Sports in September include MLB, the start of the NFL and college football seasons, UFC, the Ryder Cup, and Formula 1 racing. Over the years, Sept. 14 has seen outstanding moments and remarkable feats from sporting giants. Here’s a look at some of them.
Unforgettable Games and Remarkable Records
Great moments in sports history on Sept. 14 include:
- 1865: Andrew Strath won the British Open for golf. It was his first title.
- 1913: Chicago Cubs Larry Cheney hurled a record 14-hit shutout against the visiting New York Giants, winning 7-0 at the West Side Grounds.
- 1923: Jack Dempsey knocked out Luis Angel Firpo in the second round, successfully defending his title for the fifth time.
- 1924: Walter Johnson was awarded the American League MVP.
- 1929: The Philadelphia Athletics won the AL pennant.
- 1929: Bill Tilden won his seventh men’s singles title at the U.S. National Championships.
- 1936: Paul Waner got 200 hits in a season, for the seventh time. This achievement tied Rogers Hornsby’s National League record.
- 1947: Jack Kramer won the U.S. National Championships for men’s tennis for the second time in a row.
- 1953: New York Yankees clinched their fifth straight pennant with an 8-5 win over the Cleveland Indians.
- 1954: New York Giants icon Willie Mays hit his 82nd extra-base hit of the year, breaking Mel Ott’s single-season franchise record.
- 1955: Herb Score got 235 strikeouts and established a new rookie record.
- 1958: The Yankees won their 24th pennant.
- 1968: Jimmy Ellis beat Floyd Patterson in 15 rounds to win the heavyweight boxing title.
- 1968: Denny McLain got his 30th win of the season.
- 1975: Milwaukee Brewer Robin Yount broke Mel Ott’s record, playing in 242 MLB games as a teen.
- 1980: Dwight Clark’s streak of 105 straight games with at least one catch began.
- 1986: Walter Payton scored his 100th career rushing touchdown.
- 1987: Cal Ripken Jr.’s record streak of 8,243 consecutive innings (908 games) was finally broken.
- 1987: The Toronto Blue Jays hit 10 home runs in one game.
- 1987: Ivan Lendl won the U.S. Open for men’s tennis. It was his third straight U.S. title.
- 1989: Jeff Reardon became the first to record 30 saves in five consecutive seasons.
- 1990: Seattle Mariners teammates Ken Griffey Sr. and Ken Griffey Jr. made history as the first father-and-son duo to hit back-to-back home runs in an MLB game.
- 1991: Running back Marshall Faulk rushed for a National Collegiate Athletic Association record of 386 yards and scored seven touchdowns in a game against the Pacific Tigers.
- 1996: Todd Hundley hit his 41st home run of the season and set the record for home runs in a season by a catcher.
- 2003: Running back Jamal Lewis set the NFL single-game rushing record as he rushed for 295 yards and scored two touchdowns against the Cleveland Browns.
- 2003: Catriona Matthew helped Europe win the Solheim Cup.
- 2008: Svetlana Kuznetsova won the Fed Cup for women’s tennis.
- 2009: Juan Martin del Potro won his first Grand Slam title.
- 2014: Kim Hyo-joo won the Evian Championship for women’s golf by one stroke.
From these Sept. 14 events, athletes Jack Dempsey, Paul Waner, and Walter Payton stand out.
Dempsey’s ferocious fighting style and powerful punches transformed boxing into a popular mass spectator sport during the ’20s. Waner was known for his .333 career batting average, his three NL batting titles, and his membership in the 3,000-hit club. Payton, who was nicknamed “Sweetness,” was a legendary Chicago Bears running back and is regarded as one of the greatest football players of all time due to his unparalleled productivity, durability, and skill. He was also the NFL’s all-time leading rusher from 1984 until 2002.
