Jeff Phelps’ This Date In Sports History: Dec. 4

Here’s what happened on this date in sports history for December 4th:

1909 – 1st CFL Grey Cup: University of Toronto defeats Toronto Parkdale, 26-6

1943 – Baseball Commissioner Kenesaw Mountain Landis announced that any club was free to employ black players.

1964 – Major league baseball established a free-agent draft that would take effect in 1965.


1979 – Cleveland Cavaliers retire jersey # 7, Bingo Smith

1987 – Kareem Abdul Jabaar was held to only 7 points in a game establishing an NBA record of 787 straight games with double digit points.


1996 – Orlando Magic tie NBA record of fewest points scored since inception of 24 second clock losing to Cleveland Cavalier, 84-57

1997 – John Elway (Denver Broncos) surpassed 3,000 yards for the season. It was his 12th consecutive season to pass for more than 3,000 yards.

1997 – Barry Sanders (Detroit Lions) set an NFL record when he rushed for over 100 yards in 12 consecutive games.

Birthdays

1956 – Bernard King, basketball player (NY Knicks, NJ Nets)

1963 – Sergey Bubka, Ukraine, pole vaulter (Olympics-gold-88, 92)

1969 – Terry Glenn, wide reciever (New England Patriots)