April 18 in sports history: Two great ones say goodbye

A final point for 'The Great One'

On April 18, 1999, in New York, NHL all-time leading scorer Wayne Gretzky played the final game of his 21-year professional hockey career. Gretzky, 38, tallied an assist, as his Rangers lost to the Penguins in overtime in New York, 2-1. As the clock expired at Madison Square Garden, the crowd roared for "The Great One," who had tears in his eyes.

"I've been fighting back tears for four or five days now," former teammate Mark Messier told the Hartford Courant. "Just watching Wayne at the end of the game was really emotional."

After Jaromir Jagr scored the winning goal, spoiling a potential fairy-tale ending, he skated over to Gretzky and apologized as they hugged.  "He said, 'I didn't mean to do that,' " Gretzky said. " 'That's what I used to say,' I told him."

Before the game, the man who seemingly had everything received a number of gifts, including a Mercedes from the Rangers and a 75-inch TV from teammates. The biggest news came from commissioner Gary Bettman: The NHL had retired Gretzky's No. 99.

ALSO

1966: A day after losing Game 1 of the NBA Finals to the Lakers, the Celtics announced their 6-foot-9 center Bill Russell would coach the team the next season.

"Once again," said Russell, "the Celtics are making National Basketball Association history — not only on the court but on the bench."

Russell's Year 1 record as a player-coach was 60-21, but the Celtics lost to the 76ers in the playoffs. Russell played in all 81 regular-season games that season, averaging 13.3 points and 21 rebounds.

1981: They played the equivalent of three nine-inning games and then some and still didn't finish a minor league game in Pawtucket, Rhode Island.

After 32 innings, the Pawtucket Red Sox and Rochester Red Wings were tied, 2-2. So Rochester manager Doc Edwards, worried the game had lasted a tad too long, conferred with International League officials, and they all agreed the game should be suspended. It was shortly after 4 a.m. The teams had played for 8 hours and 7 minutes.

"We're messing with young players and we don't want to ruin a career in one game," Johnson said.

Notable numbers: Rochester catcher Dave Huppert caught 31 innings. Rochester had 100 at-bats; Pawtucket 112. The pitchers recorded 59 strikeouts. When the game was called, 19 fans remained. (Pawtucket management later awarded them lifetime passes to games.)

Pawtucket pitcher Luis Aponte went home at about 2 a.m., shortly after the 19th inning. He was immediately confronted by his wife.

"Where have you been?" she said, according to Aponte.

"At the ballpark," he replied.

"You're lying," she told him.

Players got news of the postponement in the locker rooms, where they were passing around the game ball to send to the Baseball Hall of Fame in Cooperstown. 

More than two months later, on June 23, the game was resumed in Pawtucket. The Red Sox won, 3-2, in 33 innings. Total game time: 8 hours, 25 minutes — the longest game in professional baseball history.

1983: At the Boston Marathon, Joan Benoit set the women's record for a marathon with a time of 2 hours, 22 minutes and 43 seconds, eclipsing the previous best by nearly three minutes. 

1987: Mike Schmidt usually struggled against Don Robinson, but he didn't this day. At Three Rivers Stadium in Pittsburgh, the Phillies third baseman hit his 500th homer, a three-run shot in the ninth inning against the Pirates reliever, to give Philadelphia an 8-6 win.

Schmidt joined 13 other players in MLB's 500-HR club.

"Only the most starry-eyed romantic," wrote Philadelphia columnist Frank Dolson, "could have imagined a 500th home run as meaningful, as dramatic, as downright electrifying as this one."

1998: With the first overall pick in the NFL Draft, the Indianapolis Colts selected Tennessee quarterback Peyton Manning over Washington State QB Ryan Leaf. It proved to be a superior move: Manning played 17 seasons, winning two Super Bowls. Leaf flamed out after three seasons in the league.

2008: In a 28–2 vote by the Board of Governors, NBA owners approved the Seattle SuperSonics' relocation to Oklahoma City. The team has played in OKC since the 2008-09 season. 

Happy birthday...

• Former major leaguer Steve Blass, who won Game 7 of the 1971 World Series for the Pirates (78).

R.I.P.

2005: Former NFL linebacker Sam Mills, who played for the Saints and Panthers, died of cancer. He was 46.

2018: Pro wrestler Bruno Sammartino, 11-year World Heavyweight Champion, died of multiple organ failure due to heart trouble at the age of 82.

April 17: Mickey Mantle's monster mash