THIS DAY IN SPORTS HISTORY: 12/3

1901 – At the MLB meeting, the Milwaukee Brewers franchise is officially dropped from the American League and replaced by the St. Louis Browns.

1929 – Boston Bruins beat the Montreal Canadiens 3-1, the first win of an NHL record 14-game winning streak, and a 22-game home winning streak.

1933 – As part of a famous MLB fire sale of players, Philadelphia A’s owner Connie Mack sells catcher Mickey Cochrane to Detroit for $100,000; Cochrane is immediately named Tigers manager.

1944 – Temporary merger of 2 NFL teams, the Pittsburgh Steelers and Chicago Cardinals, dissolves at finish of season; WWII ends before start of 1945 season, so both teams resume normal operations.

1950 – Cleveland Browns last NFL team with no-pass game (beat Philadelphia 13-7).

1956 – Basketball icon Wilt Chamberlain makes his much anticipated varsity debut; scores 52 points and grabs 31 rebounds, breaking both all-time Kansas records in an 87–69 win against Northwestern.

1966 – 31st Iron Bowl: Alabama beats Auburn 31-0 in Birmingham.

1968 – MLB Rules Committee adopts a series of changes designed to increase amount of offensive run production; decreases strike zone size and lowers height of pitcher’s mound from 15″ to 10″; changes are successful.

1980 – Don Sutton, the winningest pitcher in Los Angeles Dodgers history, signs a 4-year contract with Houston; Astros career shortened by a patellar fracture; returns to Dodgers in 1988 after stints with 3 other MLB clubs.

1982 – After losing his world welterweight boxing titles to Sugar Ray Leonard, Thomas Hearns wins WBC Super Welterweight crown in a majority points decision over Wilfred Benitez at Superdome, New Orleans.

1997 – Golden State Warriors terminates guard Latrell Sprewell’s four-year, $32 million NBA contract for attacking coach P.J. Carlesimo.