Happy Birthday Dennis Eckersley

This Day in Sports History - 9/24/1972

Oakland Raiders cornerback Jack Tatum sets an NFL record returning a fumble 104 yards during a 20 - 14 win over the Packers at Lambeau Field in Green Bay. The Packers lead 7 - 3 in the first quarter when Tatum picks up running back MacArthur Lane's fumble in the Oakland end zone and sprints across the Green Bay goal line. The 104 yard fumble return breaks the 98 yards record set by George Halas when he played for the Chicago Bears in 1923. A review of the film shows that Lane's turnover was actually a muffed lateral and should have been ruled a touchback with Oakland gaining the ball on its own 20. Had the instant replay rule existed in 1972, it's likely that Tatum's touchdown would have been nullified. Tatum remains in the record books, however. His 104 yard fumble return will be tied by cornerback Aeneas Williams of the Arizona Cardinals on November 5, 2000.

This Day in Sports History - 5/9/2010

Dallas Braden of the Athletics pitches a perfect game to defeat the Tampa Bay Rays, 4-0, at McAfee Coliseum in Oakland. The contest is on Mother's Day, a significant date to Braden because his mother died of cancer during his senior year of high school. Braden's only previous national exposure came two weeks earlier when he publicly criticized Alex Rodriguez for walking across the mound during a game. During the perfect game, Braden throws 109 pitches and strikes out six. In the tense ninth, Braden retires Willy Aybar on a lineout to first, Dioner Navarro on a fly ball to left field, and Gabe Kapler on a groundout. In a post-game interview, Braden's grandmother adds to the Braden-Rodriguez feud, saying: "Stick it, A-Rod."

This Day in Sports History - 5/8/1968

Catfish Hunter throws a perfect game to give the Athletics a 4 - 0 win over the Minnesota Twins in Oakland. It's the A's first season in Oakland after transferring from Kansas City. And it's the first perfect game by an American League pitcher since Charlie Robertson of the Chicago White Sox blanked the Detroit Tigers, 2 - 0, on April 30, 1922.

Hideki Matsui

Hideki Matsui signed a 1 year contract with the Oakland A's. He spent the 2010 season as a member of the LA Angels. He batted .274 with 21 HRs and 84 RBIs in 145 games for the Angels. In 2009 Matsui was the World Series MVP as he batted .615 with 3 HRs and 8 RBIs.

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