Historically Speaking: One/Double-Deuce/Oh Niner

Friday's almost here. Let's check in on a few sports facts from days past to kill a tiny bit of Thursday, shall we?

* During a Winter League baseball game in 1951, Fidel Castro was ejected from the contest for hitting a batter.

* In 1969 Roy Campanella and Stan Musial were elected to baseball's Hall of Fame.

* Joe Frazier lost the first fight of his professional career in 1973 when George Foreman defeated him via TKO in the second round of HBO's first televised boxing match. Frazier had been the undefeated heavyweight champ for three years.

* Fifteen years later, a cat from Catskill, NY by the name of Mike Tyson became the champ. His victory, also by way of technical knockout, came at the hands of Larry Holmes in the fourth round.

* And in 2001, NFL player Rae Carruth was sentenced to a minimum of 18 years, 11 months in prison. The one-time Carolina Panther shot his then-pregnant girlfriend Cherica Adams in 1999. Though the baby survived, Adams died one month later from the wounds.

And your Sports Illustrated quote of the day comes from the mouth of...

...Chicago Cubs manager Lou Piniella. The skipper was asked, circa 2007, what he sees in reliever Neal Cotts, who at the time held a 7.20 ERA in spring training. Piniella's response:



"I see he gives up runs every time he pitches."