This date in sports history: Lou Gehrig starts memorable streak
During the Florida Marlins' win against the Arizona Diamondbacks Tuesday night, Fish left fielder Logan Morrison extended the longest active streak in the majors, reaching base in all 32 of his games this season. Should Morrison, 23, step up to the plate again Wednesday night in Phoenix, he'd be trying to keep alive a streak on the anniversary of the beginning of one of baseball's most memorable.
Eighty-six years ago, on June 1, 1925, Lou Gehrig pinch hit for Pee Wee Wanninger in the eighth inning and swapped out Wally Pipp at first base for the New York Yankees.
Gehrig played in each of the following 2,129 games, setting the record at 2,130 when he appeared in his final game on May 2, 1939, after being diagnosed with amyotrophic lateral sclerosis, the nervous system disorder now commonly known as Lou Gehrig's disease.Scientists link ALS, athlete head injuries
Jeter tops Gehrig, sets Yankees hit record
The Iron Horse's record was untouched until Cal Ripkin Jr. broke it with the Baltimore Orioles on Sept. 6, 1995, and later extended it to 2,632 consecutive games. To put that in perspective, no active major leaguer has played in more than 300 consecutive games.
Below is a list of other notable historic events in sports that also took place on June 1 as compiled by The Associated Press:
- 1946 -- Assault, ridden by Warren Merhtens, wins the Belmont Stakes to become the seventh horse to capture the Triple Crown.
- 1968 -- Stage Door Johnny, ridden by Heliodoro Gustines, wins the Belmont Stakes in a record time of 2:27 1-5 and spoils the Triple Crown bid of Forward Pass, who finishes 1¼ lengths behind.
- 1975 -- Nolan Ryan of the California Angels pitches his fourth no-hitter to tie Sandy Koufax's record, beating the Baltimore Orioles 1-0.
- 1975 -- Kathy Whitworth wins the LPGA tournament by one stroke over Sandra Haynie.
- 1986 -- Pat Bradley wins the LPGA tournament and becomes the first to win all four major women's tournaments, beating Patty Sheehan by one stroke.
- 1992 -- The Pittsburgh Penguins win the Stanley Cup for the second straight year, beating the Chicago Blackhawks 6-5 for a four-game sweep.
- 1996 -- The LSU women win their 10th consecutive NCAA track team title with 81 points, the longest championship string in women's college sports.
- 2002 -- Detroit advances to the Stanley Cup finals for the fourth time in eight years with a 7-0 win over Colorado in Game 7 of the Western Conference finals. Colorado becomes the first NHL team to play in four consecutive Game 7s. Detroit goalie Dominik Hasek sets an NHL record by recording his fifth shutout of the playoffs.
- 2004 -- Detroit and Indiana combine for just 60 first-half points in the Pistons' 69-65 victory, breaking the NBA playoff record of 62 set by the Pistons and Nets during the second round.
- 2008 -- Hillary Will is the 11th woman in NHRA history to win a national event when she takes the Top Fuel event at the O'Reilly NHRA Summer Nationals. Will drives her dragster to a 4.744-second run at a top speed of 304.53 mph, beating No. 1 qualifier Larry Dixon for her first career win in Top Fuel.
- 2010 -- French Open upset specialist Robin Soderling strikes again, rallying past defending champion Roger Federer in a rainy quarterfinal, 3-6, 6-3, 7-5, 6-4. The loss ends Federer's record streak of reaching the semifinals in 23 consecutive major events.