This Day in Sports History: September 26
Dominant sports in September include MLB, the NFL, college football, UFC, the Ryder Cup, and Formula 1. Sept. 26 has seen many notable moments and stories from sporting legends over…
Dominant sports in September include MLB, the NFL, college football, UFC, the Ryder Cup, and Formula 1. Sept. 26 has seen many notable moments and stories from sporting legends over the years. Here's a closer look at some of them.
Unforgettable Games and Remarkable Records
Notable events in sports history on Sept. 26 include:
- 1861: Tom Morris Sr., also known as Old Tom Morris, won the British Golf Open by four strokes.
- 1867: Old Tom Morris won the British Golf Open for the fourth time.
- 1908: Ed Reulbach became the only pitcher to throw two shutouts in a single doubleheader.
- 1920: The Rock Island Independents crushed the St. Paul Ideals 48-0 in the first-ever game involving a team from the newly formed American Professional Football Association (which later became the NFL).
- 1925: Golfer Walter Hagen won his third PGA Championship.
- 1926: Yankees lost 6-1 in 72 minutes and lost again 6-2 in 55 minutes to Browns in the shortest doubleheader.
- 1948: The Boston Braves won their first National League pennant since 1914.
- 1950: Phillies pitcher Jim Konstanty made a record 71st appearance of the year.
- 1954: Yogi Berra played his only career game at third base.
- 1958: Columbia (US) beat Sceptre (Britain) in the 18th America's Cup.
- 1959: Sam Jones pitched his second no-hitter.
- 1961: New York Yankees outfielder Roger Maris hit his 60th home run of the season off Jack Fisher of the Baltimore Orioles, tying Babe Ruth's single-season record in his 159th game.
- 1962: Maury Wills became the first MLB player to steal 100 bases.
- 1965: Sandra Haynie won the LPGA Championship by one stroke.
- 1968: St. Louis Cardinals' Bob Gibson's 13th shutout ended with a 1.12 ERA.
- 1973: Wilt Chamberlain signed with the San Diego Conquistadors.
- 1977: The Cleveland Browns played in their first overtime game and beat the Patriots 30-27.
- 1981: Nolan Ryan pitched the fifth no-hitter of his career.
- 1983: Bob Forsch pitched his second career no-hitter.
- 1987: Benito Santiago extended his hitting streak to 28 games, setting a new MLB record for rookies.
- 1992: Jimmy Connors beat Martina Navratilova in a tennis tournament.
- 1993: The Indians won their last MLB game at Cleveland Stadium.
- 1993: Alain Prost finished second in the Portuguese Grand Prix and clinched his fourth F1 World Drivers' Championship.
- 1993: The United States won the Ryder Cup golf tournament.
- 1996: Barry Bonds became the second MLB player to hit 40 home runs and steal 40 bases in a season.
- 1997: Ken Griffey Jr. hit his 56th home run of the season.
- 2004: Ed Whitlock became the first person over the age of 70 to complete a marathon in under three hours. He was 73 years old, and his time was 2:54.48.
- 2006: Chris Sharma made the first ascent of Es Pontas, a deep water solo on a sea-arch in Mallorca.
- 2021: Team Europe secured their fourth straight Laver Cup title in men's tennis.
- 2021: The United States beat Team Europe and regained the Ryder Cup golf title.
- 2024: The A's won their final game at the Oakland Coliseum before relocating temporarily to West Sacramento.
Three athletes who stood out on Sept. 26 were Old Tom Morris, Nolan Ryan, and Ed Whitlock.
Morris Sr. was a pioneer of golf, widely considered the father of the modern game. Ryan was known for his powerful fastball and exceptional longevity, pitching for 27 seasons. He holds MLB records for career strikeouts (5,714), career no-hitters (7), and career walks. Whitlock was a renowned British-born Canadian long-distance runner famous for setting numerous age-group world records in masters running. He gained particular acclaim for defying expectations about aging and endurance in running.
