On this day: April 17

As the sports world remains at a virtual standstill due to the coronavirus (COVID-19) outbreak, let’s look back to see what happened on April 17 in sports history.

Bill Stoneman throws no-hitter in Expos’ ninth game in franchise history

When somebody mentions the Montreal Expos and impressive pitching performances, just about everybody will point to “El Presidente, El Perfecto!” when ace Dennis Martinez threw a perfect game against the Los Angeles Dodgers on July 28, 1991.

But more than two decades earlier, on April 17, 1969, another dominate moment from a Montreal hurler took place. In just the ninth game in franchise history, Bill Stoneman took to the mound, in his fifth career start, and no-hit the Philadelphia Phillies, setting an MLB record for quickest team to accomplish the impressive feat.

The Expos entered MLB in 1969 and, like most expansion clubs, not much was expected from them in their first campaign. The entered the game at Connie Mack Stadium in Philadelphia with a 3-5 record. Stoneman, a 25-year-old righty from Illinois, joined the Expos in ’69 after spending his first two seasons in the majors with the Chicago Cubs.  He had already started two games for the Expos, losing both times, but was coming off a strong performance, throwing 8.2 innings, allowing six hits and one earned run in a 7-6 loss against his former team in the Cubs.

Stoneman must have brought that momentum to his start against the Phillies as it took him only two hours and 24 minutes to throw a 7-0 hitless shutout – only his third career win and the first no-hitter in franchise history. He struck out eight and allowed five walks, lowering his ERA to 2.50.

Montreal posted a 52-110 record that inaugural season, but on April 17, 1969, in front of 6,496 fans in Philadelphia, they made history.

Stoneman spent five more seasons in Montreal, and even threw another no-hitter in 1972 against the Mets. 

Mike Schmidt leads Phillies to improbable comeback

On April 17, 1976, the Phillies found themselves down 13-1 to the Cubs after just three innings in an afternoon game at Wrigley Field. The Cubs scored seven runs in the second inning and added five more to put the game out of reach.

That was until Phillies slugger Mike Schmidt had something to say.

Schmidt, who was coming off a career-high 38 home run campaign in 1975, got the balling rolling in the fifth inning with a two-run shot to pull Philadelphia within nine runs. In his next at-bat in the seventh, Schmidt smacked a solo shot and then went deep for a third consecutive time in the eighth, this time a three-run shot with two outs to pull Philly within one, 13-12.

Then, with the game all square in the 10th inning, Schmidt finished off his remarkable day with a two-run homer with nobody out as the Phillies captured the 18-16 victory.

Four homers in four consecutive at-bats. Eight RBIs as well. A hall-of-fame performance for a man who secured his eternal spot in Cooperstown in 1995.

Martin Brodeur scores in playoff game

On April 17, 1997, Martin Brodeur and the New Jersey Devils led the Montreal Canadiens 4-2 late in Game 1 of their opening-round playoff series from New Jersey.

Down two, the Habs decided to pull their goalie in the last minute. The puck came around the boards behind Brodeur’s net. The future Hall of Famer had the time and space to stop the puck, control it and shoot it down the ice over top of Montreal’s defenceman.

But he wasn’t just trying to clear it. He was trying to score and he made no mistake, sending the fans at Continental Airlines Arena into a frenzy. It was the fifth time in NHL history that a goalie scored during a game and the first for Brodeur. The three-time Stanley Cup champion would add two more goals before retiring in 2014.

Jackie Robinson records first MLB hit

On April 15, 1947, Jackie Robinson broke the colour barrier in the MLB as a member of the Brooklyn Dodgers.

Two days later, the native of Cairo, Ga., recorded the first hit of his career.

Robinson came up to the plate in the fifth inning for the third time on the day after failing to get a hit in his first three at-bats against the Boston Braves. Robinson laid down a perfect bunt down the third baseline to pick up his first career hit in the majors. The Dodgers won 12-6.

A couple Mickey Mantle milestones 

New York Yankees legend Mickey Mantle has a pair of memorable moments on April 17.

In 1951, a 19-year-old Mantle played his first career MLB game, going 1-4 with an RBI and a run scored as the Yankees defeated the rival Boston Red Sox 5-0.

Two years later, on April 17, 1953, Mantle hammered a 565-foot home run off Washington Senators pitcher Chuck Stobbs as the term “tape-measure home run” was invented.

The Mick would go on to play 18 seasons in New York, winning seven World Series, three MVPs, one Triple Crown and make 20 All-Star appearances.

Other Notable Events on April 17

1925 – Yankees slugger Babe Ruth has ulcer surgery

1939 – Joe Louis wins the heavyweight boxing title, knocking out Jack Roper in the first round.

1964 – First game at Shea Stadium as New York Mets fall to the Pittsburgh Pirates, 4-3.

1983 – Texas Rangers ace Nolan Ryan records 3,500th strikeout.

1987 – Philadelphia 76ers star Julius Erving becomes the third NBA player to reach 30,000 points, joining Wilt Chamberlain and Kareem Abdul-Jabbar.

2001 – All-time home run leader Barry Bonds hits his 500th career home run.

Birthdays

1820 - Alexander Cartwright, the Father of Modern Baseball

1950 - Bruce McNall

1957 - Dwane Casey

1973 - Gene Makowsky