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Most Significant Sports History on December 11th
Learn about December 11th's most significant sports history including huge MLB contracts, legendary streaks, the Bucs' 1st win, and more!
Alex Gallardo / AP Images
December 11th contains some of the wildest events happening on and off the field in pro sports history. Not one, but two of the most groundbreaking transactions ever in Major League Baseball history occurred nearly two decades apart, creating long-lasting impacts on the league. On top of that, Johnny Unitas, Joe DiMaggio, and Roger Maris had days to remember. Considering all the significant sports events that have taken place on 12/11, it is a very influential day in the history of sports.
Today In Sports History
— History of Sports (@BeforeFamePics) December 11, 2015
2000 ~ Alex Rodriguez signed a 10-year deal with the Texas #Rangers for $252 million pic.twitter.com/2c2oNPluvO
YEARS: 2000 & 2019
SIGNIFICANCE: Alex Rodriguez signed a 10yr/$252M with Texas & Anthony Rendon agreed to a $245M deal with the Angels
Days after Mike Hampton signed a historic deal with the Colorado Rockies, former Seattle Mariners SS Alex Rodriguez signed a monster 10-year deal worth $252 Million with the Texas Rangers, the largest contract in professional sports at the time. Rodriguez, the 1993 first-overall pick, played six seasons with the Mariners and averaged 138 OPS+, 27 HR, and 85 RBI per season during his time with Seattle.
For a shortstop that was unimaginable at the time, a position that Rodriguez revolutionized with his Hall of Fame-worthy offense before shifting over to third base later in his career. The deal was worth it for A-Rod, who led the AL in HRs all three years he was with Texas and won the 2003 MVP before getting traded to the New York Yankees because the Rangers could not handle the high yearly salary.
19 years after the first A-Rod deal, 3B Anthony Rendon agreed to a 7y/$245M deal with the Los Angeles Angels to cap off a jam-packed Winter Meetings that also saw Stephen Strasburg and Gerrit Cole receive record-breaking contracts. The Rendon deal made the Angels the first team to ever sign three players to $200M+ deals. The contracts also include Mike Trout‘s extension earlier that year (12y/$426.5M) and the 10y/$240M deal given to Albert Pujols in 2011. Those three superstars along with Shohei Ohtani give the Angels one of the most top-heavy rosters in the bigs.
Angel in the infield.
— MLB (@MLB) December 12, 2019
Anthony Rendon reportedly agrees to 7-year, $245M deal with Los Angeles, per @JonHeyman. pic.twitter.com/zFzKrcA6BW
On this day in 1951, Joe DiMaggio announced to the press his decision to retire from baseball. pic.twitter.com/bmMGqg26kw
— Graig Kreindler (@GraigKreindler) December 11, 2014
YEARS: 1951 & 1959
SIGNIFICANCE: HOF CF Joe DiMaggio announced his retirement & Yankees acquired OF Roger Maris for SP Don Larsen
On this day in 1951, Hall of Famer Joe DiMaggio officially announced his retirement from baseball at the age of 36. DiMaggio played 13 seasons, all with the Yankees, and accumulated over 2,200 hits and 361 HRs throughout his career. The iconic center fielder won three AL MVP awards, and was an All-Star in each of his 13 Major League seasons. During 1942-45, DiMaggio served in the Military due to World War II as did countless of other baseball players. His jersey No. 5 has been forever retired by the New York Yankees and his plaque can be found at Cooperstown after his 1955 HOF election.
Exactly eight years later in 1959, the Kansas City Athletics traded future 2x MVP winner OF Roger Maris to the New York Yankees for multiple players, including SP Don Larsen, the only pitcher to throw a Perfect Game in the World Series. Maris was a tremendous acquisition for New York, as he went on to win back-to-back MVP trophies in 1960 and 1961. In ’61, Maris broke Babe Ruth’s famous single-season home run record when he hit 61 bombs. While Maris peaked as a 2x MVP winner, he never had the longevity or annual consistency to get into the Hall of Fame like DiMaggio.
OTD 1960: #Baltimore #Colts John Unitas fails to throw a TD pass in a 10-3 loss to the Rams, snapping his then-NFL record streak of 47 consecutive games with a TD pass.
— Kevin Gallagher (@KevG163) December 12, 2017
His record would stand for 52 years until broken by Drew Brees in 2012. pic.twitter.com/5SWEPRmDa0
YEAR: 1960
SIGNIFICANCE: HOF QB Johnny Unitas’ NFL record 47-game PASS TD streak finally ended
Exactly 60 years ago, the NFL saw a previously-unfathomable streak finally come to an end in Los Angeles. Beginning against the same Rams team in the same stadium on December 9th, 1956 — his sixth career start — Johnny Unitas went on to complete at least one PASS TD in 47 consecutive games to run away with the all-time record. Once thought of as the football equivalent to Joe DiMaggio’s 56-game hitting streak, Unitas’ legendary record would last nearly 52 years, until Drew Brees broke it on October 7th, 2012 and extended it to 54 games where it still stands as the cream of the crop.
On this Day In History, 1984: "The Boston Celtics beat the New Jersey Nets 130-121 at Hartford as the two teams combined to shoot a record 63.2 percent (108-for-171) from the field." Via @NBA
— Hardwood Houdini (@HoudiniCeltics) December 11, 2018
Larry Bird - 35 pt, 10 ast. Parish 26 pt, 11 reb. Otis Birdsong 42, MRR 31/16 Ast 4 NJ.
YEAR: 1984
SIGNIFICANCE: The Boston Celtics and New Jersey Nets combined to shoot an NBA-record 63.2% from the field (108/171)
On this date in 1984, eastern conference foes Boston and New Jersey battled under the lights of Hartford with sparks flying in a net-ripping display of shooting. The Boston Celtics were comprised of numerous chess pieces that strategically placed them as that season’s runner-up, checkmated by the LA Lakers 4-2 in the NBA Finals. The C’s were headlined by HOFers Larry Bird, Robert Parish, Kevin McHale, and Dennis Johnson; meanwhile, the New Jersey Nets were carried by the prestige of All-Stars Otis Birdsong, Buck Williams, and Michael Ray Richardson.
The Celtics and Nets were in perfect offensive harmony on this day in December as they practically mirrored each other’s field goal percentage by both shooting above 60% (65% and 61.5% respectively). The two teams combined to shoot an NBA-record 63.2% from the field (108/171) as Boston buried New Jersey 130-121, increasing their record to a remarkable 19-2.
NJ’s Birdsong devastated the Celtics’ defense, dropping a season-high 42 points behind a jarring 76% efficiency rate, and Boston’s Bird did damage with a team-high of 35 behind an efficient 70% clip. The shooting prowess of these sides was well-above their combined season FG% of 49.9%, and no other game has merited such a sharpshooting night of that caliber.
#OnThisDay ... in 1977, the @Buccaneers erased memories of an 0-26 start as an @NFL franchise - and sitting at 0-12 in their second season - by 'disgracing' the @Saints 33-14 in the @MBSuperdome behind a rampant defense that scored three pick sixes.#NFL100 pic.twitter.com/aTsKTibWu5
— Gridiron (@Gridiron) December 11, 2019
YEAR: 1977
SIGNIFICANCE: The Buccaneers won their 1st game in franchise history after an incredibly awful 0-26 start
One of the most dubious franchise debuts in professional sports history, the Tampa Bay Buccaneers began with the very first winless season in the NFL’s modern era. Following up their 0-14 debut season with another 12 consecutive losses in 1977, the Bucs’ cumulative record was now 0-26 — the second-longest losing streak in NFL history before they even had a win in the franchise’s history. Both their offense and defense ranked in the bottom-half of the league in 1976, but the defensive side of the ball saw mild improvement to 12th in points and 13th in yards along with the seventh-most turnovers forced during ’77.
The offense, on the other hand, got even worse, totaling just seven offensive TDs on the year (3 PASS, 4 RUSH). Suffering through six shutouts and ten games with under ten points, it finally came together in the season’s second-to-last game in the Superdome. After taking a 13-0 lead into the half, Tampa opened the lead even further with a pick-six off Archie Manning for the third quarter’s only score and then housed another one to begin Q4. Regardless of New Orleans’ two garbage-time TDs, it finally happened — Tampa Bay won a game, and would close out the season with their very first home victory the next week against St. Louis.
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