The Catbird Seat

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

JULY 20 · 1,363 GAMES ON THE RECORD · 1871–2025

On this date in 1871, PH1 beat FW1 26–7. 350 people saw it.

The Committee has looked at all 1,363 major-league games played on July 20, from 1871 to 2025, and this is the one that does not behave.

Also on this date

1871-07-20	PH1 at FW1	26–7	9.0
1998-07-20	Detroit at the Yankees	4–3	17.0	350 min
1871-07-20	PH1 at FW1	26–7	9.0	by 19
1949-07-20	The Yankees at Cleveland	7–3	9.0	75,340 paid

Unfair afternoons — won while out-hit

1979-07-20	Montreal at the Dodgers	5–6	10.7	hits 15-5
1937-07-20	The Yankees at the St. Louis Browns	5–4	10.0	hits 5-13
2004-07-20	The Boston Red Sox at Seattle	9–7	9.0	hits 10-18

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

1898-07-20	LS3 at Brooklyn	4–1	9.0	000000031 / 000100000
1898-07-20	Cincinnati at WSN	2–3	8.5	000010100 / 10011000x
1899-07-20	St. Louis at the Boston Braves	3–2	9.0	000100110 / 200000000

By the decades

1870s 13 · 1880s 47 · 1890s 55 · 1900s 68 · 1910s 89 · 1920s 84 · 1930s 64 · 1940s 82 · 1950s 72 · 1960s 93 · 1970s 113 · 1980s 110 · 1990s 133 · 2000s 144 · 2010s 141 · 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)