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Baseball History: Hugh Bedient Strikes Out 42 Batters

By David Hill

26 Jul 1998: General view of a ball sitting on the pitcher''s mound during a game between the Seattle Mariners and the Baltimore Orioles at the Camden Yards in Baltimore, Maryland. The Mariners defeated the Orioles 10-4. Mandatory Credit: Doug Pensinger
26 Jul 1998: General view of a ball sitting on the pitcher''s mound during a game between the Seattle Mariners and the Baltimore Orioles at the Camden Yards in Baltimore, Maryland. The Mariners defeated the Orioles 10-4. Mandatory Credit: Doug Pensinger /
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Some records may never be broken. On this day in 1908, Hugh Bedient may have set one of the more unbreakable records in baseball history, setting a presumed world record by striking out 42 batters in a game.

Baseball history can be made almost any time that a player steps on the diamond. No matter who the player is, or the circumstances of the game, history can happen at any time. On this day in 1908, pitcher Hugh Bedient proved that statement to be correct, and achieved a good deal of fame at the same time.

Pitching for a semi-pro team out of Falconer, New York, Bedient may have had one of the better games ever on the diamond. Locked into a 23 inning duel with a team from Corry, Pennsylvania, both Bedient and Corry starter Charles Bickford matched one another. The score was tied 1-1 heading into that final inning, when the Falconer squad finally got to Bickford to take a 3-1 victory.

While the game was quite the pitcher’s duel, it was Bedient’s performance that made the game truly special. In those 23 innings, he struck out 42 batters, a total that was proclaimed to be a world record and, obviously, became the top mark in baseball history.

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It was not a surprise that professional teams would be interested in Bedient from that point. After news of his performance broke over the wire and in newspapers, he received 19 different offers to turn professional. He eventually began his professional career in 1910, pitching for the Fall River Indians in the New England League, before heading to the Providence Grays in the Eastern League for the 1911 campaign.

Bedient would make the Red Sox the following year, and made an immediate impact as a rookie. That season, he posted a 20-9 record with a 2.92 ERA and a 1.130 WHiP. He appeared in four games in the World Series that year, and even outdueled the great Christy Mathewson in Game Five.

Bedient would never reach those heights again. After a solid 1913 campaign, he struggled the following year before jumping to the Federal League. In what would be his final major league campaign, he posted a 16-18 record with 3.17 ERA and a 1.311 WHiP. He did lead the league with 10 saves though, as the numbers were retroactively applied.

Next: Red Sox on familiar ground with Devers

Hugh Bedient may have had just that one stellar season in the majors, but he made his mark on baseball history long before that. On this day in 1908, he set what was believed to be a world record by notching 42 strikeouts in a semi-pro game.

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