This Day in Sports History: October 30
Sports in October are all about the MLB postseason, the start of the NBA and NHL seasons, college football games, the Xfinity 500 for NASCAR, track events, the UEFA Champions…
Sports in October are all about the MLB postseason, the start of the NBA and NHL seasons, college football games, the Xfinity 500 for NASCAR, track events, the UEFA Champions League, and Formula 1 races. Over the years, Oct. 30 has witnessed many notable moments and stories involving sporting legends. Continue reading to learn more about this day in sports history.
Unforgettable Games and Remarkable Records
Great moments in sports history from Oct. 30 include:
- 1871:Â The Philadelphia A's beat Chicago for the first National Association baseball pennant.
- 1945:Â Branch Rickey signed Jackie Robinson to a contract with the Montreal Royals, the Dodgers' top minor league affiliate.
- 1952: Driver Tim Flock won the NASCAR Sprint Cup.
- 1955:Â Tim Flock clinched the NASCAR Sprint Cup.
- 1963:Â Sandy Koufax received the National League MVP award.
- 1967:Â Ferdinand Bracke set a new world record, biking 48.093 km in one hour.
- 1973:Â Tom Seaver won the Cy Young award, becoming the first pitcher to receive it without having 20 victories in the season.
- 1974:Â Pitcher Nolan Ryan threw the fastest recorded pitch at 100.9 mph.
- 1974:Â Muhammad Ali knocked out George Foreman in the eighth round and regained the world heavyweight boxing title.
- 1975:Â Giants pitcher John "The Count" Montefusco was named the National League Rookie of the Year.
- 1975:Â John Bucyk became the seventh NHL player to score 500 goals.
- 1988:Â Beth Daniel won the Nichirei Ladies Cup for women's golf.
- 1988:Â Driver Ayrton Senna clinched his first Formula 1 World Drivers' Championship.
- 1988:Â The New York Jets beat the Pittsburgh Steelers for the first time.
- 1997:Â Diego Maradona announced his retirement from soccer.
- 2011:Â Tennis star Petra Kvitova beat Victoria Azarenka, 7-5, 4-6, and 6-3, to win the WTA Championship.
- 2013:Â The Boston Red Sox beat the St. Louis Cardinals, four games to two, winning the World Series. The MVP was David Ortiz.
- 2015: Tennis star Agnieszka Radwańska won the WTA Finals title.
- 2016:Â The Oakland Raiders had 23 penalties in a single game, breaking the record for most penalties in an NFL game with 23 and still beating the Tampa Bay Buccaneers.
- 2016: Dominika Cibulková beat Angelique Kerber, 6-3 and 6-4, and won the WTA Finals.
- 2019:Â The Washington Nationals beat the Houston Astros, four games to three, achieving their first title in franchise history. The game's MVP was pitcher Stephen Strasburg.
- 2022:Â Driver Max Verstappen won the Mexico City Grand Prix, claiming his 14th victory of the season.
- 2023:Â Lionel Messi won a record eighth Ballon d'Or award.
Oct. 30 has certainly played a major role in sports history. Three stand-out athletes from this day are Tim Flock, John Bucyk, and Lionel Messi.
Flock was a NASCAR pioneer, with a legendary career that included 39 wins in 187 starts and the best winning percentage in NASCAR history. Bucyk is a Hockey Hall of Famer, a two-time Stanley Cup champion, and was named one of the 100 Greatest NHL Players. Messi's fame stems from his exceptional skills, including his dribbling, passing, and goal-scoring, which led to a highly decorated career.
