May 10, 1970: The Flying Goal

May 10, 1970: The Boston Garden experiences what eventually becomes known as "The Miracle of the Fours." It is Game 4 of the Stanley Cup Finals between the Boston Bruins, who have not won the Cup in 29 years, and the St. Louis Blues, who have only been playing since 1967. The game went to overtime, thus to the 4th period. The game was tied 3-3, so whoever could score a 4th goal would win it.

It took only 40 seconds of overtime for the winning goal to be scored, by Bobby Orr, the 22-year-old Bruin defenseman who had become the most exciting player in the game. As he shot, he was tripped up by Blues defender Noel Picard, and the resulting photograph made it look as though Orr were flying. Both Orr and Picard wore Number 4.

In honor of this event, the best-known bar near the Garden and its 1995 replacement, the TD Garden, is known as The Fours, at 166 Canal Street. Also, a statue of Orr flying was commissioned. It says something about the event that professional sports have been played at the site for 92 years, and the only 2 statues there are of this Orr goal and of Celtics legend Bill Russell.

Orr in bronze, Orr in the flesh

Dan Kelly, the Blues' broadcaster from their inception until his death in 1989, called the game nationally for CBS. His call: "Bobby Orr, behind the net to Sanderson to -- Score! Bobby Orr scores! And the Boston Bruins have won the Stanley Cup!"

This goal, John Havlicek's steal to seal the 1965 NBA Eastern Conference Championship for the Celtics, and the final game of the Boston Red Sox' 1967 "Impossible Dream" Pennant, are New England's equivalent to the contemporary epic triumverate for the New York Tri-State Area of the Jets' upset in Super Bowl III, the Mets' upset in the 1969 World Series, and the Knicks taking an improbable NBA Championship 2 days before this goal.

At the end of 1970, Sports Illustrated magazine named Orr its Sportsman of the Year, the 1st hockey player so honored.

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May 10, 1970 was a Sunday. As I said, the NBA season had just ended, and football was out of season. These Major League Baseball games were played that day:

* The New York Yankees beat the California Angeles, 4-3 at Anaheim Stadium. (It was renamed Edison International Field in 1998, and Angel Stadium of Anaheim in 2003.) Jack Aker was the winning pitcher, in relief of Stan Bahnsen. The losing pitcher was future Yankee Rudy May. Horace Clarke and Roy White each had 2 hits, while Danny Cater went 1-for-4 with 2 RBIs.

* The New York Mets lost to the San Francisco Giants, 11-7 at Shea Stadium. Willie McCovey hit 2 home runs to support Juan Marichal over Nolan Ryan. Willie Mays did not play in the game.

* The San Diego Padres beat the Montreal Expos, 5-4 at Jarry Park in Montreal.

* The Los Angeles Dodgers beat the Philadelphia Phillies, 7-0 at Connie Mack Stadium in Philadelphia. Don Sutton pitched a 4-hit shutout.

* The Baltimore Orioles swept a doubleheader over the Chicago White Sox at Memorial Stadium, 7-2 and 4-2. Brooks Robinson went 2-for-8 over the 2 games. Frank Robinson went 1-for-4 with a home run and 2 RBIs in the opener, and did not play in the nightcap.

* The St. Louis Cardinals beat the Atlanta Braves, 6-5 at Atlanta Stadium. (It was renamed Atlanta-Fulton County Stadium in 1975.) Joe Torre and Dick Allen homered for the Redbirds, while Hank Aaron went 0-for-4 for the Braves.

* The Houston Astros beat the Pittsburgh Pirates, 9-2 at the Astrodome in Houston. Willie Stargell hit a home run for the Pirates, but Roberto Clemente went 0-for-4.

* The Cleveland Indians beat the Minnesota Twins, 5-4 at Cleveland Municipal Stadium. Harmon Killebrew went 2-for-4, but Rod Carew only played as a pinch-hitter, and did not reach base.

* The Kansas City Royals beat the Detroit Tigers, 9-7 at Tiger Stadium in Detroit. Norm Cash hit 2 home runs, and Al Kaline went 1-for-3, but it wasn't enough.

* The Cincinnati Reds beat the Chicago Cubs, 7-6 at Wrigley Field in Chicago. Pete Rose, Johnny Bench, Lee May and Bernie Carbo all hit home runs off Fergie Jenkins. Ron Santo and Billy Williams homered for the Cubs, and Ernie Banks went 1-for-3 with an RBI.

* The Milwaukee Brewers swept a doubleheader from the Washington Senators at Milwaukee County Stadium, 6-5 and 7-6.

* And the Oakland Athletics beat the Boston Red Sox, 7-4 at the Oakland Coliseum. Carl Yastrzemski hit a home run of John "Blue Moon" Odom, and Tony Conigliaro hit one off Rollie Fingers. But the A's knocked Gary Peters out of the box in the 4th inning. Dave Duncan homered, and Reggie Jackson went 1-for-4.