Historically Speaking: Fridelity

We're back in the swing, just in time for the weekend. Yeah. That's how we roll. Friday goodies, just past the jump.

* Goin' all the way back to 1903 today, when James J. Jeffries and James J. Corbett climbed into a San Francisco ring. Triple J knocked out J.J.C. in the 10th round, his sixth consecutive title defense since earning the belt four years prior. He had previously knocked out Corbett in the 23rd round, and would retire as champion in May 1905. He came out of retirement to fight Jack Johnson in 1910, but was knocked the fuggout in the 15th.

* In 1936, the first gold-medal basketball olympic game took place in Berlin. The United States defeated Canada in a 19-8 barnburner.

* The year was 1968 when Jimmy Ellis beat Floyd Patterson in the 15th round of a World Boxing Association title fight in Stockholm.

* The Hit King, a.k.a. Pete Rose, knocked his final base hit in a game against the San Francisco Giants. It was Rose's 4,256th time reaching base via bat on ball.

* Today in 1997, the Orioles and Mariners were slated to play a ball game, which was post-poned due to a power outage/lighting difficulties. The Mariners wound up having to play back-to-back double-headers in different cities, and the story behind the alleged power outage spun one crazy rumor cycle.

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



...one-time Pittsburgh Pirate Andy Van Slyke, who, in 1990, struck out three times against St. Louis, his former club, in an exhibition game. Afterwards, Van Slyke said, "I was so bad, I couldn't have driven Miss Daisy home."