The Catbird Seat

Almanac Edition · every September 3 at once · from the makers of Tearing Up the Pea Patch

SEPTEMBER 3 · 1,453 GAMES ON THE RECORD · 1872–2025

On this date in 1981, Seattle beat the Boston Red Sox 8–7 in 20 innings. It took 6 hours and 1 minutes.

The Committee has looked at all 1,453 major-league games played on September 3, from 1872 to 2025, and this is the one that does not behave.

Also on this date

1896-09-03	St. Louis at the Boston Braves	7–28
1981-09-03	Seattle at the Boston Red Sox	8–7	20.0	361 min
1894-09-03	WSN at Pittsburgh	1–22		by 21
1962-09-03	The Los Angeles Angels at the Yankees	6–5	9.0	56,964 paid

Unfair afternoons — won while out-hit

1966-09-03	The Washington Senators at the California Angels	6–7	8.5	hits 15-6
1963-09-03	The Yankees at Detroit	2–3	14.7	hits 12-5
1968-09-03	Houston at Pittsburgh	2–3	8.5	hits 11-4

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

1898-09-03	BLN at Pittsburgh	0–1	8.5	000000000 / 10000000x
1901-09-03	The Boston Red Sox at Cleveland	0–1	8.5	000000000 / 00000100x
1901-09-03	The Boston Red Sox at Cleveland	0–4	8.5	000000000 / 01010002x

By the decades

1870s 12 · 1880s 63 · 1890s 60 · 1900s 93 · 1910s 78 · 1920s 88 · 1930s 75 · 1940s 78 · 1950s 86 · 1960s 105 · 1970s 134 · 1980s 117 · 1990s 104 · 2000s 139 · 2010s 141 · 2020s 80

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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)