This Day in Sports History: April 16
Sports in April are all about the return of Major League Baseball, the NBA and NHL playoffs, some NCAA Basketball Title games, the NFL Draft, and the Masters. But that’s…
BERLIN – AUGUST 16: Usain Bolt of Jamaica celebrates winning the gold medal in the men’s 100 Metres Final during day two of the 12th IAAF World Athletics Championships at the Olympic Stadium on August 16, 2009 in Berlin, Germany. Bolt set a new World Record of 9.58. (Photo by Stu Forster/Getty Images)
Sports in April are all about the return of Major League Baseball, the NBA and NHL playoffs, some NCAA Basketball Title games, the NFL Draft, and the Masters. But that's not all, here's a closer look at some of the memorable moments and stories featuring legends of the sports world.
Unforgettable Games & Remarkable Records
April 16 featured championships, record-breaking performances, and a farewell to one of the all-time greats on the tennis court, including:
- 1939: The Boston Bruins beat the Toronto Maple Leafs 3-1 to win the series 4-1. This was the first best-of-seven Stanley Cup Final series.
- 1980: Arthur Ashe retired from professional tennis.
- 1987: Michael Jordan became the second NBA player to score 3,000 points in a season.
- 1989: In the third round of the 1990 World Cup, Costa Rica beat the United States 1-0.
- 1989: Don Bies won his only career Champions Tour.
- 2000: Doug Tewell won his first of two Champions Tour major titles.
- 2009: At the Laureus Awards, Usain Bolt won Sportsman of the Year.
MLB History
April 16th featured a few legends from the diamond:
- 1935: In his National League debut with the Boston Braves, 40-year-old future Baseball Hall of Fame slugger Babe Ruth hit a home run and a single in the team's 4-2 win.
- 1940: Cleveland Indians pitcher Bob Feller threw the first and only Opening Day no-hitter in MLB history.
- 1946: Mel Ott hit career home run number 511, the final one of his career.
- 1978: The Cardinals' Bob Forsch pitched a no-hitter against the Philadelphia Phillies.
- 1983: Steve Garvey set a National League record by playing in 1,118 consecutive games.
- 1984: The Oakland Athletics' Dave Kingman hit three home runs in a game, including a grand slam.
Boston Marathon
Some great running times were recorded on April 16th:
- 1900: Canadian Jim Caffrey won with a time of 2:39:44.4.
- 1906: At 18 years old, Tim Ford won with a time of 2:45:45, the race's youngest winner.
- 1923: Clarence DeMar won for the second straight year with a time of 2:23:37.4. It was his third time winning the race.
- 1928: DeMar won back-to-back titles for the second time with a time of 2:37:07.8. It was his sixth time winning the race.
- 1979: Bill Rodgers won for the second year in a row and his third overall title. His time was 2:09:27.
- 1990: Gelindo Bordin was the first Italian event winner with a time of 2:08:19.
- 2007: Robert Kipkoech Cheruiyot won back-to-back titles and his third overall title. His time was 2:14:13.
Looking back on these April 16th statistics, the main themes are home runs and legendary Boston marathon runners. To date, 336 different players have hit three home runs in a single Major League Baseball game. There have been 480 instances of players hitting three home runs in a game across the National League , the American League, and the American Association. Babe Ruth ranks third all-time in home runs, while Mel Ott is tied for 25th.
In the men's open division of the Boston Marathon, Clarence DeMar has won the most races, with a total of seven victories spanning from 1911 to 1930.
