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Former Yankees star Reggie Jackson, shown in 2018, was known for his brashness. Hey, the man had a candy bar named after him! Eric Hartline-USA TODAY Sports

April 13 in sports history: The day it rained candy bars at Yankee Stadium

By Yardbarker Staff | Last updated 4/12/20

Here's a look back at notable sports news on April 13 through the years.

If you've followed baseball long enough, you know the deal with Hall of Famer Reggie Jackson: brash, cocky, the straw that stirs the drink.

Before he signed with the Yankees in 1976, Jackson said if he ever played for New York, someone would name a candy bar after him. Well, that happened of course.

On April 13, 1978, Opening Day at Yankee Stadium, the Bombers gave away thousands of "Reggie!" bars to fans. Then Jackson stepped to the plate in the first inning and drove a 2-0 knuckleball from White Sox lefty Wilbur Wood 400 feet over the fence in right-center. Thousands of "Reggie!" bars rained onto the playing field, causing a five-minute delay while the grounds crew gathered up the goodies.

"I figured they'd be coming out on the field," Jackson told reporters afterward. "I didn't want to get hit in the head, but I knew it was a gesture of appreciation."

Said Yankees manager Billy Martin: "I felt like opening up a candy store."

Unsurprisingly, the White Sox, who lost the game 4-2, were not pleased by the shower of orange-and-blue-wrapped bars. "People starving all over the world and 30 billion calories are laying on the field," Chicago manager Bob Lemon said, according to The New York Times.

You can still find the Reggie! bars on eBay. Eat one if you dare.

With an assist from Nick Faldo, Tiger Woods slips into the green jacket following his record-setting win at the Masters in 1997. Sam Greenwood/PGA TOUR Archive

1997: 21-year-old Tiger Woods announced his presence to the sports world in a huge way, winning the Masters -- his first major title -- by a record 12 strokes. He became the youngest to win a green jacket and the first player of African-American heritage to win the title.

Said Woods: "I never thought I would have a lead like that."

"Runaway Tiger," the headline in the Atlanta Journal-Constitution proclaimed.

"Well, one green jacket down, nine to go," wrote Atlanta sports writer Glenn Sheeley. A year earlier, Jack Nicklaus predicted Woods would win more green jackets than he and Arnold Palmer had combined (10).

1975 | 1986: Speaking of the "Golden Bear," on April 13, 1975, Nicklaus earned his fifth Masters title, shooting 276, one stroke ahead of Tom Weiskopf and Johnny Miller. (Although he missed the cut, Lee Elder broke through a barrier at this Masters, becoming the first African American to compete there.)

On the same date 11 years later at the Masters, Nicklaus made history, becoming the oldest player to win a green jacket. With an epic final-round putt on No. 17, the 46-year-old took sole possession of the lead for the first time in the tournament.

"Jack Paints Another Masters Piece," read the headline in the Atlanta Journal Constitution after his one-stroke win over Greg Norman and Tom Kite.

For Nicklaus, the win was his record 18th (and final) major championship -- a record that still stands. (Woods is second, with 15.) Nicklaus shot a scintillating 30 on the back nine for a final-round 65. At the presentation ceremony 45 minutes after Nicklaus' victory, hundreds of fans were still cheering him.

"...and for one more gorgeous afternoon." wrote Jesse Outlar of the Journal-Constitution, "Nicklaus, indeed, was the greatest."

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1954: In a 9-8 loss at Cincinnati, future Hall of Famer Hank Aaron of the Milwaukee Braves went 0-for-5 in his big-league debut. He finished the season with 13 homers, 69 RBI and a .280 batting average. He placed fourth in the NL Rookie of the Year voting, behind Gene Conley, Ernie Banks and the winner, Wally Moon of the Cardinals.

1963 and 1984: When the Reds' Pete Rose tripled on April 13, 1963, for his first hit in the big leagues, there was little fanfare. On the same date 21 years later, as a member of the Montreal Expos, he doubled off the Phillies' Jerry Koosman to become the second player in big-league history with 4,000 or more hits, joining Hall of Famer Ty Cobb. That accomplishment drew considerably more attention.

"Pete! Pete!" the crowd of 48,060 in Montreal cheered for about 90 seconds.

"Baseball is a game of peaks and valleys," Rose told reporters afterward. "This is one of the highest peaks I have achieved."

1986: With a 135-107 win over the Nets, the Celtics closed the regular season with an NBA-record 40-1 record at home. (The Spurs tied the mark in 2016.) Boston went on to win the NBA title, beating the Rockets in six games in the Finals.

2004: Barry Bonds of the Giants hit his 661st career home run, passing his godfather Willie Mays on the MLB all-time list.

"He will always be my mentor," Bonds said afterward about Mays. "He will always be the best baseball player of all time."

2019: With a playoff victory over the Nuggets, the 1,413rd win of his career, San Antonio coach Gregg Popovich passed Lenny Wilkens to become the all-time winningest coach in NBA history.

Happy birthday ...

1971: Former NBA player Charles "Bo" Outlaw (49).

R.I.P.

2009: In his rookie season in 1976, Tigers pitcher Mark "The Bird" Fidrych captured the attention of baseball fans with his antics on the mound. He talked to the baseball. He made strange gestures.

And Fidrych won 19 games for a lousy team. (The 74-87 Tigers finished fifth in the AL East.)

"Fidrych brought a rare positive light to the local sports landscape," wrote Drew Sharp of the Detroit Free-Press. "Every start that magical summer became an event. Everything stopped when Fidrych took the mound."

On April 13, 2009, he died in an apparent accident while working on his truck. Fidrych, who finished his brief MLB career with a 29-19 record, was 54.

April 12: 'Eighth Wonder' in Houston and a Masters 'miracle'

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