On This Day

June 1997 in Sports History

Events in Sport

  • Jun 1 LA Dodger Wilton Guerrero's bat breaks, revealing it is corked
  • Jun 2 Albert Belle's Chicago White Sox tying 27-game hitting streak ends
  • Jun 7 129th Belmont: Chris McCarron aboard Touch Gold wins in 2:28.8
  • Jun 7 Stanley Cup Final, Joe Louis Arena, Detroit, MI: Detroit Red Wings edge Philadelphia Flyers, 2-1 for a 4-0 series sweep; 8th title in Wings' franchise history and first since 1955

Sport awardFrench Open Women's Tennis

Jun 7 French Open Women's Tennis: Iva Majoli of Croatia wins her 1st and only career Grand Slam singles title; upsets world #1 Martina Hingis 6-4, 6-2

Tennis Player and French Open Champion Iva Majoli
Tennis Player and French Open Champion
Iva Majoli
Tennis Player Martina Hingis
Tennis Player
Martina Hingis
  • Jun 8 French Open Men's Tennis: Gustavo Kuerten of Brazil wins first of 3 French titles; beats Spaniard Sergi Bruguera 6-3, 6-4, 6-2
  • Jun 10 Kevin Brown of Florida Marlins no hits SF Giants 9-0
  • Jun 12 1st ever baseball inter-league game SF Giants beat Texas Rangers 4-3
  • Jun 13 51st NBA Championship: Chicago Bulls beat Utah Jazz 4, games to 2

Sport awardUS Golf Open

Jun 15 US Open Men's Golf, Congressional CC: Ernie Els wins his second Open title, the second of his 4 major championships, 1 stroke ahead of runner-up Colin Montgomerie

Golfer Ernie Els
Golfer
Ernie Els
  • Jun 17 NHL announces it will add Nashville in 1998, Atlanta in 1999 & Minneapolis-St Paul & Columbus, Ohio in 2000

Event of interestEvent of Interest

Jun 21 NHL Draft: Sault Ste. Marie Greyhounds (OHL) center Joe Thornton first pick by Boston Bruins

NHL Star Joe Thornton
NHL Star
Joe Thornton
  • Jun 21 Women's National Basketball Association begins as NY Liberty beats LA Sparks
  • Jun 22 WLAF World Bowl 5, Olympic Stadium, Barcelona: Barcelona Dragons beat Rhein Fire, 38-24

Sports record brokenBaseball Record

Jun 24 Despite an AL record 19-strikeout performance by Randy Johnson, A's first baseman Mark McGwire hits a massive 538 foot home run in Oakland's 4-1 defeat of Seattle Mariners

MLB First Baseman Mark McGwire
MLB First Baseman
Mark McGwire
  • Jun 25 NHL approves franchises in Nashville, Atlanta, Columbus, and Minnesota-St Paul

Event of interestEvent of Interest

Jun 25 NBA Draft: Wake Forest power forward Tim Duncan first pick by San Antonio Spurs

NBA Power Forward Tim Duncan
NBA Power Forward
Tim Duncan
  • Jun 29 US Senior Open Men's Golf, Olympia Fields CC: Graham Marsh of Australia wins by 1 stroke ahead of South African John Bland

Divorces in Sport


Broken heartDivorce of Interest

Jun 24 Oscar-winning actress Halle Berry (30) divorces MLB outfielder David Justice (31) after more than 4 years of marriage

Actress Halle Berry
Actress
Halle Berry
MLB Outfielder David Justice
MLB Outfielder
David Justice

Deaths in Sport

  • Jun 2 Helen Jacobs, American tennis player (7 Grand Slam singles titles, US Open 1932-35), dies of heart failure at 88
  • Jun 3 John Holt, West Indian cricket batsman (17 Tests, 1066 runs at 36.75; 2 x 100s), dies at 73
  • Jun 20 John Akii-bua, Ugandan athlete (Olympic gold 400m hurdles 1972), dies at 49

Person of interestDon Hutson

Jun 26 Don Hutson, American College, Pro Football Halls of Fame wide receiver (Green Bay Packers), dies at 84

First NFL Wide Receiver in History Don Hutson
First NFL Wide Receiver in History
Don Hutson
  • Jun 30 Larry O'Day, wrestler (b. 1944)