April 29
1901 - His Eminence, ridden by Jimmy Winkfield, wins the Kentucky Derby by 1 1/2 lengths over Sannazarro in the only Derby ever raced in April.
1961 - ABC’s “Wide World of Sports,” debuts.
1970 - Los Angeles Lakers guard Jerry West hits a 60-foot desperation shot at the buzzer to tie Game 3 of the NBA Finals against the New York Knicks. The Knicks outscore the Lakers 9-6 in the overtime for a 111-108 win.
1985 - Tony Tubbs captures the WBA heavyweight title with a unanimous 15-round decision over Greg Page in Buffalo, N.Y.
1986 - Roger Clemens set a major league record by striking out 20 batters as the Boston Red Sox defeated the Seattle Mariners 3-1.
1988 - The Baltimore Orioles end their 21-game losing streak by winning their first game of the season, 9-0 over the Chicago White Sox.
1990 - Pat Riley becomes the winningest coach in NBA playoff history as the Los Angeles Lakers beat the Houston Rockets 104-100. Riley’s 100th victory put him ahead of Red Auerbach.
1994 - Kirk Rueter of Montreal became the first major league pitcher since Fernando Valenzuela in 1981 to start his career with a 10-0 record as the Expos beat the Pittsburgh Pirates 3-2.
1998 - For the first time in the 124-year history of the Kentucky Derby, a redraw is ordered during the post position draw. Churchill Downs officials allowed ESPN to control the announcing of the draw. Commentator Chris Lincoln called the No. 15 pill twice while picking the draft order for post positions.
2000 - Lennox Lewis knocks down Michael Grant three times in the first round and knocks him out at 2:53 of the second at Madison Square Garden in New York to retain his WBC and IBF heavyweight titles. The combined weight of 497 pounds made it the heaviest title fight ever.
2003 - Indiana outscores Boston 5-0 in overtime for a 93-88 victory, cutting the Celtics’ first-round series lead to 3-2. It’s the first overtime shutout in NBA playoff history.
2005 - In the first matchup between 300-game winners in almost 18 years, the Cubs’ Greg Maddux outduels the Astros’ Roger Clemens in Chicago’s 3-2.
2007 - Colorado shortstop Troy Tulowitzki has an unassisted triple play in the seventh inning of the Rockies’ 9-7 win over Atlanta. It’s the 13th unassisted triple play in major league history and the first since 2003.
2007 - Phoenix guard Steve Nash has 23 assists, one shy of the NBA playoff record, to help Phoenix to a 113-100 victory over the Los Angeles Lakers.
2010 - The NCAA’s Board of Directors approve a 68-team format for the men’s basketball tournament beginning next season. It’s the first expansion since 2001 when the tourney went from 64 to 65 teams.
2011 - Zach Randolph scores 31 points and grabs 11 rebounds and the Memphis Grizzlies advance to their first Western Conference semifinals and made NBA history in knocking off the top-seeded San Antonio Spurs 99-91. The Grizzlies becomes the second No. 8 seed to upset a No. 1 seed since the NBA expanded the opening series to a best-of-seven.
2013 - NBA veteran center Jason Collins becomes the first male professional athlete in the major four American sports leagues to come out as gay. Collins writes a first-person account posted on Sports Illustrated’s website. The 34-year-old free agent played for six NBA teams in 12 seasons.
2014 - Los Angeles Clippers owner Donald Sterling is banned for life by the NBA in response to racist comments he made in an audio recording. The Clippers’ owner is also fined $2.5 million, the maximum amount allowed under the NBA Constitution.
2015 - In what is believed to be the first major league game played without fans in attendance, Chris Davis hits a three-run homer in a six-run first inning and the Baltimore Orioles beat the Chicago White Sox 8-2. The gates at Camden Yards are locked because of concern for fan safety following recent rioting in Baltimore.
Please read our comment policy before commenting.