Sports Facts of the Day 10/3 - 10/9/2007

10/3/1984:

In what proves to be the last Soccer Bowl staged by the soon-to-disband North American Soccer League, the Chicago Sting defeat the Toronto Blizzard, 3-2, at Varsity Stadium in Toronto, sweeping their final-round series two games to none. Pato Margetic scores his second goal of the game with eight minutes remaining to clinch Chicago's second NASL title in four years. Beset by financial difficulties born of insufficient league-wide fan support, the 17-year-old circuit will soon go out of business.

Birthdays:
Marques Haynes b. 1926
Jean Ratelle b. 1940
Dave Winfield b. 1951
Dennis Eckersley b. 1954
Fred Couples b. 1959

10/4/2003:
Ivan "Pudge" Rodriguez scores the go-ahead run in the eighth inning and blocks home plate in the ninth when J.T. Snow tries to score the tying run, leading the Florida Marlins to a 7-6 victory over the San Francisco Giants to clinch their NLDS. Rodriguez, who signed a one-year contract with the Marlins as a free agent after not receiving any other viable offers, proves to be invaluable in their unforeseen charge to the pennant and victory over the Yankees in the World Series. Amazingly, he'll be lowballed again on the free agent market, even by the Marlins, before finally signing with Detroit.

Birthdays:
Rip Repulski b. 1927
Sam Huff b. 1934
Vic Hadfield b. 1940
Tony La Russa b. 1944
A.C. Green b. 1963

10/5/1996:
Three-year-old Skip Away narrowly defeats six-year-old Cigar by a head in the $1 million Jockey Club Gold Cup at Belmont Park. Skip Away stays just a little bit ahead of Cigar the entire race and has enough energy in reserve to hold off a late charge by his celebrated rival. The great Cigar, winner of a record-tying 16 straight races before finally losing this summer at Del Mar in California, will end his career this fall with just under $10 million in lifetime earnings.

Birthdays:
Barry Switzer b. 1937
Laura Davies b. 1963
Mario Lemieux b. 1965
Patrick Roy b. 1965
Grant Hill b. 1972

10/6/1962:
A 4-1 victory by the Toronto Maple Leafs over the NHL All-Stars is overshadowed by news of the Chicago Blackhawks' million-dollar offer to purchase star left-winger Frank Mahovlich so they can pair him with high-scoring Bobby Hull. The Maple Leafs fear a fan backlash if they take the money, so they'll decline the offer and "the Big M" will sign a new four-year contract with a substantial raise in salary.

Birthdays:
Tony Dungy b. 1955
Dennis "Oil Can" Boyd b. 1959
Ruben Sierra b. 1965
J.J. Stokes b. 1972
Rebecca Lobo b. 1973

10/7/1987:
Gary Gaetti becomes the first player ever to hit home runs in his first two postseason at bats, sparking the prohibitive underdog Minnesota Rwins to an 8-5 victory over Detroit in Game 1 of the ALCS before a deafening crowd at the Metrodome. Gaetti's two dingers both come off Doyle Alexander, who had gone 9-0 for the Tigers after being obtained from the Braves in August. Seizing the moment, the unheralded Twins-56-25 at home but a woeful 29-52 on the road during the regular season-will upset Detroit in five games and go on to win the World Series as well, beating the Cardinals in seven games.

Birthdays:
Willie Naulls b. 1934
Dick Jauron b. 1950
Johnnie Morton b. 1971
Priest Holmes b. 1973
Charles Woodson b. 1976

10/8:
Formerly a Steelers running back and now an NFL commentator, Merril Hoge relishes the football intensity that bristles throughout the Pittsburgh community: "Drive into the city on a Monday and you can feel a win or a loss. I used to think it was that way everywhere, but it's not."

Birthdays:
Billy Conn b. 1917
Fred Stolle b. 1938
Paul Splittorff b. 1946
Rashaan Salaam b. 1974
Amos Zereoue b. 1976

10/9/1928:
Babe Ruth hits three home runs in one World Series game for the second time in three years, leading the Yankees to a 7-3 win over the St. Louis Cardinals and a four-game sweep of the Fall Classic. It's the second consecutive sweep for Murderers' Row-they blitzed Pittsburgh last season in similar fashion. Amazingly, they'll win only one more pennany and world title (1932) in Ruth's six remaining years with the club.

Birthdays:
Mike Hershberger b. 1939
Joe Pepitone b. 1940
Mike Singletary b. 1958
Kenny Anderson b. 1970
Annika Sorenstam b. 1970