The Catbird Seat

Almanac Edition · every May 14 at once · from the makers of Tearing Up the Pea Patch

MAY 14 · 1,257 GAMES ON THE RECORD · 1872–2025

On this date in 1988, Atlanta beat St. Louis 7–5 in 19 innings while being out-hit 20 to 13. It took 5 hours and 40 minutes.

The Committee has looked at all 1,257 major-league games played on May 14, from 1872 to 2025, and this is the one that does not behave.

Also on this date

1874-05-14	BS1 at NY2	20–14	9.0
1988-05-14	Atlanta at St. Louis	7–5	19.0	340 min
1884-05-14	DTN at PRO	3–25		by 22
1951-05-14	Cleveland at the Yankees	4–11	8.5	66,265 paid

Unfair afternoons — won while out-hit

1899-05-14	Cincinnati at St. Louis	5–6	10.8	hits 17-9
1920-05-14	Philadelphia at Cincinnati	3–4	8.8	hits 13-5
1922-05-14	Brooklyn at Cincinnati	6–5	9.0	hits 6-14

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

1900-05-14	The New York Giants at the Cubs	0–4	8.5	000000000 / 00102100x
1901-05-14	The Washington Senators at the Boston Red Sox	3–2	9.0	030000000 / 000100100
1901-05-14	The Cubs at the New York Giants	0–3	8.5	000000000 / 10000002x

By the decades

1870s 11 · 1880s 52 · 1890s 43 · 1900s 59 · 1910s 68 · 1920s 62 · 1930s 55 · 1940s 62 · 1950s 63 · 1960s 94 · 1970s 102 · 1980s 115 · 1990s 124 · 2000s 130 · 2010s 138 · 2020s 79

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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)