Tag: sports history

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MLB General

Oct 2 in Sports History: The Babe calls his shot

In 1932: Depending on what you believe, this was the day that Babe Ruth supposedly hit his famous “called shot” in Wrigley Field in the World Series. In the fifth inning, Ruth was being heckled by the Chicago Cubs’ bench and the crowd. After falling behind two strikes, Ruth made what some called a motion toward the centerfield bleachers and what others believed to be a gesture at Cubs pitcher Charlie Root. Either way, Ruth smashed a towering homerun into those bleachers while a stunned crowd looked on in complete silence. They were so shocked that they didn’t even seem to notice Lou Gehrig’s homerun on the very next pitch. The Yank’s easily won the series in four games. (baseball library.com)

In 1970: 14 members of the Wichita State football team were killed when their plane crashed into the Rocky Mountains outside of Denver on its way to Utah. It was one of two planes that were traveling to the game, and the team resumed its schedule three weeks later. The Shockers football program would never be the same, as it had only one more winning season and was discontinued in 1986. It was not the only air tragedy in college football that fall, as the Marshall football program was decimated by a crash a little more than a month later. (espn.com)

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Boston Red Sox

Sep 28 in Sports History: Ted Williams is the last person to hit .400

In 1941: Ignoring his manager’s suggestion that he sit to preserve a .400 average, Ted Williams of the Boston Red Sox decided to play both games of a doubleheader in Philadelphia on the final day of the season. Williams went for 6 for 8 in the two games, and finished the season with a .406 mark, the last player to hit .400 in the major leagues.

and in 1960: In the final at-bat of his career, Williams hit his 521st career homer, a towering, 450-foot drive to the right-centerfield seats at Fenway Park. (baseballlibrary.com)

In 1951: In the opening Friday night game of the season, Norm Van Brocklin of the Los Angeles Rams threw for a record 554 yards in a 54-14 win over the New York Yankees. The record still stands today (Warren Moon  is second with 527 yards in a game). Van Brocklin –subbing for the injured starter– was 27 of 42 with five touchdowns and three interceptions. The Rams also boasted three 100-plus yard receivers, including hall-of-famer Elroy “Crazy Legs” Hirsch (who caught four TD‘s). Van Brocklin later led the Rams to the 1951 NFL title. (The 2006 ESPN Pro Football Encyclopedia)

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Baltimore Orioles

Sep 27 in Sports History: Robbie Alomar spits on an ump


In 1996: Roberto Alomar of the Orioles proved that yes, most professional baseball players are out-of-touch douche bags when he spit in the face of umpire John Hirschbeck following an argument over balls and strikes in Toronto. If that wasn’t bad enough, Alomar remarked after the game, “I used to respect him a lot. He had problems with his family when his son died (of a rare brain disease) — I know that’s something real tough in life — but after that he just changed. He became real bitter.” When hearing Alomar’s words the next day, Hirschbeck charged into the Orioles’ clubhouse and confronted Alomar, but was restrained. More controversy was created when acting commissioner Bud Selig allowed Alomar to play in the postseason and not have to serve a paltry five-game suspension until the beginning of the 1997 season. (baseball library.com)

In 1999: The Detroit Tigers played their final game at Tiger Stadium (also referred to as Griffin Stadium in the early days) with each player wearing the number of a retired great from Detroit. Gabe Kaplar represented Ty Cobb in centerfield and wore no number. The Tigers defeated the Royals 8-2. The stadium opened in 1912 in downtown Detroit and some great moments included the feats of Ty Cobb, Hank Greenberg, Denny McClain’s 31 pitching wins in 1968 and World Series titles in 1935, 1945, 1968 and 1984. (baseballlibrary.com)

In 1984: Jon Facenda, the legendary voice of NFL Films, died at the age of 72. Facenda, who also worked as a Philadelphia anchor, was there at the beginning, narrating the first NFL Films feature “They Call It Pro Football.” His deep, rich voice — revered as “the Voice of God” by football fans — was often mimicked by the likes of Chris Berman (who actually made up “the frozen tundra” — Facenda never said it). He was replaced by Harry Kalas. (wnbc.com)

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Golf

Sep 26 in Sports History: US wins its last Ryder Cup



Man those were ugly uniforms

In 1999: In a stirring Sunday comeback predicted the day before by captain Ben Crenshaw, the United States defeated Europe 14 ½ to 13 ½ to win its 25th (and most recent) Ryder Cup. Trailing 10-6 going onto Sunday’s singles matches at the Country Club in Brookline, MA, the U.S. won 8 ½ points, the most ever for a final round. Justin Leonard’s dramatic 45-foot putt on the 17th green to defeat Jose Maria Olazabal was the signature moment, as the United States team swarmed to Leonard (and stepped on Olazabal’s lie, miffing the Europeans) as the putt dropped.

In 1981: Nolan Ryan of Astros no-hit the Los Angeles Dodgers, 5-0 at the Houston Astrodome. It was Ryan’s fifth career no-hitter, surpassing Sandy Koufax’s record of four. Ryan would go on to throw two more no-hitters in the 1990s, becoming the only player to throw no-no’s in three different decades.

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New York Knicks

Sep 25 in Sports History: Marv Albert gets arrested


In 1997: In one of the most uncomfortable and embarrassing moments in sportscasting history, announcer Marv Albert plead guilty to assault and battery of a female companion in a Virginia hotel room. Albert was accused of repeatedly biting the woman on the back and forcing her to perform sex acts. Albert was immediately fired from his job at NBC, where he did NBA and NFL broadcasts; and he was forced to resign from MSG Network as the voice of the New York Knicks, where he started over 30 years ago. He was rehired by NBC a few years later and became the voice of the New Jersey Nets in 2005 on the YES Network.

In 2001: Despite being “99.9 percent sure” he would never play again, Michael Jordan announced he would be returning (again) to play in the NBA, this time for the Washington Wizards. Jordan, who was already the president of basketball operations, played two more seasons for the lowly Wizards, averaging 21 points and selling out all 82 home games at the MCI Center in Washington (and most arenas on the road). He retired at the end of the 2003 season.

In 1994: In the most shocking upset since Mike Tyson-Buster Douglas, journeyman Oliver McCall knocked out heavyweight champ Lennox Lewis in Lewis’ hometown of London. McCall lost the title shortly thereafter, and is most remembered for his nervous breakdown in the ring in a rematch against Lewis, when he began crying and refused to defend himself. Many speculated that McCall was on drugs. All tests, however, came up negative.

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NFL General

Sep 22 in Sports History: The Replacements


In 1987: Almost five years to the day of the previous work stoppage, the NFL players went on strike against the owners. Guess what was the heart of the issue again? After Week 3 was cancelled, the owners decided they didn’t want to take the financial hit of several lost games like they did in 1982. They hired replacement players to fill the rosters, and the Scabs took the field for three weeks, much to the dismay of coaches and fans. A few of the players actually stuck with NFL squads for years, like John Fourcade in New Orleans and Steve Bono in Pittsburgh (and later Kansas City). The players eventually caved; many crossed the picket lines early and the rest agreed to go back to work without a new CBA.

In 1991 Don Shula of the Miami Dolphins won his 300th career game with a 16-13 victory over Green Bay at Joe Robbie Stadium. Shula is the all-time winningest coach in NFL history, with 328 victories from 1963-1995. (The ESPN Pro Football Encyclopedia)

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NFL General

Sep 21 in Sports History: Monday Night Football debuts


In 1970: An experimental prime time TV show called Monday Night Football made its debut on ABC television (although games were played on Monday nights occasionally in the 1960s). The first “episode” featured a struggling Joe Namath and the Jets losing to the Browns in Cleveland 31-21. It was a sloppy game which featured a Monday Night record 161 penalty yards that still stands today. The game presentation, which featured the first three-man booth (Keith Jackson, Howard Cosell and Don Meredith), was also the first to use multiple camera angles, instant replays and graphics of statistics that we’re used to today. The experiment was an instant success, with 35 percent of the American viewing audience tuning in. MNF lasted for 35 years on ABC until it switched to ESPN for the 2006 season.

In 1982: Following a Monday Night game between the Packers and Giants, the NFL Players Association began a 57-day strike. The main issue was revenue sharing between the players and owners. The season was reduced to nine games and a different playoff format was used. Instead of traditional division play, the top eight teams in the conference standings qualified for the playoffs, with 1-8 seeding. The 8-1 Redskins won the Super Bowl over the 7-2 Dolphins.

(Courtesy of the 2006 ESPN Pro Football Encyclopedia)

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All Other Sports

Sep 20 in Sports History: Billie Jean King defeats Bobby Riggs


In 1973: In a tennis exhibition match at Houston’s Astrodome, Billie Jean King defeated Bobby Riggs in straight sets. Many viewed it as a milestone in women’s sports, despite King being the top-ranked women’s player and Riggs being 55 years old. Riggs defeated Margaret Court, another highly ranked player, earlier in the year.

In 1927: Babe Ruth of the Yankees hit his 60th homerun of the season. The Babe broke his own record of 59, set in 1921. His record would stand until 1961, when Roger Maris hit 61. Maris’s benchmark stood until the late 1990s, when several players eclipsed 61 numerous times.

In 1987: In a game against the Giants, Walter Payton of the Chicago Bears broke Jim Brown’s record with his 107th career rushing touchdown. “Sweetness” broke the record in 12 years and retired following the 1987 season. Emmitt Smith of the Cowboys now holds the record with 164. Payton was inducted into the Hall of Fame in 1993 and sadly died in 1999.

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MLB General

Sep 19 in Sports History: Better Times for the Cubs and Mariners



2001 AL MVP

In 1906 and in 2001: The Chicago Cubs and Seattle Mariners, who are tied for the ML record for wins in a season, both clinched on the same day. The Cubs were the earliest team to ever clinch a pennant and the Mariners led the AL West Division wire to wire (the Detroit Tigers were the last to do it, and they also clinched their division on this day in 1984. While both franchises won 116 regular season games, each failed to win the World Series.

In 1994: Stan Humphries and Tony Martin of the San Diego Chargers hooked up for an NFL record-tying 99 yard touchdown reception in a win over the Seattle Seahawks. Also, in 2005, Ladanian Tomlinson of the Chargers broke the NFL record by scoring a touchdown in 18 consecutive games.

In 1968: The day after the Cardinals were no-hit by Gaylord Perry of the Giants, St. Louis pitcher Ray Washburn returned the favor and tossed a 2-0 no-hitter against San Francisco. It was the only time in baseball history there were no-hitters in consecutive games in the same park.

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MLB General

Sep 18 in Sports History: Dodgers outfielder goes nuts on flight



20 K day

In 1935 Brooklyn Dodgers outfielder Len Koenecke was dismissed from the team by new manager Casey Stengel for erratic play and strange behavior. After being kicked off the flight home for being drunk and threatening the airline crew and passengers, Koenecke, a .297 career hitter, decided to charter his own plane home to Buffalo. On board that plane, he tried to grab the controls and fought with the pilots During the scuffle, the co-pilot reportedly hit Koenecke on the head with a fire extinguisher and killed him. He was 31 years old. (courtesy of baseballlibrary.com)

In 1996: For the second time in his career, Roger Clemens of the Boston Red Sox struck out 20 batters in a 9 inning game. Clemens fanned 20 Detroit Tigers and walked none in a 4-0 Boston vicrory at Tiger Stadium. Clemens also accomplished the feat against the Seattle Mariners in 1986.

In 1986: On the same day they tied the ML record for losses in a season in 1962, the New York Mets clinched the NL East Division crown with a 4-2 win over the Chicago Cubs at Shea Stadium. It was their first division title since 1973, and their 108 victories was the most in the NL since the 1975 Reds. Jubilant Mets’ fans stormed the field in celebration, nearly destroying the playing surface. The Mets went on to defeat Houston in the NLCS and the Red Sox in the World Series.