Nearing one of the most sport-saturated times of the year, the middle of October typically falls into playoff baseball season, the meat of the NFL schedule, and the beginning of a new NBA season. The 16th of October is no different, as a variety of iconic LCS and World Series moments took place on this day in addition to a number of debuts for well-known NBA franchises and a NFL superstar also tied a 40-year record on this day as a precursor to the MVP season that would follow.

Ricky Eisenbart also contributed to this article.

Boone Game 7 Walk-Off

YEAR: 2003

SIGNIFICANCE: Aaron Boone hit a legendary walk-off HR in Game 7 of the ALCS against bitter rivals Red Sox

This game was baseball at its peak. The Yankee Stadium stage was set: Yankees vs Red Sox, Roger Clemens vs Pedro Martinez, and the AL Pennant there for the taking. Fast forward to the bottom of the eighth inning and the Sox are up 5-2 thanks to home runs from Trot Nixon and Kevin Millar. Clemens was pulled after three innings and Mike Mussina threw three scoreless frames of his own in relief. Pedro was dealing all game, entering the eighth allowing just two runs (two solo shots to Jason Giambi). Then, out of nowhere, the Yankee mystique took over.

Double, RBI-single, double, and a two-run double; the game was suddenly tied. With one out in the eighth, the Red Sox had Win-Probability of 94%; it dropped to 50% by the end of the frame. Two and half innings of bullpen-pitching dominance followed, until Aaron Boone, who came into the ballgame as part of a double switch in the ninth inning, took knuckleballer Tim Wakefield deep into the night in the bottom of the 11th inning. The Yankees had walked off the BoSox in the “house that Ruth built” to win the AL title, extending Boston’s World Series drought to 85 years. A year later, the Sox would get the last laugh after the Yankees blew a 3-0 ALCS lead.

LaDanian Ties Record

YEAR: 2005

SIGNIFICANCE: LaDanian Tomlinson scored a TD in his 18th consecutive game, tying the all-time NFL record

One of his generation’s greatest rushing talents, LaDanian Tomlinson set plenty of records throughout his 11-year career with the Chargers and Jets. A year before his record-breaking MVP season, where he rushed for over 1,800 yards and 28 TDs (31 total), LaDanian Tomlinson tied a 40-year record on this day 15 years ago by scoring a TD in his 18th consecutive game. Beginning on October 3rd, 2004 in a victory over the Titans, LT’s streak lasted an entire calendar year but was ended the very next week in a loss to the Eagles, allowing the long-retired Lenny Moore to keep a share of his record.

Set in 1965 when pro football still mostly revolved around the run game, one could have argued that the record was virtually untouchable with the modern evolution of passing schemes. The early-to-mid-2000’s, however, saw a resurgence at the position led by the likes of Tomlinson, Priest Holmes, Shaun Alexander, Edgerrin James, Jamal Lewis, Tiki Barber, Ricky Williams, Corey Dillon, Curtis Martin, and Larry Johnson, among others. With 27 rushing TDs in 2003, Holmes’ single-season record would be tied by Alexander in 2005 only to be broken by LT during his MVP season in 2006.

White Sox Clinch AL

YEAR: 2005

SIGNIFICANCE: White Sox advance to their 1st World Series since 1959 en route to their 1st Championship since 1917

15 years ago, the Chicago White Sox clinched the American League and would head to their first World Series since 1959 after a defeat over the Los Angeles Angels. After a 3-2 loss in Game 1, the 99-win White Sox never looked back as they won four straight thanks to their excellent starting pitching, which threw four straight complete games. In the Game 5 clincher, the White Sox won 6-3 behind a José Contreras three-run CG.

3B Joe Crede secured the win with his 2-for-3, 3-RBI performance that included a game-tying solo shot in the seventh inning, and a go-ahead RBI-single off Francisco Rodriguez in the eighth inning to give the White Sox a 4-3 lead. Chicago went on to face the Wild Card Houston Astros in the 2005 World Series. The Sox made quick work of the Astros with a four-game sweep, giving the South Side its first title in 88 years.

World Series Shutouts

YEARS: 1962 & 1988

SIGNIFICANCE: Ralph Terry pitched a WS shutout in Game 7 & Orel Hershiser became the 1st to pitch an LCS and WS shutout

October 15th saw some historic complete game shutouts in a few key moments in their respective World Series. First, in 1962, New York Yankees SP Ralph Terry threw a 1-0, complete game shutout against the San Francisco Giants in Game 7 of the 1962 World Series to give the Yankees their 20th World Championship in 40 years (20 in 40 years!!). This was New York’s 12th World Series appearance over the last 14 seasons, and the ’62 championship was their ninth ring during that span. Terry limited a Giants’ offense led by the Hall of Fame trio of Willie Mays, Willie McCovey, and Orlando Cepeda to just four hits. Moreover, in the 25 innings Terry threw that World Series, he had a 1.80 ERA, earning him World Series MVP honors.

Later on in 1988, Los Angeles Dodgers SP Orel Hershiser carried over the momentum of Kirk Gibson‘s infamous walk-off home run from the previous night, with a dominant, three-hit complete game shutout of the powerful Oakland Athletics lineup. To make matters even more incredible, Hershiser upped the A’s offensive performance on his own with a single, two doubles, and an RBI, leading the Dodgers to a 2-0 series lead over the heavily-favored Athletics. Hershiser became the first pitcher in MLB history to pitch a complete game shutout in the LCS and in the World Series in the same season. Also, his three hits were the most for a pitcher in a World Series game since Art Nehf in 1924. 1988 also saw Hershiser set a new scoreless innings streak and won the NL Cy Young award in what was a very memorable year from Hershiser.

NBA Franchise Debuts

https://twitter.com/77Blazers/status/1316163674839547904

YEAR: 1968 & 1970

SIGNIFICANCE: Milwaukee Bucks made their NBA debut (loss to Chicago Bulls) AND Portland Trail Blazers won their NBA debut

Just three seasons before winning their first (and only) NBA title, the Milwaukee Bucks made their franchise debut on this day in 1968. A close 89-84 loss to the Chicago Bulls, the teams were led by their respective future Hall-of-Famers Jerry Sloan (Bulls) and Wayne Embry (Bucks) with an 11/11/8 line for the former and a 15-point, 20-rebound game for the latter. Milwaukee would finish with the second-worst record in the league (27-55) but were awarded the first overall pick, which was used to select a future Hall of Famer: UCLA C Lew Alcindor, known today as Kareem Abdul-Jabbar.

Two years later, the NBA approved three more expansion franchises into the Association — the Buffalo Braves (Los Angeles Clippers), Cleveland Cavaliers, and Portland Trail Blazers. The Blazers played their inaugural game exactly 50 years ago against the Cavaliers, who debuted with a loss just a few days earlier against the Braves. Led by Jim Barnett‘s 31 points, Geoff Petrie‘s 21 points, and Leroy Ellis‘ 15-point, 22-rebound outing, Portland held on to a 115-112 victory for their first ever win in their inaugural game. The expansion franchises would each end with the season’s three worst records, but Portland would finish at 29-53 while Buffalo won just 22 games and Cleveland a dismal 15.