Early agate
ON THIS DATE
July 29
1915 – Honus Wagner, 41, becomes the oldest player to hit a grand slam as Pittsburgh beats Brooklyn 8-2. The grand slam is an inside-the-park homer. Wagner remained the record holder until 1985, when Tony Perez hit one the day before his 43rd birthday.
1955 – Former Pitt basketball player Harry A. McArdle is hired as head football and basketball coach at East Washington High School.
1975 – Dennis Petcovic is hired as head football coach at Waynesburg High School. Petcovic succeeds Bob Hlodan, who served as the Raiders’ head coach for only one season.
1983 – AL President Lee McPhail ruled that George Brett’s “pine tar” home run against New York on July 24 should count. The umpires had disallowed the homer because the pine tar on Brett’s bat exceeded the 18-inch limit. The rest of the game was played Aug. 18 with the Kansas City Royals beating the Yankees, 5-4.
1984 – Frank Dellaria goes 5-for-5 and hits for the cycle as Dellaria Lincoln Mercury defeats Burgettstown VFW 11-2 in the Burgettstown Fast Pitch Softball League. Bud Petrel is the winning pitcher.
1986 – The United States Football League wins a lawsuit against the NFL. The jury finds the NFL violated antitrust laws but awards the USFL only $1 in damages.
1989 — Cuba’s Javier Sotomayor becomes the first person to high jump 8 feet, breaking his world record at the Caribbean Championship in San Juan, Puerto Rico. He surpasses his mark of 7-11½.
1994 – The Pittsburgh Penguins trade right wing Rick Tocchet and a 2nd-round draft pick to the Los Angeles Kings in exchange for left wing Luc Robitaille.
1998 – Greene County Country Club edges Village Green 11-7 to win the Pavella Cup match play championship at Southpointe Golf Club.
2000 – Monongahela’s Joe Montana and Pittsburgh Steelers owner Dan Rooney head a class of five inductees into the Pro Football Hall of Fame.