1 February in Sports History

Here is what happened in Sports Jersey History on February 1: Some former stars garner executive roles in their respective sports, a Negro League Legend is elected to the Baseball Hall of Fame and a young lady in high school sets a scoring record! Listen in to learn more about these stories of sports history and more from the uniforms and jerseys the players wore. 

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 - 99 - 24 - 20 - 5 -12 - 77 - 

February 1, 1913 - Perhaps the most prominenant World all-round athlete American Jim Thorpe signs to play baseball with the NY Giants. He had just won Gold at the 1912 the Olympic in Sweden.

February 1, 1914 - In an exhibition baseball game in Cairo, Egypt, the Chicago White Sox and New York Giants play a 10-inning, 3-3 tie in an exhibition MLB game as part of special 56-game world tour.

February 1, 1919 - The National League's Brooklyn Robins franchise traded former NL MVP Jake Daubert to the Cincinnati Reds for outfielder Tommy Griffith as the result of a salary grievance

February 1, 1950 - Green Bay Packers founder, player and coach Curly Lambeau resigns after 31 seasons and 6 NFL titles to his credit

February 1, 1955 - Hap Day becomes the first man to serve as Toronto Maple Leafs' captain, coach and general manager when he is appointed to run the famous Canadian NHL club. Day wore Number 4 during his Maple Leafs tenure on the ice.

February 1, 1959 - Outfielder Zack Wheat, a Brooklyn Robins favorite of the club from 1909 through 1927, was selected to become inducted into the Baseball Hall of Fame. Wheat hit .317 over 19-year career, and batted .300 or better an amazing 14 times during the span of his career.

February 1, 1962 - The National League of baseball released its first ever162-game schedule. The increase of games was due to growth with the addition of the New York Mets and the Houston Colt 45s.

February 1, 1967 - The 10-team American Basketball Association (ABA) with George Mikan as Commissioner is formed and lasts 9 years; its three-point shot remains a feature of the game. Mikan who starred on the Minneapolis Lakers from 1948 through 1956 wore Number 99 during his playing days. Make sure you chck out Rick Loayza on the Basketball History 101 Podcast on the Sports history Netowrk where he has multiple episodes with stories about Mikan, including a couple times where Mikan and the Lakers played the Harlem Globe Trotters.

February 1, 1968 - Green Bay Packers Head Coach Vince Lombardi stepped down from his position with the franchise. Longtime Packer assistant, Phil Bengtson took over as clubs's general manager for the 1968 season.

February 1, 1970  Long time New York Rangers' goalie Terry Sawchuk records his 447th and final win between the pipes, and his 103rd career shutout, both were NHL records at the time, as his New York team blanked the Pittsburgh Penguins, 6-0. The highly decorated goal tender wore Number 99.

February 1, 1973 - Outfielder Monte Irvin is elected to the Baseball Hall of Fame by the Special Committee on the Negro Leagues. Though he wore Number 20 for much of his career with the New York Giants, Historian Larry Lester has researched that Irvin wore the Numbers 6, 16, and 18 in the Negro Leagues.  He also wore Number 7 in his initial year on the Giants roster and 39 later with the Chicago Cubs. Mr. Irvin is the fourth inductee through the special committee. You can find more on Larry Lester's research on the Negro League players in an interview on Sports Jersey Dispatch about his great book, The Negro Leagues that he co-wrote.

February 1, 1992 - Pittsburgh Pirates Outfielder Barry Bonds signed the highest single year contract in MLB history, $4.7 million with the franchise. The slugger wore Number 24 for 6 of of his 7 seasons with the Pirates and then spent 15 later years wearing Number 25 with the San Francisco Giants.

February 1, 1992 - Defenseman Denis Potvin's became the first player of the New York Islanders to have his number retired by the club. Potvin who wore Number 5 played his entire 15 year NHL career in NY.

February 1, 1995 - At the Delta Centre in Salt Lake City, Utah Jazz Number 12, Guard John Stockton passed Magic Johnson's all-time NBA assists mark of 9,221, in a 129-98 win over the Denver Nuggets. Stockton played with the Jazz from 1984 through 2003.

February 1, 1997 - Future Hockey Hall of Fame defenseman Ray Bourque scores a goal and an assist to become the Boston Bruins' all-time scoring leader, with 1,341 points in an 18-year NHL career. He wore the Number 77 for the majority of his hockey career but was known as Number 7 in your programs in the first 11 of his eventual 23 seasons playing in the League.

February 1, 2004  - Reliant Stadium, Houston, Texas - What a game Super Bowl XXXVIII was to match the League’s top two teams, the Carolina Panthers and the New England Patriots. New England Patriots edged by the Carolina Panthers, 32-29. The big game Most Valuable Player Number 12, Quarterback Tom Brady who had set a Super Bowl record for the most pass completions with 32.

Speaking of Brady and the Patriots... TB12 captured another Super Bowl MVP honor on this date in 2015 at University of Phoenix Stadium, Glendale, Arizona.  -  Super Bowl XLIX saw the Patriots denied the Seattle Seahawks another Lombardi as they held on to win by the score of 28-24 with a later interception at the goal line.

February 1, 2006 High school senior Epiphanny Prince scores US girls national prep basketball record 113 points in Murry Bergtraum HS's 137-32 win over Brandeis HS in doing so she surpassed Cheryl Miller's 105 from a few years earlier.

February 1, 2009 - The Arizona Cardinals and the Pittsburgh Steelers butted heads in Super Bowl XLIII.  A remarkable end of the first half 100 yard pick six by Number 92 James Harrison, and some late offensive heroics by Number 7 QB Ben Roethlisberger hooking up with game MVP Number 10, Santonio Holmes on a toe tap touchdown, allowed the Steelers to prevail 27-23.

February 1, 2014 Denver Broncos quarterback Peyton Manning, who wore Number 18,  becomes all-time record-holder for MVP trophies, winning his 5th at the NFL Honours in New York; also 2013 Offensive Player of the Year

February 1, 2014 Number 8 Ray Guy who played for the Oakland/LA Raiders became just second kicker only player, and first pure punter to be inducted into the Pro Football Hall of Fame.

The banner photo is of Jim Thorpe with the New York Giants of the National League of Baseball, at the Polo Grounds ready to bat in 1913. Courtesy Wikimedia Commons and taken by the Bain News Service.

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