This Day in Sports History: October 10
October is a big month for sports fans, featuring MLB playoffs, NBA and NHL preseason games, college football, the Xfinity 500 NASCAR Cup Series race, track meets, the UEFA Champions…
October is a big month for sports fans, featuring MLB playoffs, NBA and NHL preseason games, college football, the Xfinity 500 NASCAR Cup Series race, track meets, the UEFA Champions League, and Formula 1 action. Historically, Oct. 10 has witnessed numerous notable sports events. Read on to discover some of them.
Unforgettable Games and Remarkable Records
Significant sporting moments that occurred on Oct. 10 include:
- 1920: Indians outfielder Elmer Smith hit the first grand slam in World Series history.
- 1920: In their first game in the NFL, the Chicago Cardinals played the Chicago Tigers to a 0-0 tie.
- 1923: The Giants and Yankees became the first teams to play each other in three straight World Series.
- 1930: Joe Cronin and Hack Wilson won the American League and National League MVP awards, respectively.
- 1937: The New York Yankees beat the Giants 4-2, clinching their second consecutive championship in a rematch of the 1936 World Series.
- 1945: The Tigers beat the Cubs 9-3 in the final game to defeat the Chicago Cubs 4-3 and claim their second World Series title.
- 1951: The Yankees beat the Giants 4-2 to secure the World Series. Yankees shortstop Phil Rizzuto won the Babe Ruth Award for the series.
- 1960: Ron Stewart of Ottawa rushed for a Canadian Football League record of 287 yards.
- 1964: At the 18th NHL All-Star Game, the All-Stars defeated the Toronto Maple Leafs 3-2, with Jean Beliveau being named the game's MVP.
- 1968: The Tigers beat the Cardinals 4-1 to win the World Series. The MVP of the series award went to Tigers pitcher Mickey Lolich.
- 1976: 98-year-old Dimitrion Yordanidis became the oldest man to complete a marathon, finishing with a time of 7 hours 33 minutes.
- 1979: Real Cloutier scored a hat trick in his NHL debut, becoming the second player in history to achieve this feat.
- 1987: Doug Jarvis played his 964th consecutive NHL game, setting a new record.
- 1994: The New York Giants retired Lawrence Taylor's number 56.
- 2004: Michael Schumacher scored his 13th win of the season at the Japanese Grand Prix.
- 2010: Mark O'Meara won the Senior Players Championship, his only major title on the Champions Tour.
- 2017: Joel Embiid signed a five-year, $148 million designated rookie scale maximum contract extension with the 76ers.
- 2020: Iga Świątek won the French Open, becoming the first Polish player to win a Grand Slam singles title.
Three athletes who stood out on Oct. 10 were Elmer Smith, Doug Jarvis, and Joel Embiid.
Smith was a talented outfielder who played 10 seasons in the MLB and also had a notable career in the minor leagues. Jarvis was known as an "Iron Man" for never missing a regular-season game in his 13-year career and for winning the Frank J. Selke Trophy as the best defensive forward in 1984. Embiid is remembered for his dominant play, his 2023 MVP award, and his status as a seven-time All-Star, although his career has been marred by various injuries.
