This Day in Sports History

In 1954, New York Giants outfielder Willie Mays made 'the catch' in game one of the World Series.

In 1935, Cleveland's Joe Vosmik entered the day with a four point lead for the batting title. He lost by one point.

In 2001, Seattle's Ichiro Suzuki picked up his 234th hit in his rookie season to pass Shoeless Joe Jackson for most hits for a rookie.

In 1987, New York Yankee Don Mattingly hit his sixth grand slam of the season, setting a new record for 4 RBI four-baggers.

In 1941, Ted Williams scoffed at sitting out the final two games of the year to preserve his .400 average, went 6-8 and finished the year hitting .406.

In 1960, Ted Williams homered in his final Major League at-bat.

In 1938, Chicago Cub player/manager Gabby Hartnett homered in the dark to beat the Pittsburgh Pirates 6-5.

In 1951, LA Ram QB Norm Van Brocklin threw for 554 yards and 5 TDs in a 54-14 win over the New York Yanks. His 554 yards is still the NFL record for passing yards in a game.

In 1968, St. Louis Cardinal pitcher Bob Gibson pitched a complete game, scattered 6 hits, struck out 11, walked none to close out the most dominant season by a pitcher in modern MLB history.

In 1930, golfer Bobby Jones won the US Amateur to give him all four recognized major golf titles.

In 1998, the Prairie View football team snapped their 90-game losing streak.

In 1991, the NHL played its first outdoor hockey game in Las Vegas. It was not a complete disaster but pretty close.

In 2020, #8 Texas rallied from a 15-point deficit against Texas Tech to win in OT.

In 1981, #1 USC scored in the final seconds to beat #2 Oklahoma 28-24.

In 2021, Jacksonville Jaguar Jamal Agnew returned a missed FG 109-yards for a TD, tying the NFL record.

In 2010, Jim Furyk won the FedEx Championship with a $39 bargain bin putter in his bag.

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Stirling Roastery - This DiSH

In 2008, unranked Oregon State upset #1 USC.

In 1971, Marshall beat Xavier in their first home game after the plane crash 10 months earlier, killing 75 players, coaches, staff and fans.

In 1962, Sonny Liston beat Floyd Patterson to win the heavyweight title.

In 1994, the Washington Huskies beat the Miami Hurricanes 38-24, snapping Miami's 58 game home winning streak.

In 1950, Chicago Cardinals QB Jim Hardy threw 8 interceptions in a 45-7 loss to Philadelphia, setting a record in futility that still stands.

In 1994, the Colorado Buffalos beat Michigan on a Hail Mary.

In 1972, Johnny Unitas and Joe Namath launched an aerial battle over Baltimore with 872 yards passing and 8 TDs.

In 1946, Yogi Berra made his major league debut, homering in his second at-bat.

In 1974, the Pittsburgh Steelers and the Denver Broncos played the first official sudden death OT in NFL history. The game still ended in a tie.

In 1990, Illinois' RB Howard Griffith scored 8 TDs in a 56-21 win over Southern Illinois.

In 1927, Jack Dempsey knocked the heavyweight champ, Gene Tunney, to the mat in the seventh round but he didn't retreat to a neutral corner quick enough, giving Tunney an additional five seconds.

In 1986, Miami's Dan Marino and New York Jet Ken O'Brien combined for 884 yards passing and 10 TDs. Jets WR Wesley Walker caught 4 TDs with New York beating Miami 51-45 in OT.

In 1982, the NFL players went on strike. It lasted 57 days.

In 1985, New York Yankee manager Billy Martin got into a bar fight with Ed Whitson, one of his own players.

In 1969, St. Louis Blue Wayne Maki and Boston's 'Terrible Ted' Green got into an on-ice altercation that led to assault charges being filed.

In 2025, Bernie Parent died at the age of 80.

In 1913, Francis Ouimet beat British pros Harry Vardon and Ted Ray to win the US Open Golf Championship, becoming the first amateur to win it. It led to the first golf boom in the US.

In 1998, Cal Ripken pulled himself out of the starting lineup, ending his consecutive games streak at 2632.

In 1987, Chicago Bears RB Walter Payton scored his 107th career rushing TD, passing Jim Brown on the all-time list.

In 1973, Billie Jean King beat Bobby Riggs in the made-for-TV 'Battle of the Sexes' tennis match in the Houston Astrodome.

In 1965, a linesman was added to the NFL ref crew specifically to keep an eye on QBs crossing the line of scrimmage before throwing a pass.

In 2020, golfer Danny Lee took 6 putts to hole out from four feet, carded a 9 on the 18th hole of his third round at the US Open. He withdrew a few minutes later.

In 1959, golfer Jack Nicklaus won the US Amateur as a 19 year old.

In 1963, the New York Mets played the final MLB game at New York's Polo Grounds.

In 2024, LA Dodger Shohei Ohtani became the first 50/50 guy in MLB history.