January 1942 in Sports History

Events in Sport

Hall of Fame

Jan 4 7 x NL batting champion Rogers Hornsby is 14th player selected to the Baseball Hall of Fame

Sports History

Jan 6 Bob Feller, enlists in Navy & reports for duty to Norfolk Virginia

Boxing Title Fight

Jan 9 In his 20th title defence, Joe Louis KOs Buddy Baer in the 1st round of their rematch to retain his world heavyweight boxing title at New York’s Madison Square Garden

Jan 15 Chicago Cubs drop plans to install lights at Wrigley Field because of military's need for materials; takes 35 years before lights finally installed at the venerable ballpark

Sports History

Jan 15 US President Franklin Delano Roosevelt sends his famed "Green Light Letter" to MLB Commissioner Judge Landis, encouraging baseball to continue playing during World War II

Birthdays in Sport

Jan 1 Nevzat Güzelırmak, Turkish soccer defender (18 caps; Göztepe) and manager (Denizlispor; Turkey U21), born in İzmir, Turkey (d. 2020)
Jan 7 Vasiliy Alekseyev, Russian weightlifter (Olympic gold 1972, 76), born in Miloslavsky District, Soviet Union (d. 2011)
Jan 14 Ian Brayshaw, Australian cricketer & footballer, born in South Perth, Australia
Jan 14 Dave Campbell, American baseball player, born in Manistee, Michigan

Muhammad Ali

Jan 17 Muhammad Ali [Cassius Clay], American boxer (world heavyweight champion 1964-7 74-8), born in Louisville, Kentucky (d. 2016)

Jan 22 Mimis Domazos, Greek footballer
Jan 23 Laurie Mayne, Australian cricketer (Australian pace bowler in 6 Tests 1965-70), born in Westonia, West Australia
Jan 23 Rildo da Costa Menezes, Brazilian soccer defender (38 caps; Santos, CEUB, New York Cosmos), born in Recife, Brazil (d. 2021)
Jan 24 Olav Nilsen, Norwegian soccer striker/midfielder (62 caps; Viking FK), born in Stavanger, Norway (d. 2021)
Jan 25 Carl Eller, American football player, born in Winston-Salem, North Carolina
Jan 30 David J. Brown, English cricketer (Warwicks pace bowler, played 26X for England), born in Walsall, United Kingdom

Deaths in Sport

Jan 7 Henri de Baillet-Latour, Belgian aristocrat (3rd President International Olympic Committee 1925-42), dies at 63
Jan 12 George Francis, cricketer (WI Test fast-bowler, 23 wkts in 10), dies
Jan 15 Mel Sheppard, American athlete (Olympic gold 800m, 1,500m, medley relay 1908; 4x400 metre relay 1912), dies at 58
Jan 31 Henry Larkin, American baseball player (b. 1860)