This Day in Sports History: September 10
September is a big month in sports, with baseball, the start of the NFL and college football seasons, UFC action, the Ryder Cup, and Formula 1 races. Over the years,…
September is a big month in sports, with baseball, the start of the NFL and college football seasons, UFC action, the Ryder Cup, and Formula 1 races. Over the years, Sept. 10 has witnessed numerous memorable sporting moments and legendary achievements, and these are some of them.
Unforgettable Games and Remarkable Records
Momentous events in sports history that occurred on Sept. 10 include:
- 1875: Willie Park Senior won his fourth British Golf Open.
- 1881: Roger Connor of the Troy Trojans hit the first grand slam in MLB history, a walk-off blast to defeat Worcester 8–7.
- 1919: Ray Caldwell pitched a no-hitter against the New York Yankees.
- 1924: Frankie Frisch went six-for-six as the Giants beat the Braves 22-1.
- 1927: France won the International Lawn Tennis Challenge, breaking the Americans' seven-title win streak.
- 1931: Ellsworth Vines won the first of his two U.S. Open men's singles titles.
- 1933: The very first East-West All-Star Game of Black baseball was played at Comiskey Park in Chicago. The showcase event established itself as the premier annual celebration of the Negro Leagues, with the West defeating the East 11–7.
- 1933: British tennis legend Fred Perry rallied from two sets to one down to defeat Jack Crawford at the U.S. National Championships, capturing his first career Grand Slam singles title.
- 1937: The Cleveland Rams played in their first NFL game and lost 28-0.
- 1950: Joe DiMaggio became the first player in MLB history to hit three home runs in a game at Griffith Stadium.
- 1960: Abebe Bikila won the marathon at the Rome Olympic Games barefoot. He ran a world record time of 2:15:16.2 and became the first Black African to win an Olympic gold medal.
- 1960: The United States won its fifth consecutive Olympic gold medal in men's basketball.
- 1961: Mickey Mantle became the seventh player in MLB history to earn 400 career home runs.
- 1961: Roy Emerson claimed his second Grand Slam Title.
- 1962: Margaret Smith won her first U.S. Open women's singles title.
- 1966: Muhammad Ali defeated Karl Mildenberger with a 12th-round technical knockout, defending the heavyweight boxing title.
- 1967: Joel Horlen pitched a no-hitter against the Detroit Tigers.
- 1967: Billie Jean King won the first of her four U.S. Open women's singles titles.
- 1974: Lou Brock tied and then set a new record for single-season stolen bases.
- 1977: Chris Evert won her third consecutive U.S. Open women's singles title.
- 1978: Mario Andretti won his first Formula 1 World Drivers' Championship.
- 1983: Larry Holmes defeated Scott Frank in a fifth-round technical knockout to claim the heavyweight boxing title.
- 1989: Eric Dickerson became the fastest player to reach 10,000 career rushing yards in the NFL.
- 1989: Multi-sport star Deion "Prime Time" Sanders made his NFL debut for the Atlanta Falcons and returned a punt 68 yards for a touchdown. Having hit a home run for the New York Yankees just five days prior, Sanders became the first and only athlete to score an NFL touchdown and hit an MLB home run in the same week.
- 1999: Pedro Martinez pitched a near-perfect game against the Yankees.
- 2005: Kim Clijsters won the first of her four Grand Slam titles.
- 2006: The first "Manning Bowl" took place. Peyton Manning and the Indianapolis Colts defeated his younger brother Eli Manning and the New York Giants 26–21 in the first-ever NFL matchup between starting quarterback brothers.
- 2017: Rafael Nadal won his third U.S. Open men's singles title.
Looking back on these events from Sept. 10, the outstanding athletes are Abebe Bikila, Muhammad Ali, and Mario Andretti.
Ethiopian athlete Bikila served in the Imperial Guard and achieved historic victories, despite personal hardships. Ali, widely regarded as the greatest heavyweight boxer of all time, is known for his three world championship wins, Olympic gold medal, and unique fighting style. Andretti is celebrated for his versatility, having won races in nearly every major motorsport category, including the Indianapolis 500 and Daytona 500.
