The Catbird Seat

Almanac Edition · every May 12 at once · from the makers of Tearing Up the Pea Patch

MAY 12 · 1,249 GAMES ON THE RECORD · 1873–2025

On this date in 1972, Milwaukee beat Minnesota 4–3 in 22 innings while being out-hit 17 to 13. It took 5 hours and 47 minutes.

The Committee has looked at all 1,249 major-league games played on May 12, from 1873 to 2025, and this is the one that does not behave.

Also on this date

1887-05-12	BL2 at SL4	14–22
1972-05-12	Milwaukee at Minnesota	4–3	22.0	347 min
1874-05-12	HR1 at BS1	3–25	9.0	by 22
1946-05-12	The Boston Red Sox at the Yankees	3–1	9.0	68,193 paid

Unfair afternoons — won while out-hit

1984-05-12	Montreal at San Francisco	7–8	8.5	hits 17-7
1904-05-12	The St. Louis Browns at the Washington Senators	8–7	9.0	hits 8-15
1974-05-12	San Francisco at Atlanta	6–2	9.0	hits 5-12

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

1894-05-12	St. Louis at Cincinnati	0–5		000000000 / 10002200x
1898-05-12	St. Louis at Cincinnati	2–3	8.5	000100010 / 00000030x
1899-05-12	WSN at Brooklyn	0–3	8.5	000000000 / 00100011x

By the decades

1870s 8 · 1880s 51 · 1890s 64 · 1900s 66 · 1910s 60 · 1920s 65 · 1930s 54 · 1940s 63 · 1950s 65 · 1960s 95 · 1970s 111 · 1980s 103 · 1990s 120 · 2000s 130 · 2010s 130 · 2020s 64

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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)