The Catbird Seat

Almanac Edition · every August 17 at once · from the makers of Tearing Up the Pea Patch

AUGUST 17 · 1,392 GAMES ON THE RECORD · 1872–2025

On this date in 1982, The Dodgers beat the Cubs 2–1 in 21 innings. It took 6 hours and 10 minutes.

The Committee has looked at all 1,392 major-league games played on August 17, from 1872 to 2025, and this is the one that does not behave.

Also on this date

1874-08-17	BR2 at PH2	16–24	9.0
1982-08-17	The Dodgers at the Cubs	2–1	21.0	370 min
1894-08-17	LS3 at Philadelphia	4–29		by 25
1993-08-17	Philadelphia at Colorado	10–7	9.0	63,183 paid

Unfair afternoons — won while out-hit

1912-08-17	The White Sox at the Philadelphia Athletics	5–4	9.0	hits 8-15
1922-08-17	The White Sox at the Boston Red Sox	2–3	9.8	hits 14-7
1910-08-17	St. Louis at the Boston Braves	3–4	8.5	hits 9-3

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

1898-08-17	LS3 at BLN	2–4	8.5	000002000 / 20000020x
1901-08-17	Cleveland at BLA	2–3	8.5	000011000 / 00000003x
1901-08-17	Detroit at the Washington Senators	2–0	9.0	000100001 / 000000000

By the decades

1870s 10 · 1880s 49 · 1890s 49 · 1900s 76 · 1910s 86 · 1920s 72 · 1930s 85 · 1940s 82 · 1950s 84 · 1960s 94 · 1970s 119 · 1980s 122 · 1990s 110 · 2000s 133 · 2010s 142 · 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)