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Most Significant Sports History on October 23rd
Learn about October 23rd's most significant sports history including Joe Carter's walk-off in 1993, the 'Monday Night Miracle', and more!
Mark Duncan / AP Images
The events that occurred on October 23rd in sports history are culminated by MLB postseason and World Series glory. To begin, one of the few and most iconic home runs in MLB history was hit and won a World Series with one swing of the bat. Additionally, one of the greatest pitchers of all-time set a postseason strikeout record solidifying his legacy as one of the greats. The accolades and accomplishments on 10/23 continue to leave its mark on the game today.
YEAR: 1993
SIGNIFICANCE: Joe Carter hit his iconic walk-off home run to win back-to-back WS for the Blue Jays
In Game 6 of the 1993 World Series, Toronto Blue Jays OF Joe Carter took a Mitch Williams‘ fastball over the left field fence at the Rogers Centre to give the Blue Jays their second World Series title in as many years. Carter became the second player to end the World Series on a home run, with the first being Bill Mazeroski in 1960, and the seventh player, at the time, to clinch the title with a walk-off. This moment is not only fabled for the grand stage that it occurred on, but the fact that this home run was, and still is, the greatest baseball moment in the history of Canada. And that was evident after the ball landed past the wall; the roar inside the stadium sounded like the whole country erupted in joy at the same time.
It took @JustinVerlander 713 batters faced to reach 200 K in the postseason ...
— MLB Stats (@MLBStats) October 24, 2019
713 is Houston's area code. 😱😱😱
YEAR: 2019
SIGNIFICANCE: Justin Verlander became the 1st pitcher to ever reach 200 career postseason strikeouts
After a two-run double by Washington Nationals 3B Antony Rendon, Houston Astros SP Justin Verlander went on to strikeout six batters to help him reach the 200 postseason strikeout plateau. Verlander became the first pitcher in the history of the postseason to reach that mark. JV surpassed Hall of Famer John Smoltz‘s 199 career playoff strikeouts during Game 2 of the 2019 World Series.
Verlander still stands at No. 1, but Clayton Kershaw has closed the gap with his 201 career strikeouts. Additionally, the future Hall of Famer is tied for third in career postseason wins (14), and his 187.2 IP in the playoffs are the sixth most ever. Verlander is one of the most decorated pitchers in baseball history and solidified his legacy once again exactly one year ago.
YEAR: 2000
SIGNIFICANCE: The New York Jets rallied from a 23-point 4th-quarter deficit to defeat the Miami Dolphins on MNF
Entering the game with identical 5-1 records, the winner of this Monday Night showdown between the Dolphins and Jets would emerge as sole leader of the AFC East. Reminiscent of the “fake spike” game in 1994, where New York failed to retain an 18-point second-half lead, it was Miami this time who held a massive fourth-quarter lead. A 30-7 game entering the final frame, broadcaster Howard David commented what most of the viewers were likely thinking: “with a whole quarter to go, this game is over.” That proved to be an instant freezing take.
Beginning the quarter with the ball, New York struck immediately with Vinny Testaverde hitting Laveranues Coles on a (juggled) 30-yard TD, but failed on the two-point conversion attempt. They would drive the field three more times, scoring two TDs and a field goal to tie the game at 30 with just under 4:00 to play. On the Dolphins’ next play from scrimmage, Jay Fielder and Leslie Shepherd connected for a 46-yard TD pass to take back the lead (37-30). The Jets would then grind the clock down to less than a minute on a nine-play drive, tying the game again on a three-yard reception by backup OL Jumbo Elliott.
New York would kick off to begin OT, but Fielder tossed his third INT of the game eight plays into the drive. Picking up 41 yards on three completions (five attempts), Testaverde maneuvered the offense into prime field goal range on just six plays, setting up a game-winning 40-yard attempt for John Hall. Remaining perfect on the day, Hall’s game-winner completed the second-largest fourth-quarter comeback in NFL history (Bills-Oilers, 1992 — 32 points). When fans were asked to vote on their favorite Monday Night Football game of all time in 2002, this “Monday Night Miracle” (or “Monday Night Meltdown”, depending on which viewpoint) stuck out in a majority of their minds.
YEAR: 2019
SIGNIFICANCE: Kyrie Irving dropped 50 points in his Brooklyn Nets debut, breaking an NBA record for a team debut
After six seasons with the Cleveland Cavaliers — where he went to four straight Finals, winning one — and two with the Boston Celtics, Kyrie Irving signed with his hometown Brooklyn Nets to partner with Kevin Durant. The latter sidelined for the season with a torn Achilles, Irving made his debut solo and showed his new fan base his scoring wizardry instantly with 50 points and three go-ahead buckets in the final 3:00 of a 127-126 OT loss to Minnesota.
Topping Kiki Vandeweghe‘s 47-point debut with the Portland Trail Blazers in 1984, Kyrie’s 50 set an all-time record for a player’s first game with a new team. Marking the one-year anniversary of his grandfather’s passing, however, Irving played with a heavy heart that day despite the joyous moment. Yet, it was this tragic loss a year earlier that led Kyrie to prioritize a return to his roots and be closer to his family, bringing it all full circle for the 6x All-Star. The Nets now have one of the most stacked rosters in the league with championship aspirations surrounding Kyrie & KD.
YEAR: 1996
SIGNIFICANCE: Jim Leyritz‘s 8th inning game-tying 3-run HR & Wade Boggs‘ 10th inning go-ahead walk tied the WS at 2-2
After an embarrassing first two games at Yankee Stadium, the New York Yankees found themselves in a hole heading into Atlanta, the home of the defending World Champions. After a clutch Game 3 win, the Bombers had the opportunity to steal two games from the Braves in hostile territory to even the series out. However, it didn’t go as planned to start with the Braves taking a 6-0 lead heading into the sixth inning. The Yankees managed to cut the lead in half with a quick rally, but by the end of the top half of the inning, Atlanta still had a 90% Winning Probability.
Enter Jim Leyritz, who replaced pinch-hitter Paul O’Neill in the bottom of the 6th inning. Fast forward to the 8th inning, Leyritz homered off reliever Mark Wohlers for a game-tying three-run home run that flew past a leaping Andruw Jones. That home run led to Wade Boggs walking with a bases loaded in the 10th inning, which resulted in the Yankees evening the series at two games a piece instead of facing a 3-1 deficit. Leyritz’s homer is considered a series-changing blow, and quite frankly, a dynasty-creating shot. The Yankees went on to win the 1996 World Series in six games, and then conquered four World Series titles in the next five years as the MLB’s last true dynasty.
