Sep 22nd 1927
Gene Tunney wins a 10-round decision over Jack Dempsey in the celebrated "long-count fight." The long-count was just the latest on the resume of longtime boxing referee "Stuttering" Tom McGee.
Sep 21st 1934
Dizzy Dean pitches a three-hit shutout as the St. Louis Cardinals defeat the Brooklyn Dodgers, 13-0, in the first game of a doubleheader, and then Dizzy's brother, Daffy Dean, pitches a no-hitter as the Cardinals win the nightcap, 3-0. Dizzy and Daffy's other brother, Dooshy, went 0-for-9 with two errors in the doubleheader as St. Louis's third baseman.
Sep 20th 1973
Billie Jean King defeats 55-year old former tennis pro Bobby Riggs, 6-4, 6-3, 6-3, in the "Battle of the Sexes." A week later, Riggs beat Betty Friedan, 6-0, 6-0, 6-0, in the less well known "Battle of the Sexists."
Sep 19th 1947
Brooklyn Dodgers second baseman Jackie Robinson is named Rookie of the Year. Robinson was just the second black player to win the award.
Sep 18th 1994
Ken Burns' baseball history documentary "Baseball" debuts on PBS. With a runtime of 1,140 minutes, Burns' was hailed by critics for providing viewers with a realistic sense of the length of the typical baseball game.
Sep 17th 2007
Fashion designer Mark Ecko announces on "The Today Show" that he will allow the public to determine the fate of Barry Bonds' record-setting 756 ball that he purchased at auction. The public would wisely vote to have the ball and Mark Ecko destroyed together.
Sep 16th 1909
William Howard Taft becomes the first U.S. president to attend a baseball game, watching the New York Giants play the Cubs in Chicago. Taft attended after learning about that day's 1-Cent-for-a-Hot-Dog promo at Wrigley Field.
Sep 15th 1946
A Brooklyn Dodgers-Chicago Cubs game is called when players, umpires and fans are attacked by gnats. Following the game, the Dodgers immediately sent recently recalled outfielder Pete "Pig Pen" Johnson back the minors.
Sep 14th 1914
After being ejected for swearing, Johnny Evers claims he was talking to the ball and not to umpire Mal Eason, but the Boston Braves' shortstop is still suspended for three days. During his suspension, to prevent further confusion, Evers legally changed his ball's name from "Mal Eason" to "Bally McBaseball."
Sep 13th 1938
Future major league pitcher Gaylord Perry is born in Williamston, North Carolina. Perry took less than five minutes to be born, as his mother coated the inside of her birth canal with copious amounts of Vaseline.
