Multiple monumental events have occurred on this day in sports history. Four NBA teams including the Los Angeles Lakers swapped a whopping 12 players in the summer of 2012. MLB legend Babe Ruth said farewell to the game, but not completely… These are a few of the moments that summarize the most significant events on August 10th that continue to impact the game today.

4-Team Trade

YEAR: 2012

SIGNIFICANCE: 4 NBA teams made a 12-player trade which involved multiple draft picks and star players

Fans of the NBA have had to get far to used to saying goodbye to their favorite players. On any given off-season, big name players make switches that inevitably the impact the dynamic of the league. The summer of 2012 brings this statement to reality. Four teams in the NBA completed a transaction that would swap 12 players and multiple draft picks.

The Lakers, 76ers, Nuggets, and Magic completed this deal which sent C Dwight Howard to the Lakers, C Andrew Bynum to the 76ers, SF Andre Igoudala to the Nuggets, and C Nikola Vucevic to the Magic. The spotlight of this trade was arguably the most dominant center of the league Dwight Howard making his move of LA. While Howard didn’t leave quite the mark in LA he was expected to, the move represented a groundbreaking change and brought a sense of unpredictability moving forward. The Magic were the real winners of the trade as they still have Nikola Vučević as their franchise Center to this day.

Another Joins 500 HR Club

YEAR: 1971

SIGNIFICANCE: Twins 1B Harmon Killebrew became the 10th player in MLB history to hit 500 HRs

There are few achievements in sports as prestigious as hitting 500 HRs in the MLB. Breaking through to this milestone allows players in the MLB to set their names next to the greatest to ever play the sport. 49 years ago today, Twins 1B Harmon Killebrew became just the 10th player in MLB history to hit 500 career home runs. Already established as one of the most feared sluggers in the game, Killebrew killed opposing pitchers until retiring in 1975. The Twins legendary 1B was elected into the MLB HOF in 1984.

Broken Record 1st Day Back

YEAR: 1981

SIGNIFICANCE: On day 1 of professional baseball’s return after a 2 month work stoppage, Pete Rose broke an MLB record

A handful of decades ago, the MLB went into a work stoppage from June 12 to July 31. The result of the 50-day strike was due to disagreements surrounding free-agency compensations. On the first day of MLB’s return Phillies 1B Pete Rose broke Stan Musial’s NL hits record by recording his 3,061st career base hit. Rose is still the current all-time hit leader for the MLB with 4,256 total hits and he became the National League leader exactly 39 years ago.

"Ball Night" Disaster

YEAR: 1995

SIGNIFICANCE: “Ball Night” at Dodgers stadium unexpectedly turned into a forfeit by Los Angeles

One of the most important pieces to any sports game are the fans in attendance (besides 2020). Those who didn’t realize the importance of that before surely gained awareness during this global pandemic. In 1995, the Los Angeles Dodgers had their “ball night” with a stadium full of roaring fans. However, the excitement would turn to sorrow at the expense of the Dodgers with only the fans of Los Angeles to blame.

The Dodgers unexpectedly had to forfeit the game to the St. Louis Cardinals in the bottom of the ninth inning. This was a result of the fans throwing souvenir baseballs onto the field on multiple occasions. There was controversy surrounding this situation, as there was no prior warning given for the forfeit. The entirety of the event represents one of the most bizarre moments in Los Angeles baseball history.

Ruth Retires

YEAR: 1934

SIGNIFICANCE: Babe Ruth officially announced his retirement as a full-time MLB player

There is no bigger household name from the sport of baseball than Babe Ruth. Ruth made his MLB debut over a century ago with the Boston Red Sox to begin his career. He stayed in Boston for six seasons, until he was traded to the team’s biggest rival, the New York Yankees. The Babe would play in New York for 15 years, consistently shredding opposing teams as the greatest hitter in his era.

In 1934, Ruth became the first player in the MLB to ever record 700 career HRs. In the same year however, sports fans witnessed one of the hardest farewells in the history of global competition. Babe Ruth on August 10th, 1934 announced his retirement as a full-time MLB player but still managed for the Braves and participated part-time.