On September 2, 1986, the Chicago Cubs squared off against the Houston Astros at Wrigley Field in Chicago. And the game seemingly never ended. At the time, all Cubs home games were played in the daylight, so after 15 innings, the game was suspended, and resumed the following day, September 3. Each team would score three runs in the 17th inning, heading into the 18th inning with a 7-7 tie, when the Cubs sent out a rookie pitcher named Greg Maddux to pitch the 18th. Maddux gave up a quick groundout to Craig Reynolds before surrendering a home run to Astros centerfielder Billy Hatcher, the game-winner as the Cubs won the game, 8-7. The first appearance for a future Hall of Famer.
Presented here is a ticket from that game. Of course, the ticket is dated September 2, 1986 and Maddux' debut occurred on the 3rd, after the makeup game was resumed. The hobby seems unable to agree on which ticket is the proper ticket to signify Maddux' debut. Is it the ticket for the September 2 game, the one suspended and resumed the following day, in which Maddux actually appeared? Or is it the ticket for the September 3 game, the regularly-scheduled game in which Maddux did not pitch.
For our money, it's this one - the ticket for Greg Maddux' actual debut game, where he obtained the first of his lifetime 227 losses. Of course he also had 355 lifetime wins! VG/EX appearance.