Oct. 31
Today in sports history
Today is Oct. 31. On this date in:
1900: American League president Ban Johnson wrote National League president Nicholas Young seeking major league parity and peace between the circuits, a pivotal step in the formation of the modern American League.
1942: Maurice “Rocket” Richard made his NHL debut for the star Tom Seaver won the National League Cy Young Award, becoming the first pitcher to capture the honor without winning 20 games in the season.
1989: Wayne Gretzky recorded his 46th career NHL hat trick and three assists for a six-point game as the 8-4.
1994: Fourteen-year-old Venus Williams made her professional tennis debut at the Bank of the West Classic in Oakland, California, defeating Shaun Stafford in straight sets to begin a career that produced seven Grand Slam singles titles.
1997: Future Hall of Famers Tim Duncan and Tracy McGrady made their NBA debuts, with Duncan helping San Antonio defeat Denver and McGrady appearing for Toronto in a loss to Miami; Chauncey Billups also made his NBA debut for Boston that night.
2001: Tino Martinez hit a two-out, two-run homer in the ninth inning to pull the a 22-20 victory in one of the rarest finishes in NFL history.
2018: defeated the
