This Day in Sports History: September 23
September is a busy month for sports. The NFL and college football seasons begin, and sports fans also get to enjoy the Ryder Cup, MLB games, UFC fights, and Formula…
September is a busy month for sports. The NFL and college football seasons begin, and sports fans also get to enjoy the Ryder Cup, MLB games, UFC fights, and Formula 1 races. Over the years, Sept. 23 has witnessed notable moments and stories from sporting legends. Here's a closer look at some of them.
Unforgettable Games and Remarkable Records
Great moments in sports history that took place on Sept. 23 include:
- 1845: The New York Knickerbockers became the first baseball team and created a rule book.
- 1868: Tom Morris Jr. won the British Open by three strokes.
- 1873: Tom Allen beat Mike McCoole for the heavyweight boxing title.
- 1892: Harold Hilton won the British Open by finishing three strokes ahead of his opponents.
- 1908: Giants rookie Fred Merkle committed his infamous base-running blunder, resulting in a crucial 1–1 tie during the pennant race.
- 1914: The Reds lost their 19th straight game.
- 1925: Washington shortstop Roger Peckinpaugh was named American League MVP.
- 1926: Gene Tunney defeated Jack Dempsey for the heavyweight title.
- 1933: The Yankees committed five errors in a game.
- 1939: Cookie Lavagetto went six-for-six in an MLB game.
- 1948: The Braves won the National League pennant.
- 1952: Rocky Marciano knocked out the defending champion, Jersey Joe Walcott, in 13 rounds and won the world heavyweight boxing title.
- 1962: Maury Wills broke Ty Cobb's 1915 MLB stolen base record.
- 1979: Lou Brock stole his 938th and final base.
- 1983: Gerrie Coetzee knocked out Michael Dokes in 10 rounds and won the World Boxing Association heavyweight title.
- 1983: Pitcher Steve Carlton became the 16th pitcher in MLB history to win 300 games.
- 1984: Sparky Anderson became the first MLB manager to win 100 games in both the American and National Leagues.
- 1984: San Francisco 49ers quarterback Joe Montana missed his first start in 49 games.
- 1988: The USA Swimming team achieved a world record time of 3:16.53 in the 4×100 freestyle relay.
- 1988: Jose Canseco became the first MLB player to steal 40 bases and hit 40 home runs in a season.
- 1988: World champion Rosa Mota ran 2:25:40 to achieve a famous Olympic marathon win over Australian Lisa Martin at the Seoul Games.
- 1992: Manon Rhéaume became the first woman to play in an NHL preseason game, and she gave up two goals on nine shots.
- 1997: The Seattle Mariners broke the record for most home runs in a year with 258.
- 2007: Anna Stöhr won a gold medal in bouldering at the International Federation of Sport Climbing World Championships.
- 2018: Drew Brees surpassed Brett Favre for most completions in an NFL career.
- 2018: Team Europe beat Team World at the Laver Cup, a men's tennis tournament.
- 2018: Tiger Woods won the Tour Championship by two strokes for his 80th PGA Tour win.
- 2022: Albert Pujols became the fourth player in MLB history to hit 700 career home runs.
- 2022: Roger Federer played his final professional tennis match.
Three athletes who stood out on Sept. 23 were Lou Brock, Manon Rhéaume, and Drew Brees.
Brock was a Baseball Hall of Fame player, famous for his exceptional speed and base-stealing prowess, holding the MLB record for career stolen bases until it was broken by Rickey Henderson. Rhéaume achieved other historic firsts, such as being the first woman to play in a major junior ice hockey league, and she won gold medals with Team Canada at the World Championships. Brees' talent and work ethic have earned him several records and accolades, including MVP of Super Bowl XLIV.
