Sports Fact of the Day 9/25-10/5/2008

Sept. 25:
9/25/1971:
Bringing its football program back to life after a plane crash on the return flight from a game at East Carolina killed 37 players and 8 coaches last November, Marshall scores a touchdown on the final play of the game to edge Xavier, 15-13, and send an emotional home crowd surging onto the field in celebration at Huntington, West Virginia. Quarterback Reggie Oliver tosses a 13-yard touchdown pass to Terry Gardner as time runs out for the victory in Marshall's first home game since last fall's catastrophe.

Birthdays:
Phil Rizzuto b. 1918
Hubie Brown b. 1933
Bob McAdoo b. 1951
Scottie Pippen b. 1965
Chauncey Billups b. 1976

1982:
Ricky Edwards rushed for 177 yards as the Northwestern University football team snapped its 34-game losing streak iwth a 31-6 victory over Northern Illinois.

"Behind running back Rickey Edwards's four touchdowns-and despite Northern supporters bearing KEEP IT ALIVE WITH 35 buttons-Northwestern ended its three-year nightmare 31-6. The win was the Wildcats' first since beating Wyoming 27-22 on Sept. 15, 1979." -Alexander Wolff, October 4, 1982

Packers Fact:
After quarterback Brett Favre, who had apperaed in 223 consecutive games entering 2006, Tackle Forrest Greeg (187) holds the second longest string of games played in Packers' history.

Sept. 26:
9/26/1942:
Though well out of the National League pennant race, the New York Giants are denied a doubleheader sweep when young fans, many of whom had gained free admission by bringing scrap metal for the war effort, run onto the field in droves in the eighth inning of the second game against Boston, causing a forfeit. The Giants won the opener over the Braves, 6-4, and were leading 5-2 in the nightcap when the youthful crowd runs amok and order cannot be restored. While the Giants may have been deprived of a meaningless win in the standings, the cavorting revelers did contribute many tons of scrap metal to be smelted down by the military.

Birthdays:
Bobby Shantz b. 1925
Dave Casper b. 1951
Craig Heyward b. 1966
Craig Janney b. 1967
Serena Williams b. 1981

1981:
Nolan Ryan of the Houstaon Astros pitched a no-hitter against the Los Angeles Dodgers. It was Ryan's fifth career no-hitter, the most of any pitcher.

"Consider the mythic status of Walter Johnson...or consider Lefty Grove, or Bob (Rapid Robert) Feller, or Van Lingle Mungo, or Dizzy Dean, or Dazzy Vance, or Sandy Koufax. ... But all these legends, living and dead, are so many balloon-tossers when compared with Nolan Ryan." -Ron Fimrite, September 29, 1986

Packers Fact:
The 4.75 million shares in the Packers' franchise are owned by 111,967 stockholders.

Sept. 27:
9/27/1959:
Vince Lombardi's debut as head coach of the Green Bay Packers is triumphant when the Pack edges the Chicago Bears, 9-6. His impact on the floundering franchise is immediate. Installing a ball control offense, cohesive defense and the integral ingredient of pride in their collective performance, he builds a championship-caliber team in only two years. From 1961 to '69 the Packers will win five NFL titles.

Birthdays:
Johnny Pesky b. 1919
Kathy Whitworth b. 1939
Mike Schmidt b. 1949
Monte Towe b. 1953
Steve Kerr b. 1965

1988:
The Los Angeles Dodgers righthander Orel Hershiser pitched 10 shutout innings against San Diego to set a record of 59 consecutive scoreless innings.

"As the fly ball disappeared into the glove of Los Angeles Dodger rightfielder Jose Gonzalez, Orel Hershiser watched on bended knees just in front of the pitcher's mound. His posture suggested genuflection, and, indeed, the out was the answer to a prayer." -Hank Hersch, October 10, 1988

Packers Fact:
Safety Willie Wood appeared in every game the Packers played in the 1960s.

Sept. 28:
9/28/1958:
Phillies outfielder Richie Ashburn goes three for four, raising his batting average to .350, which is good enough to hold off Willie Mays (.347) and win his second National League batting title. Mays goes three for five with a double and a homer in his final game, but it's not enough to overtake Ashburn, a speedy singles hitter who played his whole career in the shadow of power-hitting center fielderrs like Mays, Mickey Mantle and Duke Snider. Following his career, Ashburn will become a popular broadcaster for the Phils and finally earn Hall of Fame enshrinement in 1995.

Birthdays:
Alice Marble b. 1913
Tom Harmon b. 1919
Steve Largent b. 1954
Grant Fuhr b. 1962
Emeka Okafor b. 1982

Sept. 29:
9/29/2005:
Journeyman Yankee right-hander Aaron Small completes a remarkable 10-week stretch following his mid-season call-up from the minors to buttress New York's injury-depleted pitching staff. He not only defeats Baltimore, 8-4, at Camden Yards for his 10th straight win without a defeat, but he becomes only the fourth pitcher in big league history to have 10 or more decisions in one season without a loss. Small joins Tom Zachary (12-0 for the 1929 Yankees), Dennis Lamp (11-0 for the 1985 Blue Jays) and Howie Krist (10-0 for the 1941 Cardinals) in the peculiar club.

Birthdays:
Ellsworth Vines b. 1911
Kermit Zarley b. 1941
Carol Blazejowski b. 1956
Sebastian Coe b. 1956
Hersey Hawkins b. 1965

1991:
The United States won the Ryder Cup for the first time in six years when Bernhard Langer missed a crucial, deciding putt.

"The match boiled down to Langer and six feet of Bermuda grass, with the hole and the Cup at stake. When the ball slid over the right edge of the cup, Langer straightened and grimaced as if a knife had been thrust into his back." -John Garrity, October 7, 1991

Packers Fact:
No other team in pro football has had the same nickname in the same city for as long as the Green Bay Packers.

Sept. 30:
Summarizing the progression of Andre Agassi's eventful tennis career from counter-culture rebel to elder statesman and respected ambassador of the sport, ebullient commentator Bud Collins captured it perfectly: "From punk to paragon."

Birthdays:
Robin Roberts b. 1926
Johnny Podres b. 1932
Jamal Anderson b. 1972
Martina Hingis b. 1980
Dominique Moceanu b. 1981

1913:
Francis Ouimet, a 20-year-old amateur, beat the two big men of British golf, Harry Vardon and Ted Ray, and won the U.S. Open at The Country Club in Brookline, Mass.

"It was a case of little David knocking down two Goliaths, and his victory, to put it mildly, was an extremely popular one. It ignited an enthusiasm for golf in great numbers of people across the country whose previous notions about the game had been largely in terms of white flannels and blue blood." -Gwilym S. Brown, June 17, 1963

Packers Fact:
Two men played in every Packers' game during Vince Lombardi's tenure as head coach from 1959 to 1967. Pro Football Hall of Fave tackle Forrest Gregg was one. Wide receiver Boyd Dowler was the other.

Oct. 1:
10/1/1977:
Pele, the world's finest and most beloved soccer player, is honored by a capacity crowd at Giants Stadium and plays a special exhibition game arranged for teh occasion. He plays the first half for the New York Cosmos, his professional team in the North American Soccer League, and the second half for Santos of Brazil, the team of his youthful days in international competition. Delivering a memorable parting thrill for his legion of fans, he scores on a free kick late in the first half for the Cosmos, who go on to win the game, 2-1.

Birthdays:
Rod Carew b. 1945
Grete Waitz b. 1953
Jeff Reardon b. 1955
Mark McGwire b. 1963
Cliff Ronning b. 1965

1975:
Muhammad Ali won the "Thrilla in Manila" when Joe Frazier failed to answer the bell for the 15th round. Though Ali retained his heavyweight championship belt, both fighters were bruised and beaten.

"Ali opened the fight flat-footed, his hands whipping out and back like pistons of an enormous and magnificent engine. ... Head up and unprotected, Frazier stayed in the mouth of the cannon, and the big gun roared again and again." -Mark Kram, October 13, 1975

Packers Fact:
The Packers boast season-ticket holders from all 50 states, as well as from Washington, D.C., Canada, Japan, and Australia.

Oct. 2:
10/2/1972:
In a pivotal game in the American League East pennant race, future Hall of Famers Luis Aparicio and Carl Yastrzemski of the Red Sox end up on third base on the same at bat. Aparicio retreated to third when he was unable to score on a double by Yastrzemski, who thought Little Looie would score easily and advanced to third. Yaz is called out, and the gaffe proves costly. Detroit wins this game, 4-1, and clinches the AL East crown by also beating Boston again tomorrow. Detroit finishes on top with a final margin of just one-half game because of an uneven schedule, occasioned by games being wiped out by a player strike at the outset of the season.

Birthdays:
Maury Wills b. 1932
Dick Barnett b. 1936
Mark Rypien b. 1962
Thomas Muster b. 1967
Eddie Guardado b. 1970

1968:
In Game 1 of the World Series, the St. Louis Cardinals righthanded pitcher Bob Gibson set the Series record by striking out 17 Detroit Tiger batters.

"When he got Willie Horton to end the game, the crowd stood and roared its approval, almost as much at the excellence he had somehow sustained through the season as at the new record. There must be something about Gibson's habits that differs from those of mere mortal pitchers." -William Leggett, October 14, 1968

Packers Fact:
John Brockington was the last Packers' rookie to start at running back on Kickoff Weekend in 1971.

Oct. 3:
10/3/1942:
Whirlaway, ridden by George Woolf, edges Alsab by three-quarters of a length to win the Jockey Club Gold Cup at Belmont Park. It's sweet revenge for the Calumet Farms colt and 1941 Triple Crown winner after losing to Alsab by a nose in a match race earlier this summer. Whirlaway, trained by Ben Jones and carrying a weight-for-age 124 pounds, overtakes three-year-old Alsab (117 pounds) in the latter stages of the two-mile test and is pulling away at the finish. He'll win 13 of his 22 races in 1942 to earn his second straight Horse of the Year award.

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

1980:
The Alabama Crimson Tide routed Kentucky, 45-0, to give coach Paul "Bear" Bryant his 300th career coaching victory.

"He is the enduring symbol of his profession, a coach who could make his players crave his love and respect so desperately that they gave everything they had every Saturday. ... He always said if you gave him players who came from "good mamas and papas," he would take care of the rest." William F. Reed, September 19, 1994

Packers Fact:
Recent additions to the Packers' list of season-ticket holders include people who had put their names on the waiting list of more than 71,000 back in the 1970s.

Oct. 4:
10/4/1980:
Mike Schmidt's major-league-leading 48th home run, a two-run shot in the 11th inning, gives the Philadelphia Phillies a 6-4 victory over the Montreal Expos at Olympic Stadium and clinches the National League East title. Schmidt also leads the NL in RBIs (121), total bases (342) and slugging percentage (.624) as the Phils win their fourth NL East crown in five years. They'll proceed to beat Houston in the NLCS and Kansas City in the World Series to capture their first world championship in franchise history, dating back to 1883.

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

1994:
The 14-year-old tennis prodigy Martina Hingis made her professional debut a successful one by defeating the world's 45-ranked player, Patty Fendick, in straight sets at the European Indoors championships in Zurich, Switzerland.

"There is no question that the young Hingis, the junior French Open and Wimbledon champion, has the talent to play professionally. Hingis demonstrated elegant ground strokes, a champion's two-handed backhand, a sound grasp of strategy and a composure far beyond her years." -Sally Jenkins, October 17, 1994

Packers Fact:
Charles Lee was the last Packers' rookie to start at wide receiver on Kickoff Weekend in 2000.

Oct. 5:
10/5/1952:
Cuban welterweight champion Kid Gavilan defends his title with a unanimous 15-round decision over New Yorker Billy Graham before 40,000 boisterous onlookers in Havana. Gavilan controls the bout from the start, throwing in an occasional bolo punch to excite the crowd and build up a huge lead on points. There are no knockdowns in the fight as Gavilan beats Graham for the third time in four lifetime meetings on an extremely hot night at Gran Stadium.

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