This Day in Sports History: May 5
Sports in May include playoffs for the NBA and NHL seasons, MLB is in full swing, the Preakness Stakes, the PGA Championship, the FA Cup Final, the French Open for…
Sports in May include playoffs for the NBA and NHL seasons, MLB is in full swing, the Preakness Stakes, the PGA Championship, the FA Cup Final, the French Open for tennis, and some Grand Prix events. Over the years, May 5 has witnessed many notable moments and stories involving sporting legends. Here are some of them.
Unforgettable Games and Remarkable Records
Great moments in sports history from May 5 included:
- 1863: Irish boxer Joe Coburn knocked out American Mike McCoole in the 67th round in his first defense of the Heavyweight Championship of America.
- 1904: Cy Young pitched the first perfect game in MLB history under the current rules as the Boston Americans beat the Philadelphia Athletics 3-0.
- 1908: Arthur Pickens won the Kentucky Derby riding the 66-1 long shot Stone Street in muddy conditions, finishing in 2:15.20 — the slowest in Derby history at the time.
- 1917: St. Louis Browns pitcher Ernie Koob pitched a no-hitter against the Chicago White Sox, 1-0.
- 1925: Ty Cobb went six for six at the plate, with three homers and 16 total bases as the Tigers beat the Browns 14-8, setting a new American League record.
- 1938: Phillies pitcher Harold Kelleher faced 16 batters in the sixth inning, and the Cubs scored 12 runs — both National League records for a single pitcher in one inning.
- 1949: The Detroit Tigers' second baseman, Charlie Gehringer, was inducted into the Baseball Hall of Fame.
- 1966: The Montreal Canadiens won back-to-back titles, defeating the Detroit Red Wings 4-2 in the Stanley Cup Final series.
- 1969: The Boston Celtics beat the Los Angeles Lakers 4-3 and won the NBA Championship.
- 1969: The Milwaukee Bucks signed star UCLA center Lew Alcindor, also known as Kareem Abdul-Jabbar.
- 1973: Ron Turcotte won the Kentucky Derby riding Secretariat with a time of 1:59.4, the fastest time to date.
- 1978: The Cincinnati Reds' Pete Rose became the 14th player in MLB history to get 3,000 hits.
- 1981: The final MLB preseason Mayor's Trophy Game before Interleague play began was played.
- 1981: Larry Bird made a famous put-back shot in the NBA playoffs, called one of the greatest plays by Red Auerbach.
- 1984: The Kentucky Derby was won by Laffit Pincay Jr., riding Swale in a time of 2:02.4.
- 1987: Detroit Tigers are 11 games back in the AL, but go on to win the AL East.
- 2007: Calvin Borel won the Kentucky Derby aboard 9-2 favorite Street Sense. Borel won on his home track in front of Queen Elizabeth II.
- 2012: Chelsea beat Liverpool 2-1 and won the English FA Cup.
- 2014: Briton Mark Selby defeated Ronnie O'Sullivan 18-14, earning the first of his three world titles in snooker.
- 2018: Mike Smith won his second Kentucky Derby at the age of 52, riding Justify with a time of 2:04.20 on a sloppy track.
- 2021: Baltimore Orioles pitcher John Means pitched a no-hitter against the Seattle Mariners, 6-0.
Three athletes who stood out on May 5 were Cy Young, Kareem Abdul-Jabbar, and Mike Smith.
Young was an elite pitcher from 1890 to 1911, and the annual award for the best pitcher in MLB is named in his honor. Abdul-Jabbar is best known for his unstoppable "skyhook" shot and for being an influential activist and author. Smith holds the record for most Breeders' Cup wins and swept the 2018 Triple Crown aboard Justify.
