Amazing Away Games: Dodger Stadium. Seaver: 12 innings, 16 strikeouts, 1 No Decision.

May 1, 1974. Dodgers 2, Mets 1 (14 innings).

My father used to say Tom Seaver would have won 400 games if he had spent his entire career in Cincinnati, backed by the bats of the Big Red Machine. Here is one of those wins he would have had.

This is statistically the Franchise's best pitched games ever. He walked away with a no decision and a pat on the back in a game the Mets would go on to lose.

The numbers are astonishing. Twelve innings, 3 hits, only one run, two walks, 16 strikeouts, 41 batters faced. One no decision, one team loss. How many pitches? Seaver would probably have given you a scowl if you dared to count.

How many pitchers do you think pitched in this 14-inning marathon? FIVE. I chose a recent playoff game for comparison. How about Game 2 of last week's Dodgers - Brewers NLCS? The final Score was 7-4 over 8 and a half innings (not even a complete 9!). There were 13 pitchers. You can't tell me that today's pitching formula is better. Now get off my lawn!

The Mets were coming off a National League Crown and a loss in the 1973 World Series in 7 games. The lineup in this game featured 8 of the nine regulars. The new addition was in centerfield. Last year's centerfielder, Don Hahn, would go on to get almost 400 at bats in 1974. The other, the Greatest Player Who Ever Lived, Willie Mays, had retired.

Today's centerfielder is Dave Schneck. Schneck, who might just be remembered for his name more than anything else, heroically spent 14 months fighting in the Vietnam War. He missed the 1969 and 1970 seasons due to that.

Playing parts on three seasons with only the Mets (Immaculate Grid Alert!) he hit exactly .199, one point less than Bob Uecker.

Schneck does hold one major league record! He went 2-11 at the plate on the September 11, 1974 historic 25 inning duel at Shea vs St. Louis. Those 11 at bats tie the record for most at bats in one game.

He later had a minor league tour for a few years, traded for baseball card names John Vukovich and Champ Summers.

The Dodgers started their regular infield of Steve Garvey, Davey Lopes, Bill Russell, and Ron Cey. They hold the major league record for being together the longest! Over 1,200 games from 1973 through 1981. Incredible.

Notable Dodger outfielders included future Met Tom Paciorek in center and another youngster who was super speedy, Bill Buckner!

The Dodger's starting pitcher was Andy Messersmith, who went on to win 20 games that year and finish second in Cy Young voting to his teammate Mike Marshall (another future Met). Marshall pitched a record 106 games in relief that year with 208 innings pitched. Insane numbers at any era. He basically pitched 2 innings a game in 65% of the total season. He went 15-12. Twenty-seven decisions for a relief pitcher! He also finished third in 1974 MVP ballots, behind Garvey and Lou Brock (then record 118 stolen bases).

Messersmith had himself a pretty good battle with Seaver today, pitching 11 innings himself! He allowed 6 hits, 1 run, 2 walks, and 5 strikeouts. He faced 40 batters.

The Mets threatened in the top of the second. With one out, John "The Hammer" Milner and Schneck singled. Wayne Garrett then flew out to center and Jerry Grote popped to Lopes at second.

Grote played 12 years as a Met. He was an absolute force behind the plate, directing the powerful pitching staffs through a World Championship and another National League pennant. Why didn't he win any Gold Gloves? Because the greatest defensive catcher of all time, Johnny Bench played in the same league at the same time. Bench famously said that if Grote was on the Reds, Grote would catch and Bench would play third.

Grote wasn't much at the bat, but did have a career .250 average, a star in today's game. (Are you still on my lawn?).

The Dodgers were hitless through 4, in part through a nifty play by Seaver on a bunt attempt by the Jose-Reyes-quickness of Buckner. They finally got their first hit off Seaver when Garvey led off the fifth with a deep rive to left, 1-0 Dodgers.

Seaver and Messersmith continued to retire the sides easily through 7 innings. Do you remember when Messersmith pitched for Ted Turner in Atlanta? He wore # 17, but Turner had him wear a nickname of "Channel", so his uniform said Channel 17, an advertisement for Turner's Broadcast Network.

Garrett broke through in the 8th, hitting a long opposite field homer to left to tie the game. Grote walked, but Seaver grounded into a double play on a bunt attempt. Bud Harrelson reached on an error by Cey, but Felix Millan popped out to first to end the inning. Neither team could put up much of a rally today.

In the bottom of the eighth, with Russell on first with an infield single with two outs, Messersmith was allowed to hit against Seaver and struck out. Pitchers hitting and not always pinch hitting for the pitcher late in the game. We are truly in an insane simulation, or, simply we are in 1974.

There were no baserunners until with one out in the 11th, Millan singled. Cleon Jones grounded into a force play and cleanup hitter Rusty Staub flew out to left.

Seaver retired the first two batters quickly in the 11th, before Dodger Manager Walter Alston pinch hit regular centerfielder Jim Wynn for Messersmith. Wynn, nicknamed "The Toy Cannon" because of his immense power on a 5 ft, 9 inch frame, struck out to send the game to the 12th.

Were you still awake? Your nine-year-old writer certainly wasn't.

Wynn would hit 32 homers and drive in 108 runs in 1974. He would finish 5th in MVP voting. After a long 11 year career in Houston, he would have later cups of coffee in Atlanta, the Bronx, and Milwaukee. (Immaculate Grid!).

Marshall retired the Mets in order in the 12th. After a Lopes strikeout, Buckner singled off Seaver and stole second (Did you not believe me when I told you he was fast?). Manager Yogi Berra walked the lefty hitting Willie Crawford. Seaver proceeded to retire the clutch Cey on a pop up and struck out 1974 MVP Garvey. IN THE 12TH!

The Mets actually got two runners on in the 13th off Marshall, but Jones lined out to right. The first runner that inning was Ken Boswell, who pinch hit for Seaver. Boswell singled. Boswell played 8 years as a Met. He is known for going 3-3 as a pinch hitter in the 1973 World Series. His total post season hitting stats include going 8-19, a .421 average!

Harry Parker relieved Seaver and got out of minor trouble in the 13th. Jim Brewer, only the fifth pitcher of the game, got the Mets in order in the top of the 14th.

With one out in the 14th, Buckner walked and used his greased lightning to get to third on a double by Crawford. Cey was intentionally walked to load the bases for Garvey. Maybe not the best move, Yogi, but I get it, set up a double play. Garvey hit a clean single to center for the game winning hit.

In 14 innings, the Mets went 0-5 with runners in scoring position. The Dodgers were only 1-5 as the Garvey hit won the game.

Even listing the umpires took me back to my childhood. I can clearly hear the voices of Ralph Kiner, Lindsey Nelson, and Bob Murphy reading "Satch Davidson behind the plate. Frank Pulli at first. Ed Sudol at second. Big Lee Weyer at third."

Weyer was 6 ft, 6 inches tall. He died of a heart attack at the age of 51 at his home on Long Island.

Time of this 14 inning pitching masterpiece? 3:05! In those Sunday night Yankee-Red Sox games, 3 hours found you in the 5th inning!

I'd like to hear your childhood stories of staying up late for an extra-inning game. Please write me in the comments. No, kids, there weren't any ghost runners.