The Catbird Seat

Almanac Edition · every July 5 at once · from the makers of Tearing Up the Pea Patch

JULY 5 · 1,412 GAMES ON THE RECORD · 1872–2025

On this date in 1940, Brooklyn beat the Boston Braves 6–2 in 20 innings while being out-hit 14 to 12. It took 5 hours and 19 minutes.

The Committee has looked at all 1,412 major-league games played on July 5, from 1872 to 2025, and this is the one that does not behave.

Also on this date

1888-07-05	The New York Giants at DTN	13–18
1940-07-05	Brooklyn at the Boston Braves	6–2	20.0	319 min
1883-07-05	PRO at the New York Giants	18–1		by 17
1982-07-05	San Francisco at Philadelphia	3–1	9.0	63,501 paid

Unfair afternoons — won while out-hit

1923-07-05	The Philadelphia Athletics at the Boston Red Sox	5–7	8.5	hits 18-10
1929-07-05	The White Sox at Cleveland	10–11	8.5	hits 20-12
2005-07-05	Seattle at Kansas City	6–8	8.5	hits 14-7

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

1898-07-05	Brooklyn at WSN	2–4	8.5	100000100 / 00001021x
1900-07-05	The Boston Braves at the Cubs	0–2	8.5	000000000 / 02000000x
1900-07-05	Brooklyn at Cincinnati	2–0	9.0	000000101 / 000000000

By the decades

1870s 12 · 1880s 57 · 1890s 53 · 1900s 66 · 1910s 86 · 1920s 75 · 1930s 67 · 1940s 95 · 1950s 87 · 1960s 98 · 1970s 123 · 1980s 105 · 1990s 137 · 2000s 146 · 2010s 135 · 2020s 70

The Pea Patch Ledger

Today’s deal is the same nine for everyone. Beat the almanac’s strangest game to a story of your own.

Today's deal is waiting — play the daily Pea Patch →

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)