Looking back at sports history can provide a plethora of emotions such as pride, sadness, wish, desire, and many more. The events that took place in sports on September 3rd strike a wide spectrum of emotions. A stunning accolade was achieved as Hank Aaron became an all-time MLB leader in another statistic. In addition, an NBA icon decided to officially conclude his career after an endless list of accolades. The players who left their mark on the playing grounds today in history continue to influence the course of sports day in and day out.

Kaivan Tabatabai also contributed to this article.

Hank Aaron's 6,135th TB

Did you know...On this day in 1972 Atlanta Braves slugger Hank Aaron earns his 6,135th total base to break Stan Musial’s MLB record in an 8-0 home defeat to the Philadelphia Phillies. #ThisDayInHistory #TeamLCS #FunFacts pic.twitter.com/GJ0rbkkPFU
— LCS Record Retrieval (@_LCSrecords) September 3, 2019

YEAR: 1972

SIGNIFICANCE: Hank Aaron earned his 6,135th total base, breaking Stan Musial’s career record

48 years ago and two years prior to breaking Babe Ruth’s all-time Home Run record, Braves RF/1B Hank Aaron surpassed Stan Musial in the all-time total base list. Aaron collected his 6,135 career total base in an 8-0 defeat against the Philadelphia Phillies, when he recorded two total bases (singles in the 1st and 9th inning) off Hall of Famer Steve Carlton. Aaron finished his career with 6,856 total bases, 722 more than Musial for the most all-time where he still stands as the clear-cut leader.

HOF Robertson Retired

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=xE9CKUgQoXM&feature=emb_logo

YEAR: 1974

SIGNIFICANCE: PG Oscar Robertson officially announced his retirement from the NBA after 14 seasons

Some of the talent that has come in and out of the NBA since the very beginning have been truly breathtaking. There are athletes who step on the court and leave fans with the knowledge that they were indeed born to play the sport. One player who possessed this talent is “Big O” Oscar Robertson.

His career accomplishments include 12 All-Star appearances, 3 All-Star MVPs, an MVP award, and the Bucks only NBA Championship to this day. Additionally, he was the first player to ever average a triple-double for a season as he regular racked up a large amount of points, rebounds, and assists on a regular basis. On September 3rd, 1974 the PG officially announced his retirement, carrying one of the largest legacies in NBA history.

Goff Gets the Jack Pot

YEAR: 2019

SIGNIFICANCE: LA Rams gave QB Jared Goff a 4-year contract extension, including a record $110M fully guaranteed

Giving athletes large contracts in any sport is an indication of an investment for the future. One year ago, the Los Angeles Rams made one of the largest investments of all-time on their 2016 first overall draft pick, QB Jared Goff. The young QB signed a four-year extension for $134 million that included $110 million fully guaranteed, an NFL record. The two-time Pro Bowler shined bright in the LA franchise, as he led the Rams to the Super Bowl in 2018.

Unfortunately, since the loss to the Patriots on the big stage with zero offensive TDs, there have been many doubters of Goff and his abilities. Only time will tell if this massive investment pays off for the Los Angeles Rams, but few can dispute Goff’s ceiling as a future MVP candidate with the arm talent he possesses that made him the first overall pick in the first place.

New Global HR Leader

YEAR: 1977

SIGNIFICANCE: Sadaharu Oh became the all-time global HR leader when he hit his 756th career HR

Japanese superstar Sadaharu Oh became the all-time global Home Run king, when he surpassed Hank Aaron as the global HR leader in professional baseball history on this day in 1977. Oh played 22 seasons in the Japan Central League (JCL) with the Yomiuri Giants, and had three seasons with at least 50 HR. He also put up seasons of a 1.000 OPS or more in 16 of his 22 seasons; an absolute monster at the plate. Oh finished his career with 868 career Home Runs, 102 more than Barry Bonds. Most OTD topics are about the MLB, NBA, or NFL, but Oh’s global accomplishment is one that’s hard to ignore as Aaron & Oh even battled each other in a HR derby.

7-run 9th Inning Comeback

YEAR: 2019

SIGNIFICANCE: Nationals became the 1st team to win despite trailing by 6 runs in the 9th inning (previously 0-274 in 2019)

Exactly one year ago, the eventual World Champion Washington Nationals came back to beat the New York Mets 11-10 in one of the greatest, most unbelievable comebacks ever. The Nats came back and pulled within a run in the bottom of the eighth inning, but then the Mets responded with five runs in the top of the ninth. It was 10-4 entering the bottom half with the No. 8, 9, and leadoff hitters coming up for the Nats. What happened next is something that was beyond anyone’s imagination.

A single, flyout, double, single, single, single, double. That last double, hit by Ryan Zimmerman, made it a 10-8 game. Kurt Suzuki then stepped up to the plate and took Edwin Diaz deep to left field for a three-run home run, winning the game for Washington 11-10. Entering the bottom of the ninth, the Mets had a 99.9% win probability, but based on the fact that MLB teams were previously 0-274 when trailing by 6 runs or more in 2019, it was pretty much a done deal. However, this September 3 night foreshadowed one of the greatest postseason runs ever that consisted of comeback after comeback en route to the city’s first World Series championship.