ON THIS DATE
1930: Lou Gehrig hits three home runs in the second game of a doubleheader. Babe Ruth needs both games to hit three.
1938: In a rematch portrayed in both countries as good vs. evil, Joe Louis of the U.S. knocks out Germany’s Max Schmeling at 2:04 of the first round at Yankee Stadium to retain the world heavyweight title.
1947: “Pistol” Pete Maravich, born in Aliquippa, Pa., would be 73 today and still dribbling circles around people.
1947: Cincinnati’s Ewell Blackwell comes within two outs of his second consecutive no-hitter; a ninth-inning single by Brooklyn’s Eddie Stanky keeps Blackwell from joining Johnny Vander Meer — his teammate! — as the only men to pitch back-to-back no hitters.
1962: Clyde Drexler is born in New Orleans, La.
1971: Happy 49th birthday to Kurt Warner, father of seven. (Imagine all the cards and gifts he has received the past two mornings.)
1981: John McEnroe throws a tantrum in his 7-6 (5), 7-5, 6-3 win over Tom Gullikson on the opening day at Wimbledon. (And it never happened again, lol.
1982: Pete Rose passes Hank Aaron for second place on the all-time hits list with 3,772.
1994: Ken Griffey Jr. hits his 31st home run of the season, breaking Babe Ruth’s record for most homers before the end of June.
1995: Happy 25th wedding anniversary to Rodney and Holly Robinson Peete. SILVER!
1994: The Houston Rockets win their first NBA title, beating the New York Knicks in seven games.
1999: In one of the greatest upsets in Wimbledon’s 113-year history, top-ranked Martina Hingis loses 6-2, 6-0 in the opening round to Jelena Dokic, a 16-year-old qualifier ranked 129th.
2002: St. Louis Cardinals pitcher Darryl Kile dies in a Chicago hotel room of coronary disease at 33.
2002: The Detroit Tigers end Luis Castillo’s hitting streak at 35.
2007: For the first time, Americans are taken with the top two picks in the NHL draft as Chicago selects Patrick Kane and Philadelphia takes James vanRiemsdyk.
2014: Michelle Wie wins the U.S. Women’s Open for her first major championship.