Mar
On March 14th 1976, jockey Bill Shoemaker won his 7,000th career race. Shoemaker won 11 Triple Crown races over four different decades, but never won the Crown itself. He retired with 8,833 career victories.
Dec
On December 9th 1965, the Cincinnati Reds traded Frank Robinson to the Baltimore Orioles in what is now considered among the most lopsided deals in baseball history. The following season, Robinson won the Triple Crown, batting .316 with 49 home runs and 122 RBI.
May
On May 11th 1963, Los Angeles Dodgers lefty Sandy Koufax no-hit the San Francisco Giants, carrying a perfect game into the eighth inning against a lineup including future Hall of Famers Willie Mays, Willie McCovey, and Orlando Cepeda. As he led the Dodgers to the ‘63 pennant, Koufax won the pitchers’ Triple Crown, leading the league in wins (25), strikeouts (306), and ERA (1.88).
Mar
On March 30th 1970, American thoroughbred Secretariat was foaled in Virginia. In 1973, the chestnut colt became the first U.S. Triple Crown champion in 25 years, setting race records in the Kentucky Derby and the Belmont Stakes that still stand today.
