On This Day

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Athletes Born on April 2

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  • 1856 Tommy Bond, Irish baseball pitcher and right fielder (Triple Crown 1877; Boston Red Caps; first man born in Ireland to play MLB), born in Granard, Ireland (d. 1941)
  • 1863 Mabel Cahill, Irish tennis player (US National C'ship 1891-92), born in Ballyragget, County Kilkenny (d. 1905)
  • 1869 Hughie Jennings, American Baseball Hall of Fame infielder (Baltimore Orioles) and manager (Detroit Tigers 1907-20), born in Pittston, Pennsylvania (d. 1928)
  • 1871 Marshall Newell, American College Football Hall of Fame tackle (Harvard; All-American 1890-93) and coach (Cornell, Tufts), born in Springfield, Massachusetts (d. 1897)

Walter Chrysler (1875-1940)

American automotive pioneer (Chrysler Corporation) and thoroughbred breeder, born in Wamego, Kansas

Walter Chrysler
  • 1875 William Donne, English cricket batsman, (Olympic gold 1900) and administrator (President England Rugby Football Union), born in Wincanton, England (d. 1934)
  • 1880 Harold Weekes, American College Football Hall of Fame halfback (Columbia University; All American 1901), born in Oyster Bay, New York (d. 1950)
  • 1896 Johnny Golden, American golfer (PGA C'ship 1922, 26, 27 3rd; Ryder Cup 1927, 29 [3-0-0 record]; 9 x PGA Tour titles), born in Tuxedo, New York (d. 1936)
  • 1900 Alfred Strange, English soccer right half (20 caps, 3 as captain; Sheffield Wednesday, 253 games), born in Ripley, England (d. 1978)
  • 1907 Harald Andersson, Swedish discus thrower (world record 52.42m 1934), born in Stanford, California (d. 1985)
  • 1907 Luke Appling, American Baseball Hall of Fame shortstop (7 x MLB All Star; AL batting champion 1936, 43; Chicago White Sox), born in High Point, North Carolina (d. 1991)
  • 1910 Arnie Herber, American Pro Football Hall of Fame quarterback (NFL C'ship 1930, 31, 36, 39; First-team All-Pro 1932, 35, 36; Green Bay Packers, NY Giants), born in Green Bay, Wisconsin (d. 1969)
  • 1913 Benny Lynch, Scottish boxer (World flyweight title 1937-38), born in Glasgow, Scotland (d. 1946)
  • 1915 Al Barlick, American Baseball Hall of Fame umpire (7 x World Series; 7 x MLB All Star games), born in Springfield, Illinois (d. 1995)
  • 1919 Delfo Cabrera, Argentine distance runner (Olympic gold marathon 1948), born in Armstrong, Argentina (d. 1981)
  • 1924 Bobby Ávila, Mexican Baseball Hall of Fame second baseman (MLB All-Star 1952, 54, 55; AL batting champion 1954; Cleveland Indians), born in Veracruz City, Mexico (d. 2004)
  • 1924 Wallace "Bud" Smith, American boxer (World lightweight title 1955-56), born in Cincinnati, Ohio (d. 1973)
  • 1926 Jack Brabham, Australian auto racer and team owner (World F1 champion 1959, 60, 66 [only man to win F1 C'ship driving one of his own cars]), born in Sydney, Australia (d. 2014)
  • 1927 Billy Pierce, American baseball pitcher (MLB All Star x 7; World Series 1945; AL wins leader 1957; MLB ERA leader 1955; AL strikeout leader; 1953; Chicago White Sox), born in Detroit, Michigan (d. 2015)
  • 1927 Carmen Basilio, American boxer (World Welterweight title 1955-56; Middleweight title 1957-58), born in Canastota, New York (d. 2012)
  • 1927 Ferenc Puskás, Hungarian soccer forward (Hungary 85 caps, Spain 4; Real Madrid, Budapest Honvéd) and manager (Panathinaikos), born in Budapest, Hungary (d. 2006)
  • 1930 Bill McColl, American College Football Hall of Fame end (Stanford University; Chicago Bears 1952-59), born in San Diego, California (d. 2023)
  • 1932 Mahmood Hussain, Pakistan cricket swing bowler (27 Tests, 68 wickets; Karachi, Pakistan Universities), born in Lahore, Pakistan (d. 1991)
  • 1934 Brian Glover, British actor and wrestler (Alien 3, Kes), born in Sheffield, England (d. 1997)
  • 1935 Hamid Zouba, Algerian soccer manager (Algerian national team x 6 separate spells), born in Bologhine, Algeria (d. 2022)
  • 1935 Ivo Trumbić, Croatian water polo player (Olympic gold 1968 Yugoslavia) and coach (Olympic bronze Netherlands 1976), born in Split, Croatia (d. 2021)
  • 1936 Shaul Ladany, Israeli race walker (world record 50-mile walk 7:23:50 1972; World C'ships gold 100km walk 9:31:00 1972), born in Belgrade, Serbia
  • 1937 Dick Radatz, American baseball pitcher (MLB All Star 1963, 64; AL saves leader 1962, 64; Boston Red Sox), born in Detroit, Michigan (d. 2005)
  • 1937 Theo Foley, Irish soccer defender (9 caps, Republic of Ireland; Burnley, Charlton Athletic) and manager (Northampton Town), born in Dublin, Ireland (d. 2020)
  • 1938 Whirlaway, American thoroughbred racehorse (Triple Crown 1941), born in Lexington, Kentucky (d. 1953)
  • 1940 Don Jackson, Canadian figure skater (World C'ship gold singles 1962; first triple lutz in international competition; Olympic bronze singles 1960), born in Oshawa, Ontario
  • 1940 Mike Hailwood, MBE GM, British motorcycle road racer (World C'ships: 250cc – 1961, 66, 67; 350cc – 1966, 67; 500cc –1962, 63, 64, 65; 76 Grand Prix wins), born in Great Milton, England (d. 1981)
  • 1942 Terry Holland, American college basketball coach (Davidson, Virginia) and athletics administrator (Davidson, Virginia, East Carolina), born in Clinton, North Carolina (d. 2023)
  • 1944 Bob Sheridan, American boxing and MMA broadcaster (WGBS "Rumble in the Jungle", "Thrilla in Manila"; bodogFIGHT), born in Boston, Massachusetts (d. 2023)
  • 1944 František Pospíšil, Czech ice hockey defenseman (IIHF World C'ships gold 1972, 76, 77; best defenseman 1972, 76; Olympic bronze 1972, silver 1976), born in Unhošť, Bohemia and Moravia
  • 1944 Rodolfo Fischer, Argentine soccer striker (35 caps; San Lorenzo 271 games), born in Oberá, Argentina (d. 2020)

Don Sutton (1945-2021)

American Baseball HOF pitcher (MLB All-Star 1972, 73, 75, 77; MLB ERA leader 1980; LA Dodgers, Milwaukee Brewers), born in Clio, Alabama

Don Sutton
  • 1945 Reggie Smith, American baseball outfielder (7 x MLB All Star; World Series 1981; Gold Glove Award 1968; Boston Red Sox, St. Louis Cardinals, LA Dodgers), born in Shreveport, Louisiana
  • 1946 Richard Collinge, New Zealand cricket fast bowler (35 Tests, 116 wickets; Central Districts CA, Wellington CA, Northern Districts CA), born in Wellington, New Zealand
  • 1948 Danny Ford, American College Football Hall of Fame coach (National C'ship, Clemson University 1981; University of Arkansas; career record 122–59–5), born in Gadsden, Alabama
  • 1948 Jim McDaniels, American basketball forward (All American 1971; Western Kentucky Uni; No. 1 overall pick ABA Draft 1971; ABA All-Star 1972; Carolina Cougars), born in Scottsville, Kentucky (d. 2017)
  • 1948 Roy Gerela American NFL placekicker (Super Bowl 1974, 75, 78; Pro Bowl 1972, 74; Pittsburgh Steelers), born in Sarrail, Alberta
  • 1951 Ayako Okamoto, Japanese golfer (US Open 1987 runner-up, 17 LPGA Tour titles), born in Hiroshima, Japan
  • 1952 Will Hoy, English auto racer (British Touring Car C'ship 1991), born in Melbourn, England (d. 2002)
  • 1957 Hank Steinbrenner, American businessman and MLB team owner (New York Yankees 2010-20), born in Culver, Indiana (d. 2020)
  • 1958 Larry Drew, American basketball point guard (Kansas City/Sacramento Kings, LA Clippers, LA Lakers) and coach (Atlanta Hawks, Milwaukee Bucks, Cleveland Cavaliers), born in Kansas City, Kansas
  • 1958 Stefano Bettarello, Italian rugby union fly-half (55 caps, 483 points; Rovigo, Benetton Treviso), born in Rovigo, Italy
  • 1959 Brian Goodell, American swimmer who won Olympic gold 400m WR 3:51.93, 1500m WR 15:02.40 1976, born in Stockton, California
  • 1959 Ezzaki Badou, Moroccan soccer goalkeeper (76 caps; Mallorca) and manager (Morocco), born in Sidi Kacem, Morocco
  • 1959 Gelindo Bordin, Italian athlete (Olympic gold marathon 1988), born in Vicenza, Italy
  • 1959 Juha Kankkunen, Finnish rally driver (World rally champion 1986, 87, 91, 93; Dakar Rally [cars] 1988; Race of Champions 1988, 91), born in Laukaa, Finland
  • 1959 Ken Macleay, Australian cricket fast bowler (16 ODIs, 15 wickets; Western Australia), born in Bradford-on-Avon, Wiltshire, England
  • 1960 Linford Christie, British athlete (Olympic gold men's 100m 1992), born in Saint Andrew, Jamaica
  • 1963 Dermot Reeve, English cricket all-rounder (3 Tests, 29 ODIs), born in Kowloon, Hong Kong
  • 1963 Mike Gascoyne, British motor racing engineer, designer, writer (McLaren, Sauber, Tyrrell, Jordan, Renault, Toyota, Force India) and broadcaster (BBC 5 Live, Sky Sports), born in Norwich, England
  • 1966 Alexei Kovalev, Russian ice hockey right wing (NHL All-Star Game 2001, 03, 09 [MVP]; Stanley Cup 1994, New York Rangers; Olympic gold 1998), born in Minsk, Belarus
  • 1966 Bill Romanowski, American NFL linebacker (Super Bowl 1988, 89 SF 49ers; 97, 98 Denver Broncos; Pro Bowl 1996, 98), born in Rockville, Connecticut
  • 1966 Stephen Bachop, New Zealand rugby union fly-half (5 Tests; Canterbury, Otago, Wellington, London Irish RFC), born in Christchurch, New Zealand
  • 1966 Teddy Sheringham, English soccer striker (51 caps; Manchester United, Tottenham Hotspur, Millwall), born in London, England
  • 1967 Helen Chamberlain, British television presenter (Soccer AM, 1995-2017), born in Street, Somerset, England
  • 1970 Jon Lieber, American baseball pitcher (MLB All Star 2001; Pittsburgh Pirates, Chicago Cubs), born in Council Bluffs, Iowa
  • 1970 Tammi Reiss, American actress and former WNBA guard (Utah Starzz), born in New York
  • 1971 Todd Woodbridge, Australian tennis player (16 x Grand Slam doubles titles; 6 x GS mixed doubles titles; Olympic gold 1996) and broadcaster (7 Network, 9 Network), born in Sydney, New South Wales
  • 1974 Tayfun Korkut, Turkish soccer midfielder (42 caps; Fenerbahçe, Real Sociedad) and manager (Hannover 96, FC Kaiserslautern, Bayer Leverkusen, VfB Stuttgart), born in Stuttgart, Germany
  • 1975 Katrin Rutschow-Stomporowski, German rower (Olympic gold quad sculls 1996, single sculls 2004), born in Waren, Germany
  • 1976 Rory Sabbatini, South African-Slovak golfer (US Masters 2007 runner-up; 6 PGA Tour titles), born in Durban, South Africa
  • 1977 Per Elofsson, Swedish cross-country skier (World C'ship gold x 2 2001; 2003; Olympic bronze 10k + 10k classical 2002), born in Röbäck, Sweden
  • 1980 Carlos Salcido, Mexican soccer defender (124 caps; Olympic gold 2012; PSV, Guadalajara), born in Ocotlán, Jalisco, Mexico
  • 1980 Ricky Hendrick, American auto racer and team owner (NASCAR Gander RV & Outdoors Truck Series 1 win, 23 top 10s), born in Charlotte, North Carolina (d. 2004)
  • 1981 Michael Clarke, Australian cricket batsman and captain (115 Tests, 8,643 runs @ 49.10, 28 x 100s; 245 ODIs) and broadcaster (9 Network, FoxSports), born in Sydney, Australia
  • 1982 Bianca Chatfield, Australian netball defender (42 caps; World C'ship gold 2007; C'wealth Games gold 2014) and TV personality (The Block 2018), born in Somerville, Mornington Peninsula, Australia
  • 1982 David Ferrer, Spanish tennis player (World #3 2013; Davis Cup champion Spain 2008, 09, 11; French Open 2013 runner-up; 23 ATP titles), born in Xàbia, Alicante, Spain
  • 1982 Jeremy Bloom, American alpine skier (FIS Freestyle World Ski C'ships gold dual moguls 2003) and football wide receiver (Philadelphia Eagles, Pittsburgh Steelers), born in Loveland, Colorado
  • 1982 Marco Amelia, Italian soccer goalkeeper (9 caps; 2006 FIFA World Cup; Livorno), born in Frascati, Italy
  • 1983 Felix Borja, Ecuadorian soccer forward (22 caps; El Nacional), born in San Lorenzo, Ecuador
  • 1985 Stéphane Lambiel, Swiss figure skater (World C'ship gold men's singles 2005, 06; Olympic silver 2006; Grand Prix Final champion 2005, 07), born in Martigny, Switzerland
  • 1985 Thom Evans, Scottish rugby union winger (10 caps; London Wasps, Glasgow Warriors), born in Harare, Zimbabwe
  • 1986 Andris Biedriņš, Latvian basketball center (Golden State Warriors 2004-13; 510 games), born in Riga, Latvia
  • 1986 Ibrahim Afellay, Dutch soccer midfielder (53 caps; PSV Eindhoven), born in Utrecht, Netherlands
  • 1987 Pablo César Aguilar, Paraguayan soccer defender (28 caps; Sportivo Luqueño, América, Cruz Azul), born in Luque, Paraguay
  • 1987 Shane Lowry, Irish golfer (US Open 2016 runner-up), born in Clara, County Offaly
  • 1990 Miralem Pjanić, Bosnian soccer midfielder (92 caps; Roma, Juventus), born in Tuzia, Bosnia and Herzegovina
  • 1990 Yevgeniya Kanayeva OMF, Russian rhythmic gymnast (Olympic gold all-round 2008, 12; World C'ship gold x 17 2007-11), born in Omsk, Russia
  • 1993 Keshorn Walcott ORTT, Trinidadian athlete (Olympic gold javelin 2012, bronze 2016), born in Port of Spain, Trinidad and Tobago
  • 1998 Pleasantly Perfect, American thoroughbred racehorse (Breeders' Cup Classic 2003; Dubai World Cup 2004), born in Clovelly Farms, Louisiana (d. 2020)


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