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Padres owner Ray Kroc didn't endear himself to his players when he criticized them on Opening Day 1974. Here, the founder of McDonald's is shown with his wife, Joan, and The Famous Chicken in 1982. Getty Images

April 9 in sports history: MLB players to rude burger king, 'Hold the cries'

By Yardbarker Staff | Last updated 4/7/20

Here's a look back at notable sports news on April 9 through the years.

1974: On Opening Day in San Diego, new Padres owner Ray Kroc — the founder of McDonald's — was mad as hell. Outscored 25-2 in losing their first three games, the Padres were down again, 9-2, in the eighth inning against Houston. So Kroc impulsively grabbed the public-address system mic.

"Ladies and gentlemen, I suffer with you," he told the crowd of 39,083. While Kroc was criticizing his team, a streaker ran across the playing field. "Get that streaker out of here; throw him in jail," the Hamburger Man screamed. When the rude dude vanished, Kroc continued his critique: "... I've never seen such stupid baseball playing in all my life."

The Padres went on to lose, 9-5. Unsurprisingly, Kroc's players weren't pleased to be treated like, well, pieces of meat.

"I've never heard anything like that in my 19 years in baseball," said Padres baseman Willie McCovey, the team's highest-paid player. "He isn't dealing with hamburger people," Astros infielder Denis Menke said, "he's dealing with professional athletes." Added Houston third baseman Doug Rader: "He thinks he's in a sales convention, dealing with a bunch of short order cooks."

Two days later, Kroc apologized. The Padres finished last in the NL West with a 60-102 record.

THIS DAY IN SPORTS: April 8

1965: In the first game at Houston's Astrodome, Major League Baseball's first domed stadium, the Astros beat the Yankees, 2-1, in 12 innings. President Lyndon Johnson and Texas Gov. John Connally were among the 47,876 fans who attended the exhibition in the $31.6 million stadium. Apparently lacking arm strength, the governor threw out the first pitch, which traveled all of 20 feet. The Yankees' only run came on a Mickey Mantle homer, a 410-foot blast to center field.

Coverage in the Atlanta Journal-Constitution of Jack Nicklaus' fourth Masters win.

1972: Playing conservatively in the back nine, Jack Nicklaus shot a final-round 74 to earn a wire-to-wire, three-stroke win at the Masters. It was the fourth of the Golden Bear's six Masters titles. "I really didn't do much," he said, "but everybody else did nothing." Six years later at Augusta, 42-year-old Gary Player became the oldest player to win a green jacket. (Nicklaus, who won the Masters in 1986 at 46, now holds the mark.) It was the third Masters win for the South African, whose son told him the night before he'd shoot a 64 if he putt well. He did. Player's final-round score: a record-tying 64.

1978: What an insane final day of the NBA regular season. In Detroit, David Thompson poured in 73 points — 53 in the first half — in the Nuggets' 139-137 loss. Thompson was 28-of-38 from the floor. "Greatest performance I've ever seen," Pistons guard Jim Price said. Thompson said he got tired in the second half. Meanwhile, the Spurs' George Gervin also poured in 53 points in the first half en route to a 63-point effort in a 153-132 loss to Utah. The Ice Man's epic game gave him the scoring title by the narrowest of margins over Thompson, 27.22 points per game to 27.18.

1978: In Boston, John Havlicek closed out his remarkable, 16-year Celtics career with 29 points in a 131-114 win over the Buffalo Braves. "It's been a long journey," he said during an emotion-charged ceremony at halftime. Hondo capped his career with nine points near the end of the game. When he was taken out with 15 seconds left, the eight-time NBA champion received a standing ovation.

1987: Speaking of ridiculous games, Edmonton's Wayne Gretzky scored seven points (one goal, six assists) in the Oilers' 13-3 win over the Kings in the Stanley Cup playoffs. In the process, The Great One passed Montreal's Jean Béliveau as the all-time Stanley Cup playoffs scoring champ. "The Oilers are like a bunch of piranhas," the Kings' Bob Bourne told the Edmonton Sun. "They get a sniff and they're all over you."

2013: In the NCAA women's basketball final, Connecticut crushed Louisville, 93-60, for its eighth championship. UConn (35-4) went on a 19-0 run in the first half, effectively ending the game. "Eighth Wonder," the headline proclaimed in the Hartford Courant sports section.

2019: In the final home game of his career, 40-year-old Dirk Nowitzki scored a season-high 30 points in the Dallas Mavericks' 120-109 win over Phoenix. At halftime, the big German was stunned when his childhood hoops favorites — Charles Barkley, Scottie Pippen, Larry Bird, Shawn Kemp and fellow German Detlef Schrempf — delivered tributes. "I'm trying my yoga breathing, but it's not really working that well," he said, according to ESPN.com. "This is obviously super, super emotional."

Happy birthday...

Actor Dennis Quaid, who starred in "The Rookie," a movie about a Texas man's journey from high school science teacher to the big leagues (67).

R.I.P.

2001: They say there's no crying in baseball, but for Pirates fans this day was an exception. On the same day the team opened PNC Park, its beautiful new ballpark, Hall of Famer Willie Stargell died of a stroke at 61. In his career in Pittsburgh from 1962-82, "Pops" played outfield and first base. "There was joy over the debut of PNC Park," the Pittsburgh Post-Gazette wrote, "but a hollow ache over one who had given the game his heart."

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