This day in sports: Stan Musial joins the 3,000-hit club
Stan “The Man” Musial was supposed to have the day off on this date in 1958, but when he was summoned to pinch-hit for St. Louis Cardinals pitcher Sam Jones in the sixth inning he got his 3,000th hit, a double to left field off Chicago’s Moe Drabowsky at Wrigley Field.
Musial’s milestone started a four-run Cardinals rally that would lead to a 5-3 win. Manager Fred Hutchison’s plan was to keep the Cardinals great on the bench until the next day when the team would return to St. Louis.
Musial’s double put him on a list of eight major leaguers who accumulated 3,000 or more hits, and he would finish his Hall of Fame career with 3,630.
In baseball games involving locals that were postponed because of the COVID-19 pandemic, the Dodgers would have played a Wednesday night game at Philadelphia against the Phillies. The Angels would have celebrated Cooler Bag night at Angel Stadium with the Washington Nationals.
Here is a look at memorable games and outstanding sports performances on this date:
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1952 — In a Class-D Appalachian League game, Ron Necciai of the Bristol Twins strikes out 27 batters while pitching a 7-0 no-hitter against the Welch Miners. Necciai feels sick during the game so the Bristol manager sends for some cottage cheese to settle his stomach. Necciai is far from perfect as he walks one, hits a batter, another reaches first on an error and a fourth gets aboard on a passed ball.
1976 — The New York Nets overcome a 22-point third-quarter deficit to beat the Denver Nuggets 112-106 and win the last ABA championship in six games at Uniondale, N.Y. Julius Erving scores 31 points and grabs 19 rebounds for the Nets. David Thompson tallies 42 for Denver and Dan Issel adds 30 points and 20 rebounds. The Nuggets and Nets, along with the Indiana Pacers and San Antonio Spurs, would join the NBA.
1993 — George Brett hits his 300th career home run off pitcher Mark Clark in the sixth inning of the Kansas City Royals’ 7-3 win over the Indians at Cleveland. Brett’s drive over the right-field fence at Municipal Stadium puts him in company with Hank Aaron, Stan Musial, Carl Yastrzemski, Willie Mays and Al Kaline as the only players with 3,000 hits and 300 home runs.
1995 — Team New Zealand’s Black Magic 1, skippered by Russell Coutts, completes a 5-0 sweep in the America’s Cup yacht races, beating Dennis Conner’s borrowed boat, Young America, of the San Diego Yacht Club by 1 minute, 50 seconds. It is only the second time in 144 years the Cup is taken away from American yachtsmen.
2002 — Carolina’s 8-2 victory over Montreal ties the mark for the most goals the Canadiens have given up in the Stanley Cup playoffs. Chicago beat the Canadiens 8-7 in Game 5 of the 1973 finals. The Hurricanes score five goals in the first period, two by Erik Cole. Sean Hill also scores two goals, one in the first period and another in the second.
2005 — Tiger Woods fails to make the cut at the Byron Nelson Championship at Irving, Texas, ending his record of 142 consecutive cuts made on the PGA Tour. Woods misses a put for par that would have extended the streak. He shoots a two-over par 72 that sends him packing after the second round.
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2007 — Rafael Nadal of Spain is the first player to win the Rome Masters three consecutive times when he beats Fernando Gonzalez of Chile 6-2, 6-2. The victory extends his winning streak on clay to 76 matches, breaking John McEnroe’s record for most consecutive wins on one surface.
2012 — Manchester City wins England’s Premier League championship for the first time in 44 years when it surges past Queens Park Rangers 3-2 on Sergio Aguero’s goal in extra time. Aguero’s goal comes two minutes after substitute Edin Dzeko makes it 2-2. The winning score snatches the trophy from defending champion Manchester United on goal difference.
2014 — Henrik Lundqvist sets an NHL record with his fifth straight Game 7 win, making 35 saves that lift the New York Rangers into the Eastern Conference finals with a 2-1 win over the Pittsburgh Penguins. Brian Boyle and Brad Richards score for the Rangers, who rally from a 3-1 series deficit for the first time in the franchise’s 88-year history.
Sources: The Times, Associated Press
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