This Day in Sports History: April 17
Sports in April include playoffs for the NBA and NHL seasons, the first month of the MLB, The Masters, the NCAA Basketball title game, the NFL Draft, and some Grand…
Sports in April include playoffs for the NBA and NHL seasons, the first month of the MLB, The Masters, the NCAA Basketball title game, the NFL Draft, and some Grand Prix events. Over the years, April 17 has witnessed many notable moments and stories involving sporting legends. Here are some of them.
Unforgettable Games and Remarkable Records
Great moments in sports history from April 17 included:
- 1860: Tom Sayers and John Heenan fought for over two hours, with the fight ending in a draw.
- 1925: New York Yankee Babe Ruth had ulcer surgery.
- 1939: World heavyweight boxing champion Joe Louis knocked out Jack Roper in one round.
- 1947: Jackie Robinson's first Major League hit was a bunt single.
- 1951: Mickey Mantle went one for four in his MLB debut with the New York Yankees.
- 1953: Mickey Mantle hit a legendary 565-foot home run at Griffith Stadium off Washington Senators' Chuck Stobbs, believed to be the longest ever in that stadium.
- 1960: The Cleveland Indians traded Rocky Colavito to the Detroit Tigers for Harvey Kuenn.
- 1966: The Netherlands and Belgium competed in the 100th international soccer match.
- 1967: Nino Benvenuti defeated Emile Griffith in a 15-round decision to win the world middleweight crown at Madison Square Garden.
- 1972: The Boston Marathon officially allowed women to compete for the first time in its history. Nina Kuscsik became the first officially recognized women's champion with a time of 3:10:26.
- 1976: Evonne Goolagong Cawley beat Chris Evert and won her second WTA Tour Championship.
- 1976: The Philadelphia Phillies were down 12-1 but came back to beat the Chicago Cubs 18-16 in ten innings. Mike Schmidt hit four consecutive home runs in the game.
- 1981: The New York Islanders' Denis Potvin tied the NHL record with three power-play goals in a single playoff game.
- 1983: Nolan Ryan struck out his 3,500th batter.
- 1987: Julius Erving became the third player in NBA history to score 30,000 points in his combined ABA and NBA career.
- 1994: Lee Trevino defeated Jim Colbert by one stroke to win his second Senior PGA Championship.
- 1995: Wayne Gretzky reached 2,500 career points while playing for the Los Angeles Kings.
- 1997: Martin Brodeur of the New Jersey Devils was the second NHL goalie to score in a playoff game.
- 1999: With the first pick in the NFL Draft, the Cleveland Browns selected quarterback Tim Couch from the University of Kentucky.
- 2006: Robert Kipkoech Cheruiyot won his second Boston Marathon with a time of 2:07:14.
- 2006: At just 18 years old, Sidney Crosby recorded three assists to become the youngest player in NHL history to score 100 points in a single season.
- 2021: San Jose Sharks forward Patrick Marleau tied Gordie Howe's NHL record for most regular-season games played — 1,767.
Three athletes who stood out on April 17 were Mickey Mantle, Nolan Ryan, and Julius Erving.
Mantle won seven World Series in 12 appearances, hit 536 career home runs, and secured three MVP titles during his 18-year career. Ryan is famous for his incredible longevity (27 seasons), unmatched velocity, and two unbreakable records: 5,714 career strikeouts and seven no-hitters. Erving is a 16-time All-Star,4-time MVP, popularised the slam dunk, and won three championships.
