Sept. 12, 1962 - Tom Cheney, a well-traveled 27-year-old right-hander, set a record of 21 strikeouts for a game of any duration in pitching the Washington Senators to a 2-1, complete-game victory in 16 innings over the Baltimore Orioles today. Cheney, who had only 3 complete games in his 20 previous starts this season, had 13 strikeouts in the regulation 9 innings. After the ninth, Washington Manager Mickey Vernon asked the pitcher if he wished to be taken out. “I started this damn game,” replied Cheney, “and I’m finishing it.” He added 2 more strikeouts in each of the 10th and 11th innings. He equaled the modern record of 18 by fanning Marv Breeding for the second out in the 14th inning. He made Dick Hall his 19th victim for the third out of the 14th and got No. 20 to surpass even pre-1900 marks when he fanned Russ Snyder for the second out of the 15th inning. His final pitch of the game was a called third strike on pinch hitter Dick Williams. Cheney threw a total of 228 pitches in the game.
