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In 1981, Fernando Valenzuela became the first rookie to win the Cy Young Award.
In 2017, Louisville's Lamar Jackson became the first collegiate quarterback to throw for 3000 yards and rush for 1000 in back-to-back seasons.
In 1978, Georgia Tech Eddie Lee Ivery rushed for a then NCAA record 356 yards in a win on a cold day at Air Force.
In 1990, Kansas City Chief Defensive End Derrick Thomas sacked Seattle QB Dave Kreig seven times to set an NFL record for sacks by one player in a game.
In 2012, Atlanta Tight End Tony Gonzalez caught 2 TD passes to become the first NFL tight end with 100 career TD catches.
And in 2007, Phil Mickelson was penalized 6 shots on the back nine of his final round at the HSBC Championship in Shanghai, China but still won.
THIS DAY IN SPORTS BACKGROUND
Relive the greatest moments in sports every day of the year. From the triumphs to the tragedies, the first to do it to the last time it happened, the unbelievable to the strange, This Day in Sports History is a 365-day journey remembering those significant events that made a lasting impact.
Takeaways:
Fernando Valenzuela made history in 1981 as the first rookie to win the Cy Young Award.
On this day in 2017, Lamar Jackson became the first college player to pass for 3,000 yards and rush for 1,000 in consecutive seasons.
Eddie Lee Ivory's 356 rushing yards in 1978 set an NCAA record that stood for almost six years.
Jim Thorpe played through injury in 1911, leading Carlisle to an upset victory over Harvard.
Derrick Thomas set an NFL record with seven sacks in a single game in 1990.
Tony Gonzalez became the first tight end in NFL history to catch 100 touchdowns in 2012.
You found it the one and only Daily as in every day of the week, 366 days of the year.
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It's a leap year sports history podcast that dives into what happened on this day in Sports.
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This podcast is a member of the Sports History Network and you can check out sportshistorynetwork.com for more podcasts and more info.
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th and on this day in:
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I was saddened to learn about the passing of Fernando Valenzuela on October 22 at the age of 63.
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ando debuted in the majors in:
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He was a fresh faced 20 year old kid who went from obscurity to international fame, winning his first eight starts in 81 and five of those were complete game shutouts.
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In fact, he went the full nine innings in his first eight starts of that year.
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Also during that stretch he had a five ERA with 68 strikeouts.
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the majors at the tail end of:
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That may have been key in acclimating him to his surroundings, but it did not disqualify him from being listed as a Rookie in the 81 season with his smooth delivery to the plate that included his trademark look skyward.
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He led the league with 25 starts, 11 complete games, 192 innings pitched and 180 strikeouts.
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He finished the year 137 with an ERA of 2.48.
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All of those numbers added up to Valenzuela being named the National League Cy Young Award winner, edging out Tom Seaver and becoming the first rookie in major league history to earn it.
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He would also win the National League Rookie of the Year award along with the Silver Slugger Award as the best hitting pitcher.
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On this day in:
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The Cardinals were at home against Virginia on this day.
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Jackson started his afternoon off with a 68 yard touchdown run in the first quarter.
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e of the game on the way to a:
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Jackson finished up with 15 completions for 195 yards and those three TD throws to go along with 15 carries for 160 yards and a rushing score.
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h out the year with more than:
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g numbers on this day back in:
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Ivory's Georgia Tech Yellow Jackets were on the road at Air Force.
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It was a bone chilling cold day with snow flurries and wind in Colorado Springs that day.
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And with a game time temperature of 22 degrees and a swirling wind of 16 miles per hour, it may have been tough for fans to get their carbureted engine started on this day.
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But it had zero effect on Ivory's engine.
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But just like a car may take some time to warm up before it really gets going, so did the Ramblin Rec running back.
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After gaining just 11 yards on his first four carries, Ivory hit the accelerator and reeled off touchdown runs of 75, 80 and 57 yards.
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He finished the day with 22 carries for a then NCAA record 356 yards rushing.
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Ivory broke Eric Allen's seven year record of 350 yards.
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yards rushing in October:
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let's turn the clock back to:
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Prior to the start of this one, Thorpe was hobbling around on a heavily bandaged right leg.
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It was never a question of if he would play, but more how effective would he actually be.
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He answered that fairly early, flying around the field, making tackles on defense and carrying the football and offense.
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He kicked a pair of field goals, but Harvard still managed a 96 lead at halftime in the second half, Thorpe mesmerized the 25,000 who'd gathered to watch with his relentless running.
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He ripped off a long run only to be brought down at the two yard line.
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And then he let Possum Powell take the ball in the next play into the end zone to give Carlisle a 159 advantage.
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Thorpe added his fourth field goal of the day a little bit later on, which was fortuitous.
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Harvard scored a late touchdown, but Carlisle pulled out the upset over Harvard.
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1815.
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op Warner, rolled through the:
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at Syracuse on this day in:
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Thomas was able to get to Seattle Seahawk QB Dave Craig and sack him seven times and that was enough to set the NFL record and it is still the record today for sacks by one player in a game.
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But if only he'd picked up his eighth sack of the day, the outcome of this game would have been different.
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The Hawks trailed the Chiefs 16 10.
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In the final minute of this game, Craig dropped back to pass and once again it looked like Thomas was going to bring him down.
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He just couldn't wrap him up.
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When Craig wriggled free, he lofted a 25 yard pass into the end zone that was called for a tying touchdown.
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The PAT gave Seattle the one point win despite Derrick Thomas heroic seven sack performance.
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what happened on this day in:
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Before Travis Kelce, before Gronk, before Antonio Gates, there was Tony Gonzalez.
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Gonzalez brought a basketball player's ability to a position that is equal parts offensive lineman and pass catcher.
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That's partly due to the fact that Gonzalez played basketball in college.
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The guy could out muscle a linebacker like grabbing a rebound in the paint or outsky a defensive back to make a ballet like catch in the end zone and that set him apart from most others in the league.
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Well, on this day his Atlanta Falcons were at home against New Orleans.
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In the second quarter, Matt Ryan found Gonzalez for a two yard touchdown and with that Gonzalez became the first tight end in NFL history to reach 100 touchdowns in a career.
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econd half in what would be a:
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He'd play one more season after this one and then wrap up his career with 111 touchdown receptions.
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touchdown plateau in:
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And on this day in:
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This was the final round of the HSBC Champions of China in Shanghai and the fun started when he made the turn.
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Mickelson would later say it was the oddest back nine that he had ever played.
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In the final nine holes, Mickelson was penalized six shots.
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He had a three shot lead with seven to play, but would drop four shots in the next four holes and he trailed Ross Fischer by a shot.
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When he came to the 18th, a 535 yard par 5.
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Mickelson hit his approach into the water and he figured the tournament was lost.
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But Fisher's shot from deep rough rolled through the green and found its way to the water hazard as well.
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A penalty stroke, a chip and two putts and it was a double bogey for Fisher.
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Mickelson actually had a 10 foot putt to win the tournament, but it slid by the cup and it was a three player playoff with Lee Westwood added to the mix.
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Mickelson ended his roller coaster ride when he holed a four foot birdie putt on the second playoff hole to win his first pro tournament in a Phew.
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That is seven stories from this day in sports history.
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Nothing groundbreaking or earth shattering or game changing, but a really fun glimpse into the past nonetheless.
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But it's time now for Today's Got Nothing to Do with Sports Fun Fact Lucille Ball tried out for the part of Scarlett O'Hara in Gone with the Wind.
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It was not her idea, but rather her studio who insisted.
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On the day of her audition, her car broke down, causing her to walk six blocks in the rain.
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When she got to the audition, she was drenched.
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An assistant gave her a glass of brandy and put her by the fire to warm up.
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And when it came time for the audition, she said, I'm not Scarlett O'Hara, I'm Lucille Ball and I want to go home.
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Even though she did not land the part with that line, producer David O.
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Selznick said, you were very interesting.
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That's it for this edition, but as the name implies, I'll be back tomorrow with another this day in sports history.
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This has been an original Thrive Suite production.
