THIS WEEKEND IN SPORTS HISTORY

SATURDAY

1910 — First appearance of corkcentered baseball in World Series (World Series No. 7).

1955 — New York Yankees begin 16-game exhibition in Japan.

1963 — Jim Brown sets NFL singleseason rushing record with 1,863 yards.

1973 — U.S. President Richard Nixon proclaims Jim Thorpe greatest athlete of first half century.

1976 — New York Nets’ Julius (Dr J) Erving sold to the Philadelphia 76ers.

1982 — During the UEFA Cup match between FC Spartak Moscow and HFC Haarlem at least 63 people are crushed to death.

1984 — New York Islander’s Mike Bossy’s 30th career hat-trick. Scores 4 goals in the game.

1988 — Mark Gastineau sacks New York Jets, retires from football “for personal reasons.”

1988 — Los Angeles first to have both NBA and baseball champions as Los Angeles Dodgers beat Oakland Athletics, four games to one in 85th World Series.

1988 — Reggie Rogers, Detroit Lions’ No. 1 pick, kills three by driving intoxicated.

1990 — Cincinnati Reds sweep Oakland Athletics in four games in the 87th World Series.

2000 — Toronto Blue Jays signs Carlos Delgado to a Major League record four-year, $68-million contract.

2004 — The Boston Red Sox defeat the New York Yankees 10-3 in Game 7 of the Major League Baseball’s American League Championship Series to win the series 4 games to 3. The Boston Red Sox become the first team in baseball history to come back from a 0-3 deficit to win a series. Overcoming a 3-0 series deficit has only happened twice previously in all of professional sports.

SUNDAY

1935 — Hank Greenberg is unanimously selected as American League Most Valuable Player.

1973 — The Oakland Athletics’ win the 70th World Series defeating the New York Mets, 5-2 in Game 7.

1975 — Boston Red Sox Carlton Fisk’s 12th inning home run beats Cincinnati Reds 7-6 in game six of World Series.

1976 — Cincinnati Reds sweep New York Yankees in 73rd World Series.

1976 — New York Knicks retire the team’s first number, 19, of Willis Reed.

1980 — In Game 6 in front of 65,838 fans at Veterans Stadium, the Philadelphia Phillies win their first World Series ever in the 98year history of the franchise by defeating the Kansas City Royals, 4-1.

1984 — Steve Jones runs Chicago Marathon in world record 2:08:05.

1989 — Houston becomes first major college football team to gain 1,000 yards in a game.

1998 — The New York Yankees defeat the San Diego Padres to sweep them in the baseball World Series. The Yankees had a magical season with 114 regular-season wins and 11 post-season victories (125 total — the most by any team in 123 years of Major League Baseball).

2007 — Kimi Räikkönen is crowned world champion as the 2007 Formula One season ends.

Boston’s David Ortiz and Manny Ramirez celebrate Ortiz’ two-run home run in the first inning in Game 7 of the ALCS against the New York Yankees propelling the Red Sox to become the first baseball team to ever come back from an 0-3 playoff series deficit and win, 14 years ago today.