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On This Day in Sports History: June 29th
The Rockets traded for T-Mac, the MLB made its debut in London, and more!
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On this day 16 years ago, the Orlando Magic and Houston Rockets finalized one of the biggest NBA trades of the 21st century. Exactly two decades earlier, one MLB legend surpassed Carl Yastrzemski as the all-time leader in games played. These two major memories are just some of the examples of how the history of June 29th has continued to carry significance in pro sports to this day.
YEAR: 2004
SIGNIFICANCE: The Magic and Rockets completed 1 of the biggest trades of the decade
SF Tracy McGrady was first drafted by the Toronto Raptors with the ninth overall pick back in the 1997 NBA Draft. While T-Mac’s legacy may not stack up to the No.1 Overall Pick that year PF Tim Duncan, his ability to score from anywhere on the court was undeniable. During his four seasons in Orlando, McGrady averaged 28-7-5 on 46.9% FG, earning back-to-back scoring titles in 2003 and 2004.
On this day 16 years ago, the Magic sent T-Mac to the Rockets in a blockbuster exchange in return for 3x All-Star Steve Francis, his backcourt partner Cat Mobley, and more. As incredible of a scorer he was, he did not want to get stuck playing with the worst team in the East. Tracy continued on his path to the Hall of Fame as a 7x All-Star himself (Class of 2017).
On this day in 1984, Pete Rose plays in record 3,309th game, surpassing Yaz. pic.twitter.com/pHc7BIEKjA
— The Fours (@TheFoursBar) June 29, 2017
YEAR: 1984
SIGNIFICANCE: Rose officially became the all-time games-played leader in MLB history
The longtime Cincinnati Red is known for having the most all-time base hits with 4,256, but also tops MLB players with the most career games played in big league history. Exactly 36 years ago, Pete Rose played in his 3,309th career ballgame, surpassing Carl Yastrzemski as the all-time leader. Rose ended with a still-record 3,562 games played after retiring at 45 years old with 24 years of MLB experience under his belt.
Charlie Hustle will always be recognized as one of the greatest ballplayers in the history of the game. However, the 17x All-Star will struggle to be enshrined in Cooperstown after being banned from baseball (for life) by commissioner Bart Giamatti in the summer of 1989 after gambling on MLB games.
YEAR: 1990
SIGNIFICANCE: The only time 2 no-no’s were thrown on the same day in the history of pro baseball
Today marks the 30th anniversary of the first and only time two no-hitters were thrown on the same day. On June 29th, 1990 at 4:35 eastern time, the Dodgers dominated the Cardinals in a 6-0 victory on the back of SP Fernando Valenzuela, who struck out 7 players in the no-no. Beginning at 7 p.m. ET in Toronto, Athletics SP Dave Stewart fanned 12 batters over nine near-perfect innings in the 5-0 win over the Blue Jays. While the feat is extremely unlikely to be matched, it’s still absolutely possible.
YEAR: 2019
SIGNIFICANCE: The Yankees and Red Sox’ 30 total runs made the MLB’s London debut a night to remember
With baseball officially on the horizon, fans can start looking forward to games that are full of beautiful HR blasts, unbelievable highlight reels, and breathtaking off-speed pitches. On this day last year, baseball enthusiasts around the world witnessed the first regular-season game ever held in the city of London. What cemented this nine-inning event in MLB history is that the Yankees and Red Sox combined for a total of 30 runs. The interesting part is that this score (17-13) does not even rank among the highest scoring games in history.
YEAR: 1994
SIGNIFICANCE: The Bucks drafted a ROY at No. 1, but the Mavs and Pistons picked a future HOFer at No. 2 and 3
On this day 26 years ago, sports fans tuned in to watch the 1994 NBA Draft. The Milwaukee Bucks kicked off the party in East Rutherford, NJ by picking Purdue product Glenn Robinson Jr.. The SF received All-Rookie nods in his first season, then went on to be a 2x All-Star and 1x NBA Champ (2004-05) with the Spurs in his final season.
Selected directly after Robinson Jr. was future Hall-of-Fame PG Jason Kidd by the Mavericks, who became a 10x All-Star, 9x All-Defensive player, 5x Assist Champ, and NBA Champ in 2010-11 in Dallas. Drafted third overall by the Pistons was another player who was inducted into the HOF: SF Grant Hill. The dynamic Duke shooter went on to collect 7x All-Star appearances while playing with the Pistons and Magic before injuries derailed the second half of his professional career.
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