Today In Sports History 4/7

Our past has shaped present by many things in history including sports, here is how sports marked our history.

Baseball

• 1958 – Los Angeles Dodgers erect 42-foot screen in left field at Los Angeles Coliseum to cut down on home runs, since it is only 250 feet down the line.
• 1963 – Public stock offering of 115,000 shares in Milwaukee Braves withdrawn after only 13,000 shares are sold to 1,600 new investors.
• 1969 – Los Angeles Dodgers’ Bill Singer is credited with first official save, against Cincinnati Reds.
• 1969 – Ted Williams begins managing Washington Senators, they lose to New York Yankees 8-4.
• 1970 – Milwaukee Brewers’ (former Seattle Pilots) first game, lose to California Angels 12-0.
• 1971 – Dismissal of Curt Flood’s suit against baseball is upheld by US Supreme Court.
• 1973 – Cleveland Indians sets day-game and opening-game attendance records of 74,420.
• 1977 – Toronto Blue Jays’ first game, they beat Chicago Cubs 9-5.
• 1978 – US Court of Appeals upholds Commissioner Kuhn’s voiding of attempted player sales by Oakland Athletics’ owner Charlie Finley in June 1976.
• 1979 – Houston Astros’ Ken Forsch pitches no-hitter against Atlanta Braves, 6-0.
• 1984 – Detroit Tigers’ pitcher Jack Morris pitches no-hitter against Chicago White Sox, 4-0.
• 1986 – Boston Red Sox outfielder Dwight Evans becomes the first player to hit the first pitch of the first game on Opening Day for a home run.
• 1987 – Atlanta Braves’ pitcher Rick Mahler throws his third Opening Day shutout tying a National League record.
• 1993 – Dante Bichette hits the first Colorado Rockies homerun (Shea Stadium, New York).
• 1994 – First night game at Cleveland’s Jacobs Field, Cleveland Indians 6, Seattle Mariners 2.
• 1994 – New York Yankees beat Texas Rangers 18-6.
• 1995 – Baseball exhibition season begins late due to strike.
• 2003 – The Boston Red Sox exercise Pedro Martinez’s option for the 2004 season, making Martinez the highest paid pitcher for a season in major league history, at $17.5 million.

Basketball

• 1956 – 10th NBA Championship: Philadelphia Warriors beat Fort Wayne Pistons, 4 games to 1.
• 2003 – Syracuse wins the NCAA Men’s Division I Basketball Championship, defeating Kansas 81-78.
• 2008 – In San Antonio, Texas, the Kansas Jayhawks defeat the Memphis Tigers 75-68 in overtime to win their first NCAA basketball national championship in 20 years.

Football

• 1943 – NFL adopts free substitution rule.
• 1985 – New Jersey Generals’ Hershel Walker runs for USFL record 233 yards.

Golf

• 1940 – 7th Golf Masters Championship: Jimmy Demaret beats Lloyd Mangrum, shooting a 280.
• 1946 – 10th Golf Masters Championship: Herman Keiser wins, shooting a 282.
• 1951 – 15th Golf Masters Championship: Ben Hogan wins, shooting a 280.
• 1957 – 21st Golf Masters Championship: Doug Ford wins, shooting a 283.
• 1963 – 27th Golf Masters Championship: Jack Nicklaus wins, shooting a 286.
• 1985 – 14th Nabisco Dinah Shore Golf Championship won by Alice Miller.
• 1991 – Third Seniors Golf Tradition: Jack Nicklaus.
• 1991 – Chris Johnson wins LPGA Ping/Welch’s Golf Championship.
• 1996 – 8th Seniors Golf Tradition; Jack Nicklaus wins.
• 1996 – Kelly Robbins wins Sacramento 12 Bridges LPGA Golf Classic.

Hockey 

• 1928 – 44-year old New York Rangers’ General Manager Lester Patrick replaces his injured goaltender in a Stanley Cup game, and beats Montréal Maroons 2-1.
• 1979 – New York Islanders’ Mike Bossy scores four goals against Philadelphia Flyers.
• 1988 – New Jersey Devils 3-2 over New York Islanders, first NHL playoff round tied 1-1.
• 1990 – New York Rangers beat New York Islanders 5-2, New York Rangers lead 2-0 in preliminary NHL playoff.