This Day in Sports History: May 2
Sports in May include playoffs for the NBA and NHL seasons, MLB is in full swing, Preakness Stakes, PGA Championship, FA Cup Final, French Open for tennis, and some Grand…
Sports in May include playoffs for the NBA and NHL seasons, MLB is in full swing, Preakness Stakes, PGA Championship, FA Cup Final, French Open for tennis, and some Grand Prix events. Over the years, May 2 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 May 2 included:
- 1876: Ross Barnes of the Chicago White Stockings hit the first home run in National League history.
- 1909: In MLB, Pittsburgh Pirates' Honus Wagner stole every base in the first inning of a doubleheader against the Chicago Cubs.
- 1920: The first game of the Negro Baseball league was played in Indianapolis.
- 1923: Walter Johnson pitched the 100th shutout of his career.
- 1939: Lou Gehrig sat out a game, ending his streak of 2,130 consecutive American League championship games.
- 1953: 25-to-1 long shot Dark Star beats favorite Native Dancer to win the Kentucky Derby.
- 1954: Stan Musial of the St. Louis Cardinals hit five home runs in a doubleheader against the New York Giants.
- 1959: Bill Shoemaker won the Kentucky Derby riding Tomy Lee with a time of 2:02.2.
- 1962: Eusébio scored twice as defending champion Benfica beat Real Madrid 5-3 in the European Cup Final.
- 1964: Northern Dancer wins the Kentucky Derby with a record-setting time of 2:00.
- 1967: Terry Sawchuk made 40 saves as the Toronto Maple Leafs defeated the Montreal Canadiens 3-1 in Game 6 to win the Stanley Cup series 4-2.
- 1968: The Boston Celtics beat the Los Angeles Lakers 4-2 to win the NBA Championship
- 1970: Diane Crump becomes the first female jockey to ride in the Kentucky Derby.
- 1984: A Don Mattingly single broke up Lamarr Hoyt's perfect-game bid.
- 1987: New York Islanders' Mike Bossy played his final game in a 5-1 playoff elimination game loss to the Philadelphia Flyers.
- 1988: Cincinnati Reds manager Pete Rose was suspended for 30 days for pushing an umpire.
- 1992: The Kentucky Derby was won by Pat Day riding Lil E Tee in a time of 2:03.
- 1998: Kent Desormeaux won the Kentucky Derby aboard Real Quiet with a time of 2:02.2.
- 1999: John Elway announced his retirement from the NFL.
- 2002: Mike Cameron of the Seattle Mariners became the 13th player to hit four home runs in a single game.
- 2009: Calvin Borel won the Kentucky Derby riding Mine That Bird, a 50-1 long shot, after being in last place at the final turn.
- 2010: LeBron James was named the NBA Most Valuable Player for the second straight season.
- 2012: Lionel Messi scored for the 68th time, breaking the European goal-scoring record.
- 2015: Floyd Mayweather Jr. defeated Manny Pacquiao unanimously after 12 rounds in their world welterweight title fight.
- 2016: Leicester City won the Premier League title after starting the season at 5,000-1 odds.
- 2023: Joel Embiid won the NBA Most Valuable Player award.
Three athletes who stood out on May 2 was Honus Wagner, Terry Sawchuk, and LeBron James.
Wagner was known as "The Flying Dutchman." He won eight National League batting titles, had a .328 lifetime average, and was an inaugural 1936 Hall of Fame inductee. Sawchuk was one of the gretest goalies ever, recording 447 wins and a then-record 103 shutouts. James is famous for his unprecedented longevity, all-around playmaking, and four NBA championships.
