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: Senators 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.
- 1928: The Yankees (17) and Tigers (28) combined for a nine-inning record 45 hits as Detroit won 19-10.
- 1935: The U.S. won the Ryder Cup 9-3, the first of seven straight wins by a U.S. team.
- 1937: Frans Slaats cycled a world hour record time of 45.563 km.
- 1941: Joe Louis defeated Lou Nova by a technical knockout in the sixth round of their heavyweight title fight.
- 1946: The Cardinals and Dodgers finished the regular season tied for the National League lead, forcing a playoff.
- 1954: Willie Mays made his famous over-the-shoulder catch in a World Series game against the Cleveland Indians.
- 1957: The New York Giants played their final game at the Polo Grounds before relocating to San Francisco. They lost 9-1 to the Pittsburgh Pirates in front of an emotional crowd.
- 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.
- 1968: Chuck Latourette set an NFL record with a 47.7-yard punt return average on three punts.
- 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.
- 1979: Houston Astros' J.R. Richard threw his 313th strikeout, setting the NL season record for a right-handed pitcher.
- 1983: Mike Warren pitched a no-hitter against the White Sox.
- 1985: Houston QB Warren Moon was sacked an NFL-tying record 12 times by the Cowboys.
- 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.
- 1991: The United States Ryder Cup team won back the trophy from Europe at Kiawah Island after Bernhard Langer missed a dramatic, match-tying putt on the final hole.
- 1996: Monica Seles beat Arantxa Sánchez Vicario of Spain 3-6, 6-3, 6-1 to give the U.S. an unassailable 3-0 lead in the Fed Cup final. The U.S. ultimately won 5-0 for its 15th title.
- 2002: Running back Shaun Alexander set an NFL record for most touchdowns in a half with five.
- 2018: Athletics outfielder Khris Davis hit his 48th home run of the season, cementing his place as the MLB home run leader for the year while securing his fourth consecutive season hitting exactly .247.
Three athletes who stood out on Sept. 29 were Babe Ruth, Emile Griffith, and Shaun Alexander.
Many consider 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.
