The Catbird Seat

Almanac Edition · every August 31 at once · from the makers of Tearing Up the Pea Patch

AUGUST 31 · 1,362 GAMES ON THE RECORD · 1872–2025

On this date in 1993, Minnesota beat Cleveland 5–4 in 21 innings. It took 6 hours and 17 minutes.

The Committee has looked at all 1,362 major-league games played on August 31, from 1872 to 2025, and this is the one that does not behave.

Also on this date

1887-08-31	NY4 at LS2	11–25
1993-08-31	Cleveland at Minnesota	4–5	21.5	377 min
2004-08-31	Cleveland at the Yankees	22–0	9.0	by 22
1959-08-31	San Francisco at the Dodgers	2–5	8.7	60,194 paid

Unfair afternoons — won while out-hit

1940-08-31	Cleveland at the White Sox	5–4	12.0	hits 7-15
2005-08-31	Minnesota at Kansas City	0–1	8.7	hits 13-5
1970-08-31	Cleveland at the Washington Senators	4–5	8.5	hits 13-6

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

1894-08-31	CL4 at BLN	1–5		000000001 / 10310000x
1899-08-31	The Boston Braves at the Cubs	2–5	8.5	010000100 / 00000050x
1901-08-31	BLA at the White Sox	2–5	8.5	000200000 / 20000300x

By the decades

1870s 7 · 1880s 54 · 1890s 54 · 1900s 81 · 1910s 79 · 1920s 70 · 1930s 66 · 1940s 78 · 1950s 74 · 1960s 98 · 1970s 102 · 1980s 125 · 1990s 119 · 2000s 138 · 2010s 143 · 2020s 74

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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)