THIS DAY IN SPORTS HISTORY - OCTOBER 31ST

1888 - John Boyd Dunlop patents the pneumatic bicycle tire.

1921 - Federation Sportive Feminine International is formed.  This becomes the first Woman Track & Field Association.

1943 - Sammy Baugh, Washington Redskins, passes for 6 touchdowns against Brooklyn, 48-10.

1968 - Milwaukee Bucks win their first game, after five attempts, beating Detroit 138-118.

1987 - Chris Antley becomes the first jockey to win 9 races in one day at Belmont.

1987 - A pair in Coventry, England ties world record for the longest singles tennis match at 80 hours 21 minutes.

1988 - First Monday Night NFL game in Indianapolis as the Colts defeat Denver, 55-23.

1993 - 25 people are killed during a soccer match between Ghana and the Ivory Coast.

1993 - US wins the Nichirei International LPGA Golf Tournament.

1999 - Yachtsman Jesse Martin returns to Melbourne after 11 months of circumnavigating the world, solo, non-stop and unassisted.

HAPPY HALLOWEEN!!!

Rick Pitino & Jim Leyland continue what they are good at

Louisville has given Rick Pitino a five-year contract extension that will keep the coach with the Cardinals through the 2021-22 season. His $3.9 million base salary remains the same, but he will earn a $600,000 retention bonus every other year from 2014 to 2022. The deal includes incentives for being chosen AP national coach of the year ($100,000) and winning the Big East Conference regular season title ($50,000). ''The one thing I realized is that I don't know if I could live without basketball,'' said Pitino, 60. ''I wouldn't have the highs and the lows, and I guess every coach lives for that. I've been playing this game since I was 6 years of age, and it's been such a passion of mine.''

Jim Leyland insisted throughout the latter part of the season that there would be a time and a place to discuss his managing future. That moment came Tuesday - when the Detroit Tigers announced Leyland would be back in 2013 with a one-year contract extension. ''I really don't know why this is such a shock to everybody, because we told everybody that we weren't going to talk about this until after the season,'' Leyland said. ''It's not even 48 hours and it's done. I think it was pretty much exactly like we had planned it.''

Peavy and Floyd return to the White Sox for another shot at the title

From as far back as Spring Training 2012, Jake Peavy talked about his honest hope to avoid a first foray into free agency and stay with a White Sox organization he now considered home. Peavy backed up his hope to remain with the White Sox by proving himself on the field two years removed from surgery to reattach his lat muscle and showing himself as a consummate veteran leader off the field. And on Tuesday, the White Sox desire and Peavy's desire officially came together in a two-year, $29 million extension for the talented right-handed starter. The contract calls for Peavy to receive $14.5 million in both 2013 and '14. If he reaches certain innings-pitched thresholds over the course of both the 2013-14 seasons, he can extend the contract to include the '15 season at a salary of $15 million.

White Sox general manager Rich Hahn's first deal as the man in charge was a high-impact maneuver, giving the club six quality starting pitchers when factoring in the team picking up Gavin Floyd's $9.5 million option for 2013 and Hector Santiago. That depth presents the White Sox with flexibility in working in John Danks from his 2012 season-ending shoulder surgery, while also giving the South Siders room to make trades with a precious commodity. But this day was about Peavy, who first received a White Sox offer the Monday following the end of the regular season.

Major League Baseball 2012 Gold Glove Winners

American League                                                                     
C: Matt Wieters, BAL (2nd award)                                          
1B: Mark Teixeira, NYY (5)                                                 
2B: Robinson Cano, NYY (2)                                                   
3B: Adrian Beltre, TEX (4)                                                        
SS: J.J. Hardy, BAL (1)                                                          
LF: Alex Gordon, KC (2)                                                          
CF: Adam Jones, BAL (2)                                                         
RF: Josh Reddick, OAK (1)                                                      
P: Tie: Jeremy Hellickson, TB (1); Jake Peavy, CWS (1)    

National League
C: Yadier Molina, STL (5)
1B: Adam LaRoche, WAS (1)
2B: Darwin Barney, CHC (1)
3B: Chase Headley, SD (1)
SS: Jimmy Rollins, PHI (4)
LF: Carlos Gonzalez, COL (2)
CF: Andrew McCutchen, PIT (1)
RF: Jason Heyward, ATL (1)
P: Mark Buehrle, MIA (4)    P: Mark Buehrle, MIA (4)

THIS DAY IN SPORTS HISTORY - OCTOBER 30TH

1871 - Philadelphia Athletics beat Chicago for the 1st National Association Baseball Pennant.

1919 - Baseball league presidents call for the abolishment of the spitball.

1922 - Anxious to compete with the Yankees, the NY Giants pay $65,000 and 3 players for Jack Bentley (hits .349 & is 13-1 as a pitcher in 1922).

1945 - Branch Rickey signs Jackie Robinson to a Montreal Royals contract.

1956 - Dodgers sell Ebbets Field to a real estate group as they agree to stay until 1959, with an option to stay until 1961.

1967 - Arthur Allyn says the White Sox will play 9 games in Milwaukee in 1968.

1967 - Ferdinard Bracke bicycles word record time (48,093 km).

1974 - California Angels pitcher Nolan Ryan throws fastest record pitch of 100.9 MPH.

1974 - Muhammad Ali KOs George Forman in the 8th round in Kinshasa Zaire.

1993 - The Toronto Maple Leafs lose their first NHL game of the season after going 10-0-0.

THIS DAY IN SPORTS HISTORY - OCTOBER 29TH

1939 - NHL Babe Seibert Memorial Game: All-Stars beat Montreal 5-3.

1942 - Branch Rickey is named President and General Manager of the New York Yankees.

1945 - Happy Chandler resigns as a US Senator, but remains as baseball commissioner.

1950 - Cleveland Browns' Marion Motley sets a record for the highest average gain in a game with 17.1 yards on 10 attempts as Cleveland defeats Pittsburgh, 45-7.

1960 Muhammad Ali's, Cassius Clay, 1st professional fight as he beats Tunney Hunsaker in the 6th Round.

1967 - Danny Abramowicz begins his NFL streak of 105 consecutive game receptions.

1972 - Don Cockroft of the Cleveland Browns kicks a 57-yard field goal.

1986 - San Diego Padres pitcher LaMarr Hoyt is arrested at the US-Mexico border for drugs.

1987 - Thomas Hearns wins his unprecedented 4th different weight boxing title.

1991 - Buck Showalter replaces Stump Merrill as the NY Yankees manager.

San Francisco Giants sweep Detroit Tigers in 108th World Series

Marco Scutaro singled home the tie breaking run in the 10th inning, and the San Francisco Giants beat the Detroit Tigers 4-3 on Sunday night to complete a four-game sweep and win their second World Series title in three years.  Ryan Theriot, who went hit less for St. Louis in Game 7 of last year's Series, singled softly into right field off Phil Coke opening the 10th. Brandon Crawford sacrificed, nearly bunting the ball past Coke. Angel Pagan struck out and Scutaro singled into short center field as Theriot slid home ahead of Austin Jackson's throw.

Pablo Sandoval hit three home runs in his first three at-bats in Game 1 and for that monstrous performance Sandoval captured the World series MVP trophy and a new Corvette. Sandoval is the fourth player to hit three home runs in a World Series game, after Albert Pujols last year, Reggie Jackson in 1977 and Babe Ruth, who did it in 1926 and 1928.

Rubber Ducky, Woof Woof!

MY DOG RILEY IN HIS HALLOWEEN, DUCK, COSTUME!

ISN'T HE A CUTE COCKAPOO!!

THIS DAY IN SPORTS HISTORY - OCTOBER 28TH

1900 - After over five months the 2nd Olympics in Paris, France closes.

1924 - The White Sox beat the NY Giants 8-4 in Dublin as less than 20 fans attend.

1934 - Brooklyn and Pittsburgh play a penalty free NFL game.

1952 - Babe Didrikson-Zaharias wins LPGA Women's Texas Golf Open.

1953 - Red Barber resigns as the Dodger sportscaster to join the New York Yankee's booth.

1961 - Ground is broken for the Municipal (Shea) Stadium for the NY Mets.

1975 - Calvin Murphy of the Houston Rockets begins his NBA free throw streak of 58 games.

1976 - Billy Martin of the New York Yankees is names as the AL Manager of the Year.

1989 - Oakland A's sweep the San Francisco Giants in the earthquake/BART series.

1997 - NBA announces hiring of Dee Kantner and Violet Palmer as the 1st women to officiate a major-league all-male sports league.

THIS DAY IN SPORTS HISTORY - OCTOBER 27TH

SORRY ABOUT THIS POST BEING LATE, BUT I HAD COMPUTER ISSUES TODAY!

 

1961 - American Basketball League starts play.

1974 - Chantal Langlace runs female world record marathon at 2:46:24.

1980 - Astros owner John McMullen replaces General Manager Tal Smith with Al Rosen.

1980 - Dave Gryllis sets world bicycle speed record of 94.37 kph.

1985 - Anthony Carter begins his NFL streak of 100+ consecutive game receptions.

1992 - Don Baylor is hired as the first manager of the Colorado Rockies.

1995 - Contract finalizing Cleveland Browns move to Baltimore is signed.

1996 - US beats Japan, 21.5 - 14.5, at Nichirei International Golf Tournament.

2002 - Anaheim Angels defeat the San Francisco Giants 4-3 to capture the World Series championship as Troy Glaus is named MVP.

2004 - The Boston Red Sox win the World Series for the first time in 86 years.

 

 

THIS DAY IN SPORTS HISTORY - OCTOBER 26TH

1863 - Football Association is formed in England, standardizing soccer.

1869 - First American Steeplechase horse race is run in Westchester, New York.

1934 - While Washington player-manager Joe Cronin honeymoons with Mildred Robertson, the niece and adopted daughter of team owner Clark Griffith, he is sold to the Red Sox.

1951 - Rocky Marciano defeats Joe Louis at Madison Square Garden.

1960 - AL approves Washington Senators move to become the Minnesota Twins and announces franchises in Los Angeles and Washington DC for 1961.

1975 - Cuba beats Mexico for its 4th Pan Am Games Gold Medal in baseball.

1985 - On a poor call in Game 6, umpire Don Deckinger starts a string of events costing the Cardinals the World Series.

1993 - NFL announces new expansion team, Carolina Panthers in Charlotte.

2000 - NY Yankees defeat the NY Mets 4-1 to win their third straight World Series championship as Derek Jeter captures the MVP Trophy of the Series.

2005 - Chicago White Sox defeat the Houston Astros 4-0 in baseball's World Series championship as Jermaine Dye captures the MVP Trophy of the Series.

THIS DAY IN SPORTS HISTORY - OCTOBER 25TH

1621 - Governor Bradford of the US colony Plymouth disallows sports on Christmas Day.

1926 - Lester Patrick becomes first coach and general manager of the New York Rangers.

1953 - Cleveland Browns' QB Otto Graham sets a club record with 4 fumbles.

1956 - Chicago manager Marty Marion resigns as the White Sox replace him with Al Lopez.

1964 - Anton Geesink is the first non-Japanese Olympic Judo Gold medal winner.

1968 - Longest Olympic field hockey game as Holland beats Spain 1-0 in 2HR 25M in 6 OT.

1973 - Cubs trade future Hall of Famer Fergie Jenkins to the Texas Rangers for Bill Madlock and Vic Harris.

1973 - San Francisco Giants trade future Hall of Famer Willie McCovey to the San Diego Padres for Mike Caldwell.

1978 - San Diego Padres Gaylord Perry is the first pitcher to win the Cy Young in both leagues.

1990 - Evander Holyfield KOs Buster Douglas in the 3rd Round for the Heavyweight boxing title.

My Cockapoo's blog.
My daughter's blog.

THIS DAY IN SPORTS HISTORY - OCTOBER 24TH

1857 - The world's first soccer club is formed in England, Sheffield F C.

1913 - Future Hall of Famer Joe Tinker is fired as Cincinnati Reds manager.

1939 - Joe DiMaggio wins AL MVP, Jimmie Foxx is runner-up.

1974 - Billy Martin, of the Texas Rangers, is named AL Manager of the Year.

1978 - The NHL Toronto Maple Leafs set a team record of 28 points against their rival New York Islanders.

1984 - Steffi Graf plays her first pro tennis match.

1986 - The LA Dodgers' star Bill Russell, 38, announces his retirement.

1988 - Mike Bossy, NHL's highest scorer, retires from the NY Islander's.

1989 - After a weeks delay due to an earthquake, World Series Game 3 is played between Oakland and San Francisco.

2004 - 10 people, including four family members of Rick Hendrick, are killed in a plane crash near Martinsville Speedway.  The plane was owned by NASCAR team Hendrick Motorsports.

Guillen is out as Marlins skipper with three years left on contract

The lingering backlash caused by Ozzie Guillen's praise of Fidel Castro contributed to another Miami Marlins managerial shakeup Tuesday.  Guillen was fired after only one year with the team, undone by too many losses and one too many ill-advised remarks.

A promising season began to derail in April with his laudatory comments about Cuba's former leader. Six months later, the episode was a factor in the decision to fire Guillen, Marlins officials said.  ''Let's face it. It was not a positive for the team; it was not a positive for Ozzie,'' president of baseball operations Larry Beinfest said. ''It was a disappointment, no doubt about it.''

A lousy team didn't help, either. The Marlins took high hopes into their new ballpark following an offseason spending spree but finished last in the NL East at 69-93, their worst record since 1999.  Miami's next manager will be the fifth for owner Jeffrey Loria since early 2010. The latest change comes even though Marlins still owe Guillen $7.5 million for the three years remaining on his contract.  There had speculation that Beinfest's job might also be in jeopardy, but he'll continue in his current role. The search for a new manager has just begun, he said.

White Sox Adam Dunn captures AL Comeback Player of the Year Award

Earning The Sporting News' American League Comeback Player of the Year Award, as picked by his peers, was a gratifying honor for White Sox designated hitter Adam Dunn.

"It's an award I hope I never win again," Dunn said during a conference call Tuesday afternoon. "It's one of those that's bittersweet. "One of two things has to happen: Either you are injured for most of the year or you have a really bad, terrible season. The good thing is it's a semi-turnaround."

Dunn, 32, captured this particular award with 41 homers, 96 RBIs, 105 walks and 87 runs scored over 151 games in 2012 for the White Sox. He topped the Majors with those 105 walks, not to mention the 4.43 pitches per plate appearance he saw. Players voted for Dunn even with his .204 batting average and 222 strikeouts, which left him two short of setting the single-season Major League record in this individual category. Batting average has never been a crucial statistic for the prolific slugger, who notched his 1,000th career RBI on Aug. 13 at Toronto and hit his 400th career home run on Aug. 18 at Kansas City. Dunn was affected by a strained right oblique for much of September.

Major League Baseball's Comeback Player of the Year awards, announced last Friday, went to Tampa Bay's Fernando Rodney and the Giants' Buster Posey. This version was voted on by the 30 MLB.com beat writers.

THIS DAY IN SPORTS HISTORY - OCTOBER 23RD

1920 - Chicago grand jury indicts Abe Attell, Hal Chase and Bill Burns as go-between in the Black Sox World Series scandal.

1921 - the Green Bay Packers play their first NFL game as they capture a 7-6 victory over Minneapolis.

1945 - Jackie Robinson signs a contract with the Montreal Royals.

1955 - The Dominican League moves to winter baseball for the first time.

1964 - Japan beats Russia for their first Olympic Gold medal in woman's Volleyball.

1967 - New Jersey Americans, later the NY/NJ Nets, play their first ABA basketball game.

1974 - The Chicago Cubs trade future Hall of Famer, Billy Williams, to the Oakland A's for Manny Trillo, Darold Knowles and Bob Locker.

1984 - The Cubs Rick Sutcliffe is selected as the unanimous choice for the NL Cy Young.

1996 - The NY Yankees set a record by coming back from a 6-0 deficit in a World Series game to beat the Atlanta Braves 8-6, also setting a record for their 7th straight road win.

1997 - Les Alexander, owner of the Houston Rockets, buys the NHL's Edmonton Oilers.

Giants on to the World Series with a 9-0 win over Cards

Hunter Pence hit a bizarre, two-run double, Matt Cain pitched his second clincher of October and the San Francisco Giants won their record-tying sixth elimination game of the postseason, beating the defending World Series champion St. Louis Cardinals 9-0 in Game 7 of the NL championship series Monday night.

Marco Scutaro matched an LCS record with 14 hits in the series and Pablo Sandoval drove in a run for his fifth straight game. The Giants returned to the World Series two years after winning it all, getting the final out in a downpour.

The Detroit Tigers, who have been waiting on their opponent since finishing a four-game ALCS sweep of the Yankees last Thursday, get another trip to the Bay Area after clinching the division series in Oakland.

The Giants are the 11th team in postseason history to overcome a 3-1 deficit in a seven-game series and the first since the 2007 Boston Red Sox came back to beat the Cleveland Indians in the ALCS. (St. Louis fans should be familiar with such heartbreak. The 1996, '85 and '68 Cardinals also blew 3-1 leads while going on to lose the series.)

Though the NLCS went seven games, it featured only one lead change and that was when Matt Carpenter hit a two-run homer in the bottom of the third in Game 3. San Francisco outscored St. Louis 27-2 in its four wins while St. Louis outscored San Francisco 17-8 in its three victories.

The Giants will welcome the Detroit Tigers to AT&T Park for Game 1 of the World Series on Wednesday night. It's the second time in three years that the Fall Classic will begin in San Francisco.

THIS DAY IN SPORTS HISTORY - OCTOBER 22ND

1884 - Sporting Life announces that both pennant winners will meet in a 3 game series October 23-25 at the Polo Grounds in New York City to determine a baseball champion.

1885 - John Ward and several teammates secretly for the Brotherhood of Professional Base Ball Players which becomes the first baseball union.

1933 - Primo Carnera defeats Paulin in 15 rounds for the Heavyweight boxing title.

1967 - Joe DiMaggio is hired as executive VP of the Oakland A's by Charlie Finley.

1976 - Rick Barry, San Francisco, begins then the  of 60.

1978 - Grete Weitz runs the female world record marathon (2:32:29.8).

1985 - Bret Saberhagen gives the Kansas City Royals their first World Series win.

1996 - New York Yankee Bernie Williams hits record tying 7th post season HR, as Yankees tie record of 6th straight post season road win en route to 8.

1997 - Coldest World Series game, 38 F, as the Florida Marlins face the Indians in Cleveland.

1997 - New York Ranger Wayne Gretzky's wife Janet in knocked unconscious and gets two stitches while watching the game as a plexiglass panel falls on her.

THIS DAY IN SPORTS HISTORY - OCTOBER 21ST

1911 - Manitoba, Saskatchewan and Alberta Unions form the Western Canada Rugby Football Union.

1964 - Braves ask NL to allow them to leave Milwaukee for Atlanta.

1973 - Oakland A's manager Dick Williams quits after A's beat the Mets in the World series.

1973 - Fred Dryer of the then Los Angeles Rams becomes the first player in NFL history to score two safeties in the same game.

1975 - Boston Red Sox Carlton Fisk's 12th inning HR beats the Cincinnati Reds 706 in Game 6 of the World Series.

1976 - New York Knicks retire their first uniform number, #19, Willis Reed.

1979 - Ozzie Newsome begins his NFL streak of 150 consecutive games with a reception.

1989 - First black owners (Betram Lee & Peter Bynoe) to own a major sports team, purchasing the Denver Nuggets for $65m.

1984 - Niki Kauda becomes three time motor racing world champion.

1990 - Esther Canseco calls Oakland A's manager Tony La Russa a "punk" for not starting husband Jose in the World series.

No. 5 Notre Dame beats BYU 17-14 behind Riddick

Theo Reddick is Notre Dame's smallest running back but Brigham Young learned he's got no shortage of power.

The 5-11, 200-pound Riddick ran for a career-high 143 yards against a Cougars defense that entered the game third in the nation against the rush. More importantly, Riddick sparked a ground game that ground out 270 yards, with his housemate, Cierre Wood, getting 114 yards and George Atkinson III scoring the go-ahead touchdown as the Irish rallied for a 17-14 win Saturday.

Notre Dame (7-0), off to its best start in a decade, has a big game ahead against No. 10 Oklahoma next week, although it looked for a while the importance of that game was in jeopardy. The Cougars (4-4) fell to 0-3 on the road as they surrendered a season-high 270 yards rushing.

Backup quarterback Tommy Rees, starting in place of injured Everett Golson, completed 6 of 7 passes in the first quarter for 86 yards and a touchdown, throwing four of those to Tyler Eifert, including the TD. But Rees missed his next seven passes and the Irish attempted only three passes in the second half.

Martinez rallies Nebraska past Northwestern, 29-28

Taylor Martinez threw for 342 yards and three touchdowns and Nebraska rallied to beat Northwestern 29-28 on Saturday.

The Cornhuskers (5-2, 2-1 Big Ten) rallied from 12 down in the fourth, taking a one-point lead when Martinez hit Ben Cotton with a 7-yard pass with just more than 2 minutes left, and hung on when a 53-yard field goal attempt by Northwestern's Jeff Budzien barely missed wide right with 1:10 remaining. That kept Nebraska in the thick of the Legends division race after being blown out at Ohio State two weeks earlier.

Quincy Enunwa added 110 yards receiving, while Kenny Bell caught six passes for 77 yards and a touchdown. Ameer Abdullah ran for 101 yards on a day when Rex Burkhead left with an unspecified injury after a short run early on.

Venric Mark led Northwestern (6-2, 2-2) with 118 yards rushing, including an 80-yard touchdown that made it an 11-point game early in the third. Trevor Siemian threw for two touchdowns but was just 15 of 35 for 116 yards as the Wildcats lost for the second time in three games.

THIS DAY IN SPORTS HISTORY - OCTOBER 20TH

1910 - First appearance of a cork centered baseball in the World series.

1924 - First Negro League World Series - KC Monarchs shuts out Hilldales, 5-0.

1934 - All-Star team led by Babe Ruth and Connie Mack sails to Hawaii and Japan.

1946 - Chicago Cardinals Frank Seno returns a kickoff 105 yards against the NY Giants.

1963 - Jim Brown sets the NFL single-season rushing record at 8,390 yards.

1976 - New York Nets Julius "Dr. J" Erving is sold to the Philadelphia 76ers.

1988 - Reggie Rogers, the Detroit Lions #1 pick, kills 3 by driving drunk.

1992 - First World Series game outside of the United States as Toronto beats Atlanta.

1996 - Annika Sorenstam wins the LPGA Samsung World Championship of Women's Golf.

1996 - Atlanta Braves Andruw Jones is the youngest player to homer in a World Series.

Chicago Cubs’ Billy Goat Curse: Ten Heartbreaking Near-World Series Moments

The Chicago Cubs last won a World Series in 1908. They last played in one in 1945, the year of the "Billy Goat Curse." Since 1969, the Cubs have come close to the World Series seven times. Each time, though, something happened to reflect the Billy Goat Curse. Some postseason series even had multiple things go wrong.  For those Cubs fans check here for 10 cursed moments that have kept the Cubs out of the World Series:

http://sports.yahoo.com/news/chicago-cubs-billy-goat-curse-ten-heartbreaking-near-205300136--mlb.html

Timberwolves' Kevin Love out 6-8 weeks with broken hand

Kevin Love returned from the London Olympics determined to do what every one of his U.S. teammates have already done — lead his team to the playoffs.The Minnesota Timberwolves will likely have to begin the first month of that pursuit without him.

The two-time All-Star broke his right hand in a morning workout Wednesday and will miss six to eight weeks. Love broke the third and fourth metacarpals on his shooting hand in a workout before practice. It's a crushing blow to the Timberwolves, who already will be without star point guard Ricky Rubio for what is expected to be at least the first six weeks of the regular season while he recovers from a torn ACL in his left knee.

The Timberwolves open the regular season at home against Sacramento on Nov. 2.

Nowitzki has knee surgery, could miss 6 weeks

Star forward Dirk Nowitzki had arthroscopic surgery on his ailing right knee Friday and the 11-time All-Star isn't expected to resume on-court activities for about six weeks.  Dallas opens the regular season in 11 days at the Los Angeles Lakers.

''It's never going to be easy to lose a game-changer for six weeks,'' Mavericks coach Rick Carlisle said. ''We're going to have to make up for it in other areas.''  The 34-year-old Nowitzki has experienced swelling in the knee most of the preseason, twice having the knee drained since training camp started Sept. 29. The knee didn't improve after rest, ice and light conditioning work, leading to the decision to have surgery.

THIS DAY IN SPORTS HISTORY - OCTOBER 19TH

1919 - Reds beat the White Sox, 5 games to 3 in the 16th World Series that is known as the black sox scandal as 8 White Sox throw the series.

1933 - Berlin Olympic Committee votes to introduce basketball into the Olympics in 1936.

1941 - Anna Lee Wiley of Mexico become the firs female jockey in North America.

1949 - A's trade 2nd baseman Nellie Fox to the Chicago White Sox for Joe Tipton.

1951 - Babe Didrikson-Zaharias wins the LPGA Texas Women's Golf Open.

1957 - Maurice "Rocket" Richard of the Montreal Canadiens becomes the first NHLer to score 500 goals.

1975 - Cleveland Browns' Don Cockroft kicks club record 5 field goals.

1983 - The Philadelphia Flyers begin their 13 NHL game win streak.

1987 - Woody Woodard resigns as the NY Yankee General Manager, Lou Piniella is named the GM and Billy Martin is named the NY Yankee manager for the 5th and final time.

1997 - Sandy Alomar of the Cleveland Indians captures the 700th home run in a World Series game.

Tigers rout Yankees 8-1 for 4-game ALCS sweep

Prince Fielder waved his arms franticly, gleefully calling off his teammates before catching the final out.  From the moment Fielder signed his massive contract in January, an entire city had been waiting for a moment like this.

Max Scherzer capped a stupendous stretch for Detroit's starting rotation, and the Tigers advanced to the World Series for the second time in seven years by beating the New York Yankees 8-1 Thursday for a four-game sweep of the AL championship series.

Miguel Cabrera and Jhonny Peralta hit two-run homers in a four-run fourth inning against CC Sabathia, who was unable to prevent the Yankees from getting swept in a postseason series for the first time in 32 years.

The game ended with Fielder, Detroit's $214 million acquisition, catching Jayson Nix's popup. The Tigers spilled onto the field for a celebration that began near second base and eventually moved closer to the third-base line.  General manager Dave Dombrowski hugged manager Jim Leyland - who is in the final year of his contract - while owner Mike Ilitch rubbed Leyland's right shoulder.  Detroit won its 11th American League pennant and first since 2006. The Tigers have five days off before the World Series starts Wednesday at defending champion St. Louis or 2010 winner San Francisco.

Without a World Series title since 1984, Detroit lost to Texas in last year's ALCS, lost slugger Victor Martinez to a season-ending injury in the January and quickly replaced offense by signing Fielder. The excitement of that bold acquisition subsided a bit when the Tigers struggled to a 26-32 start in the AL Central, but they overtook the Chicago White Sox in the final 10 days of the regular season and won the division with an 88-74 record, matching the Cardinals for the fewest wins among the 10 playoff teams.

THIS DAY IN SPORTS HISTORY - OCTOBER 18TH

1889 - First all New York City World Series as the NY Giants (NL) go up against Brooklyn (AA).

1891 - First international 6-day bicycle race in the US begins at Madison Square Garden.

1930 - Joseph Sylvester becomes first jockey to win 7 races in one day.

1953 - Willie Thrower becomes first black NFL quarterback in modern times.

1960 - Casey Stengel is retired by the New York Yankees after winning 10 pennants in 12 years.

1967 - AL votes to allow Athletics to move from KC to Oakland and expand league to 12 teams in 1971 with KC and Seattle teams.

1968 - Bob Beamon of the USA sets Long Jump record of 29 ft. 2.5 in. in Mexico City.

1968 - US Olympic Committee suspends Tommie Smith and Carlos for giving the "black power" salute as a protest during a victory ceremony.

1974 - Chicago Bull Nate Thurmond becomes the first in the NBA to complete a quadruple double - 22points, 14 rebounds, 13 assists and 12 blocks.

1992 - Philadelphia Eagles Randall Cunningham sets the NFL Quarterback scramble record of 3,683 yards. 

Brenly leaves Cubs booth, is he heading home to Arizona?

Bob Brenly is leaving the Cubs' television booth and informed WGN-TV that he will not return for the 2013 season. Brenly, 58, just finished his eighth season with the Cubs.

"Working here in Chicago was one of the most enjoyable experiences of my professional career," Brenly said Wednesday. "The Ricketts family, everyone associated with the Cubs and WGN and, most importantly, Cubs' fans everywhere, will always be in our hearts, and [my wife,] Joan, and I wish nothing but the best for the organization moving forward.  "I was very blessed to have the best play-by-play man in the game as my partner for eight years and Cubs' fans are very fortunate to have Len Kasper as the voice of the Cubs," Brenly said. "I'll miss working with him, and we look fondly toward returning to Chicago in the future."

Brenly could transition into the Arizona Diamondbacks' broadcast booth. Arizona is looking for both a television play-by-play broadcaster and an analyst to replace the team of Daron Sutton and Mark Grace. The organization decided to not bring back Sutton, who was suspended for much of the 2012 season, and Grace, a former Cubs first baseman, who was arrested for his second DUI offense this past August.

Kasper and Brenly were together eight seasons, and Kasper is signed to do the Cubs TV broadcasts through 2016.

THIS DAY IN SPORTS HISTORY - OCTOBER 17TH

1860 - First British Golf Open as Willie Park shoots a 164 at Prestwick Club.

1920 - Decatur Staleys, later to be known as Chicago Bears, play first NFL game and win 7-0.

1964 - Yankees fire manager Yogi Berra.

1974 - NBA New Orleans Jazz begin a 28 game road losing streak.

1974 - Oakland A's beat the Los Angeles Dodgers 4 games to 1 in the 71st World Series to become the only team besides the Yankees to win 3 straight series. 

1978 - NY Islanders start a streak of 23 undefeated games at home (15-0-8).

1982 - Robin Yount is the first player to have two 4-hit games in a World Series.

1987 - First indoor World Series game is played at the Metodome in Minneapolis.

1989 - Earthquake in San Francisco of 6.9, killing 67, cancels the third game of the World Series.

1991 - Pittsburgh Penguins Paul Coffey sets NHL defensemen scoring record with 1,053 career points (309 goals and 744 assists).

THIS DAY IN SPORTS HISTORY - OCTOBER 16TH

1936 - Lou Gehrig is voted AL MVP by the BBWAA.

1968 - During the Olympics, Tommie Smith and John Carlos give black power salute.

1968 - Milwaukee Bucks play their first NBA game losing 89-84 to the Chicago Bulls.

1969 - 100-1 shot New York Mets Beat the Baltimore Orioles 5-3 and win the 66th World Series in 5 games.

1969 - Mets Cleon Jones awarded first base when shoe polish on ball proves be is hit by a pitch and then later scores on a HR in the World Series.

1976 - Toronto Maple Leaf Lanny McDonald scores a hat trick in 2 minutes 54 seconds.

1987 - Mike Tyson TKOs Tyrell Biggs in the 7th round for the Heavyweight boxing title.

1988 - Orel Hershiser is the first pitcher to throw a shutout in both the playoffs and World Series.

1990 - Eric Davis of the Cincinnati Reds is the 22nd player to homer in his first World Series at bat.

1991 - Dallas Mavericks Roy Tarpley becomes the 7th player to be banned from the NBA for life under the league's anti-drug agreement.

Has Ray Lewis played his last football game?

Ravens linebacker Ray Lewis will miss the remainder of the season with an arm injury, an enormous blow to an already depleted defense that has uncharacteristically struggled this year.

Lewis tore his right triceps during Sunday's 31-29 victory over Dallas. The 37-year-old Lewis leads Baltimore in tackles and is the voice of experience in the huddle.

''Ray in the locker room afterward, we didn't know (the extent of the injury) but he was worried about it,'' Ravens coach John Harbaugh said Monday. ''He said some things about his faith. He said some things that I'll never forget.''

Over a spectacular 17-year career, Lewis has been invited to 13 Pro Bowls, was named Super Bowl MVP and is a two-time NFL defensive player of the year. He turns 38 in May, so it's possible that Sunday's game was his last.

Reds extend manager Dusty Baker's deal for 2 years

Reds owner Bob Castellini couldn't imagine Dusty Baker leaving.  The 63-year-old manager got a two-year contract extension Monday, giving him another chance to take Cincinnati deep into the playoffs. They've been there twice in the last three years, failing both times to get past the division series.

Baker missed the Reds' NL Central title celebration this year because he was hospitalized with an irregular heartbeat and a mini-stroke. He returned and lost ace Johnny Cueto at the start of their series against San Francisco, which ended with the Giants rallying to win Game 5.

THIS DAY IN SPORTS HISTORY - OCTOBER 15TH

1912 - Red Sox Tris Speaker makes the only World Series unassisted double play from the Outfield.

1928 - Walter Johnson signs a 3-year contract to manage the Senators.

1933 - The NFL Philadelphia Eagles play their first game, but get shutout by the NY Giants 56-0.

1946 - Yankees Enos Slaughter scores from first on a single in the World Series.

1957 - Giants trade Minneapolis franchise to the Red Sox for SF Seals franchise only, not the players.

1964 - NY Yankees appears in 14 of the last 16 World Series while winning 9 of them.

1969 - Madison Square Garden TV Network begins with the NHL Rangers going up against the North Stars.

1979 - NY Knicks retire their second number, #10 belonging to Walt Frazier.

1983 - Blackhawks & Maple Leafs combine for the fastest 5 goals (84 seconds).

1988 - With 2 outs in the bottom of the 9th inning, an injured Kirk Gibson hits his dramatic 2 run HR that gives the Dodgers a 5-4 win in the first game of the World Series.

THIS DAY IN SPORTS HISTORY - OCTOBER 14TH

1862 - Baseball player James Creighton ruptures bladder hitting a HR and dies four days later.

1905 - Giants' Christy Mathewson's completes his third straight World Series shutout.

1906 - All Chicago World Series, first AL victory as the White Sox win 4 games to 2 while the Cubs share of $439.50 is the lowest for a World Series team.

1908 - Smallest crowd at World Series, 6,210 fans see the Cubs beat the Tigers.

1911 - Largest baseball crowd ever of 38,281 at the Polo Grounds see the Giants beat the A's 2-1 with the gate receipt becoming a record at $77,379.

1964 - Roger Maris and Mickey Mantle hit HRs on back-to-back pitches.

1970 - The NBA Cleveland Cavaliers lose to the Buffalo Braves in their first game, 107-92.

1972 - Oakland A's Gene Tenace is the first player to homer in his first two World Series at bats.

1979 - "The Great One", Wayne Gretzky scores his first NHL game.

1998 - Eric Robert Rudolph is charged with 6 bombings including the 1996 Centennial Olympic Park bombing in Atlanta, Georgia.

Notre Dame squeeks by Stanford in OT to remain undefeated

Notre Dame knew what was coming. Stanford doesn't get cute inches from the goal line and after three years of getting pushed around by the Cardinal, the Fighting Irish pushed back, winning the most important shoving match they've had all season.

A wall of Notre Dame defenders stopped Stepfan Taylor inches from the end zone on fourth down in overtime and the seventh-ranked Irish remained unbeaten with a 20-13 victory against the No. 17 Cardinal on a soggy Saturday in South Bend.

Taylor went up the middle and was knocked back, but kept reaching and turning with bodies underneath him. His knee never did hit the ground before reaching the ball across the goal line. But the officials ruled it was too late. The whistle had blown, and that meant the play was stopped.  Taylor finished with 102 yards on 28 carries. He needed 103.

The celebration had to wait for a replay review. The call stood. Irish fans who weren't already on the field spilled out of the stands, and Notre Dame's national title hopes remained alive. The Irish are 6-0 for the first time since 2002.

THIS DAY IN SPORTS HISTORY - OCTOBER 13TH

1903 - Pilgrims beat Pirates 5 games to 3 in the first World Series.

1914 - Boston Braves sweep the Philadelphia A"s for the first time in World Series history.

1947 - First NHL All-Star game as the All-Stars beat Toronto 4-3 in Toronto.

1960 - Pittsburgh Pirate's Bill Mazeroski's bottom of the 9th lead off HR beats the NY Yankees 10-9 in game 7 of the 57th World Series.

1971 - First World Series night game as Pittsburgh defeats Baltimore 4-3.

1982 - IOC Executive Committee approves the reinstatement of Jim Thorpe's gold medals from the 1912 Olympics.

1991 - Toronto Blue Jays Cito Gaston is the first black manager ejected in a playoff game.

1993 - Mighty Ducks win their first NHL game.

1996 - NY Jet Nick Lowery breaks Jan Stenerud NFL field goal record at 374.

1996 - Yankees, 3, and Orioles, 3, combine to tie play off record of 6 HRs.

Cardinals fall behind early, score 4 in the 9th to stun the Nationals

Doesn't matter how bad things look for the St. Louis Cardinals. Trailing by a bunch, down to their last strike, they simply stay calm and do what it takes to win. Erasing an early six-run hole in Game 5 slowly but surely, the defending World Series champion Cardinals got a tying two-out, two-run single from Daniel Descalso and a go-ahead two-run single from Pete Kozma in the ninth inning and came all the way back to beat the Washington Nationals 9-7 Friday night and win their NL division series.  It was the largest comeback ever in a winner-take-all postseason game, according to STATS LLC. No other club in this sort of ultimate pressure situation had come back from more than four down.  Next up the Giants on Sunday in San Francisco.

Yankees hold on to beat the O's as the Tigers hit the road to New York

CC Sabathia turned and looked over his right shoulder, watching intently after Nate McLouth turned on a 93 mph fastball and sent it soaring down the right-field line.  McLouth's long drive was called foul by the slimmest of margins - hello, Jeffrey Maier - and New York hung on to beat Baltimore 3-1 Friday in the deciding Game 5 of the AL division series.  With Alex Rodriguez benched, the Yankees advanced to the AL championship series against the Detroit Tigers, starting Saturday night in the Bronx.  The Orioles were in a foul mood, stung on a close play in right that echoed what happened across the street at the old Yankee Stadium in the 1996 AL championship opener, on a fly ball involving the young Maier that still stirs emotions in Baltimore.

THIS DAY IN SPORTS HISTORY - OCTOBER 12TH

1853 - John Morrissey wins boxing title when Yankee Sullivan leaves the ring after the 36th round to slug a Morrissey's fans.

1913 - John McGraw, after drinking, blames Wilbert Robinson's coaching mistakes for a World Series loss while Robertson blame McGraw and is later fired.

1923 - NY Giant's Casey Stengel HR beats Yankees 1-0 in the World Series.

1925 - Albert Michelsen runs world record marathon, 2:19:01.8.

1929 - Chicago Cubs blow an 8-0 World Series lead, as the A's score 10 runs in one inning on the way to the victory.

1967 - St. Louis Cardinals beat the Boston red Sox, 4 games to 3 in the 64th World Series as Lou Brock steals a record 7 bases in one series.

1968 - Norma Enriqueta Basilio Satelo is the first woman to light the Olympic flame.

1975 - Jacqueline Hansen runs women's world record marathon, 2:38:19.

1986 - California Angels are within one pitch of a pennant victory while eventually losing to the Red Sox.

1991 - Doug Flutie of the BC Lions sets CFL passing record of 582 yards despite losing to Edmonton 45-38 in overtime.

Tigers advance to ALCS

In a game that Justin Verlander had in hand from the very first pitch, Detroit Tigers kept their late season momentum rolling as they defeated the Oakland A's on Thursday night. The Tigers next opponent will be the winner of the Yankees/Orioles series as Baltimore outlasted NY 2-1 in 13 innings to compete in a fifth and deciding game on Friday night.

Giants win 3 in a row and eliminate the Reds to capture the NLDS

Not just any comeback would get San Francisco back to playing for a pennant. It would take one of Giant proportions.  And Buster Posey believed it could happen. Even after the Giants left the West Coast down two games, the National League batting champion insisted his team could pull it off, despite the long odds.

With one swing, he got everyone else believing it, too.  Posey hit the third grand slam in Giants' postseason history on Thursday, and San Francisco pulled off an unprecedented revival, moving into the championship series with a 6-4 victory over the Cincinnati Reds.  They'll play either Washington or St. Louis for the NL pennant, Sunday, not caring at all who they face.  ''We could go up against anybody at any time,'' shortstop Brandon Crawford said. ''Being down 2-0 and coming back and winning three at their place, it's an unbelievable feeling.''

Alex Karras, Detroit Lions defensive great turned actor, dies at the age of 77

Alex Karras was one of the NFL's most feared defensive tackles throughout the 1960s, a player who hounded quarterbacks and bulled past opposing linemen.  And yet, to many people he will always be the lovable dad from the 1980s sitcom "Webster" or the big cowboy who famously punched out a horse in "Blazing Saddles."  The rugged player, who anchored the Detroit Lions' defense and then made a successful transition to an acting career with a stint along the way as a commentator on "Monday Night Football," died Wednesday. He was 77.  Karras had recently suffered kidney failure and been diagnosed with dementia. The Lions also said he had suffered from heart disease and, for the past two years, stomach cancer. He died at home in Los Angeles surrounded by family members, said Craig Mitnick, Karras' attorney.

Born in Gary, Ind., Karras starred for four years at Iowa. Detroit drafted Karras with the 10th overall pick in 1958, and he was a four-time All-Pro defensive tackle over 12 seasons with the franchise.  He was the heart of the Lions' defensive line, terrorizing quarterbacks for years. The Lions handed the powerful 1962 Green Bay Packers their only defeat that season, a 26-14 upset on Thanksgiving during which they harassed quarterback Bart Starr constantly.  Karras played his entire NFL career with the Lions before retiring in 1970 at age 35. He was a first-team All-Pro in 1960, 1961 and 1965, and he made the Pro Bowl four times. He missed the 1963 season when he was suspended by NFL Commissioner Pete Rozelle in a gambling probe. Karras was recognized by the Pro Football Hall of Fame as a defensive tackle on the All-Decade Team of the 1960s.

Playing a not-so-bright bruiser in Mel Brooks' "Blazing Saddles," he not only slugged a horse but also delivered the classic line: "Mongo only pawn in game of life."  Several years before that, Karras had already become a bit of a celebrity through George Plimpton's behind-the-scenes book about what it was like to be an NFL player in the Motor City, "Paper Lion: Confessions of a Second-string Quarterback."  That led to Karras playing himself alongside Alan Alda in the successful movie adaption -- Karras and Plimpton remained friends for life, and one of Karras' sons is named after Plimpton. It opened doors for Karras to be an analyst alongside Howard Cosell and Frank Gifford on "Monday Night Football."  In the 1980s, Karras played a sheriff in the comedy "Porky's" and became a hit on the small screen as Emmanuel Lewis' adoptive father, George Papadopoulos, in the sitcom "Webster."  He also had roles in "Against All Odds" and "Victor Victoria." He portrayed the husband of famed female athlete "Babe" Didrikson Zaharias in the TV movie that starred Susan Clark, who later became his wife. The two formed their own production company and it was Clark who played the role of his wife on "Webster."  Recently, his wife said Karras' quality of life has deteriorated because of head injuries sustained during his playing career.

THIS DAY IN SPORTS HISTORY - OCTOBER 11TH

1911 - Ty Cobb (AL) & Frank Schulte (NL) are the first league MVP's and receive an automobile.

1923 - Babe Ruth hits 2 HRs in a single World Series game.

1925 - NY Giants play first NFL game and lose to Providence 14-0.

1943 - NY Yankees beat Cardinals 4 games to 1 in the 40th World Series and become the first team to win 10 World Series titles.

1960 - Radio-TV executive John Fetzer buys a controlling interest of the Detroit Tigers.

1967 - The Boston Red Sox collect a World Series record with three players hitting consecutive HRs in a game (Carl Yastrzemski, Reggie Smith & Rico Petrocelli).

1975 - NY Islander's Bryan Trottier's captures his first career hat trick.

1991 - Chip Beck ties the PGA lowest 18 hole score at 59.

1992 - Deion Sanders plays for the Atlanta Falcons (NFL) & the Atlanta Braves (MLB).

1997 - Dennis Rodman returns from the second longest NBA suspension, 11 games.

Chicagoans remember Bill Jauss, 81

Tributes are piling in after the news of the passing of Bill Jauss at the age of 81. 

The popular local sportswriter began his career writing at the Chicago Daily News. He later moved on to the Chicago Today until that afternoon paper was absorbed by the Tribune in 1974, and Mr. Jauss continued to write for the Tribune until he retired in 2005.

Chicagoans will best remember Mr. Jauss as one of the original panelists of The Sports Writers on TV. The show debuted in 1985 with Jauss, Bill Gleason, Rick Telander and moderator Ben Bentley, then moved to Sportschannel and ran until 2000, when Fox Sports Network didn't pick it up.

THIS DAY IN SPORTS HISTORY - OCTOBER 10TH

1892 - Entire Hong Kong national cricket team die in a shipwreck off Taiwan.

1908 - Baseball Writers Association is formed.

1920 - Phoenix Cardinals, then in Chicago, play first NFL game to a 0-0 tie.

1920 - Indian Bill Wambsganns makes first unassisted World Series triple play.

1921 - NFL Decatur Staleys become Chicago Staleys and win 14-10.

1923 - NY Giants & NY Yankees become first teams to play each other for 3 consecutive World Series, also first played at Yankee Stadium.

1961 Expansion draft brings in Houston Astros and New York Mets.

1976 - Greece's 98 year-old Dimitrion Yordanidis is the oldest man to compete in a marathon as he posts a time of 7:33.

1979 - Quebec Nordiques' Real Cloutier sets NHL record by collecting a hat trick in hist first game.

1994 - New York Giants retire Lawrence Taylor's #56.

Sandusky gets at least 30 years while still denying wrongdoing

In what sounded at times like a locker room pep talk, Jerry Sandusky rambled in his red prison suit about being the underdog in the fourth quarter, about forgiveness, about dogs and about the movie ''Seabiscuit.''

With his accusers seated behind him in the courtroom, he denied committing ''disgusting acts'' against children and instead painted himself as the victim.

And then, after he had said his piece, a judge sentenced him to 30 to 60 years in prison Tuesday, all but ensuring the 68-year-old Sandusky will spend the rest of his life behind bars for the child sexual abuse scandal that brought disgrace to Penn State and triggered the downfall of his former boss, football coach Joe Paterno.

THIS DAY IN SPORTS HISTORY - OCTOBER 9TH

1909 - Ty Cobb steals home in a World Series game.

1915 - Woodrow Wilson become the first president to attend a World Series game.

1916 - Babe Ruth begins 29 2/3 scoreless World Series innings.

1928 - New York Yankees become the first team to sweep consecutive World Series.

1938 - Cleveland Browns & Chicago Bears play a penalty free NFL game.

1951 - Gil McDougald's World Series grand slam help the Yankees beat the Giants 13-1.

1958 - New York Yankees appear in nine of the last ten World Series while being victorious in seven of them.

1961 - New York Yankee Whitey Ford breaks Babe Ruths' record of 29 2/3 consecutive innings.

1974 - Frank Robinson is hired by the Cleveland Indians and becomes the first black baseball manager.

1989 - Art Shell becomes the first NFL black coach as he leads the LA Raiders 14-7 over the New York Jets on Monday Night Football.

THIS DAY IN SPORTS HISTORY - OCTOBER 8TH

1818 - Two English boxers are first to use padded gloves.

1915 - Phillies win their first and only World Series game before 1980, beating Red Sox, 3-1, with an 8th inning 2 run rally.

1929 - A's Howard Ehmke (7-2) sets World Series record by striking out 13 Cubs.

1950 - Cleveland Brown play Pittsburgh for the first time, as they defeat the Steelers 30-17.

1953 - Birmingham Alabama, bars Jackie Robinson's Negro-White All-Stars from playing there.  Robinson gives in and drops white players from his group.

1956 - Don Larsen, NY Yankees, pitches only perfect World Series game against Brooklyn.

1957 - Brooklyn Dodgers announce move to Los Angeles.

1961 - Whitey Ford breaks Babe Ruth's World Series record of 29 2/3 consecutive scoreless innings, running his streak to 32.

1972 - Harold Carmichael begins NFL streak of 127 consecutive game receptions.

1983 - Washington Capitals play in the first NHL overtime game losing to the NY Islanders 8-7.

THIS DAY IN SPORTS HISTORY - OCTOBER 7TH

1927 - New York Yankee Herb Pennock retires first 22 Pirates in a World Series game.

1935 - Detroit Tigers beat the Chicago Cubs, 4 game to 2 in the 32nd World series.

1936 - Seventh place Brooklyn Dodgers fire their manager Casey Stengel.

1940 - Reds Bucky Walters in the first pitcher in 14 years to homer in a World Series game.

1950 - The Yankees win their 13th world championship as they sweep the Phillies.

1952 - NY Yankees beat the Dodgers 4 games to 3 in the 49th World Series and tie their own record of 4 consecutive World Series wins.

1964 - NY Yankees make their 14th appearance in the last 16 series and the 29th in the last 61 World Series contests.

1984 - Walter Payton, Chicago Bears, passes Jim Brown as the NFL's career rushing leader.

1989 - Rickey Henderson steals a record 8 bases in a five game playoff series.

1991 - Scorecard Harry, Space Appeal & Cafe Lex in the 9th race at Belmont Track, create the second ever triple dead heat in NY thoroughbred racing history.

Tigers, Reds strike first. Francona goes to Cleveland

DETROIT:  The Detroit Tigers fired the opening shot of the ALDS, recording a 3-1 victory over the Oakland A's at Comerica Park on Saturday night.  Justin Verlander did exactly what he was supposed to do as one of the league's leading aces, shaking off a leadoff home run to Coco Crisp and dominating the A's the rest of the way. The big righthander went seven innings, allowing only three hits and striking out 11 Oakland batters. Alex Avila homered in the fifth inning to give Detroit an insurance run that it ultimately wouldn't need. Brandon Moss, Josh Reddick and Josh Donaldson couldn't provide anything for Oakland's offense. The middle of the A's lineup went a combined 0-for-11 with nine strikeouts.  The two teams have a very quick turnaround for Game 2 as first pitch is scheduled for 12:07 p.m. ET on Sunday afternoon. Doug Fister gets the chance to extend Detroit's lead while Tommy Milone gets the nod for Oakland.

CINCINNATI:  The Cincinnati Reds quickly ran into their first big challenge of the postseason when starter Johnny Cueto had to leave Game 1 of the NLDS after just eight pitches with back spasms on Saturday night, but with four innings of 1 run ball from Mat Latos the Reds struck first defeating the San Francisco Giants 5-2.  The Giants could only muster 7 seven off of a five member Reds relief crew including a 6th inning homer from Buster Posey.  The Reds captured their first playoff win in 17 years

CLEVELAND:  Terry Francona, who guided the Red Sox to the World Series, is now an Indian. Francona was hired on Saturday to become the next manager in Cleveland.  In addition to Francona, the Indians reportedly interviewed Sandy Alomar Jr., a Cleveland coach and former catcher who acted as interim skipper when they fired Manny Acta on Sept. 27th. 

Notre Dame: Best Start in 10 Years

Cierre Wood and George Atkinson III gave Notre Dame its first 100-yard rushing duo in a decade, and Everett Golson came off the bench to lead the No. 9 Irish to a 41-3 victory over Miami on Saturday night in what was a very tame sequel to the heated ''Catholics vs. Convicts'' rivalry.

The Irish improved to 5-0 for the first time since 2002. Their 587 yards of offense was a season high, and their 376 yards rushing was their most since Nov. 11, 2000. Wood had 118 yards rushing and two touchdowns, and Atkinson added 123 yards and another score. Golson, who sat the first series as punishment for showing up late for practice, completed his first six passes and finished 17 of 22 for 186 yards passing. He also ran for 51 yards.

THIS DAY IN SPORTS HISTORY - OCTOBER 6TH

1882 - First World Series game, Cincinnati (AA) beats Chicago (NL) 4-0.

1911 - Cy Young's farewell appearance in a major league game is a letdown as he loses to Brooklyn 13-3 in a Braves uniform in his 906th game.

1920 - First brothers oppose each other in World Series, Cleveland's Wheeler Johnston pinch-hits as brother Jimmy plays 3rd Base for Brooklyn.

1926 - Babe Ruth hits 3 HRs in a World Series game, Yankees beat Cardinals 10-5.

1938 - Yankees Lefty Gomez sets record of 6 World Series wins without a loss.

1945 - Tavern owner "Billy Goat" Sianis buys a seat for his goat for his goat for Game 4 of the World Series and is escorted out, while casting a goat curse on the Cubs.

1959 - Single game World Series attendance record set (92,706 in Los Angeles).

1966 - Baltimore Oriole Jim Palmer, 20, is the youngest to pitch a World Series shutout.

1976 - John Hathaway completes 50,600 mile bicycle tour of every continent.

1995 - Colorado Avalanche (formerly Quebec Nordiques) first NHL game, beat Detroit.

Orioles play small ball and outduel Rangers in one game playoff

Joe Saunders pitched effectively into the sixth inning, Adam Jones hit a tiebreaking sacrifice fly and the Baltimore Orioles beat the two-time defending AL champion Texas Rangers 5-1 in the wild-card game playoff Friday night.

Nate McLouth scored in the first and drove in two runs after that for manager Buck Showalter's surprising Orioles, who made their first postseason appearance in 15 years.

Baltimore advances to play the New York Yankees in the best-of-five division series. Game 1 is Sunday at Camden Yards.

Phelps sets another record: This time in Golf

All that work with noted golf instructor Hank Haney on the driving range appears to be paying off for Michael Phelps. The Olympic golf medalist, who's going to be on the "Haney Project" in 2013, is already making strides on golf's biggest stage, after he holed a 159-foot putt at the Alfred Dunhill Links Championship.

Playing at Kingsbarn on Friday, Phelps decided to use his putter from just off the green in an attempt to cozy his ball up near the hole for an impressive two-putt. But instead of just getting it close, Phelps holed the putt, threw his arms in the air, and delivered a Tiger-esque fist pump to celebrate the moment.

According to the Daily Mail, Phelps bested the previous record set by broadcaster Terry Wogan, who holed a 99-foot putt at Gleneagles in 1981. He's only been playing the sport seriously for a couple months and already he's setting records on the course.

If the sight of Phelps holing a 159-footer wasn't crazy enough, it just so happens that he was paired with Paul Casey, who watched as a dog stole his ball on the 12th green at Kingsbarn.. I'm going to go out on a limb and say this is the first time in golf history that a ball stealing dog and a record-setting putt occurred in the same group.

Cardinals keep rolling as they eliminate Braves in one game playoff

David Freese and the St. Louis Cardinals rediscovered their postseason touch. Chipper Jones and the Braves kept throwing the ball away. And the Atlanta fans turned Turner Field into a trash heap.

They said anything could happen in baseball's first wild-card playoff.  Boy, did it ever.

In a game protested by the Braves, Matt Holliday homered and the defending World Series champion Cardinals took advantage of three Atlanta throwing errors — the most crucial of them by the retiring Jones — to take the winner-take-all playoff 6-3 on Friday.

St. Louis advanced to face Washington in the best-of-five division round, beginning Sunday at Busch Stadium.

THIS DAY IN SPORTS HISTORY - OCTOBER 5TH

1895 - The first individual time trial for racing Cyclists is held on a 50-mile course north of London.

1906 - Henry Mathewson (NY Giants, Christy's brother) walks 14 men.

1908 - Chicago White Sox Ed Walsh tops Detroit 6-1 for his 40th victory.

1947 - Al Gionfriddo makes a highlight catch off Joe DiMaggio in the World Series.

1953 - 50th World Series sees New York Yankees beat Dodgers, 4 games to 2, as NY Billy Martin's 12 hits set record,: Yankees win record 5th consecutive World Series.

1956 - Yogi Berra becomes the fourth Yankee to hit a World Series grand slam.

1969 - Tom Dempsey of the New Orleans Saints kicks a 55-yard field goal.

1991 - Carlos Huerta's NCAA record streak of successful points after a touchdown ends at 157.

1991 - Fresno State ties NCAA record with 49 points in a quarter, as they route New Mexico 94-17.

1996 - Cleveland Indians strike out 23 Baltimore Orioles in a 12 inning playoff game.

NHL lockout forces canceled games through October 24th

What seemed inevitable for the NHL has become reality. The league canceled the first two weeks of the regular season on Thursday, the second time games have been lost because of a lockout in seven years.

The announcement was made in a two-paragraph statement. It isn't clear if those games will be made up, allowing for a complete 82-game regular season, if a deal can be struck soon with the locked-out players.

Unable to work out how to split up $3 billion in hockey-related revenues with the players' association, the NHL wiped out 82 games from Oct. 11-24 - beginning with four next Thursday, which would have been the league's opening night.

Red Sox, Phillies, Cubs & Diamondbacks make moves one day after season ends

BOSTON The Red Sox fired Bobby Valentine on Thursday and cast their first scapegoat for a season gone horrible, irreversibly awry. The model franchise that won two World Series over four seasons is now the model of dysfunction: an ownership group that can't shake rumors of its desire to sell a piece of the team, a cast of players that finished 69-93 and the man tasked with bridging the two, Valentine, gone from the major leagues never to return.  Of course, the Valentine who so quickly alienated his entire clubhouse, prompted a mutiny and spent the remainder of the season as the lamest of ducks was entirely in the cards, too, and surprised nobody who considered how his ego would mesh with a group of super-sized ones. 

PHILADELPHIA Ryne Sandberg is back in the big leagues.  The Philadelphia Phillies promoted the Hall of Fame second baseman to their coaching staff as third-base coach and infield instructor.  Sandberg had spent the past two seasons managing Philadelphia's Triple-A affiliate, the Lehigh Valley IronPigs. The Phillies also promoted Steve Henderson to hitting coach and Rod Nichols to bullpen coach.  The moves came a day after the Phillies fired first-base coach Sam Perlozzo, hitting coach Greg Gross and bench coach Pete Mackanin.

CHICAGO The Cubs have promoted Shiraz Rehman to assistant general manager.  The 34-year-old Rehman joined Chicago last November as assistant to the general manager after spending six seasons in the Arizona Diamondbacks' front office. He also worked under Cubs president of baseball operations Theo Epstein and general manager Jed Hoyer as an intern in the Boston Red Sox's baseball operations department in 2005.  Chicago now has two assistant general managers, with Randy Bush continuing to serve in a role he has held since December 2006. The Cubs announced the move on Thursday.

ARIZONA In news we could see coming for the past couple of months, the Arizona Diamondbacks officially relieved indefinitely suspended play-by-play man Daron Sutton and color analyst Mark Grace of their announcing duties on Thursday after both finished the 2012 season on the sidelines.  There's already speculation that current White Sox analyst Steve Stone could be a candidate to fill Grace's role. Former Diamondbacks manager Bob Brenly could also be in play because his announcing contract with the Chicago Cubs just ended.