Halloween is known best for dressing up in our favorite costumes, but sometimes sports games take place on the spooky holiday. Late October is an odd time for sports, as baseball has usually concluded, and football and basketball are at the beginning of their seasons. Despite that, some amazing sports moments have occurred on Oct. 31. What are some of the most interesting moments in sports that took place on Halloween?
New Orleans crowd breaks Guinness World Record
In 2010, a game between the New Orleans Saints and Pittsburgh Steelers broke a Guinness World Record, but not for anything that happened on the field. 17,777 fans showed up to the game dressed in their costumes, officially setting the record for the world’s largest Halloween gathering. Most fans dressed up in Saints themed costumes, including The Joker and morphsuits with the Saints logo. The Sunday night game was a low-scoring affair, though the scoring opened up in the fourth quarter with 21 cumulative points scored by the two teams.
Jeter earns Mr. November nickname
On Halloween in 2001, the New York Yankees and the Arizona Diamondbacks matched up in game four of the World Series. A tie game at the end of the ninth inning sent the game into extra innings. In the bottom of the tenth inning, Yankee legend Derek Jeter stepped in the box on Oct. 31 and walked out on Nov. 1. The clock struck 12:00 during his at-bat, one that concluded with a walk-off homerun that would win game four for the Yankees.
Jeter was the first person to hit a homerun in the month of November, earning the Mr. November nickname that would follow him for the rest of his career. The 2001 season was the first in MLB history to go into November due to a week-long hiatus following the attacks on 9/11.
Ginobli grabs bat out of mid-air during game
During 2009’s Halloween matchup between the Sacramento Kings and the San Antonio Spurs, a bat flew onto the court with 1:41 remaining in the first quarter. The bat flew around for a few minutes, causing a delay in the game. The mascot, wearing a Batman outfit, attempted to use a net to catch the bat out of the air but ultimately failed. When all hope was gone, Spurs’ guard Manu Ginobli grabbed the bat with his bare hands as it flew past him. The situation almost seemed too cliché for a Halloween moment.
