20 August in Sports History

In this edition of the Sports Break, we cover the top events in sports history along with the players and athletes that were a part of them on August 20. As a bonus, we place the jersey number worn at the time with the athlete.

Sports history is made every day of the year. We will preserve at least a small sampling from some great athletes every day based on the uniform number they wore.

4 - 5 - 15 - 41 - 44 - 3 - 20 - 28 - 18 - 37 - 9 - 16 - 24 - 21 - 13 - 16

August 20, 1912 - Washington Senators future Baseball HOF pitcher Walter Johnson wins AL-record 15th straight, beating Cleveland Naps, 4-2; in nightcap Carl Cushion no-hits Naps, 2-0 in 6 innings

August 20, 1915 - Chicago White Sox obtain Shoeless Joe Jackson from Cleveland for Robert Roth, Larry Chappell, Ed Klepfer & $31,500; Jackson involved in 'Black Sox Scandal' 1919

August 20, 1919 - Wichita outfielder Joe Wilhoit (Western League) fails to get a hit, ending a 69-game streak (155 hits in 299 at bats for .505 average)

August 20, 1920 - The American Professional Football Association forms; Jim Thorpe installed as president; later to become the National Football League (NFL)

August 20, 1938 - New York Yankees future Baseball Hall of Fame first baseman Lou Gehrig (Number 4) smashed a record 23rd & final grand slam in 11-3 win over Philadelphia A's at Shribe Park

August 20, 1945 - 17-year-old Dodgers utility Tommy Brown, Number 5 became the youngest player to hit a MLB home run in Brooklyn's 11-1 rout of Pittsburgh Pirates at Ebbets Field

August 20, 1957 - Chicago White Sox hurler Bob Keegan, Number 15 no-hit the Washington Senators, 6-0

August 20, 1958 - Chicago Cubs used their first baseman Dale Long, Number 8 as their 1st major league lefty catcher since 1906

August 20, 1965 - Eddie Mathews (Number 41) and Hank Aaron, Number 44 (1954-65) as teammates crushing balls over the wall surpassed the total number of home runs that Babe Ruth (Number 3) and Lou Gehrig (Number 4) tag-teamed. The Braves pair whalloped 772 HRs while playing together on the same team.

August 20, 1974 - A Nolan Ryan pitch was clocked at a record 161.6 kph (100.4 mph). The legenary pitcher wore Number 30 for the California Angels that season.

August 20, 1980 - New York Yankee Bob Watson, Number 28 nailed the Seattle Kingdome speaker with a ball hit from his bat for the second time in consecutive days

August 20, 1980 - Pittsburgh Pirates centerfield speedster, Omar Moreno, Number 18 robbed a record 70 bases for 3rd consecutive season

August 20, 1980 - Cleveland Indians pitcher Number 37, Dan Spillner, 5.45 ERA, is 2 outs from a no-hitter when Chicago White Sox rookie Leo Sutherland singles

August 20, 1982 - Don Lever becomes first captain of NHL New Jersey Devils. He would wear the Number 9 on his Devi's sweater that year.

August 20, 1985 - Dwight Gooden, Number 16 of the New York Mets struck out 16 on way to his 13th consecutive win. With that Gooden became the first NL pitcher to strike out 200+ in 1st 2 seasons.

August 20, 1989 - New York Met, Howard Johnson, Number 44 joined Barry Bonds, Number 25 as well as Number 24, Willie Mays hitting 30 HRs and to steal 30 bases in a season

August 20, 1990 - New York Yankee Kevin Maas, Number 21 became the quickest MLB batter to reach 15 home runs in about 132 at bats.

August 20, 1991 - Miami Dolphin quarterback, Dan Marino, Number 13 passed Joe Montana, Number 16 as the highest paid NFL player with a 5-year extension for $25 million

A Very Special thanks to information obtained from the following brilliant internet sites: On This Day Sports, the Sports Reference's family of website databases & Stathead.com.

Banner photo is courtesy of Wikimedia Commons of the Shoeless Joe Jackson of the New Orleans Pelicans headed for first base. Pelican Park, New Orleans, 1910, taken by an unknown.