Sports Fact of the Day 3/30/2007

3/30/1978:
Hypnotized by the chance to get Red Sox prospect Ted Cox, the Cleveland Indians trade Dennis Eckersley to Boston as the centerpiece of a six-player deal. While Cox never pans out with the Tribe and is out of baseball by 1982, Eckersley will go to 20-8 this season for Boston, helping the Sox tie the Yankees for the AL East title. Using a sidearm delivery and possessing amazing control, the Eck will win 84 games over seven years for Boston before moving on to the Cubs and then Oakland, where he becomes baseball's premier closer. With 197 wins and 390 saves lifetime, he'll earn first-ballot induction into the Hall of Fave in 2004.

Birthdays:
Ripper Collins b. 1904
Willie Gailmore b. 1935
Jerry Lucas b. 1940
Dick Woodson b. 1945
Dave Ellett b. 1964