The Catbird Seat

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

AUGUST 20 · 1,418 GAMES ON THE RECORD · 1872–2025

On this date in 1999, Houston beat Florida 6–4 in 16 innings while being out-hit 15 to 7. It took 5 hours and 44 minutes.

The Committee has looked at all 1,418 major-league games played on August 20, from 1872 to 2025, and this is the one that does not behave.

Also on this date

1889-08-20	BR3 at LS2	18–11
1999-08-20	Houston at Florida	6–4	16.0	344 min
1894-08-20	St. Louis at Brooklyn	4–20		by 16
1948-08-20	The White Sox at Cleveland	0–1	8.5	78,382 paid

Unfair afternoons — won while out-hit

2002-08-20	Kansas City at Toronto	6–5	12.0	hits 7-16
1980-08-20	The Boston Red Sox at Oakland	1–2	8.5	hits 10-2
1980-08-20	St. Louis at Cincinnati	3–4	11.8	hits 15-7

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

1898-08-20	St. Louis at BLN	1–3	8.5	000000010 / 00010011x
1898-08-20	Cincinnati at the Boston Braves	1–2	8.5	000000010 / 10100000x
1898-08-20	Brooklyn at the Cubs	1–2	8.5	000000100 / 00100100x

By the decades

1870s 7 · 1880s 58 · 1890s 64 · 1900s 69 · 1910s 82 · 1920s 74 · 1930s 84 · 1940s 95 · 1950s 69 · 1960s 107 · 1970s 111 · 1980s 115 · 1990s 121 · 2000s 138 · 2010s 139 · 2020s 85

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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)