Events in Sports History in December 1988

Eddie Murray

Dec 4 Orioles trade veteran 1B Eddie Murray to the Dodgers

Becker's 1st ATP

Dec 5 Boris Becker beats defending champion Ivan Lendl 5–7, 7–6, 3–6, 6–2, 7–6 in a classic final to win his first of 3 ATP Masters Grand Prix tennis titles at Madison Square Garden, NYC

Tennis Player and Eight-Time Major Champion Ivan Lendl

Dec 6 Agnes Neil Williams purchases Baltimore Orioles for $70 million Eli Jacobs becomes CEO of Baltimore Orioles
Dec 6 Milwaukee Bucks win their 1,000th NBA game (2nd fastest)

Texas Rangers Sign Ryan

Dec 7 MLB Texas Rangers sign free-agent pitcher Nolan Ryan to a one-year contract

Islanders Fire Simpson

Dec 7 NHL NY Islanders fire head coach Terry Simpson, and replace him with former coach Al Arbour

Dec 8 Knick's set NBA record of 11 3-pointers & sink Bucks, 113-109
Dec 9 NY Yankees sign 12-year television contract with MSG for $500M
Dec 10 Washington Capitals 1st NHL scoreless tie, vs Montreal Canadiens

Tyson Sued for Sexual Harassment

Dec 12 Sandra Miller of Queens sues Mike Tyson for sexual harassment

Dec 14 CBS' $1.1 B bid wins exclusive 1990-94 major-league baseball rights
Dec 14 NBA's Miami Heat wins 1st game ever, 89-88 (Clippers), after 17 loses
Dec 15 Lori Davis of Long Island sues Mike Tyson for grabbing her buttocks
Dec 17 77th Davis Cup: Germany beats Sweden in Gothenburg (4-1)
Dec 17 Bryan Murray becomes 17th NHL coach to win 300 games (Washington Capitals)
Dec 17 NY Islanders break 12 game losing streak, beat Devils 5-2
Dec 18 Cricket Women's World Cup: Australia defeats England by 8 wickets
Dec 18 Seattle Seahawks win their 1st ever division title with 9-7 record
Dec 19 Oklahoma's College football team gets 3 year probation

Ballon d'Or

Dec 27 Ballon d'Or: Milan 1-2-3; Dutch striker Marco van Basten wins his 1st of 3 best football player in Europe awards ahead of Ruud Gullit and Frank Rijkaard

Dec 29 Soviet Red Army Team edges NY Islanders, 3-2 at Nassau Coliseum
Dec 29 Toronto’s Ed Olczyk and Gary Leeman score goals just 4 seconds apart in the 3rd period, tying the NHL record for fastest 2 goals by one team; Leafs beat the Quebec Nordiques, 6-5.

Dec 31 "The Fog Bowl", a heavy, dense fog rolls over Soldier Field in Chicago during second quarter of the Bears vs Eagles NFC Divisional Playoff Game, cuts visibility to 15-20 yards (Bears win 20-12)

A photo taken as the Bears and Eagles face off in the 1988 "Fog Bowl"

Lemieux's Famous Five

Dec 31 Pittsburgh NHL center Mario Lemieux accounts for all his team's goals in Penguins 8-6 win over the NJ Devils; famously scores 5 goals, each in a different way: even strength, power play, shorthanded, penalty shot and empty net; also 3 assists