An athlete cannot run with money in his pockets. He must run with hope in his heart and dreams in his head. ~Emil Zatopek
1937 – Nap Lajoie, Tris Speaker and Cy Young were elected to the Baseball Hall of Fame by the Baseball Writers’ Association of America. Young barely made it. 151 votes were required for election. He received 153.
1972 – Sandy Koufax, Yogi Berra and Early Wynn were elected to the Hall of Fame by the Baseball Writers’ Association of America.
The Veterans Committee selected Lefty Gomez, Will Harridge and Ross Youngs. The Negro Leagues Committee selected Josh Gibson and Buck Leonard.
1977 – Ernie Banks was the sole eligible candidate elected to the Hall of Fame by the Baseball Writers’ Association of America.
1978 – Eddie Mathews was the sole eligible candidate elected to the Hall of Fame by the Baseball Writers’ Association of America.
2002 – The Tuck Rule: NFL Rule 3, Section 22, Article 2, Note 2. When [an offensive] player is holding the ball to pass it forward, any intentional forward movement of his arm starts a forward pass, even if the player loses possession of the ball as he is attempting to tuck it back toward his body. Also, if the player has tucked the ball into his body and then loses possession, it is a fumble.
With 1:43 left in the AFC divisional playoff game, the Oakland Raiders were leading, 13-10. Raiders’ cornerback Charles Woodson appeared to sack New England quarterback Tom Brady, forcing a fumble that teammate Greg Biekert recovered. Replay assistant Rex Stuart challenged the play. Referee Walt Coleman determined Brady’s arm was moving forward when the ball came loose. Brady appeared to be attempting to pull back the ball, but the quarterback’s perceived intent wasn’t reviewable.
Coleman, following the letter of the rule, changed the ruling to an incomplete pass. The Patriots, given another chance, scored on a 43-yard field goal by Adam Vinatieri. In the subsequent overtime, Vinatieri kicked a 23-yard field goal to win the game for the Patriots. New England went on to win Super Bowl XXXVI.
By The Way (for all of you who think the Patriots got away with something) … This was not the first time the Patriots had seen the tuck rule invoked in the 2001 NFL season. On September 23, Patriots defensive end Anthony Pleasant apparently forced Jets quarterback Vinny Testaverde to fumble, but the call was overturned upon review and ruled an incomplete pass.
2013 – Baseball Hall of Fame manager Earl Weaver died of a heart attack at the age of 82. Weaver managed the Baltimore Orioles for 17 years, winning the World Series in 1970.
2013 – Baseball Hall of Fame outfielder/first baseman Stan “The Man” Musial died of natural causes at the age of 92. In his 22 seasons with the St. Louis Cardinals, Musial compiled 3,630 career hits; 1,815 at home and 1,815 on the road, making him the most consistent hitter of his (or any) era. He hit 475 home runs, was named the National League MVP three times, and won three World Series championship titles.
And to top it all off, he was humble and respected by everyone. On February 15, 2011, Musial was awarded the Presidential Medal of Freedom by President Barack Obama who called him “an icon untarnished, a beloved pillar of the community, a gentleman you’d want your kids to emulate.” At Musial’s funeral, sportscaster Bob Costas called him “the genuine hero who as the years and decades passed, and disillusionment came from other directions, never once let us down.”
The questions that must be asked are these: When he was elected to the Baseball Hal of Fame in 1969, who were the 23 voters who left him of their ballot, and what were they thinking?
Compiled by Ray Lemire ©2016 RayLemire.com. All Rights Reserved.