1 October 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 October 1. 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.

3 - 27 - 19 - 8 - 17 - 35 - 9 - 39 - 43 - 10 - 34 - 4 - 19 - 22 - 21 - 99 

October 1, 1903 - The first Baseball World Series game ever was played in a matchup of the best American league team versus the top National League squad. In the series the Pittsburgh Pirates beat Boston Americans 7-3 at the Huntington Avenue park. Pirate Jimmy Sebring hit the first home run in World Series history. Deacon Phillippe was the first ever winning pitcher and Cy Young took the loss of the inaugural contest on the mound for Boston.

October 1, 1908 - Future Baseball Hall of Fame pitcher Jack Chesbro records final victory for the NY Highlanders before being waived and claimed by the Boston Red Sox. In the game he helped defeat Walter Johnson and the Washington Senators, 2-1.

October 1, 1919 - Infamous 'Black Sox' Baseball World Series begins with Cincinnati Reds' Dutch Ruether pitching a 6-hitter and hitting 3 RBI on 2 triples and a single for a 9-1 rout of White Sox

October 1, 1922 - St. Louis Cardinals 2nd baseman Rogers Hornsby hits 3-for-5 in 7-1 regular season ending win versus the Chicago Cubs. This timely hitting improved his batting average to .401 making him the only MLB player ever to bat .400 and hit 40 HRs in same season

October 1, 1932 - Number 3, Babe Ruth’s legendary call after ssome unkind words were shouted from the Cubs dugout. Ruth points to center-field before homering into the Wrigley Field bleachers in 5th inning, Game 3 of the World Series. The Yankees won the game, partly due to this monster shot, by the score of 7-5.

October 1, 1933 - Babe Ruth makes his final pitching appearance in the majors. The Bambino pitched all 9 innings in a season ending 6-5 win over his former team, the Boston Red Sox at Yankee Stadium. He helped his own cause too as he hit his 34th home run of the season in 5th inning

October 1, 1933 - Washington Senators coach, wearing Number 27, Nick Altrock played in a MLB game at age 57 as a pinch-hitter; faces Rube Walberg of the Philadelphia A's; goes hitless in 3-0 loss

October 1, 1946 - Cleveland Indians pitcher Bob Feller, Number 19 claims his MLB record 348th strikeout of season in a 4-1 win v Detroit; record stands for 19 years

October 1, 1950 - Philadelphia Phillies clinch NL pennant on Number 8, Dick Sisler's 3-run home run in a season ending 4-1 victory over the Brooklyn Dodgers. This was the Phillies first pennant since 1913.

October 1, 1953 - Brooklyn Dodgers pitcher Carl Erskine, Number 17 set a Baseball World Series record with 14 strikeouts in a 3-2 Game 3 win against NY Yankees at Ebbets Field

October 1, 1955 - Baltimore Colts fullback Alan Ameche, Number 35 becomes the first rookie in NFL history to top 100 yards rushing in his first 2 games; totals 153 against Detroit Lions after 194 yards in debut v Chicago Bears

October 1, 1961 - NY Yankees right-fielder Roger Maris, Number 9 became MLB’s all-time home run leader when he passes Babe Ruth's mark with his 61st of the seson off of Boston rookie Tracy Stallard, Number 39 in 1-0 win at Yankee Stadium

October 1, 1967 - In the Number 43 STP Plymouth, Driver Richard Petty continues phenomenal NASCAR winning streak by taking the Wilkes 400 at North Wilkesboro Speedway; unprecedented 10th consecutive victory

October 1, 1977 - Brazilian soccer great Pelé, wearing Number 10, playedin  his final game for the New York Cosmos in an exhibition against Santos in front of 75,000 at Giants Stadium; 1,281 goals in 1,363 games

October 1, 1989 - Dallas Cowboy defensive end, Ed Too Tall Jones records his 1,000th NFL tackle in a 30-13 defeat to the New York Giants at Texas Stadium

October 1, 1989 - MLB batting titles are decided on final day of regular season: AL, Kirby Puckett (Number 34) goes 2-for-5 edges (Number 4) Carney Lansford of the A's, .339 to .336 averages.Meanwhile in the NL, Number 19, of the padres,Tony Gwynn's 3-for-4 beats Will Clark (Giants Number 22) .336 to .333

October 1, 1995 - Future Baseball HOF pitcher Mike Mussina, Number 35 tossed Baltimore Orioles' 5th consecutive MLB shutout in season ending, 4-0 victory over Detroit Tigers

October 1, 1997 - Minnesota Timberwolves NBA forward Number 21 Kevin Garnett, just 2 years out of high school, signs a record 6-year, $123 million contract extension

October 1, 1999 - Edmonton Oilers retire Wayne Gretzky's Number 99 in a pre-game ceremony before a 1-1 tie v NY Rangers, which in fact was fitting because the Rangers were the last team for which 'The Great One' suited up in an NHL game

October 1, 2004 - Seattle Mariners Japanese outfielder Ichiro Suzuki, Number 51 smacked his 258th hit of the season, breaking George Sisler's 84-year-old MLB single-season record; Ichiro ends season on 262

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 1921 Exhibits baseball card of George Sisler, taken by an unknown.