5 February in Sports History

Here is what happened in Sports Jersey History on February 5:  Kareem hits a new NBA high, Hines hauls in a big one and Bob Douglas is honored. Our Sports Jersey Take of the Day is from historian Joe Ziemba. Listen in to learn more about sports history along with me 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.

1 - 34 - 24 - 27 - 33 - 18 - 70 -28 - 86 -10

February 5, 1942 - The Boston Braves obtained the services of lefthanded hitting outfielder Tommy Holmes from the Yankees farm system, Holmes wore the uniform Number 1 for the Braves that season. In return, the pinstriped New York American League team garnered the rights to Number 34 Buddy Hassett and Gene Moore, who wore the Number 24 in 1942 but not for the Yankees but for the Washington Senators.
Moore had his best season hitting in 1936 with the Boston Bees. On May 1st, that season while facing the Pittsburgh Pirate's Waite Hoyt, Moore made Forbes Field history.  He had become the first left-handed batter to launch a home run over that stadium's distant left-field wall It was such a long shot that it also was the first to clear the famous 24-foot-high scoreboard. Barely a year later, he would become the first and only player to perform this feat twice.

February 5, 1960 - Boston Celtics Cener Bill Russell , Number  , became the first player in NBA history to haul down 50 or more rebounds in a single game when he grabbed 51 off of the boards at both ends of the court

February 5, 1969 - Vince Lombardi, becomes part-owner, vice-president, general manager, and head coach of NFL Washington Redskins.

February 5, 1972 - Bob Douglas became the first African American elected to Basketball Hall of Fame. According to the website HoopsHall.com Douglas was:
““The Father of Black Professional Basketball,” as he owned and coached the New York Renaissance from 1922 until 1949. Though racial discrimination was severe and unrelenting, Douglas kept his team focused. The Rens barnstormed from Boston to Kansas City and played any team – black or white – that would schedule them, including the Original Celtics and the Harlem Globetrotters.They often traveled as far as 200 miles for a game, were barred from many hotels and restaurants, often slept on the bus, ate cold meals, and frequently played twice on Sundays before returning to their home base. Despite these obstacles, the Rens became a dominant team, winning over 2,500games. Douglas’s astute eye for basketball talent led him to such greats as Charles “Tarzan” Cooper and “Wee” Willie Smith. Through Douglas’s leadership, the Rens were virtually unbeatable, winning 88 straight games in 1932-33. ”

February 5, 1980 - Joe Louis Arena, Detroit - At the 32nd edition of the NHL All-Star Game, the Wales Conference doubled up the Campbell Conference, 6-3. The game’s MVP was Philadelphia Flyers, RW Reggie Leach, who wore the Number 27 that season for the Flyers.

February 5, 1989 - Future Hall of Fame player Kareem Abdul Jabbar, Number 33 became 1st NBA player to score 38,000 points in his career. The great center did it by scoring 18 points against the New Jersey Nets in a 134-116 victory.

06 Feb 1989, Mon Longview Daily News (Longview, Washington) Newspapers.com

February 5, 1991 - The Los Angeles Kings, Number 18, Dave Taylor becomes 29th NHL skater to score 1000 points for his career. The righthanded Right Winger of the Kings end up with a grand total of 1069 points before his career was over in the NHL.

February 5, 1991 - Radio Shock-Jock Howard Stern kissed New York Football Giant Leonard Marshall's backside over bet. Stern lost the wager claiming the Giants would lose the Super Bowl thus he had to pucker up on Number 70’s rear end. The Giants of course defeated the Buffalo Bills in Super Bowl XXV for the gam in question on the famous “Wide Right” ending with a missed field goal by Scot Norwood. JUst a few weeks prior to the Big game though Leaonard had perhaps the best game of his career in the League. He registered two sacks, four tackles and two forced fumbles in the NFC Championship Game where the Giants had to play the two-time defending Super Bowl champion San Francisco 49ers. In the final stanza of the game, Marshall famously hit then 49ers quarterback Joe Montana so hard that he suffered a bruised sternum, bruised stomach, cracked ribs, and a broken hand. Montana was forced to leave the game and would not play another regular season game for almost two years! That game  in December 1992 ended up being the last game for Number 16, Montana with the 49ers.

February 5, 1995 - Aloha Stadium, Honolulu, - At the NFL Pro Bowl,  the AFC beat the NFC, 41-13. The MVP of the game was Marshall Faulk who then played for the Indianapolis Colts, RB, who wore Number 28.

February 5, 2006 - Ford Field, Detroit - The Pittsburgh Steelers outlasted the Seattle Seahawks, 21-10 in Super Bowl XL. the game MVP was Pittsburgh's Number 86,  Wideout Hines Ward, who caught some key passes none larger than the 43 TD strike from fellow receiver Antwan Randle El on a gadget play.

February 5, 2012 - Lucas Oil Stadium, Indianapolis - Super Bowl XLVI’s Most Valuable Player was New York Giants QB, Number 10 Eli Manning. The New York Giants beat New England Patriots, 21-17.

February 5, 2017 - NRG Stadium, Houston - Super Bowl LI saw the New England Patriots comeback and steal one in overtime against the Atlanta Falcons, 34-28. The late game heroics of QB Number 12 Tom Brady of New England, earned him the MVP award of the game.

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 1905 Basketball Team Hehe, taken by an unknown.