Historically Speaking: 4-14-09

Well, children, this is just to say that there is no hockey included in today's history lesson. Know why? 'Cause the playoffs start tomorrow, which means you'll be thoroughly inundated with previews, and homer-tastic rants. Stay tuned for all the glory.

* The rains have stopped, and we'll celebrate that by looking back on a fantastic outdoor activity: Chicago Cubs baseball. Today in 1925, WGN became the first radio station to broadcast a regular-season Major League Baseball game, one in which the Cubs beat Pittsburgh Pirates, 8-2.

* A mere 44 years later, the first professional baseball game was played in Montreal, Canada, however, the score was not recorded, because nobody was there, or cared, so the game was kind of like the tree falling in the forest...did it make a noise, etc. Either that or the Expos beat the Cardinals 8-7.

* On this day in 1968, the first NBA game at Madison Square Gardens was played, a Knicks victory over the San Diego Clippers.

* We'll do one last day of Masters reflections: Bob Golby earned a jacket in 1968, thanks to his 277; Gary Player won in 1974 with a 278; Bernard Langher won it today in 1985, courtesy of a 282; Ian Woosnam shot a 277 for the title in 1991; and in 2002, Tiger Woods became the third golfer to win at Augusta in consecutive years.

* Finally, in 1990, Bret Saberhagen recorded a victory, and Mark Davis the save for Kansas City, as the Royals edged Toronto 3-1. It was the first time in history that two reigning Cy Young Award winners have received credit in the same victory. Davis notched 44 saves for the San Diego Padres the previous season.

And your Sports Illustrated quote of the day came from the mouth of...



...one-time Cleveland Indian infielder Jeff Manto, who, circa 1998, summarized his 14-year (most of which was in the minors, all of which totalled 10 teams) career with this statement: "I'm a proven so-so player."