September 4, 2012

110 years ago
1902

Baseball
Alex Hardy became the first National League pitcher in the 20th century to pitch a shutout in his first major league game as he led the Chicago Colts to a 2-0 win over the Brooklyn Bridegrooms.

100 years ago
1912

Born on this date
Stanley Mosk. U.S. judge and politician. Mr. Mosk served on the California Superior Court from 1942 until his election as the state's Attorney General in 1958. He held that office until 1964, and was known for supporting the rights of minorities. Mr. Mosk served as Associate Justice of the California Supreme Court from September 1, 1964 until his death on June 19, 2001 at the age of 88, being elected to three consecutive 12-year terms. He was known for his liberal views, but also showed an independent streak.

60 years ago
1952

At the movies
Assignment Paris, directed by Robert Parrish, and starring Dana Andrews, Marta Toren, George Sanders, and Audrey Totter, opened in theatres.



Died on this date
Butch Schmidt, 66. U.S. baseball player. Mr. Schmidt played 1 game for the New York Highlanders in 1909 before playing with the Boston Braves from 1913-1915. He was the first baseman with the "miracle" Braves team that won the 1914 World Series after being in last place in the National League on July 4. Mr. Schmidt batted .285 with 1 home run and 71 runs batted in during the regular season in 1914, and .294 with 2 RBIs in the World Series. In 297 major league games he batted .272 with 4 home runs and 145 runs batted in. Mr. Schmidt died of a heart attack; he weighed 240 pounds, 40 pounds over his playing weight.

50 years ago
1962

On the radio
The Adventures of Sherlock Holmes, starring Carleton Hobbs and Norman Shelley, on BBC Light Programme
Tonight’s episode: The Mazarin Stone

Music
The Beatles' recorded Love Me Do, their first single for Parlophone Records. Ringo Starr, who had joined the band several weeks earlier, played drums on the recording. The song was re-recorded a week later with session musician Andy White on drums and Mr. Starr on tambourine. The version with Mr. Starr on drums was released as a single in Canada. An even earlier recording session had taken place on June 6, with Pete Best on drums. That version remained unreleased until 1995, when the first Beatles' Anthology album was released.

40 years ago
1972

Olympics
Mark Spitz of the United States won his seventh gold medal in swimming at the summer games in Munich, to go with the two golds, a silver, and a bronze that he had won in Mexico City in 1968.

Hockey
Canada (NHL)-U.S.S.R. series
Game 2 @ Toronto
U.S.S.R. 1 Canada 4 (Series tied 1-1)

Peter and Frank Mahovlich each scored a goal for Canada in the 3rd period as they evened the series at Maple Leaf Gardens. Phil Esposito and Yvan Cournoyer had scored to give Canada a 2-0 lead before Aleksandr Yakushev cut the lead in half at 5:53 of the 3rd period. Peter Mahovlich then made an outstanding play to score at 6:47, skating through the Soviet team before putting the puck past goalie Valdislav Tretiak. Tony Esposito replaced Ken Dryden in goal for Canada.



Football
CFL
Toronto (1-5) 43 @ Montreal (2-3) 21
Ottawa (4-1) 16 @ Hamilton (3-3) 17
Winnipeg (4-2) 21 @ Saskatchewan (4-3) 32
Edmonton (5-1) 31 @ Calgary (2-4) 19

Wally Gabler threw 2 touchdown passes to Eric Allen and 1 each to Leon McQuay and Mike Eben as the Argonauts earned their first win of the season before 14,594 fans at Molson Stadium. Mr. McQuay also rushed for a touchdown. Montreal quarterback George Mira threw touchdown passes to John Eason, Peter Dalla Riva, and Jim Foley.

Rookie Ian Sunter missed 3 field goal attempts, but was successful from 42 yards with 10 seconds remaining in the game as the Tiger-Cats edged the Rough Riders before a record Ivor Wynne Stadium crowd of 34,772. Hamilton quarterback Chuck Ealey completed 17 of 24 passes for 295 yards and 2 touchdowns to Garney Henley. Linebacker Wayne Giardino scored Ottawa's only touchdown on a 42-yard fumble return.

Bobby Thompson scored 2 touchdowns as the Roughriders beat the Blue Bombers before 21,531 fans at Taylor Field in Regina.

Rookie Tyrone Walls returned a fumble 57 yards for a touchdown in the 1st quarter and scored on a 67-yard pass play from Tom Wilkinson in the 4th quarter as the Eskimos won on Labour Day in Calgary for the first time since 1961 before a sellout crowd of 23,616 at McMahon Stadium. Gene Foster rushed 1 yard for the other Edmonton touchdown. Mr. Walls’ first touchdown came when he was playing on special teams and scooped up a fumble by punt returner John Senst. The Stampeders scored just 19 seconds later when Howard Starks, normally a defensive back, went in to play offense, and caught a 72-yard touchdown pass from Jerry Keeling. After Mr. Foster’s touchdown early in the 2nd quarter, the Stampeders again responded quickly when Mr. Keeling connected with Gary Kerr for a 73-yard completion and then threw to Gerry Shaw for a 4-yard touchdown. Mr. Keeling threw another touchdown pass later in the quarter, 21 yards to Hugh McKinnis. Rudy Linterman, replacing Larry Robinson as the Calgary kicker for this game, missed 2 of 3 convert attempts, enabling the Eskimos to go to the locker room at halftime in a 19-19 tie. The Eskimos made 5 interceptions, 4 off Mr. Keeling and 1 off backup quarterback Jim Lindsey. Calgary middle linebacker Wayne Harris, one of the greatest players in CFL history, dressed for the game but didn’t play because of a neck injury suffered in the team’s game in Regina the previous week, and it turned out to be the end of his career. The game also was the last in a Calgary uniform for guard John Atamian and Mr. McKinnis.

30 years ago
1982

Hit parade
#1 single in the U.K.: Eye of the Tiger--Survivor

#1 single in the U.S.A.: (Billboard): Abracadabra--Steve Miller Band

U.S.A. Top 10 (Cash Box)
1 Abracadabra--Steve Miller Band (2nd week at #1)
2 Eye of the Tiger--Survivor
3 Hard to Say I'm Sorry--Chicago
4 You Should Hear How She Talks About You--Melissa Manchester
5 Hold Me--Fleetwood Mac
6 Take it Away--Paul McCartney
7 Vacation--Go-Go's
8 Wasted on the Way--Crosby, Stills & Nash
9 Jack & Diane--John Cougar
10 Hurts So Good--John Cougar

Singles entering the chart were Heart Attack by Olivia Newton-John (#67); Gypsy by Fleetwood Mac (#70); Athena by the Who (#83); Take the L by the Motels (#84); Machinery by Sheena Easton (#86); Close Enough to Perfect by Alabama (#88); I Need You by Paul Carrack (#89); and Sad Hearts by the Four Tops (#90).

Canada’s Top 10 (RPM)
1 Eye of the Tiger--Survivor (6th week at #1)
2 Abracadabra--Steve Miller Band
3 Hard to Say I'm Sorry--Chicago
4 Hurts So Good--John Cougar
5 Your Daddy Don't Know--Toronto
6 Love in Control (Finger on the Trigger)--Donna Summer
7 Eyes of a Stranger--Payolas
8 You Should Hear How She Talks About You--Melissa Manchester
9 Hold Me--Fleetwood Mac
10 Even the Nights are Better--Air Supply

Singles entering the chart were Hold On by Santana (#37); Nobody But Me by George Thorogood and the Destroyers (#42); New World Man by Rush (#44); Down Under by Men at Work (#47); Face Dances, Part Two by Pete Townshend (#49); and Burning Down One Side by Robert Plant (#50).

Personal
This blogger spent much of the day with the CPR Stockholders of Edmonton, the only time I ever attended the Hurlstone Weekend at Lake Isle.

World events
The Philippines government formally charged 68 people—most of them labour leaders—with plotting an insurrection against President Ferdinand Marcos while he was to be visiting the United States later in the month.

Disasters
It was reported that 50 people had died after drinking homemade liquor at a festival in the southern Indian state of Kerala.

25 years ago
1987

Died on this date
Richard Marquand, 49. U.K. film director. Mr. Marquand's movies included Eye of the Needle (1981); Star Wars: Episode VI--Return of the Jedi (1983); and Jagged Edge (1985).

Radio
The Calgary radio station formerly known as CKXL became CISS; it remained at 1140 on the AM dial.

Crime
Mathias Rust, the 19-year-old West German who had flown a small plane from Helsinki into Red Square in Moscow in May, pled guilty to violating the Soviet border and international flight rules, and was sentenced to four years in a Soviet labour camp for “hooliganism.”

Economics and finance
The United States Labor Department reported that the unemployment rate in August had held steady at 5.9%.

The U.S. Federal Reserve Board raised its discount rate—the rate charged on loans to financial institutions—to 6% from 5.5%.

20 years ago
1992

Economics and finance
The United States Labor Department reported that the unemployment rate had declined 0.1% to 7.6% in August. Total unemployment in August was down by 83,000 jobs.

Baseball
The Toronto Blue Jays made 10 straight hits in the 2nd inning of their 16-5 win over the Minnesota Twins before 50,420 fans at SkyDome in Toronto, tying an American League record. Devon White batted 4 for 5 for Toronto, while Chili Davis was 4 for 4 for Minnesota.

Sid Fernandez pitched a 6-hit shutout and didn't walk a batter as the Chicago White Sox blanked the Kansas City Royals 8-0 before 18,513 fans at Royals Stadium. The White Sox scored 5 runs in the top of the 9th to insure the victory.

Darrin Jackson and Tim Teufel hit solo home runs in the top of the 14th inning to break a 5-5 tie as the San Diego Padres beat the Chicago Cubs 7-5 before 22,074 fans at Wrigley Field in Chicago.

Curt Schilling allowed 3 hits and 1 earned run in 7 innings to win the pitchers' duel over Tom Glavine as the Philadelphia Phillies edged the Atlanta Braves 2-1 before 40,768 fans at Atlanta-Fulton County Stadium. Mr. Schilling, with relief help from Mitch Williams, improved his 1992 record to 12-9. Mr. Glavine, who allowed 5 hits and 2 runs--1 earned--in 7 innings, dropped to 19-6.

Don Slaught singled home Orlando Merced with 1 out in the bottom of the 9th inning to climax a 3-run rally and give the Pittsburgh Pirates a 6-5 win over the Los Angeles Dodgers before 30,341 fans at Three Rivers Stadium in Pittsburgh. Todd Benzinger had hit a grand slam with 2 out in the top of the 9th to give the Dodgers a 5-3 lead.

With 2 out and nobody on the base in the top of the 10th inning, Robby Thompson singled and scored on a double by Mark Leonard to break a 3-3 tie as the San Francisco Giants edged the St. Louis Cardinals 4-3 before 21,151 fans at Busch Memorial Stadium in St. Louis. Kevin Rogers made his major league debut as San Francisco's starting pitcher, allowing 8 hits and 3 earned runs in 6 innings, walking 2 batters and striking out 1.

10 years ago
2002

Baseball
The Oakland Athletics blew an 11-0 lead but scored a run in the bottom of the 9th inning to edge the Kansas City Royals 12-11 at Oakland-Alameda County Coliseum and set an American League record with their 20th consecutive win.

Randy Johnson struck out 8 batters on the way to his 20th win of the season as the Arizona Diamondbacks beat the Los Angeles Dodgers 7-1. Sean Green broke up Mr. Johnson's bid for a shutout with his 40th home run of the season.