On This Day in Sports History: June 15th

In 1909, Benjamin Shibe receives a patent for the cork that is at the center of a baseball. Nearly two decades later, in 1928, Ty Cobb steals home for the 50th and final time in his career at the age of 41. In 1938, Reds pitcher Johnny Vander Meer throws his second of back-to-back no-hitters, shutting down the Brooklyn Dodgers. Eleven years later, in 1949, Eddie Waitkus of the Philadelphia Phillies is seriously injured when a female fan shoots him at his hotel. Remarkably, Waitkus returns to baseball just a year later.

In 1976, despite playing indoors at the Astrodome, a baseball game in Houston is rained out due to players and umpires unable to get to the stadium through flooded streets. A year later, in 1977, the Mets trade future Hall of Fame pitcher Tom Seaver to the Reds. In 1994, the New York Giants release quarterback Phil Simms, who was the MVP of Super Bowl XXI.

The early 2000s saw several championships in the NBA. In 2001, the Lakers beat the 76ers in five games to win the championship. Two years later, in 2003, the San Antonio Spurs win the NBA title by defeating the New Jersey Nets in six games. The following year, in 2004, the Detroit Pistons secure their first NBA championship since 1990, beating the Lakers in five games. In 2011, the Boston Bruins end a 39-year Stanley Cup drought, beating the Vancouver Canucks in seven games.

In 2014, the San Antonio Spurs win another NBA title, defeating the Heat in five games. The Blackhawks win their third Stanley Cup since 2010 in 2015, defeating the Tampa Bay Lightning in six games. In 2019, the New Orleans Pelicans make a significant trade, sending forward Anthony Davis to the Lakers for Brandon Ingram, Lonzo Ball, Josh Hart, and three future first-round picks. 2019 also sees a game-worn Babe Ruth jersey sell at auction for a sports memorabilia record $5.64 million.