May is a big month in sports with MLB games, the NBA and NHL playoffs, lacrosse, the PGA Championship, and the French Open. Over the years, May 2 has witnessed notable sports moments and stories from legends of the game. Read on to discover more
Unforgettable Games and Remarkable Records
Outstanding moments in sport that occurred on May 2 include the following:
- 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.
- 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.
- 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.
- 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.
- 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.
- 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.
Reviewing these May 2 statistics, two noteworthy moments are John Elway’s retirement and Mine That Bird’s Kentucky Derby win. Elway is widely recognized as one of the greatest quarterbacks in NFL history, primarily due to his success with the Denver Broncos, including leading them to two Super Bowl victories. Mine That Bird ranks fourth all-time for the biggest underdog victory at the Kentucky Derby.
