The Catbird Seat

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

OCTOBER 4 · 365 GAMES ON THE RECORD · 1871–2022

On this date in 1980, Toronto beat the Boston Red Sox 7–6 in 17 innings while being out-hit 22 to 17. It took 4 hours and 38 minutes.

The Committee has looked at all 365 major-league games played on October 4, from 1871 to 2022, and this is the one that does not behave.

Also on this date

1875-10-04	PH1 at PH2	19–10
1980-10-04	Toronto at the Boston Red Sox	7–6	17.0	278 min
1875-10-04	HR1 at NH1	18–0		by 18
1980-10-04	Detroit at the Yankees	7–6	9.0	55,410 paid

Unfair afternoons — won while out-hit

1900-10-04	The New York Giants at Philadelphia	4–5	8.5	hits 14-7
1972-10-04	St. Louis at Pittsburgh	4–3	9.0	hits 7-13
1925-10-04	Cleveland at the White Sox	8–10	8.5	hits 17-12

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

1899-10-04	LS3 at the Cubs	3–4	8.5	002000100 / 00300100x
1900-10-04	St. Louis at Cincinnati	2–1	9.0	010001000 / 010000000
1904-10-04	The Philadelphia Athletics at Cleveland	4–0	9.0	000021100 / 000000000

By the decades

1870s 9 · 1880s 42 · 1890s 31 · 1900s 40 · 1910s 52 · 1920s 13 · 1940s 1 · 1960s 9 · 1970s 11 · 1980s 70 · 1990s 26 · 2000s 28 · 2010s 16 · 2020s 17

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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)