This Day in Sports History: April 26
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 26 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 26 included:
- 1900: The American League opener in Cleveland brings in 6,500 fans.
- 1905: The Cubs' Jack McCarthy became the only major league player to throw out three runners at the plate in one game and all the outs were part of a double play.
- 1912: The first home run hit at Fenway Park was by Hugh Bradley of the Red Sox.
- 1920: Ice hockey made its Olympic debut at the Antwerp Games with center Frank Fredrickson scoring seven goals in Canada's 12-1 victory over Sweden in the gold medal match.
- 1935: Frank Boucher was given the NHL's Lady Byng Trophy for sportsmanship permanently for winning it seven of 11 years.
- 1952: Golfer Patty Berg scored a 64 and it was the best competitive round of golf by a woman.
- 1961: New York Yankees outfielder Roger Maris hit the first of 61 home runs.
- 1964: In the 18th NBA Championship, the Boston Celtics beat the San Francisco Warriors four games to one.
- 1964: In the LPGA Titleholders Championship, Marilynn Smith retained her title.
- 1975: Philadelphia Phillies slugger Mike Schmidt tied the National League record of home runs in April with 11.
- 1980: The Phillies' Steve Carlton pitched his sixth 1-hitter.
- 1983: With the first pick in the NFL Draft, the Baltimore Colts selected quarterback John Elway.
- 1988: The New York Mets Davey Johnson became the second manager in MLB history to get to the 400th victory mark in the first four years of playing.
- 1990: Texas Rangers pitcher Nolan Ryan tied Bob Feller's record of pitching 12 one-hitters.
- 1992: St. Louis Cardinal Ozzie Smith stole his 500th base.
- 2003: With the first pick in the NFL Draft, the Cincinnati Bengals selected USC quarterback Carson Palmer.
- 2012: With the first pick in the NFL Draft, the Indianapolis Colts selected Stanford quarterback Andrew Luck.
- 2015: In the 35th London Marathon, Kenyan Eliud Kipchoge won the race.
- 2015: FC Bayern Munich won the 2014–15 Bundesliga for the 25th time.
- 2018: With the first pick in the NFL Draft, the Cleveland Browns selected Oklahoma quarterback Baker Mayfield. It was the first time that four quarterbacks were taken in the top 10.
Three athletes who stood out on April 26 were Patty Berg, Ozzie Smith, and Andrew Luck.
Berg was a pioneering American professional golfer and a founding member of the LPGA, famous for her record 15 major championship wins, the highest in women's golf history. Smith is a 2002 Hall of Fame inductee who revolutionized fielding with unmatched range and agility, keying the St. Louis Cardinals' 1982 World Series win. Luck is known for his elite talent and toughness; he was the 2018 Comeback Player of the Year.
