Davis to move L.A. Raiders

Al Davis ended the stormy 13-year relationship between the Raiders and Los Angeles on this date in 1995 when he signed a letter of intent to move his team back to Oakland, where it had played since its inception in 1960 as a member of the American Football League.

In 1982, Davis brought the Raiders south to play in the L.A. Memorial Coliseum, where the team drew more than 6 million fans while averaging 56,561 a game. It won the Super Bowl in 1983.

But the Raiders began to lose and in their last season, attendance dropped to just above 51,000 a game, and those who did show up had a reputation for being rowdy and inclined to fighting.

The move scuttled a proposal to build a new stadium adjacent to Hollywood Park in Inglewood and Davis’ action came less than three months after the Rams announced they would leave Anaheim for St. Louis.

This week, in baseball games that were postponed because of the COVID-19 pandemic, the Dodgers were scheduled to play the Diamondbacks in the second of three games at Arizona. The Angels were set to play host to the Boston Red Sox in the second of three games at Angel Stadium.

Other memorable games and outstanding sports performances on this date:

1917 — In baseball’s greatest relief effort, Ernie Shore of the Red Sox retires 26 batters for a combined no-hit 4-0 victory over the Washington Senators in the first game of a doubleheader at Fenway Park. Shore relieves Babe Ruth with nobody out and a man on first base, who is thrown out trying to steal. Ruth had been kicked out of the game for arguing with the home plate umpire.

1996 — Michael Johnson qualifies for the Summer Olympics when he breaks the world record in the 200 meters, running 19.66 seconds at the U.S. track and field trials in Atlanta. The previous mark of 19.72 was set by Italy’s Pietro Mennea in 1979 at Mexico City.