Early agate
ON THIS DATE
June 28
1963 – Wee Crusader wins the first race as The Meadows racetrack opens for business and attracts a crowd of 7,461.
1970 – The Pirates sweep the Chicago Cubs in a doubleheader, 3-2 and 4-1, in the final games at Pittsburgh’s Forbes Field.
1971 – Muhammad Ali wins a four-year legal battle to overturn his 1967 conviction for draft evasion in an 8-0 vote by the U.S. Supreme Court.
1979 – The Pittsburgh Pirates acquire third baseman Bill Madlock, infielder Lenny Randle and pitcher Dave Roberts from the San Francisco Giants in exchange for pitchers Ed Whitson, Fred Breining and Al Holland.
1997 – Challenger Mike Tyson bites off part of champion Evander Holyfield’s right ear during a WBA heavyweight tile fight. Tyson is disqualified in the third round after attempting to bite Holyfield’s ear for a second time.
1998 – Former Pittsburgh Pirates pitcher Rick Rhoden shoots even par to win the $40,000 top prize at the Mario Lemieux Celebrity Invitational at The Club at Nevillewood.
2007 – Former Pittsburgh Penguins center Ron Francis is among four former players elected to the Hockey Hall of Fame. Joining Francis are Mark Messier, Scott Stevens and Al MacInnis.
2008 – Peters Township’s Jordan Jankowski is named the Observer-Reporter Baseball Player of the Year while Chartiers-Houston’s Jaci Timko is the Softball Player of the Year.
2011 – Peters Township outfielder Justin Bianco, who batted .581 and was drafted by the Arizona Diamondbacks in the third round, is named the Observer-Reporter Baseball Player of the Year.
2012 – California University football coach John Luckhardt announces his retirement. Luckhardt had a 225-70-2 career record in 17 seasons at Washington & Jefferson and 10 at Cal. He coached 16 teams to the NCAA playoffs.
2013 – Alison Riske of McMurray reaches the third round of a Grand Slam tennis tournament for the first time when she defeats Urszula Radwanska of Poland 4-6, 6-3, 6-4 at Wimbledon.