The Catbird Seat

Almanac Edition · every May 20 at once · from the makers of Tearing Up the Pea Patch

MAY 20 · 1,331 GAMES ON THE RECORD · 1871–2025

On this date in 1920, The White Sox beat the Washington Senators 13–5 in 16 innings while being out-hit 18 to 17.

The Committee has looked at all 1,331 major-league games played on May 20, from 1871 to 2025, and this is the one that does not behave.

Also on this date

1896-05-20	Brooklyn at Pittsburgh	25–6
2009-05-20	Arizona at Florida	11–9	13.0	290 min
1896-05-20	Brooklyn at Pittsburgh	25–6		by 19
1994-05-20	Atlanta at Colorado	7–1	9.0	71,368 paid

Unfair afternoons — won while out-hit

1979-05-20	Pittsburgh at the Cubs	6–5	9.0	hits 7-15
1980-05-20	St. Louis at the Dodgers	3–4	8.5	hits 11-3
1992-05-20	Milwaukee at Detroit	3–4	8.7	hits 12-5

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

1898-05-20	Pittsburgh at BLN	3–1	9.0	000300000 / 000100000
1902-05-20	The Philadelphia Athletics at the Boston Red Sox	1–2	8.5	000100000 / 00001001x
1902-05-20	The Boston Braves at the Cubs	1–3	8.5	000000001 / 00110010x

By the decades

1870s 18 · 1880s 50 · 1890s 43 · 1900s 59 · 1910s 71 · 1920s 67 · 1930s 76 · 1940s 76 · 1950s 76 · 1960s 92 · 1970s 116 · 1980s 120 · 1990s 122 · 2000s 140 · 2010s 141 · 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)