December 1989 in Sports History

Events in Sport

Sports History

Dec 3 Stefan Edberg of Sweden claims his first and only ATP Masters Grand Prix tennis title with a 4–6, 7–6, 6–3, 6–1 win over defending champion Boris Becker at Madison Square Garden, NYC

Dec 11 Mark Davis signs record $3.25 million per year KC Royals contract
Dec 13 Walter Davis (Denver) ends NBA free throw streak of 53 games
Dec 16 Commencement of 1st Test Cricket play at Bellerive Oval, Hobart (v SL)
Dec 17 78th Davis Cup: Germany beats Sweden in Stuttgart (3-2)
Dec 17 Michael Bevan scores cricket century on 1st-class debut (114 SA v WA)

Sports History

Dec 19 Larry Bird (Celtics) begins NBA free throw streak of 71 games

Sports History

Dec 26 ODI cricket debut for Australia's Mark Taylor and Sri Lanka's Sanath Jayasuriya at the MCG

Dec 26 Ballon d'Or: Milan's second straight 1-2-3; Dutch striker Marco van Basten wins his 2nd best football player in Europe title ahead of Franco Baresi and Frank Rijkaard
Dec 27 Oregon begins taking bids on NBA games

Sports History

Dec 29 Wayne Gretzky and Martina Navratilova, named athletes of decade by the Associated Press

Dec 30 Dmitri Volkov swims world record 50m freestyle (27.15 sec)
Dec 31 Jockey Kent Desormeaux sets record with 598 wins in a year

Birthdays in Sport

Dec 2 Matteo Darmian, Italian soccer full-back (36 caps; Torino, Manchester United), born in Legnano, Milan, Italy
Dec 4 Pornanong Phatlum, Thai golfer (British Open 2018 runner-up), born in Khon Kaen, Thailand
Dec 7 Kyle Hendricks, American MLB pitcher (Chicago Cubs), born in Newport Beach, California
Dec 8 Drew Doughty, Canadian hockey player, born in London, Canada
Dec 11 Kellie Harrington, Irish boxer (lightweight Gold Medal 2021 Tokyo Olympics), born in Dublin, Ireland
Dec 21 Mark Ingram Jr., American football running back (Heisman Trophy 2009, U of Alabama; NFL Pro Bowl 2014, 17, 19; New Orleans Saints, Baltimore Ravens), born in Hackensack, New Jersey
Dec 29 Kei Nishikori, Japanese tennis player (11 singles titles, only Japanese player ranked in top 10), born in Matsue, Japan
Dec 30 Ryan Sheckler, American professional skateboarder

Deaths in Sport

Dec 3 Fernando Martín, Spanish basketball center (first Spaniard in NBA 1986, Portland Trail Blazers; FIBA Club World Cup 1981, Real Madrid), dies in a car accident at 27
Dec 16 Oscar Alfredo Gálvez, Argentine racing driver (b. 1913)

Billy Martin

Dec 25 Billy Martin, American baseball 2nd baseman (MLB All Star 1956; World Series 1951, 52, 53, 56; NY Yankees) and manager (World Series 1977 NY Yankees), killed in a car accident at 61