The Catbird Seat

Almanac Edition · every August 15 at once · from the makers of Tearing Up the Pea Patch

AUGUST 15 · 1,395 GAMES ON THE RECORD · 1873–2025

On this date in 1980, Houston beat San Diego 3–1 in 20 innings while being out-hit 17 to 14. It took 6 hours and 17 minutes.

The Committee has looked at all 1,395 major-league games played on August 15, from 1873 to 2025, and this is the one that does not behave.

Also on this date

1873-08-15	WS5 at BL1	9–24
1980-08-15	Houston at San Diego	3–1	20.0	377 min
1886-08-15	BR3 at SL4	0–19		by 19
1948-08-15	The Philadelphia Athletics at the Yankees	5–3	9.0	72,468 paid

Unfair afternoons — won while out-hit

1989-08-15	Texas at Seattle	0–2	8.5	hits 13-1
1984-08-15	Toronto at Cleveland	3–4	12.8	hits 17-9
1966-08-15	Cincinnati at the Dodgers	3–4	8.5	hits 15-8

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

1899-08-15	Cincinnati at the Boston Braves	1–0	9.0	100000000 / 000000000
1899-08-15	The Cubs at Philadelphia	1–2	8.5	000000001 / 02000000x
1902-08-15	The White Sox at the Boston Red Sox	1–2	8.5	000000010 / 10000010x

By the decades

1870s 10 · 1880s 50 · 1890s 61 · 1900s 65 · 1910s 84 · 1920s 74 · 1930s 66 · 1940s 96 · 1950s 80 · 1960s 99 · 1970s 117 · 1980s 125 · 1990s 116 · 2000s 140 · 2010s 130 · 2020s 82

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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)