Events in Sports History on May 15

  • 1862 First baseball enclosure opens at Union Grounds, Brooklyn
  • 1876 2nd Kentucky Derby: Bobby Swim aboard Vagrant wins in 2:38.25
  • 1894 20th Kentucky Derby: Frank Goodale aboard Chant wins in 2:41
  • 1906 MLB New York Giants pitcher George "Hooks" Wiltse strikes out 4 Reds batters in 1 inning, as catcher dropped a third strike (Palace of the Fans, in Cincinnati, Ohio)
  • 1912 37th Preakness: Clarnence Turner on Colonel Holloway wins in 1:56.6

Cobb Suspended

1912 Ty Cobb rushes a heckler at a NY Highlander game & is suspended

  • 1918 43rd Preakness: Johnny Loftus aboard War Cloud wins in 1:53.6

Baseball History

1918 Washington Senator Walter Johnson pitches 1-0, 18 inning game

  • 1919 Brooklyn Dodgers score 10 runs in 13th to beat Reds 10-0
  • 1920 Soccer team ADO '20 forms in Heemskerk
  • 1926 52nd Kentucky Derby: Albert Johnson on Bubbling Over wins in 2:03.8
  • 1935 MLB Pittsburgh Pirates squeak past Phillies 20-5 at Philadelphia's Baker Bowl
  • 1937 62nd Preakness: Charley Kurtsinger aboard War Admiral wins in 1:58.4

O'Neil's Negro League Debut

1938 Buck O'Neil makes his debut playing for the Negro league baseball team Kansas City Monarchs at Ruppert Stadium, Kansas City

DiMaggio Starts Streak

1941 Joe DiMaggio starts 56-game hitting streak; Yanks lose 13-1

  • 1944 Cincinnati Red Clyde Shoun no-hits Boston Braves, 1-0

73rd Preakness

1948 73rd Preakness: Eddie Arcaro wins aboard Citation, 2nd leg of successful Triple Crown

  • 1952 Detroit Tiger Virgil Trucks no-hits Washington Senators, 1-0

Sports History

1952 Johnny Longden becomes 2nd jockey to ride 4,000 winners

Marciano KOs Walcott

1953 In his first world heavyweight title defense, Rocky Marciano KOs former champion Jersey Joe Walcott in the 1st round at Chicago Stadium

  • 1959 100th anniversary of 1st college baseball game, between Amherst & Williams Teams reenact the original contest
  • 1963 Tottenham Hotspur of England win 3rd European Cup winner's Cup against Atlético Madrid of Spain 5-1 at Rotterdam
  • 1964 Sporting Portugal win 4th European Cup Winner's Cup against MTK Budapest of Hungry 1-0 at Antwerp (replay)
  • 1965 90th Preakness: Ron Turcotte aboard Tom Rolfe wins in 1:56.2
  • 1965 Canadian Football Players Association organizes
  • 1966 1st day of Sunday play in County Cricket, Essex v Somerset

TV Show Appearance

1968 Paul McCartney & John Lennon appear on "The Tonight Show Starring Johnny Carson", to promote Apple Records, Joe Garagiola is substitute host

  • 1970 International Olympic Committee votes to expel South Africa
  • 1971 96th Preakness: Gustavo Avila aboard Canonero II wins in 1:54

Sports History

1973 California Angel Nolan Ryan's 1st no-hitter beats KC Royals, 3-0

  • 1976 101st Preakness: John Lively aboard Elocutionist wins in 1:55
  • 1980 Flyers score 8 goals against Islanders in playoffs

Sports History

1981 "Harlem Globetrotters on Gilligan's Island" airs

  • 1982 107th Preakness: Jack Kaenel aboard Aloma's Ruler wins in 1:55.4
  • 1985 Everton of England wins 25th European Cup Winner's Cup against Rapid Wien of Austria 3-1 in Rotterdam
  • 1987 Record archery score for a pair over 24 hrs, is set
  • 1989 MLB Toronto Blue Jays fire manager Jimy Williams, and replace him with Cito Gaston
  • 1989 US Basketball League cancels its summer schedule
  • 1990 Edmonton Oiler Petr Klima scores to defeat Boston Bruins in third overtime period, the longest Stanley Cup Finals game in history
  • 1991 Manchester United of England win 31th European Cup Winner's Cup against FC Barcelona 2-1 in Rotterdam
  • 1991 Red Sox & White Sox play then slowest 9 inning game (4:11)

Sports History

1991 US President George H. W. Bush takes Queen Elizabeth to Oakland A's-Baltimore Oriole game

  • 1993 118th Preakness: Mike Smith aboard Prairie Bayou wins in 1:56.6

LPGA Championship

1994 LPGA Championship Women's Golf, DuPont CC: Laura Davies of England wins her second major title, 3 strokes ahead of runner-up Alice Ritzman

  • 1999 124th Preakness: Chris Antley wins aboard Charismatic for the second leg of an unsuccessful Triple Crown campaign
  • 1999 Columbus Crew Stadium (now Historic Crew Stadium), the 1st Major League Soccer stadium constructed in the United States
  • 2002 10th UEFA Champions League Final: Real Madrid beats Bayer Leverkusen 2-1 at Glasgow
  • 2004 129th Preakness: Stewart Elliott aboard Smarty Jones wins in 1:55.59

Laureus Awards

2005 Laureus World Sports Awards, Casino Estoril, Portugal: Sportsman: Roger Federer; Sportswoman: Kelly Holmes; Team: Greece Men's National Football team

Sports History

2007 Jerry Sloan leads the Utah Jazz to the Western Conference finals with a win over the Golden State Warriors

  • 2010 135th Preakness: Martin Garcia aboard Lookin At Lucky wins in 1:55.47

FA Cup Final

2010 English FA Cup Final, Wembley Stadium, London (88,335): Chelsea beats Portsmouth,1-0; Didier Drogba scores 59' winner; Blues' 6th title

  • 2010 Jessica Watson at age 16 becomes the youngest person to sail solo, non-stop and unassisted around the world

PGA Players Championship

2011 PGA Players Championship, TPC at Sawgrass: K. J. Choi of South Korea defeats David Toms on the first hole of a sudden-death playoff to win $1.71 million winner's cheque

  • 2016 PGA Players Championship, TPC at Sawgrass: World #1 and reigning PGA Champion Jason Day of Australia leads wire-to-wire to win by 4 strokes ahead of Kevin Chappell
  • 2019 Jeff Koons "Rabbit" sculpture sells for $91.1 million, setting a new record for work by a living artist at auction; buyer later identified as hedge fund manager and MLB NY Mets owner Steve Cohen
  • 2022 MLB Pirates win 1-0 over Cincinnati Reds, despite getting no hits, in Pittsburgh