Sept. 17
Today in sports history
Today is Sept. 17. On this date in:
1906: Future Hall of Famer Eddie Collins made his major league debut for the Philadelphia Athletics, beginning a 25-year career that produced more than 3,300 hits.
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1912: Casey Stengel debuted with Brooklyn and collected four singles in a 7-3 victory, launching a career that later led to Hall of Fame honors as a manager.
1920: Representatives of 11 professional football teams met in Canton, Ohio, and formed the American Professional Football Association, which became the NFL in 1922. Massillon withdrew during the meetings; Jim Thorpe was elected the league’s first president.
1931: Boston Red Sox outfielder Earl Webb established a major league record by reaching 65 doubles on the season, a mark he eventually pushed to a still-standing 67.
1941: Stan Musial made his major league debut and doubled home two runs as the St. Louis Cardinals defeated the Boston Braves in the second game of a doubleheader.
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1947: Jackie Robinson was named The Sporting News Rookie of the Year after breaking Major League Baseball’s color barrier during his historic first season.
1953: Ernie Banks became the first Black player in Chicago Cubs history, starting at shortstop in his major league debut against the Philadelphia Phillies.
1954: Heavyweight champion Rocky Marciano, fighting with a badly split nose, knocked out Ezzard Charles in the eighth round of their rematch at Yankee Stadium.
1955: Brooks Robinson made his major league debut with the Baltimore Orioles, the first game of a Hall of Fame career at third base.
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1964: Mickey Mantle recorded both his 2,000th career hit and 450th home run in the Yankees‘ victory over Detroit.
1965: Hank Aaron hit two home runs and drove in three runs as the Milwaukee Braves snapped San Francisco‘s 14-game winning streak in the Braves’ final win in Milwaukee before moving to Atlanta.
1968: Gaylord Perry struck out nine and threw a no-hitter against Bob Gibson and the St. Louis Cardinals, leading the San Francisco Giants to a 1-0 victory at Candlestick Park.
1983: Cincinnati Reds star Johnny Bench hit the 389th and final home run of his career on “Johnny Bench Night” at Riverfront Stadium.
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1984: The California Angels‘ Reggie Jackson hit his 500th career home run, reaching the milestone exactly 17 years after hitting his first major league homer.
1993: The expansion Colorado Rockies surpassed 4 million in home attendance during their 71st home date, breaking Major League Baseball’s single-season attendance record.
1996: Los Angeles Dodgers pitcher Hideo Nomo threw the first and only no-hitter in Coors Field history, beating the Colorado Rockies 9-0 in one of baseball’s most hitter-friendly ballparks.
2000: Thirteen-year-old Lionel Messi arrived in Barcelona from Argentina for a trial with FC Barcelona, beginning the process that led to his celebrated career.
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2000: The Miami Dolphins retired Dan Marino’s No. 13 jersey, honoring the Hall of Fame quarterback’s 17-year career with the franchise.
2004: Barry Bonds hit his 700th career home run off San Diego‘s Jake Peavy, becoming the third major league player to reach the milestone.
2011: Mariano Rivera recorded his 601st career save in the New York Yankees‘ 7-6 victory over Toronto, tying Trevor Hoffman’s major league record.
2017: Anna Nordqvist won the Evian Championship after a playoff victory over Brittany Altomare, securing her second of three major championships.
2024: Juan Soto hit his 200th career home run and became the eighth major league player to reach the milestone before his 26th birthday as the New York Yankees defeated Seattle.
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— USA TODAY Network
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This article originally appeared on USA TODAY: Today in sports history, September 17
