February 7, 1949: Joltin Joe Gets Paid

     On February 7, 1949, "Joltin Joe" DiMaggio became the first player in the history of the American League to crack six figures when he inked a one year deal with the New York Yankees that would pay him $100,000. The first player to sign for six figures was Hank Greenberg in '47, when he inked a deal with the Pirates that paid him $100,000 The year before the Yankee Clipper had hit .320, parked a league leading 39 balls over the wall, and also led the league with 155 RBI's, while finishing second in the MVP voting. The raise in pay was substantial as DiMaggio had made $65,000 the year before. By today's standards DiMaggio's $100,000 would be worth right around $980,000. While it is a far cry from the baseball contracts we see today, it was a historic moment in the career of DiMaggio and the Yankees organization.

     In an article that was published in the Sporting News in 1949, Joe was asked what was the lowest salary he had ever made, DiMaggio told the reporter that he had once peeled oranges at a citrus farm in California for $3.50 a day. Apparently, Joe only made the $3.50 because he quit after his first day. He would eventually find his way to the diamond. It all began with his brother Vince's team, the San Francisco Seals of the Pacific Coast League, needing a shortstop. In October of 1932 he found himself on the field with the Seals and a legendary career was about to begin. DiMaggio made a name for himself in San Fran by putting together a 61 game hitting-streak, then leading the Seals to a title win in 1935. An accident jumping off a jitney bus one year earlier nearly sidelined his career altogether, he came away from it with an injured knee, and Yankees offer to buy the young slugger dropped from $100,000 to $50,000. At either price it would have been money well spent, but the Yankees walked away from that one smelling like roses. The first contract that DiMaggio signed with the Yankees was reported to be for  $7,500. By today's standards, it would have been the equivalent to a little more than $125,000, nice little chunk of change for a 21-year-old kid. Good times were on the way. 

     From 1936 to 1942, DiMaggio's became one of the brightest shining stars in all of baseball. In that time he was selected to each All Star game and had helped the Yankees win  five championship titles. Not to mention the 56 game hitting-streak in 1941. The war put his career on hold for 3 seasons, he left for war at the age of 27 and returned at the age of 31. When he did get back on the field he performed at an All Star level once again. He won the league MVP award in '47, in that same year he added another World Series ring to his collection. 

     After the stellar '48 season, DiMaggio was going to be 34-years-old, the team came him with an offer of $75,000, which was a raise of $10,000. Joe turned down the initial offer and would have to meet with the GM a few times before a mutual agreement was reached. If it was looked at from a purely statistical side, DiMaggio did not live up to expectations in '49 as injuries hampered him and even though the Yankees won the World Series, Joe hit just .111 in the Fall Classic. Unfortunately, it was something that he could not avoid. The Yankees brass had faith in him and inked him to another $100,000 deal not only in 1950 but 1950 as well. It came at a time when his career was coming to a close, his best days were behind him, however, he was reaping the rewards of those days that had passed. He had become a larger than life figure that brought the fans to the stands in Yankee Stadium and everywhere else he played as well. The 1951 season proved to be the swan song for Joe as Father Time knocked and he answered. He had made 13 All Star appearances and won 9 World Series titles, along with a long list of other accomplishments that earned him a spot in Cooperstown. According to Baseballreference.com, DiMaggio made just over $632,000 in his career, today that would equal $7.3 million. Just think, some backup players can make $7 million for one year these days. It's pretty astounding. 

February 6, 1967: Ali Makes Sure Terrell Remembers His Name

     On February 6, 1967, in a battle of heavyweights, at the Astrodome in Houston, Muhammad Ali retained his title by taking down Ernie Terrell with a unanimous 15-round decision. The two had been scheduled to fight at the Astrodome in March of '66, but Ali's refusal to serve in Vietnam sidetracked the champ's plans. He would have to put the Terrell fight on hold while the legalities of the refusal to serve panned out. In the meantime, he fought in Europe and Canada. With his political troubles in the rearview mirror, Ali returned to American soil where he beat Cleveland Williams with a dominating 3-round TKO. Next man up. Ernie Terrell.

     The blood boiled hot before it even began. In late December of '66, Ali and Terrell met in front of some television cameras for an interview with Howard Cosell. The interview rapidly headed south when Terrell referred to Ali as Cassius Clay. It was the name that Ali had abandoned when he turn to his Muslim faith in religion. He considered it to be his slave name and took it as a great insult. I will include a link to the video below, because I don't believe words can do it justice with how infuriated Ali looked as the situation escalated. He promised to punish Terrell as he called him an Uncle Tom. Some thought it was just another over the top Ali stage show, but the disrespect that he felt he had taken was far beyond a publicity stunt which is something Terrell learned by the end of the 15 rounds in which they would battle.

     From the beginning it looked like Terrell might put up a good fight, he landed some key left jabs in the first round, then held his own in the second before the tables turned. The Associated Press scored the fight with Terrell only winning the second round. In the fourth round Ali did damage to Terrell's right eye that closed it to a slit. He was bleeding above it and Ali was in clear control. Terrell's trainer and staff were able to get the bleeding under control, albeit temporarily as Ali reopened the wound in the seventh and it continued to bleed until the final bell rang.

     In the eighth and ninth Ali taunted his opponent as he yelled "What's my name?" over and over again. When Terrell would Cassius Clay, Ali would unleash another blow that would lead to defeat. Terrell was bloody and bruised when it came to an end, but he never did go down. The evidence of battle was very easy to see when it came to Terrell. On the other side of the ring stood Ali, without a mark on him. It dominant show of force for the 25-year-old Ali, and it was his 28th victory in a row. He had not suffered a loss up to that point in his career. Looking back on it now, it might have been much wiser to not poke the bear. When Terrell poked the bear, the bear attacked.

This link is a great highlight reel that features the interview with Cosell, as well as a followup interview. If you wanted to view the heated interview go to the 1 minute and 58 second mark. Otherwise, the whole thing is well worth watching. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=HMiSX8M3U2s 

February 5, 1969: Vince Lombardi Heads To Washington

     On February 5, 1969, an era in Green Bay Packers football came to an end, as Vince Lombardi was named head coach of the Washington Redskins. The legendary coach had been the guiding force behind the Green Bay Packers since 1959. With him at the helm, the Packers had transformed into a Championship squad, winning 5 titles from 1961 to 1967. After moving to the front office in '68, Lombardi quickly realized that he needed to be on the sideline to be happy. When the Redskins came knocking, the Packers organization held an emergency meeting that gave Lombardi an unconditional release from a contract that was supposed to carry over for the next 5 years. His tenure Green Bay had come to a conclusion, and a new chapter was about to begin in Washington. It was a short chapter in Lombardi's life, but not insignificant. In 1969, the coach guided the Redskins to their first winning season in 14 years by posting a 7-5-2 record. Unfortunately, in the summer of 1970, Lombardi was diagnosed with colon cancer, and by September of that year the disease had taken his life. Forever a legend, Lombardi's one year in Washington laid the groundwork for some of the great Redskins teams of the 1970's.

     The Redskins made an offer he couldn't refuse, that included $1 million stock in the organization at half-price, and a salary that was reported to be $110,000 per year. For those within the Packers organization, it was a hard pill to swallow to part ways with the coach, but as we all know there are times that we simply move on. The opportunity for Lombardi to own stock within the Redskins organization was a determining factor in their decision to grant him his realease. When the Packers president Dominic Olejniczak spoke about the decision he said "Stock in football corporations is difficult to obtain, and in all probability this would be the chance of a lifetime for Mr. Lombardi." Lombardi acknowledged that he was sad to leave Green Bay, but was excited to take on the challenge of turning the Packers into a contender.

     Lombardi immediately changed the culture in Washington. The players believed in what he was selling and for the first time since 1955 they were winners. While his time in Washington was short, his impact on the players was evident when they heard that he lost his battle with cancer in 1970. Some of these men were moved to tears when they spoke about him, it was a sentiment that was shared by many of his former players in Green Bay as well. Even today, there are many Vince Lombardi quotes that people still look to as a source of inspiration and motivation as his legacy continues to impact lives. I'm going to leave you with one of those quotes that inspires me.

"The difference between a successful person and others is not a lack of  strength, not a lack of knowledge, but rather a lack of will." -Vince Lombardi 

February 4, 1969: John Madden Becomes the Head Coach Of The Oakland Raiders

     On February 4, 1969, Al Davis announced that John Madden would be the next head coach of the Oakland Raiders. Madden had worked his way up from the college ranks, to a spot as an assistant to John Rauch on the Raiders coaching staff. In 1967, Madden was the linebackers coach and helped guide the team to the Super Bowl with Rauch at the helm. The choice to hire Madden came after Rauch was lured away by the Buffalo Bills. It turned out to be a great choice by Davis as Madden spent the next 10 years as the Raiders head coach, going 103-32-7. He also guided the Raiders to Super Bowl glory in '76 and will always be considered a legend. Not only in Raider country, but among the entire football community as well.

 

   Madden's career in football began as a player on the gridiron, he played at Oregon, College of San Mateo, before finishing up at Cal Poly in San Luis Obispo, California where he played both defense and offense. After a knee injury dashed his hopes of a career in the NFL, he soon turned his focus to coaching. In 1960, he found himself as an assistant at Hancock College in Santa Maria which led to his first head coaching position with the school just two years later.  In 1963, Madden caught the eye of San Diego State's Don Coryell, who helped mold him into the coach he was going to become. Then the Raiders came knocking at the door in '67 and the beginning of an era was about to begin.

     After he showed that he could lead as an assistant, Al Davis looked to Madden as an obvious choice. Davis had a history of promoting within the organization which is how Rauch landed the position in 1966. Rauch had coached under Davis, then found himself guiding the ship after Davis was promoted to commissioner of the AFL. At 32 years of age, Madden was about to become the youngest head coach that the league had ever seen. Before reaching the top of the mountain, Madden and the Raiders had their share of success and failure. They reached the AFC Championship games five times in seven years, but were not able to get past it and found themselves with the dreaded "can't win the big game" label. That all changed after posting a 13-1 regular season in '76, then toppled the New England Patriots and Pittsburgh Steelers in the playoffs before pummeling the Minnesota Vikings  32-14 in Super Bowl XI. Following the Super Bowl victory, Madden guided the Raiders back to the AFC Championship game in '77. After the team failed to make the playoffs in '78 he decided to retire. The biggest factor behind the decision to retire, was an ulcer that he had battled throughout the '77 season, it carried over into '78 as well. The time had come to take a break from the high-stress job of guiding a professional football team.

     In his 10 years at the helm, Madden had went from an up an coming assistant, to one of the best coaches of the era. His record of more than 100 wins and only 32 losses speaks for itself. While this generation will remember him for the video games that has his name in the title, or all the Sunday's we listened to him call games on television, the generation before will always remember the coaching career that led him to each of those things.

     Madden announced his retirement from coaching  in January of '79. A tearful Madden said "Things like this are easy to talk about and hard to do." Early in the press conference he said that he would not be returning to coaching and reiterated when he said  "I'm an Oakland Raider. I started with them when I was young and I will always be an Oakland Raider." He never did return to the coaching ranks again. Instead, he joined the ranks of the broadcasters that bring the fans the games on Sunday's. His days in Oakland might have come to a close but he would always be a Raider. In 2006, Madden was forever immortalized in Pro Football's Hall of Fame. It had been nearly 40 years since Al Davis put out a press release that told the world a little known assistant by the name of John Madden was going to be the head coach of the Oakland Raiders.


   

February 3, 1980: Gervin Shines While Bird Drops The First Three Pointer In The History Of The NBA All Star Game

     On February 3, 1980, the East took down the West with a 144-136 overtime victory in the NBA All Star game at the Capital Centre in Landover, Maryland. The game featured Magic Johnson who became the youngest player to be selected to the game at 20 years and 5 months. Another kid who found himself in the game was Boston's rookie Larry Bird, the 23 year-old became the first player in NBA history to score a 3-pointer in an All Star game when he drained one from behind the arc with 1 minute and forty seconds to go in the overtime period. San Antonio Spurs star big man George "The Iceman" Gervin provided the majority of the offense for the East with a 34 point performance. The West was led by Utah Jazz standout Adrian Dantley with a 23 point effort.

     The game was an entertaining one from beginning to end. In typical All Star game fashion the defense was almost non-existent, while the offensive units put on a show. An excited Gervin proclaimed "It was my kind of game." Gervin was on his way to a third consecutive scoring title at the time and showed off his talents in front of more than just a stadium full of fans and a nationwide audience, he impressed his peers as well.

     The West jumped out to a 37-28 lead in the first, before the East made a hard charge to tie it up 64-64 as the two squads headed to the locker rooms at the half. In the second half the East came out with a simple yet effective game plan. Their head coach, Billy Cunningham, who also led the Philadelphia 76ers, instituted three plays in the first half that seemed to restrict his players from success, in the second half he opened up a passing game that led to a much more fluid squad, who outpaced the West 44-27 in the 3rd quarter that put the East ahead 108-91. After Cunningham found a strategy that seem to out control in the hands of the East, the head coach of the West, Lenny Wilkens had a trick up his sleeve as well. Wilkens, who led the Seattle Supersonics during the regular season called on one of his own stars Jack Sikma to pair up with Lakers star Kareem Abdul-Jabar. It was a game changer as the West came storming back into it and slowly but surely the 17 point deficit was erased. Phoenix Suns guard Paul Westphal was key member in the comeback as he was the one who dropped the shot that tied the contest at 122 all, then tied it up again at 128 with just 17 seconds to go in regulation, which sent the game to overtime. While Utah's Dantley outscored him, Westphal's 21 points were key in giving the West a shot to win.

     Before the overtime began, Bird had just 2 points on his portion of the scorecard, then dropped 5 in the overtime which included the historic 3 point shot. Bird also picked up an assist when he slapped the ball directly into Gervin's hands for the last points of the ballgame. Gervin's 14 of 26 performance that included 10 rebounds, 3 assists, and 3 steals earned him MVP honors as the West walked away with bragging rights.

Sidenote; The record for youngest player to make the NBA All Star game has since been surpassed. That distinction now belongs to Kobe Bryant who was just 19 years and 5 months old when he made his first appearance in the contest.

February 2, 1949: The Car Accident That Changed Ben Hogan's Life

     On February 2, 1949, golfing legend Ben Hogan was seriously injured when a bus right outside of  El Paso, Texas was trying to pass a truck and slammed into the '49 Cadillac that he was driving with his wife Valerie by his side. Hogan saw the bus coming and threw himself across his wife in an effort to protect her, if he wouldn't have done so, chances are that he would have perished in the accident as the steering wheel of the automobile punctured the drivers side seat. Hogan suffered a fractured pelvis, a broken collarbone, a fractured ankle, knee damage, and a chipped rib. The devastating injuries would leave him hospitalized for 59 days. However, it was just a speed bump on the road of life as he made a full recovery and made a triumphant return to the PGA tour the following year.

     Hogan turned pro in 1930, it took him 10 years to win a tournament and there were times that the financial strain seemed too great to endure. Several times he found himself nearly penniless. With the encouragement of his wife he continued to battle on. After winning his first tournament in 1940, he won two more in a row and looked to have turned a corner. As he steadily rose through the ranks and became one of the top golfers in the world, he would win the PGA Championship in '46, then again in '48. He also took home the top prize at the U.S. Open in '48. Going into 1949, he must of felt on top of the world, that all changed the moment a bus driver made a fateful decision.

     The road to recovery was a painstaking process. After multiple surgeries to repair the broken bones a blood clot formed that required an emergency surgery, yet again he had avoided the worst case scenario. After his stay of nearly two months in a hospital bed, he headed home, where he would continue the healing process. He not only returned to the links in 1950, he also won the U.S. Open.

     That run to the U.S. Open title has been referred to as "The Miracle at Merion" it came June of 1950, 16 months after the accident. But first he returned to the golf course during the Los Angele Open in January of of that year. While many thought he wouldn't be able to make it through the 72 hour event without wearing down. He defied the odds by hanging in until the end before Sam Snead won the event in a playoff.  With his legs wrapped in bandages from ankle to thigh, Hogan pulled off a victory that will be remembered forever. The Open was guaranteed to be a grueling event for Hogan, the third day of the event was 36 holes and would take everything he had to simply make it to the end, much less be in contention for the title. On the first day a little known golfer named Lee Mackey shot a record setting 64, leaving Hogan was eight shots back. On the second day Hogan made a hard charge at the lead by shooting a 69 that put him just two strokes behind. At the end of the third day, Hogan survived the 36 hole marathon, and was tied with George Fazio and Lloyd Mangrum. One day later he beat them both in a playoff by shooting a 69. The man who had been told just 16 months earlier that he might not ever walk again was once again a champion. It took true determination and will to make that happen.

     Hogan played with pain throughout the rest of his life and career. The pain limited him to playing in no more than 7 PGA events a year, but it did not limit his greatness. He won 13 more times, which included six majors. In 1953 alone, he won three majors, which was something that would not be matched until Tiger Woods accomplished the feat in 2000. The accident that seemed like it could have ended a career became a distant memory but the pain that lingered on throughout his life was a constant reminder of how close he had come to death. Over the course of 22 years, Hogan recorded 64 PGA wins which ranks him 4th on the all-time list for wins in a career. Only Sam Snead, Tiger Woods, and Jack Nicklaus sit ahead of him on that list. A true legend in his time, Hogan will always be remembered as one of the greatest to ever swing a golf club. Probably the toughest as well.

February 1, 1914: The White Sox And Giants Stop In Egypt To Play Some Ball

      On February 1, 1914, with the Great Pyramid as a backdrop, the Chicago White Sox and New York Giants played to a 3-3 tie in an exhibition game in Egypt. The stop in Egypt was a part of a world tour that had been thought up by White Sox owner Charles Comiskey and Giants Manager John McGraw. The tour took 4 months to complete as the teams traveled from port to port by ship all around the world, beginning in Japan and ending in England. The tour would come to an abrupt end when World War I broke out, but more than 70 games were played before that happened and a wide variety of people from all over the world had gotten their first taste of the game that is played on a diamond.

     The tour began in October of 1913 in Cincinnati where the teams would embark on a coast-to-coast trip that saw them play 32 teams in 33 days. The North American tour ended in Seattle on November 19th where a ship was boarded that was headed to Land of the Rising Sun. The voyage was much rougher than expected, which led to a late arrival in Yokohama on December 6th. They were four days late, but they were ready to play some ball. After the stop in Japan they moved onto China, the Philippines, Australia, New Zealand, Egypt and all across Europe before wrapping things up in England.

     Along the way they played in front of heads of state and royalty as they spread the game that is played on a diamond. While in Egypt, the teams played in front of Abas Hilmi II, the Khedive of Egypt. The Khedive brought his 43 wives and staff of at least 100 to view the game. While they were playing in front of him the White Sox squad turned a triple play. With this being a new game that he had never seen before, the Khedive seemed to hardly notice the play that was such a rarity in the game. That caught the attention of future Hall of Famer Tip O'Neill. When stunned O'Neill mentioned it to Comiskey, his boss told him "He's got enough to do. If you had 43 wives to watch you wouldn't notice a triple play either!"

     As the teams continued their journey they would play in front of Pope in Italy and the King of England before it all came to an end. In most cities they would square off against each other, however, there were exceptions as teams were assembled by locals in Japan, Australia, and the Philippines. With the headlines turning to war, the teams boarded a ship for the United States on February 27, 1914. They were greeted in New York on March 6th with several new tales to tell as they had traveled the earth playing the game that they loved.

     Besides O'Neill there were a handful of other future Hall of Famers which included: Christy Mathewson, Sam Crawford, Tris Speaker, and Red Faber. Faber was loaned to the Giants during the tour, then went onto forge his Hall of Fame career with the White Sox.
   

     The information about this tour was very limited. That tends to happen with events that are dated such as the tour. I usually look through a wide variety of newspapers and other publications, gather some facts, then write the story. This was a challenge since the story of the games were exactly hitting the newspapers the next day. Some of the numbers such as the 32 games in 33 days might be a give or take a few on either end of those figures. I only came across a few decent articles that were from 1913 or 1914. This article was used as a primary reference point: http://tinyurl.com/m7d74cb it is a story about the return of the teams that was done on March 6, 1914, by the Lewiston Evening Journal out of Maine. The story about the triple play was found in a book called Then Ozzie Said to Harold... The Best Chicago White Sox Stories Ever Told. Another book that I purchased while writing this is called The Tour To End All Tours: The Story Of Major League Baseball's 1913-1914 World Tour. From what I have read online the book has gotten a lot of praise for the research done and I know I can't wait to jump into it. You can find it on Amazon and a variety of other sites  that are very reasonably priced.