The Catbird Seat

Almanac Edition · every September 4 at once · from the makers of Tearing Up the Pea Patch

SEPTEMBER 4 · 1,428 GAMES ON THE RECORD · 1871–2025

On this date in 1920, The Philadelphia Athletics beat the Washington Senators 5–4 in 12 innings while being out-hit 15 to 6.

The Committee has looked at all 1,428 major-league games played on September 4, from 1871 to 2025, and this is the one that does not behave.

Also on this date

1894-09-04	LS3 at the Boston Braves	11–20
2013-09-04	St. Louis at Cincinnati	5–4	16.0	290 min
1999-09-04	Cincinnati at Philadelphia	22–3	9.0	by 19
1950-09-04	The Philadelphia Athletics at the Yankees	4–3	9.0	59,773 paid

Unfair afternoons — won while out-hit

1920-09-04	The Washington Senators at the Philadelphia Athletics	4–5	12.8	hits 15-6
2004-09-04	The Dodgers at St. Louis	1–5	8.5	hits 10-2
2009-09-04	The Anaheim Angels at Kansas City	2–1	9.0	hits 3-11

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

1898-09-04	CL4 at Cincinnati	0–2	8.5	000000000 / 01100000x
1898-09-04	St. Louis at LS3	1–2	10.8	00000010000 / 00000000101
1899-09-04	The New York Giants at Brooklyn	2–3	8.8	000000020 / 000100002

By the decades

1870s 12 · 1880s 51 · 1890s 70 · 1900s 81 · 1910s 91 · 1920s 82 · 1930s 76 · 1940s 73 · 1950s 70 · 1960s 106 · 1970s 130 · 1980s 111 · 1990s 118 · 2000s 134 · 2010s 139 · 2020s 84

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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)