This Day in Sports History: April 9
April marks the return of MLB, NBA and NHL playoffs, some NCAA basketball championship games, the NFL draft, and the Masters Tournament. Remarkable sports moments and legendary achievements have occurred…
Wayne Gretsky #99 of Canada controls the puck during the North American pool game against the United States during the World Cup of Hockey tournament on 31 August 1996 at the CoreStates Center, Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, United States. (Photo by Andy Lyons/Allsport/Getty Images)
April marks the return of MLB, NBA and NHL playoffs, some NCAA basketball championship games, the NFL draft, and the Masters Tournament. Remarkable sports moments and legendary achievements have occurred on April 9, and these are some of them.
Unforgettable Games and Remarkable Records
Incredible moments in sport on April 9 include:
- 1896: Australian athlete Edwin Flack secured the middle-distance double at the Athens Olympics, winning the 800-meter final in 2:11.
- 1931: The Montreal Canadiens were defeated 3-2 by the Chicago Blackhawks in the third game of the Stanley Cup Finals but went on to clinch the best-of-five series.
- 1959: The Boston Celtics beat the Minnesota Lakers 118-113, completing the first sweep in the NBA Finals and securing the first of eight consecutive titles.
- 1959: Bill Sharman set an NBA record by hitting 56 consecutive foul shots.
- 1978: In separate NBA games, Denver's David Thompson scored 73 points, and San Antonio's George Gervin posted 63 points.
- 1987: For the third time, Wayne Gretzky scored seven points (one goal and six assists) in a Stanley Cup game.
The Masters Tournament
April 9 featured some golfing legends:
- 1950: Jimmy Demaret became the first three-time Masters champion.
- 1962: Arnold Palmer won the third of his four Masters titles in a three-way, 18-hole Monday playoff with Gary Player and Dow Finsterwald.
- 1972: Jack Nicklaus led wire-to-wire to win the fourth of his six Masters titles.
- 1978: Gary Player shot a record-tying final round of 64 to win the tournament.
- 1989: Nick Faldo won the first of his three Masters titles.
- 1995: Ben Crenshaw won his second Masters title.
- 2000: Fijian Vijay Singh won by three strokes from Ernie Els.
- 2006: Phil Mickelson won his second green jacket.
- 2017: Sergio Garcia won his first major title on his 74th attempt, defeating Justin Rose of England in a sudden-death playoff after they completed 72 holes.
Baseball History
Some of the biggest names on the diamond starred on April 9:
- 1925: Babe Ruth suffered a mysterious condition dubbed "the bellyache heard round the world."
- 1965: Mickey Mantle hit the MLB's first indoor home run at the Houston Astrodome.
- 1981: Los Angeles Dodgers Fernando Valenzuela made his MLB debut and was the star of the team's 2-0 victory over the Astros. He went on to win the Rookie of the Year and Cy Young awards.
- 1985: White Sox pitcher Tom Seaver started a record 15th Opening Day game.
- 1989: The New York Yankees outfielder Rickey Henderson stole his 800th career base.
These April 9 statistics reveal several unmatched records. Wayne Gretzky's 2,857 career points, 1,963 assists, and 894 goals are considered some of the most difficult records to surpass in NHL history. Rickey Henderson's records for career stolen bases (1,406) and runs scored (2,295) appear untouchable due to their sheer magnitude and the rarity of players achieving such feats, especially given the current baseball landscape.
