This Day in Sports History: September 29
Sports in September are all about MLB, the start of the NFL and college football seasons, UFC, the Ryder Cup, and Formula 1. Over the years, Sept. 29 has witnessed…
Sports in September are all about MLB, the start of the NFL and college football seasons, UFC, the Ryder Cup, and Formula 1. Over the years, Sept. 29 has witnessed many notable moments and stories involving sporting legends. Here's a closer look at some of them.
Unforgettable Games and Remarkable Records
Great moments in sports history from Sept. 29 included:
- 1880: The New York Metropolitans beat the Washington Nationals 4-2 over five innings in the first professional baseball game at the Polo Grounds.
- 1913: Senator pitcher Walter Johnson won his 36th MLB game.
- 1915: The Phillies clinched their first pennant.
- 1920: Babe Ruth set an MLB home run single-season record of 54 home runs.
- 1923: Gene Sarazen defended his PGA Championship title, his third of seven Major wins.
- 1927: Babe Ruth tied an MLB record by hitting grand slams in consecutive games.
- 1935: The U.S. won the Ryder Cup 9-3, the first of seven straight wins by a U.S. team.
- 1941: Joe Louis defeated Lou Nova by a technical knockout in the sixth round of their heavyweight title fight.
- 1946: For the first time, the National League pennant ended in a tie between the Cardinals and the Dodgers.
- 1954: Willie Mays made his famous over-the-shoulder catch in a World Series game against the Cleveland Indians.
- 1962: The Indians and Angels combined for 40 strikeouts in a doubleheader to set an American League record.
- 1966: Sandy Koufax pitched his third 300-strikeout season.
- 1967: Boxer Emile Griffith beat Nino Benvenuti on points to regain his world middleweight crown.
- 1968: Carl Yastrzemski won his second straight batting crown.
- 1974: Norbert Sander won the New York City Marathon in a time of 2:26:30.
- 1976: John Montefusco pitched a no-hitter against the Braves.
- 1977: Eva Shain was the first woman to judge a heavyweight championship contest.
- 1977: Muhammad Ali beat Earnie Shavers by a unanimous decision over 15 rounds.
- 1983: Mike Warren pitched a no-hitter against the White Sox.
- 1987: Don Mattingly hit a record sixth grand slam of the year.
- 1988: Sprinter Florence Griffith Joyner set a women's 200-meter world record in a time of 21.34 seconds.
- 1991: Pat Bradley won the MBS LPGA Golf Classic.
- 2002: Running back Shaun Alexander set an NFL record for most touchdowns in a half with five.
Three athletes who stood out on Sept. 29 were Babe Ruth, Emile Griffith, and Shaun Alexander. Many considered Ruth the greatest baseball player of all time, revolutionizing the game with his unprecedented power and home run hitting. Griffith was a six-time world champion and held titles at welterweight, junior middleweight, and middleweight. Alexander was a three-time Pro Bowl selection, a member of the NFL 2000s All-Decade Team, and a Seahawks Ring of Honor inductee.
