Record that will never be broken.

 

His senior year –1946 at Newport Catholic – the state tournament had three games in a two-day span. He pitched all three games in about 35 hours. Three shutouts.

 

After high school graduation in 1946, the team boarded a bus to Louisville for the state tournament. In short order, and behind Mr. Groeschen, the team defeated London (2-0) and Louisville Male (3-0) to reach the finals.

 

"Before that night's game – 8 o'clock – I figured there was no way I'd pitch," Mr. Groeschen said in 2008. "But we got to the field early, and I wasn't doing anything, so I hit two rounds of infield practice. Our coach (Lou Arnzen) came over to me and said, 'Leo, you're pitching.' I dropped the bat and started warming up."

 

Mr. Groeschen led Newport Catholic to a 9-0 victory over Richmond Madison, a team coached by New York Yankees standout Earle Combs.

 

In those three shutouts, Mr. Groeschen allowed just nine hits. Said Ted Sanford, then-commissioner of the Kentucky High School Athletic Association: "(It was) the finest hurling I have ever witnessed in a high school tournament."

 

Leo Groeschen was a local baseball legend

And then his arm fell off

Back in the day when entering St. Anthony for Mass, you always knew where Leo was, he was the tallest person in church. RIP to the gentle giant.

 

One of the best to ever grace a diamond in NKY.

I had the pleasure of making Mr Groeschen's acquaintance over the years. To say he was "kind" simply is inadequate.

Sorry to hear about this. Did not know Mr. Groeschen but it sounds like he was a good man. Not to steal the thread but Gary Sargent from Holmes did almost the exact same thing to lead Holmes to their only baseball state championship in 1963. Went on to college and then played 4 years at single A but never really was the same pitcher. Here is an article from Mike Fields.

 

Before high school rules were adopted in the last 20 years to limit the number of innings a pitcher could work, it wasn't uncommon for coaches to ride one kid's arm to glory. In 1963, for example, Holmes won the state title behind the dominant pitching of Gary Sargent. The junior left-hander worked four innings in a quarterfinal victory over McDowell, came back the next afternoon to go the distance in an eight-inning semifinal win over Flaget, then a few hours later pitched seven innings to beat Lone Oak in the finals. Sargent worked 19 innings in 36 hours, gave up one earned run and had 28 strikeouts. Holmes had 23 victories that season, and Sargent had 15 of the wins.

 

Read more here: Mike Fields: Turning back high school baseball clock to 1963 | High School Sports | Kentucky.com

And then his arm fell off

 

No; one arm was just longer than the other...

 

Seriously, as a guy who has pitched a fair amount in the past, I will say that is quite an impressive feat! Like frank said, that is a record that will never be tied, let alone broken.

Just my memory and there might lie the problem, but didn't Ernie Lewis (Sundance Kid and quarterback at UK) pitch E-town to championship and win all three games and pitched all innings played??????? in the late 60's.

Click the link on the first post. Great article about a great man.