Sports Fact of the Day 4/21-5/10/09

4/21:

Besieged by media inquiries after a rash of injuries to his staff, Mets pitching coach Rick Peterson begged off, declaring: "I'm not Dr. Seuss; I'm not even Dr. Phil."

Birthdays:
Gary Peters b. 1937
Al Bumbry b. 1947
Jesse Orosco b. 1957
Ken Caminiti b. 1963
Ed Belfour b. 1965

Packers Fact:
Offensive lineman Allen Barbre was the Packers' 2007 rookie was a Division II consensus All-America in 2006 while at Missouri Southern State.

4/22/1988:
Patrik Sundstrom sets a Stanley Cup record for points in one game with three goals and five assists (eight points), leading the New Jersey Devils to a 10-4 rout of the Washington Capitals in a Patrick Division final-round game at the Meadowlands. (Wayne Gretzky held the old mark of seven points in one playoff game, a figure he achieved three times.) The one-sided score leads to a Cup record 62 penalties called by referee Denis Morel, topping the previous mark of 59 established by the Rangers and Kings in 1981. Mark Johnson adds four goals for New Jersey, three on the power play, and is almost an afterthought in the postgame summaries. The Devils will win this series in seven games but bow in the next round to Boston.

Birthdays:
Spencer Haywood b. 1949
Terry Francona b. 1959
Freeman McNeil b. 1959
Jeff Hostetler b. 1961
Jimmy Key b. 1961

Packers Fact:
Coernerback Charles Woodson made the Pro Bowl each of hish first four NFL seasons (1998-2001). He was playing for the Raiders at the time.

4/23/1951:
Boston Braves left-hander Warren Spahn will lead the National League in complete games thish season with 26 and nine times in all during his career. No wonder. Today at Ebbets Field he goes the route - 16 innings - before suffering a painful defeat as Carl Furillo's long single off the right-field scoreboard gives Brooklyn a 2-1 victory. Spahn will still win 22 games this season, one of 13 times he'll win at least 20 in one year, on his way to 363 lifetime victories - an all-time record for lefties.

Birthdays:
Jim Bottomley b. 1900
Warren Spahn b. 1921
Tony Esposito b. 1943
Gail Goodrich b. 1943
Andruw Jones b. 1977

Packers Fact:
Brandon Jackson was the sixth running back selected in the 2007 draft. Adrian Peterson (Minnesota), Marshawn Lynch (Buffalo), Kenny Irons (Cincinnati), Chris Henry (Tennessee), and Brian Leonard (St. Louis) were the only backs chosen ahead of him.

4/24/2003:
Petr Skykora scores only 48 seconds into the fifth overtime period to give the Anaheim Might Ducks a 4-3 victory over the Dallas Stars in the first game of their second-round STanley Cup playoff series. It's the fourth longest game in NHL history (140 minutes and 48 seconds), taking nearly six hours to complete. Sykora's game winner, beating Stars goalie Marty Turco, provides the only goal since Brenden Morrow tied the score for Dallas with three minutes left in regulation time. Only about half of the 18,000 fans in attendance at the start of the weeknight game in Dallas stick it out till the bitter end.

Birthdays:
Vince Ferragamo b. 1954
Omar Vizquel b. 1967
Chipper Jones b. 1972
Eric Snow b. 1973
Carlos Beltran b. 1977

Packers Fact:
Wide receiver Greg Jennings finished second among the Packers with 632 receiving yards and 3 scoring catches (on 45 receptions in all) as a rookie in 2006 despite being slowed by a midseason ankle injury.

4/25/1986:
San Diego relief pitcher Craig Lefferts hits the only home run of his 12-year major league career in the last of the 12th inning to give the Padres a 9-8 victory over San Francisco at Jack Murphy Stadium. After the Giants take an 8-7 lead in the top of the 12th, Graig Nettles quickly ties it with a leadoff homer for San Diego in the home half, allowing Lefferts to bat for himself. Amazingly, despite compiling only a .121 batting average during his career, Lefferts drives a pitch from Greg Minton out of the park to win the game. It's the only base hit and RBI he'll record in the entire 1986 season.

Birthdays:
Meadowlark Lemon b. 1932
Vladislav Tretiak b. 1952
Darren Woodson b. 1969
Jacque Jones b. 1975
Tim Duncan b. 1976

Packers Fact:
Mike McCarthy served as offensive coordinator for the New Orleans Saints (2000-04) and the San Francisco 49ers (2005) before becoming the Packers' coach.

4/26/1952:
Detroit right-hander Art "Hard Luck" Houtteman, a magnet for misfortune, absorbs even more disappointment when he surrenders his bid for a no-hitter in a 13-0 rout of the Indians at Briggs Stadium. Ironically, Cleveland's losing pitcher, Bob Lemon, pitched a no-hitter against Detroit four years ago and Houtteman was the losing pitcher that night. Houtteman survived a 2-16 campaign that year, reboudning to win 34 games over the next two seasons before sustaining a fractured skull in a car crash. This spring, he suffered the cruelest fate of all when his only child was killed in yet another car accident.

Birthdays:
Harry Gallatin b. 1927
Nino Benvenuti b. 1938
Donna de Varona b. 1947
Mike Scott b. 1955
Natrone Means b. 1972

Packers Fact:
Tackle Daryn Colledge, wide receiver Greg Jennings, and linebacker A.J. Hawk all were named to the Pro Football Weekly/Pro Football Writers Association All-Rookie team for 2006.

4/27/1990:
Washington right wing John Druce scores the winning goal in overtime to give the Capitals a 2-1 victory over the New York Rangers, ending their Patrick Division Stanley Cup playoff series in five games. The clinching marker tops off a stunning sequence for Druce, who scores in each game in this series, nine goals in all, including a three-goal hat trick in Game 2 and two goals each in Game 3 and 4. The victory pushes the Caps into their first-ever Prince of Wales Conference final-round series, where the magic finally runs out and they lose to Boston.

Birthdays:
Enos Slaughter b. 1916
Lee Roy Jordan b. 1941
Keith Magnuson b. 1947
George Gervin b. 1952
Herman Edwards b. 1954

Packers Fact:
Before Brandon Jackson and Korey Hall started in the Packers backfield in 2007, it had been eleven years, since 1996, since an NFL team had two rookies starting in the backfield on Kickoff Weekend. Both the Rams (Lawrence Phillips and Derrick Harris) and Dolphins (Stanley Pritchett and Karim Abdul-Jabbar) had rookie backfields.

4/28:
Using his boundless reservoir of humorous banter to soft-pedal a rathe rserious subject, Hall of Fame golfer Lee Trevino remarked: "If you're caught on a golf course during a storm and are afraid of lightning, hold up a one-iron. Not even God can hit a one-iron."

Birthdays:
Pedro Ramos b. 1935
Tom Browning b. 1960
Mark Bavaro b. 1963
Barry Larkin b. 1964
John Daly b. 1966

Packers Fact:
Jon Ryan rnked ninth among all NFL punters when he averaged 44.5 yards per kick as a rookie in 2006.

4/29/1956:
Wally Post slugs four home runs (two in each game) to lead the Cincinnati Reds to a doubleheader sweep of the Chicago Cubs, 5-4 and 8-4 at Crosley Field. The power-laden Reds will battle all season long for the pennant before falling just two games shy of Brooklyn's 93-61 ledger. Post will contribute 36 round-trippers to a record-tying total of 221 homers by the Reds in 1956, equaling the mark of the 1947 New York Giants (since broken).

Birthdays:
George Allen b. 1922
Luis Aparicio b. 1934
Jim Ryun b. 1946
Dale Earnhardt Sr. b. 1952
Andrew Agassi b. 1970

4/30/1944:
Journeyman first baseman Phil Weintraub of the New York Giants explodes for 11 RBIs at the Polo Grounds as part of a 26-8 demolition of the Dodgers in the opener of a doubleheader that draws over 58,000 fans including Babe Ruth, to Coogan's Bluff. Weintraub (who once hit .401 in the minors at Nashville in 1934) raps out two doubles, a triple and a home run, and earns a postgame visit from the Bambino in the Giants clubhouse. His 11 ribbies fall just shy of Jim Bottomley's NL and MB record of 12 set in 1924 for the Cardinals.

Birthdays:
Bob Hendley b. 1939
Phil Garner b. 1949
Isiah Thomas b. 1961
Al Toon b. 1963
Dave Meggett b. 1966

Packers Fact:
Before James Jones in 2007, the last rookie wide receiver to start for the Packers on Kickoff Weekend was Charles Lee, in 2000.

5/1/1994:
Brazilian Formula One driver Ayrton Senna is killed at the San Marino Grand Prix at Imola, near Bologna, Italy, Failing to negotiate a turn known as the Tamburello Curve, the 34-year-old world champion slams into a concrete wall at 192 mph. A subsequent examination of his car reveals that poor workmanship had left his modified steering column vulnerable to metal fatigue. As a result, Senna coul dnot steer the car on the difficult turn.

Birthdays:
Cliff Battles b. 1910
Chuck Bednarik b. 1925
Ollie Matson b. 1930
Steve Cauthen b. 1960
Curtis Martin b. 1973

Packers Fact:
The Packers entered 2007 having punted 876 consecutive times without having a punt blocked. Only the Cleveland Browns (889 punts) had a longer string.

5/2/2002:
Mike Cameron becomes the 13th big leaguer to hit four home runs in one game, leading the Seattle Mariners to a 15-4 rout of the Chicago White Sox at Comiskey Park. Even more significantly, Cameron and Bret Boone become the first pair of teammatese in MLB history to each hit two home runs in the same inning, keying a 10-run explosion in the first frame. It's also only the fourth time that four home runs have been hit in one game by one player in American League history.

Birthdays:
Eddie Bressoud b. 1932
Gates Brown b. 1939
Clay Carroll b. 1941
Gerald Irons b. 1947
Jamaal Wilkes b. 1953

Packers Fact:
Nick Barnett led the Packers in tackles for three years in a row beginning in 2003. The only two Green Bay players to top the team in that category four times are linebackers Brian Noble (1986-87, 1989, 1991) and Bernardo Harris (1997-98, 2000-01). Barnett is the only player to do it three consecutive years.

5/3/1985:
Weakened by the cancer that would take his life only five weeks from now, Pittsburgh Pirates broadcaster Bob "the Gunner" Prince returns to the press box one last time to several standing ovations. The emotional night is not lost on his beloved Buccos, who hang a nine-spot on the Dodgers in the fourth inning and roll to a 16-2 victory. Next year, Prince will be posthumously honored with a Ford Frick award at the Hall Of Fame in Cooperstown, the highest accolade a baseball announcer can receive.

Birthdays:
Sugar Ray Robin son b. 1920
Garfield Heard b. 1948
Rod Langway b. 1953
Jeff Hornacek b. 1963
Ron Hextall b. 1964

5/4/2001:
Led by Vince Carter's 27 points, the expansion Toronto Raptors (founded in 1995) win their first-ever playoff series, beating the Knicks, 93-89, in a decisive fifth game at Madison Square Garden. Making it double galling for New York, ex-Knick stalwarts Charles Oakley (12 points) and Chris Childs (10 points) play key roles in the Raptors' unexpected triumph. Latrell sprewell leads all scorers with 29 points but is unable to lead the Knicks back from a 12-point deficit in the closing moments.

Birthdays:
Elmer Layden b. 1903
Betsy Rawls b. 1928
Rene Lachemann b. 1945
Butch Beard b. 1947
Ben Grieve b. 1976

Packers Fact:
With 141 tacklkes in 2006, linebacker Nick Barnett easily surpassed the 100 mark for the fourth consecutive season.

5/5/1974:
The Philadelphia Flyers beat the New York Rangers, 4-3, clinching their Stanley Cup semifinal series in a decisive seventh game at the Spectrum. Superb goaltending by Bernie Parent and two goals by Gary Dornhoefer are vital components of the Flyers' success, but the effect of a midgame fight between Flyers enforcer Dave Schultz and Rangers defenseman Dale Rolfe cannot be overlooked. When Schultz lays a terrific beating on Rolfe, who is not an accomplished figher, none of the Rangers step in to help their teammate, nor does the team seek subsequent retribution. This incident serves as a metaphor for the Rangers of this era, as talented a hockey club as any in the league, who never break through and win a Stanley Cup. Many observers cite their aversion to fistic exchanges as an underlying cause.

Birthdays:
Tony Canadeo b. 1919
Bob Cerv b. 1926
Ion Tiriac b. 1939
Herm Gilliam b. 1946
Larry Hisle b. 1947

Packers Fact:
Linebacker Nick Barnett once returned an interception 95 yards for a touchdown against the New Orleans Saints. It came in a game in 2005, and it was his first career touchdown.

5/6/1933:
Broker's Tip defeats Head Play by a nose in the Kentucky Derby. In an era before photo-finish technology, the racing stewards must not only ascertain the narrow margin of victory but also address a foul claim by Head Play's jockey, Herb Fisher, who calls interference against jockey Don Meade aboard Broker's Tip. Actually, both jockeys went considerably beyond the bounds of racing decorum. Newsreel footage captured Meade and Fisher scrapping, jostling and flailing at one another in the home stretch. Both riders are suspended for a month, and Broker's Tip also earns a footnote in racing history. The Derby triumph is his first career victory and he'll never win another race, the only time this has occrred in Thoroughbred annals.

Birthdays:
Weeb Ewbank b. 1907
John Vaught b. 1908
Willie Mays b. 1931
Martin Brodeur b. 1972
Chris Paul b. 1985

Packers Fact:
When he suited up for the Chicago Bears in 1996, long snapper Rob Davis became the first man from Shippensburg (Pennsylvania) University to play in the NFL.

5/7/1917:
Boston southpaw Babe Ruth pitches a two-hit shutout and drives in teh game's only run against Walter Johnson as the Red Sox beat Washington, 1-0, at Griffith Stadium. Ruth allows only a pair of singles and hits a sacrifice fly to score Everett Scott with the winning run in the eighth inning. It's the third time since June 1, 1916, that Ruth has bested Johnson by a 1-0 score. Johnson will go on to suffer 26 1-0 losses in his career, far and away a major league record.

Birthdays:
Johnny Unitas b. 1933
Bob Weiss b. 1942
Louis Orr b. 1958
Brad Isbister b. 1977
Shawn Marion b. 1978

Packers Fact:
Rob Davis entered hish 10th full season as the Packers' long snapper in 2007.

5/8/1982:
Relentless niper Mike Bossy intercepts a mindless clearing pass by Vancouver defenseman Harold Snepsts with only two seconds left in the first overtime and scores the game-winning goal for the New York Islanders in the opener of their Stanley Cup final-round series against the Canucks. Bossy's third goal of the game clinches a 6-5 victory and breaks the back of the Canucks, who will get swept in four straight games by the indomitable Isles as they win their third straight Stanley Cup title.

Birthdays:
Sonny Liston b. 1932
Mike Cuellar b. 1937
Bill Cowher b. 1957
Ronnie Lott b. 1959
Speedy Claxton b. 1978

Packers Fact:
Long snapper Rob Davis was a member of the USA Today's "All-Joe" team of unsung stars for 2006.

5/9/1915:
Four-time Wimbledon men's singles champion Tony Wilding of New Zealand is killed in action while fighting with the British Royal Marines in the World War I battle of Aubers Ridge at Neuve-Chapelle, France. Wilding also won four Wimbledon men's doubles titles and was a member of four winning Australasian Davis Cup teams. Passionate about cars and motorcycles, he competed in races and traveled on the primitive open roads of the day. He had signed on with the armored car division of the Marines, only to be caught in a fatal bombardment in the early stages of the war. He was 31.

Birthdays:
Pancho Gonzales b. 1928
Ralph Boston b. 1939
Howard "Butch" Komives b. 1941
Tony Gwynn b. 1960
Steve Yzerman b. 1965

Packers Fact:
Quarterback Brett Favre played college football at Southern Mississippi.

5/10/1960:
Veteran sluggers Vic Wertz and Rip Repulski both connect for grand-slam homers, leading the Boston Red Sox to a 9-7 victory over the Chicago White Sox at Fenway Park. Wertz's first-inning clout off Early Wynn gives him 1,001 lifetime big-league RBIs, while Repulski's jackpot wallop in the eighth frame off Don Ferrarese comes on his first American League at bat after eight years in the National League, following a recent trade with the Dodgers.

Birthdays:
Pat Summerall b. 1930
Manuel Santana b. 1938
Jim Calhoun b. 1942
Phil & Steve Mahre b. 1957
Rony Seikaly b. 1965