Baseball: The 20-inning epic needs even more perspective

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If you hadn’t heard, Downey beat Harvard-Westlake, 3-2, in the longest playoff game in Southern Section history in the Division III wild-card marathon Wednesday night.

How long was it? Twenty (insane) innings.

How remarkable was it? Well, the last time two Southern Section schools played 20 innings was the same year Wilt Chamberlain scored 100 points, the first big league game was played at Dodger Stadium and the Rolling Stones made their debut at a London club.

The year was 1962, when Orange defeated Santa Ana, 7-6, in 20 innings.

The last time a Southern Section team participated in a game longer than 20 innings was the same year Marilyn Monroe was born, Harry Houdini died and Gene Tunney defeated Jack Dempsey to become heavyweight champion of the world.

The year was 1926, when a 23-inning mega-marathon was played between Pomona College and Fullerton High.

-- Anthony Stitt