Sports in May include playoffs for the NBA and NHL seasons, MLB is in full swing, the Preakness Stakes, the PGA Championship, the FA Cup Final, the French Open for tennis, and some Grand Prix events. Over the years, May 7 has witnessed many notable moments and stories involving sporting legends. Here are some of them.
Unforgettable Games and Remarkable Records
Great moments in sports history from May 7 included:
1917: Babe Ruth outpitched Walter Johnson, and the Boston Red Sox beat the Washington Senators 1-0.1922: New York Giants pitcher Jesse Barnes pitched a no-hitter against the Philadelphia Phillies.1922: The Belgian soccer team defeated the Netherlands 2-1 in an international friendly match.1925: Pittsburgh Pirates’ Glenn Wright completed an unassisted triple play against the St. Louis Cardinals.1938: Eddie Arcaro won the Kentucky Derby riding Lawrin, securing the first of his five Derby victories.1955: Bill Shoemaker won the Kentucky Derby aboard Swaps in 2:01.8.1959: Roy Campanella Night drew the largest crowd in LA Coliseum history, with 93,103 in attendance. Fans watched the New York Yankees defeat the Los Angeles Dodgers 6-2 in an exhibition game.1960: Michael Tal beat Mikhail Botvinnik to secure the World Chess Championship.1966: Kauai King won the 92nd Kentucky Derby with Donald Brumfield.1969: The Oakland Oaks beat the Indiana Pacers 4-1 and won the ABA Championship.1972: The Los Angeles Lakers secured the NBA Championship with a 4-1 victory over the New York Knicks.1977: Jean Cruguet won the Kentucky Derby riding Seattle Slew with a time of 2:02.21983: The New York Islanders beat the Boston Bruins 4-1 to win the Prince of Wales Conference Final.1986: Steaua București from Romania beat Barcelona on penalty kicks and won the European Cup.1989: Michael Jordan hit “The Shot” over Craig Ehlo, and gave the Bulls a 101-100 win over the Cavaliers in Game 5 of the playoffs.1992: Angel Cordero Jr. retired after winning 7,057 horse races.1994: The eighth-seeded Denver Nuggets defeated the top-seeded Seattle SuperSonics in the playoffs. It was the first time in NBA history that an eighth seed upset a first seed.2005: Mike Smith won the Kentucky Derby aboard the 50-1 longshot Giacomo. The winning exacta payout was $9,814.80.2006: Thierry Henry scored a hat-trick on the final day of the Premier League season.2010: Cubs rookie Starlin Castro hit a 3-run home run in his first at-bat and recorded 6 RBI’s in his debut.2012: Jordany Valdespin hit a pinch-hit 3-run homer in the 9th for the Mets off of Jonathan Papelbon.2016: Mario Gutierrez won the Kentucky Derby riding Nyquist in front of 167,227 spectators, the second-largest attendance in the event’s history.2021: Wade Miley pitched a no-hitter against the Cleveland Indians.2022: Venezuelan jockey Sonny Leon rode 80-1 outsider Rich Strike to victory to become the second biggest longshot to win in the history of the event.
Three athletes who stood out on May 7 were Babe Ruth, Michael Jordan, and Thierry Henry.
Ruth transitioned from a star left-handed pitcher for the Boston Red Sox to a legendary slugging outfielder for the New York Yankees. Jordan is known for his incredible scoring ability, intense competitiveness, and six NBA championships with the Chicago Bulls in the 1990s. Henry is famous for his electrifying speed, technical skill, and scoring prowess at Arsenal F.C. and with the French national team.