Today In Sports History 4/9

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

Baseball

• 1912 - First exhibition baseball game at Fenway Park (Boston Red Sox versus Harvard).
• 1913 - Brooklyn Dodgers' Ebbets Field opens, Philadelphia Phillies win 1-0.
• 1947 - Baseball suspends Brooklyn Dodgers' Leo Durocher for one year.
• 1959 - Baltimore Orioles pull their second triple play (3-6-3 versus Washington Senators).
• 1962 - US President John Kennedy throws out first ball at Washington DC's new Stadium.
• 1965 - First baseball game at Houston Astro dome, Houston Astros beat New York Yankees 2-1 in exhibition as Mickey Mantle hits first indoor home run.
• 1966 - Anaheim Stadium for the California Angels opens.
• 1969 - Chicago Cubs' Billy Williams hits four consecutive doubles, beat Philadelphia Phillies 11-3.
• 1974 - San Diego Padres' owner Ray Kroc addresses fans "Ladies and gentlemen, I suffer with you. I've never seen such stupid baseball playing in my life".
• 1978 - Milwaukee Brewers sweep Baltimore Orioles 11-3, 16-3, and 13-5 (each with a grand slam).
• 1981 - Los Angeles Dodgers' Fernando Valenzuela's first start, beats Houston Astros 2-0.
• 1985 - Chicago White Sox pitcher Tom Seaver starts a record 15th opening day game.
• 1989 - Rickey Henderson steals his 800th career base in New York Yankees' 4-3 loss to Cleveland Indians.
• 1990 - Don Mattingly signs a $19.7 million 5-year contract with the New York Yankees.
• 1990 - Houston Astros' Glen Davis is hit by a pitch three times, tying a major league record, in a 8-4 Opening Day loss to the Cincinnati Reds.
• 1993 - Colorado Rockies first home game and first victory, 11-4 over Montreal Expos.
• 2001 - The Cincinnati Reds defeat the Pittsburgh Pirates 8-2 in the first game at PNC Park, the first two-deck stadium built in the U.S. since Milwaukee County Stadium opened in 1953.

Basketball

• 1959 - 13th NBA Championship: Boston Celtics sweep Minnesota Lakers in four games; this is Celtics' 8th consecutive title.
• 1959 - Bill Sharman hits an NBA record 56 consecutive foul shots.
• 1960 - 14th NBA Championship: Boston Celtics beat Saint Louis Hawks, 4 games to 3; this is Celtics' 9th consecutive title.
• 1978 - Denver Nuggets' David Thompson scores 73 points and San Antonio Spurs' George Gervin scores 63 points in separate NBA games (33 in one quarter).
• 1982 - Los Angeles Lakers block 21 Denver Nuggets' shots setting NBA regulation game record.

Football

• 1945 - NFL requires players to wear long stockings.
• 1997 - NFL announces it will give $3 million to Canadian Football League and possible "World Classic Bowl".

Golf

• 1941 - PGA establishes Golf Hall of Fame.
• 1950 - 14th Golf Masters Championship: Jimmy Demaret wins, shooting a 283.
• 1962 - 26th Golf Masters Championship: Arnold Palmer wins, shooting a 280.
• 1962 - Arnold Palmer wins his third Masters golf tournament.
• 1967 - 31st Golf Masters Championship: Gay Brewer Junior wins, shooting a 280.
• 1972 - 36th Golf Masters Championship: Jack Nicklaus wins, shooting a 286.
• 1973 - 37th Golf Masters Championship: Tommy Aaron wins, shooting a 283.
• 1978 - 42nd Golf Masters Championship: Gary Player wins, shooting a 277.
• 1989 - 53rd Golf Masters Championship: Nick Faldo wins, shooting a 283.
• 1989 - Patti Rizzo wins LPGA Red Robin Kyocera Inamori Golf Classic.
• 1989 - Scott Hoch chokes on 18-inch putt and loses Masters golf tournament.
• 1992 - Record 18 golfers shoot in the 60s in Masters round one (old record 12).
• 1994 - BPAA US Open won by Justin Hromek.
• 1995 - 59th Golf Masters Championship: Ben Crenshaw wins, shooting a 274.

Hockey 

• 1931 - Chicago Blackhawks' Cy Wentworth beats Montreal Canadians at 13:50 of the 6th period.
• 1932 - NHL Stanley Cup: Toronto Maple Leafs sweep New York Rangers in three games.
• 1935 - NHL Stanley Cup: Montréal Maroons sweep Toronto Maple Leafs in three games.
• 1946 - NHL Stanley Cup: Montreal Canadians beat Boston Bruins, 4 games to 1.
• 1968 - Minnesota North Stars' Wayne Connelly is first to score on a Stanley Cup penalty shot.
• 1980 - Los Angeles Kings tie NHL record with two shorthanded playoff goals in a period versus New York Islanders.
• 1987 - For third time, Wayne Gretzky scores 7 goals in a Stanley Cup game.
• 1987 - Wayne Gretzky passes Jean Beliveau as all time playoff scoring champion.
• 1988 - New Jersey Devils 3-0 over New York Islanders-Devils lead 2-1 in first round.
• 1990 - New York Islanders beat New York Rangers 4-3 in double overtime-Rangers lead 2-1.

Soccer

• 1997 - Major League Soccer announces Miami and Chicago expansion.