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 various Grand Prix events. Over the years, April 22 has seen many memorable moments in sports history.
In 1876, the Boston Red Caps won the first-ever National League baseball game, beating the Philadelphia Athletics 6-5. Fast forward to 1898, when Cincinnati Reds pitcher Theodore Breitenstein threw a no-hitter against the Pirates. Babe Ruth made his pitching debut in 1914, leading his team to a 6-0 victory with six hits allowed.
In 1945, the Toronto Maple Leafs clinched the Stanley Cup by defeating the Detroit Red Wings 2-1. The NBA made a significant change in 1954 by introducing the 24-second shot clock and team foul rules. In 1959, Yankees pitcher Whitey Ford struck out 15 batters in a 1-0 win over the Senators after 14 innings.
Heavyweight champion Joe Frazier defended his title against Dave Zyglewicz in 1969, improving his record to 23-0. In 1993, Chris Basio of the Seattle Mariners pitched a no-hitter against the Boston Red Sox. The following year, Pat Riley celebrated his 700th career victory as the Knicks beat the Bucks 125-85.
In 2013, Manchester United secured the Premier League title with a 3-0 win over Aston Villa. Albert Pujols made history in 2014 by hitting his 499th and 500th career home runs in a game against the Nationals. Lastly, in 2018, Rafael Nadal won the Monte Carlo Tennis Masters for the 11th time, setting a new record.
