13, Paul Gilliford tossed 11 scoreless frames from the 15th to the 25th.
St. Petersburg starter Dave Bakenhaster went nine innings, while reliever Jim Williamson and Bowlby each went eight.
The 1966 Season for the Cardinals
Anderson led St. Petersburg to the title in the second half of the season earning a ticket to the championship series, which the Cardinals lost to first-half winner Leesburg in five games.
Another highlight of the season was a 22-game winning streak in April and May as pitcher Jerry Robertson won five of the contests in relief.
In the Majors
There were several players on Anderson’s 1966 minor league squad who eventually reached the majors. However, three of those players would share a connection with Anderson later in their careers.
Sonny Ruberto started the 29-inning game behind the plate before switching to shortstop.
Ruberto made his major league debut in 1969 with the San Diego Padres where Anderson was the third base coach. He also played briefly with the Reds in 1972 finishing his career with the Reds Triple-A affiliate Indianapolis in the American Association from 1973-76.
Clay Kirby and Reggie Cleveland were both 18-year old rookies when they joined the Cardinals late in the 1966 season after the 29-inning affair.
Kirby spent eight years in the majors from 1969-76. He was with Anderson after joining the Reds prior to 1974 and later was a part of the World Series winners in 1975.
Cleveland played 13 seasons in the majors with five for the Red Sox from 1974-78. During the 1975 World Series, Cleveland pitched in three contests for Boston and was the starting and losing pitcher in game five against the Reds.
Along with Kirby, there would later be a big league connection for Anderson with the Miami team.
Terry Crowley, who also didn’t play in the extra inning contest, was on the Marlins squad in 1966 and then a part of the 1975 Reds.