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Former Tigers pitcher Mueller passes away at 93

Former Tigers pitcher Leslie Mueller passed away Thursday at the age of 93, according to a report from The Associated Press.

Mueller, best known for once pitching 19 2/3 innings in an eventual 24-inning tie, originally signed with the Tigers in 1941. He made just four appearances in 1941 before leaving to serve in World War II, but returned to the club in 1945.

It was during that '45 season -- Mueller's lone full season in the Majors -- that he logged his eye-popping 19 2/3-innings performance. Possibly even more miraculous than the inning total, is the fact that Mueller conceded just one unearned run in that appearance. It remains the longest outing since 1929 when another Tigers pitcher, George Uhle, logged 20 innings.

Mueller was also a part of the Tigers' World Series run that season, pitching two hitless innings in Game 1 of the Fall Classic. For his career, Mueller finished 6-8 with a 3.78 ERA in 30 games (18 starts).

He is survived by his wife and three children.

Paul Casella is a reporter for MLB.com. Follow him on Twitter @paul_casella.
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