This Day in Sports History: April 16
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 16 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 16 included:
- 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.
- 1929: The New York Yankees became the first MLB team to permanently wear uniform numbers on their backs; the numbers originally corresponded to each player's position in the batting order.
- 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.
- 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.
- 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.
- 1979: Bill Rodgers won for the second year in a row and his third overall title. His time was 2:09:27.
- 1980: Arthur Ashe retired from professional tennis.
- 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.
- 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.
- 1990: Gelindo Bordin was the first Italian event winner with a time of 2:08:19.
- 2000: Doug Tewell won his first of two Champions Tour major titles.
- 2003: Playing for the Washington Wizards, Michael Jordan played his last professional game in Philadelphia, receiving a three-minute standing ovation upon his exit.
- 2007: Robert Kipkoech Cheruiyot won back-to-back titles and his third overall title. His time was 2:14:13.
- 2009: At the Laureus Awards, Usain Bolt won Sportsman of the Year.
- 2018: Desiree Linden became the first American woman to win the Boston Marathon since 1985.
Three athletes who stood out on April 16 were Clarence DeMar, Bob Feller, and Michael Jordan.
DeMar was known as "Mr. DeMarathon," he also won a bronze medal in the 1924 Olympic marathon and continued competing at a high level into his 60s. Feller won 266 games, threw three no-hitters, and was a first-ballot Hall of Famer (1962) who famously missed four prime seasons to serve in WWII. Jordan is known for his scoring prowess, intense competitiveness, and iconic Air Jordan brand.
