Jun 30, 2022 2 min read

ON THIS DATE

July 2

1948 – Bob Mathias, a 17-year-old from California, splashes his way to the gold medal in the decathlon on a rain-filled day at the London Olympics.

1969 – Delvin Miller is enshirned in harness racing’s Hall of Fame in Goshen, N.Y.

1972 – Bill Schmidt, a 1965 graduate of Canon-McMillan High School and a former All-American at North Texas State University, wins the javelin competition at the United States Olympic Track & Field Trials in Eugene, Ore. Schmidt’s throw of 270-6 secures him a spot on the U.S. team for the Munich Games in September.

July 3

1917 – Honus Wagner resigns after five games as manager of the Pittsburgh Pirates.

1986 – Legendary harness racing driver Billy Haughton wins his 4,910th and last race, guiding Good Day Luv to victory in Race 8 at The Meadows. Haughton is involved in a three-horse spill at Yonkers Raceway two days later and dies of his injuries July 15, 1986.

2012 – Gary Lee takes a no-hitter into the eighth inning and combines with two relievers on a two-hitter as the Washington Wild Things blank Rockford, 3-0.

July 4

1947 – Larry Doby becomes the first black to play in the American League. He strikes out as a pinch-hitter for the Cleveland Indians in a 6-5 loss to the Chicago White Sox.

1951 – National League president Ford Frick suspends the Pittsburgh Pirates slugger Ralph Kiner and coach Bill Posedel for three days and fines them $100 for “pushing and shoving” umpire Jocko Conlan during a game against the Chicago Cubs.

1968 – The Philadelphia 76ers trade Wilt Chamberlain, basketball’s greatest offensive player, to the Los Angeles Lakers after they are unable to sign him to a contract.

1969 – Pittsburgh’s Willie Stargell hits a pitch from New York’s Tom Seaver over the right-field roof at Forbes Field in the fourth inning, but the Mets go on to an 11-6 victory.

1976 – Tim McCarver of the Philadelphia Phillies hits a grand slam in the second inning of the first game of a doubleheader at Pittsburgh. The 375-foot homer comes off Larry Demery. However, after rounding first base, McCarver passes teammate Garry Maddox and is called out. McCarver receives credit for a single and three runs batted in.