TODAY IN SPORTS HISTORY - APRIL 1ST

1876 - First official NL baseball game (Boston-6, Phila-5).

1931 - Jackie Mitchell became first female in professional baseball.
1938 - Baseball Hall of Fame opens in Cooperstown, NY.

1939 - Phil Niekro, knuckleball pitcher (NY Yankees, Atlanta Braves) is born.

1947 - Norm Van Lier, Chicago Bulls basketball player / sportscaster is born.

1963 - NY Mets purchase Duke Snider from the Dodgers for $40,000.
1969 - Seattle Pilots trade Minor League outfielder Lou Piniella to Royals.
1970 - Bud Selig becomes CEO of Milwaukee Brewers.

1970 - Milwaukee Brewers Baseball Club, headed by Bud Selig, purchases the 

Seattle Pilots for $10,800,000 Although negotiations were conducted over a 

period of months, it was not until March 13 when a federal bankruptcy 

referee declared the Pilots bankrupt.

1972 - Major league Baseball Players stages first collective strike.

1980 - Wayne Gretzky breaks Bobby Orr's record with 103rd assist.

1989 - A Bartlett Giamatti replaces Ueberroth as 7th commissioner of baseball.

1990 - CBS fires sportscaster Brent Mussburger.
1990 - Jack Nicklaus wins first start on Senior PGA tour.

1992 - NHL players begin first strike in 75-year history.

1992 - Juanito, soccer star (Madrid Real 1977-87), dies at 37 in car crash.
1993 - Alan Kulwicki, stock car racer, dies in plane crash at 38.

1993 - Wayne Mack, sportscaster/actor (Storyville), dies of cancer at 68.

1996 - John McSherry, American baseball umpire (b. 1944) dies.

1997 - 69 year old Gordie Howe begins playing AHL game with Syracuse Crunch.