The Catbird Seat

Almanac Edition · every April 1 at once · from the makers of Tearing Up the Pea Patch

APRIL 1 · 168 GAMES ON THE RECORD · 1996–2025

On this date in 2003, The Boston Red Sox beat Tampa Bay 9–8 in 16 innings while being out-hit 19 to 13. It took 5 hours and 15 minutes.

The Committee has looked at all 168 major-league games played on April 1, from 1996 to 2025, and this is the one that does not behave.

Also on this date

2011-04-01	The White Sox at Cleveland	15–10	9.0
2003-04-01	The Boston Red Sox at Tampa Bay	9–8	16.0	315 min
2023-04-01	Philadelphia at Texas	3–16	8.5	by 13
1997-04-01	The Yankees at Seattle	2–4	8.5	57,586 paid

Unfair afternoons — won while out-hit

2003-04-01	The Boston Red Sox at Tampa Bay	9–8	16.0	hits 13-19
2021-04-01	San Francisco at Seattle	7–8	9.5	hits 10-5
2011-04-01	Pittsburgh at the Cubs	6–3	9.0	hits 7-11

The Mirror Game — a line score this date shares with another day

1996-04-01	Pittsburgh at Florida	4–0	9.0	010000030 / 000000000
1997-04-01	Atlanta at Houston	1–2	8.5	001000000 / 10100000x
1997-04-01	Philadelphia at the Dodgers	3–0	9.0	000020010 / 000000000

By the decades

1990s 30 · 2000s 27 · 2010s 56 · 2020s 55

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THE CATBIRD SEAT is set by the Committee on Playing Rules of Tearing Up the Pea Patch, a Macguffin Co. game, Commissioner F. McCoy presiding. Almanac editions are compiled from the record by the Committee’s engine and read by no one before you; a surprising fact in them is a lead, not a verdict. The information used here was obtained free of charge from and is copyrighted by Retrosheet. Interested parties may contact Retrosheet at www.retrosheet.org. Wire service (RSS)