April is an exciting month for sports fans, featuring NBA and NHL playoffs, the start of MLB, The Masters, the NCAA Basketball title game, the NFL Draft, and Grand Prix events. Over the years, April 21 has seen many memorable moments in sports history.
In 1898, Phillies pitcher Bill Duggleby hit a grand slam in his first at-bat. Ty Cobb made his professional debut in 1904 for Augusta in the South Atlantic League before joining the Detroit Tigers. In 1924, Clarence DeMar won the Boston Marathon for the third consecutive year.
Moe Berg set an American League record in 1934 by playing 117 consecutive errorless games. In 1951, the Rochester Royals defeated the New York Knicks 79-75 in the NBA Championship, marking both teams’ first Finals appearance. Rocky Marciano achieved his 40th straight win in 1952 by beating Gino Buonvino.
In 1964, the Pirates and Cubs combined for nine home runs, with the Pirates winning 8-5. On April 21, 1989, George W. Bush and his team purchased the Texas Rangers. Rosa Mota won her fourth World Cup female marathon in 1991.
The Chicago Bulls set an NBA record with 72 wins in 1996, a record that stood until the Golden State Warriors won 73 games in the 2015-16 season. That same year, Michael Jordan won his eighth scoring title, while John Stockton secured the assists title for the ninth straight year.
In 2001, the Atlanta Falcons selected Michael Vick first overall, changing the NFL quarterback landscape. In 2012, Phil Humber pitched a perfect game for the White Sox, and Jon Jones defended his UFC title. Finally, in 2018, Sean Manaea threw a no-hitter against the Red Sox.
