13 November 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 November 13. As a bonus, we place the jersey number worn at the time with the athlete as well.

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.

5 - 1 - 9 - 11 - 45 - 14 - 9 - 6 - 8 - 37 - 16 - 21 - 24 - 22 - 27

November 13, 1875 - The Harvard-Yale game became the 1st college football contest with uniforms for each team. The contest has been noted as the first ever when both teams donned coordinated uniforms. The teams fielded fifteen athletes to a side. Harvard students picked crimson over magenta as the school color and athletic nickname.

November 13, 1951 - Lefty O'Doul's all-stars, including Joe DiMaggio, Number 5 and Number 1, Billy Martin, lost by the score of 3-1 to Pacific League all-star team (Japan)

November 13, 1964 - Bob Petit, Number 9 of the St Louis Hawks, became 1st NBA player to score 20,000 points

November 13, 1968 - Rookie, future Basketball Hall of Fame forward, Elvin Hayes, Number 11 scores 54 points in San Diego Rockets' 122-120 win over Detroit Pistons, a career-high

November 13, 1968 - Bob Gibson, Number 45 edged out Pete Rose, Number 14 to win National League MVP

November 13, 1973 - Oakland A's Reggie Jackson, Number 9 unanimously won the American League MVP 

November 13, 1974 - LADodgers Number 6, Steve Garvey won the NL MVP

November 13, 1979 - Pittsburgh Pirates outfielder Willie Stargell, Number 8 and St Louis Cardinals first baseman Number 37, Keith Hernandez share National League MVP Award

November 13, 1985 - Dwight Gooden, Number 16 of the New York Mets youngest 20 game winner, wins Cy Young award

November 13, 1991 - Boston Red Sox Number 21, Roger Clemens won the AL Cy Young Award

November 13, 1996 - San Diego Padres third baseman Ken Caminiti, Number 21 was 4th unanimous winner of NL MVP

November 13, 1997 - Ken Griffey Jr., Number 24 of the Seattle Mariners unanimously won the AL MVP

November 13, 2014 - Clayton Kershaw, Number 22 of the LA Dodgers and Mike Trout, Number 27 won the MVP awards in MLB for 2014

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 Yale football 1876 from a year earlier Yale Bulldogs football team. Left to right, back row: Clark, C. Camp, Hatch, W. Camp, Wurts, Taylor. front row: Davis, Downer, Walker, Baker, Bigelow, Thompson, Morse, taken by an unknown.