TODAY IN SPORTS HISTORY - OCTOBER 20TH

1888 - Chicago & All America baseball teams play exhibition in Auckland, NZ.

1906 - William "Buck" Ewing, hall of fame catcher (NY Giants), dies at 67.

1910 - 1st appearance of cork centered baseball in World Series.

1924 - 1st Negro League World Series: KC Monarchs shuts out Hilldales, 5-0.

1931 - Mickey Mantle, NY Yankee, home run slugger (1956 Triple Crown) is born.
1932 - Roosevelt Brown, Virginia, NFL HOF tackle (NY Giants) (d. 2004) is born.
1934 - All-Star team led by Babe Ruth & Connie Mack sails to Hawaii & Japan.
1935 - Hank Greenberg is named AL MVP by the BBWAA, Wes Ferrell is runner-up.

1937 - Juan Marichal, Hall of Fame baseball pitcher (SF Giants) is born.
1946 - Frank Seno returns kickoff 105 yd, Chicago Cards vs NY Giants.
1947 - Radio rights for the World Series sell for $475,000 for 3 years.

1953 - Keith Hernandez, MLB 1st baseman

(St Louis Cardinals, NY Mets), born in San Francisco, CA.
1963 - Jim Brown sets NFL single-season rushing record, 1,863 yds.

1973 - President Nixon proclaims Jim Thorpe greatest athlete of 1st ½ century.
1976 - NY Nets Julius "Dr J" Erving sold to Philadelphia 76ers.

1981 - 1st NBA game at Meadowlands Arena, NJ Nets lose to NY Knicks 103-99.

1982 - During the UEFA Cup match between FC Spartak Moscow and

HFC Haarlem, 66 people are crushed to death in the Luzhniki disaster.

1988 - Reggie Rogers, Detroit Lion's # 1 pick, kills 3 by driving intoxicated.

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

2007 - Max McGee, American football player (b. 1932) dies.