Cheney's 21-strikeout night was also a testament to stamina and a bygone era when pitch counts weren't kept

Today, when pitch counts and innings thrown are carefully monitored, Tom Cheney never would have put himself in the history books. But 50 years ago today, the journeyman pitcher for the Washington Senators pitched one of the most amazing games ever, throwing 228 pitches in a 16-inning complete-game win over the Baltimore Orioles while striking out a major-league record 21 hitters. Five decades later, the Orioles' Boog Powell says he can still remember how Cheney's curve was so sharp that night, he swears it made a sound as it went by. My story for ESPN.com's Playbook section: http://espn.go.com/blog/playbook/fandom/post/_/id/11088/50-years-ago-tom-cheney-struck-out-21