April 1987 in Sports History

Events in Sport

Sports History

Apr 3 Bill Elliott sets NASCAR qualify record of 212.809 mph at Talladega

Apr 3 MLB Chicago Cubs trade Dennis Eckersley to Oakland A's for 3 minor league players
Apr 4 141st Grand National: Jockey Steve Knight wins his second GN aboard 28/1 shot Maori Venture by 5 lengths from The Tsarevich

Golf Major

Apr 5 Nabisco Dinah Shore Women's Golf, Mission Hills CC: Betsy King wins the first of her 6 major titles in a sudden-death playoff with Patty Sheehan, with a par on the 2nd extra hole

Sports History

Apr 5 Wayne Gretzky wins 7th straight NHL scoring title

Apr 6 Los Angeles Dodger's GM Al Campanis appears on TV program ABC News: Nightline saying Blacks may not be equipped to be in baseball management, sparking a racial controversy

Sports History

Apr 6 Middleweight World Boxing Championship bout: Sugar Ray Leonard upsets Marvelous Marvin Hagler at Caesars Palace in Paradise, Nevada

Apr 9 For 3rd time, Wayne Gretzky, scores 7 points (1 goal, 6 assists) in a Stanley Cup game and passes Jean Béliveau as all time playoff scoring champ
Apr 11 Yankees score 12 runs in 7th inning vs KC Royals
Apr 11 Zoja Ivanova wins 2nd female World Cup marathon (2:30:39)

US Masters Golf

Apr 12 51st US Masters Tournament, Augusta National GC: Larry Mize chips-in from 140 feet for an improbable birdie 3 on the 2nd playoff hole to beat Greg Norman for his only major title

Apr 12 Ahmed Salah wins 2nd World Cup marathon (2:10:55)
Apr 13 1st 3 San Diego Padres hit HRs off SF starter Roger Mason

NBA Record

Apr 16 Michael Jordan becomes the second NBA player in history to score 3,000 points in a season

Sports History

Apr 17 Julius Erving becomes 3rd NBA (and ABA) player to score 30,000 points

Apr 18 Gregory Robertson does 200-mph free fall to save unconscious skydiver near Coolidge, Arizona

Baseball Record

Apr 18 Mike Schmidt hits 500th home run (vs Robinson-Pirates)

Apr 19 Brendon Kuruppu scores 201* on Test Cricket debut (Sri Lanka v NZ)
Apr 19 Brewers score 5 runs in 9th to win 6-4 & record 12th straight AL win
Apr 19 LA Clippers end season with a terrible 12-70 record

Boston Marathon

Apr 20 91st Boston Marathon: Toshihiko Seko of Japan wins 2nd title in 2:11:50; Rosa Mota of Portugal claims women's event in 2:25:21; her first of 3 race victories

Apr 21 Brewers lose, ending AL season-opening winning streak at 13 games
Apr 21 Milwaukee Brewers lose after 13th straight victory to start season

Cricket History

Apr 21 Richard Hadlee makes highest Test Cricket score of 151* (v Sri Lanka)

Apr 23 NJ Devils farm team Maine Mariners (AHL) move to Utica (Devils) NY
Apr 28 NBA announces expansion to Charlotte NC & Miami Fla in 1988 & Minneapolis Minn & Orlando Fla in 1989
Apr 28 NFL Draft: University of Miami quarterback Vinny Testaverde first pick by Tampa Bay Buccaneers

Sports History

Apr 29 Chicago Cub Andre Dawson hits for cycle

Apr 30 Lou Lamoriello is named NJ Devils President

Sports History

Apr 30 NY Islander Mike Bossy plays his final game

Birthdays in Sport

Apr 1 Ding Junhui, Chinese snooker player (Masters 2011; Shanghai Masters 2013, 16; UK C'ships 2005, 09, 19), born in Yixing, Jiangsu, China
Apr 1 Li Ting, Chinese diver (Olympic gold platform synchro 2004; World C'ships gold 2003, 05), born in Lingui, Guilin, Guangxi, China
Apr 1 Oliver Turvey, English auto racer (24 Hours of Le Mans – LMP2 2014), born in Penrith, Cumbria, England
Apr 2 Pablo César Aguilar, Paraguayan soccer defender (28 caps; Sportivo Luqueño, América, Cruz Azul), born in Luque, Paraguay
Apr 2 Shane Lowry, Irish golfer (US Open 2016 runner-up), born in Clara, County Offaly
Apr 3 Jay Bruce, American MLB baseball outfielder, since 2008; 3x All-Star (Cincinnati Reds, and 5 other teams) player, born in Beaumont, Texas
Apr 3 Sal Zizzo, American soccer player (Atlanta United), born in San Diego, California
Apr 4 Cameron Maybin, American baseball player, born in Asheville, North Carolina
Apr 8 Royston Drenthe, Dutch footballer, born in Rotterdam, Netherlands
Apr 9 Jarrod Mullen, Australian rugby league footballer, born in Singleton, New South Wales, Australia
Apr 16 Aaron Lennon, English footballer, born in Leeds, United Kingdom
Apr 18 Danny Guthrie, English footballer, born in Shrewsbury, England
Apr 19 Joe Hart, English soccer goalkeeper (75 caps; Manchester City 266 games), born in Shrewsbury, England

Maria Sharapova (35 years old)

Apr 19 Russian tennis player (5 Grand Slam singles titles), born in Nyagan, Russia

Apr 21 Nadif Chowdhury, Bangladeshi cricketer
Apr 22 David Luiz Moreira Marinho, Brazilian football player (Chelsea, Brazil national team), born in Diadema, Brazil
Apr 24 Jan Vertonghen, Belgian footballer, born in Sint-Niklaas, Belgium
Apr 24 Kristopher Letang, Canadian hockey player (Pittsburgh Penguins), born in Montreal, Quebec
Apr 25 Johann Smith, American soccer player, born in Hartford, Connecticut
Apr 27 Elliott Shriane, Australian short track speed skater, born in Brisbane, Australia
Apr 30 Rohit Sharma, Indian cricket batsman (38 Tests, 7 x 100s, TS 212; 227 ODIs; Deccan Chargers, Mumbai Indians), born in Nagpur, India