Eight 'Black Sox' Banned, Joe Niekro's Emery Board Ejection, and a failed attempt at catching a 170 mph ball - This DiSH for Aug. 3

In 1921,  Chicago White Sox players Eddie Cicotte, Chick Gandil, Happy Felsch, Lefty Williams, Buck Weaver, Swede Risberg, Fred McMullin, and Shoeless Joe Jackson were banned from baseball 24 hours after being acquitted in their trial. 

In 1987, Minnesota Twins pitcher Joe Niekro was caught with an emery board in his pocket which he used to scuff the baseball.

In 1939, catcher Joe Sprinz of the San Francisco Seals attempted to catch baseball dropped from a blimp 800 feet above. It didn't go well.

In 1948, Satchel Paige made his Major League Baseball debut as a starting pitcher.

In 1979, Sam Snead became the oldest golfer to make the cut at a major tournament.

In 1936, Jesse Owens won the first of his four gold medals at the Munich Olympics.

In 1984, Mary Lou Retton became the first US woman to win the Olympic all-around competition.

In 1949, the BAA and the NBL merged to form the NBA.

THIS DAY IN SPORTS BACKGROUND

Relive the greatest moments in sports every day of the year. From the triumphs to the tragedies, the first to do it to the last time it happened, the unbelievable to the strange, This Day in Sports History is a 365-day journey remembering those significant events that made a lasting impact.

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