TODAY IN SPORTS HISTORY - JUNE 17TH

1923 - Elroy "Crazylegs" Hirsch, AAFC, NFL halfback, end (LA Rams) is born.

1928 - Amelia Earhart leaves Nfld to become 1st woman (passenger) to fly Atlantic

(as a passenger in a plane piloted by Wilmer Stultz).

1930 - Chuck Klein sets Phillies hitting streak at 26 straight games.
1943 - Player-manager Joe Cronin of Red Sox hits two 3-run pinch home runs.

1945 - Eddy Merckx, Belgium, cyclist (5 time winner of Tour de France) is born.
1948 - David Concepcion, Venezuela, all star shortstop (Cincinnati Reds) is born.
1952 - Mike Milbury, American ice hockey player, coach and executive is born.
1953 - Most runs scored in 1 inning (17 by Red Sox).
1954 - Rocky Marciano beats Ezzard Charles in 15 for Heavyweight boxing title.
1960 - Ted Williams hit his 500th HR.

1976 - ABA (Nets, Pacers, Nuggets & Spurs) merges into NBA.

1980 - Venus Williams, Lynwood California, tennis star is born.

1984 - Swale, Kentucky Derby winner, collapses & dies.
1987 - Dick Howser, mgr (NY Yankees & KC Royal), dies of brain cancer at 51.
1989 - John Matusek, NFLer (Oak Raider)/actor, dies of a heart attack at 38.

1990 - 90th US Golf Open: Hale Irwin shoots a 280 at Medinah CC in Medinah Il.
1992 - Philadelphia 76ers trade Charles Barkley to Phoenix Suns.

1997 - NHL announces it will add Nashville in 1998, Atlanta in 1999

& Minneapolis-St Paul & Columbus, Ohio in 2000.
2003 - Moneyball, a book about the 2003 Oakland Athletics baseball team and

GM Billy Beane's sabermetric approach, inspired by Bill James, is published.

2012 - American golfer, Webb Simpson, wins the US Open.