The Catbird Seat

Almanac Edition · every September 23 at once · from the makers of Tearing Up the Pea Patch

SEPTEMBER 23 · 1,290 GAMES ON THE RECORD · 1874–2025

On this date in 1990, Philadelphia beat Montreal 2–1 in 15 innings while being out-hit 10 to 7. It took 5 hours and 8 minutes.

The Committee has looked at all 1,290 major-league games played on September 23, from 1874 to 2025, and this is the one that does not behave.

Also on this date

1930-09-23	St. Louis at Philadelphia	19–16	9.0
2019-09-23	Baltimore at Toronto	10–11	14.8	321 min
1890-09-23	PH4 at SL4	2–21		by 19
1950-09-23	The Boston Red Sox at the Yankees	0–8	8.5	63,998 paid

Unfair afternoons — won while out-hit

1948-09-23	Cincinnati at Philadelphia	3–2	9.0	hits 6-14
1934-09-23	The New York Giants at the Boston Braves	3–4	10.8	hits 13-6
1973-09-23	Baltimore at Milwaukee	2–1	9.0	hits 2-9

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

1874-09-23	PH1 at PH2	3–2	9.0	100000011 / 002000000
1898-09-23	Pittsburgh at the Boston Braves	1–2	8.7	000000010 / 000000011
1899-09-23	CL4 at Pittsburgh	1–4	8.5	001000000 / 01000300x

By the decades

1870s 6 · 1880s 57 · 1890s 52 · 1900s 70 · 1910s 69 · 1920s 65 · 1930s 76 · 1940s 66 · 1950s 66 · 1960s 80 · 1970s 107 · 1980s 123 · 1990s 107 · 2000s 141 · 2010s 131 · 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)