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When a single day features games in Major League Baseball, the National Basketball Association, the National Football League, and the National Hockey League, it's called a sports equinox. These rare occasions, shaped by calendar quirks, have delivered more than their share of iconic moments. Monday marks the 33rd such day, and here's a look back at some of the most notable events.
Roberto Clemente's 1971 World Series MVP
On October 17, 1971, the first recorded sports equinox coincided with one of the greatest performances by a player who was as celebrated for his humanitarian work as his baseball skills. In Game 7 of the World Series at Baltimore's Memorial Stadium, Clemente opened the scoring with a two-out solo home run off starter Mike Cuellar in the fourth inning—his second homer of the series. He finished the series with 12 hits in 29 at-bats, including a homer and a triple in Game 6, and drove in four runs to earn MVP honors. Tragically, Clemente died 14 months later while delivering relief supplies to earthquake-ravaged Nicaragua. He was posthumously inducted into the Baseball Hall of Fame in 1973 as the first player elected by special election.
Reggie Jackson's First World Series MVP (1973)
Every superhero has an origin story, and Reggie Jackson's path to 'Mr. October' began on October 14, 1973. In front of a sellout crowd at the Oakland-Alameda County Coliseum, Jackson drove in the winning runs in Game 7 of the World Series against the New York Mets, securing the Swingin' A's second consecutive title in their mid-'70s three-peat. Jackson played two more seasons in Oakland and one with the Baltimore Orioles in 1976 before joining the New York Yankees, where he earned his famous nickname with a three-homer game in the 1977 World Series and became the first non-pitcher to win two World Series MVP awards.
Wayne Gretzky's First NHL Goal (1979)
Wayne Gretzky was already a household name before he played his first NHL game. The junior prodigy turned professional at 17 and won the WHA's Lou Kaplan Trophy as rookie of the year for 1978-79 before joining the NHL. In his first two NHL games, he was held without a goal but recorded two assists. On October 14, 1979, Gretzky finally scored his first NHL goal late in the third period against the Vancouver Canucks, tying the game 4-4. That was just the beginning: Gretzky went on to win a record nine Hart Memorial Trophies as regular-season MVP, a record 10 Art Ross Trophies as the top point scorer, and amassed 894 goals and 1,963 assists. He also led the Edmonton Oilers to four Stanley Cups from 1983 to 1988.
Diamondbacks Stun Yankees in 2001 (Game 7)
On November 4, 2001, the New York Yankees were riding high, having won four of the previous six World Series and aiming for another against the Arizona Diamondbacks, a franchise in just its fourth season. With the emotional backdrop of the 9/11 attacks, the Yankees seemed destined for another title. But one of the greatest pitching tandems in World Series history and a costly error by a future Hall of Famer changed everything. Holding a 2-1 lead entering the ninth, the Yankees turned to closer Mariano Rivera, who gave up a leadoff single to Mark Grace. Then, on a bunt by Damian Miller, Rivera's throw to Derek Jeter sailed into center field, extending the inning. After an RBI single and a hit-by-pitch, Luis Gonzalez stepped up with the bases loaded and looped a single just past the drawn-in infield, scoring Craig Counsell and giving the Diamondbacks the championship. It remains the most recent walk-off hit in World Series history.
The 'Super Sports Equinox' of 2018
Before late October 2018, only 18 sports equinoxes had occurred. But on October 28, 2018, something unprecedented happened: five major league games (MLB, NBA, NFL, NHL, and MLS) took place in the same city on the same day, dubbed the 'Super Sports Equinox.' Los Angeles was the center of the sports universe that Sunday, hosting a World Series clincher, a hockey-basketball doubleheader at Staples Center, and NFL and MLS action. The results: the Kings beat the Rangers 4-3, the Rams edged the Packers 29-27, the Red Sox clinched the World Series with a 5-1 win over the Dodgers, the Dynamo defeated the Galaxy 3-2, and the Clippers routed the Wizards 136-104. Some intrepid fans even managed to attend all five games.
Originally reported by yahoo.