Historically Speaking: 6-1-09

It's the first of June. Training camp in the NFL isn't far away, the Stanley Cup Finals are underway, and baseball's in full effect. It's also Monday, though, and we're out of coffee at the case del Bank, so stay the bleep outta my way. Quick hits of history, after the jump.

* Major League Baseball employed the use of a novel idea for the first time today in 1938: helmets.

* Three years later, Mel Ott clubbed career home run number 400. The jack was also career hit number 1500 for him.

* A chap by the name of Nolan Ryan pitched victory number 100 today in 1975. The win was also his fourth career no-hitter.

* Today in 1979 the Seattle Supersonics beat the Washington Bullets four games to one for the National Basketball Association championship.

* The year was 1992 when the Pittsburgh Penguins swept the Chicago Blackhawks for the NHL's Stanley Cup championship.

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



...NBC commentator Bucky Waters in 1989. Waters, summarizing the role of some assistant coaches during games, said, "They have the same role as the corpse at an Irish wake: Dress well and stay quiet."