This Day in Sports History: August 11
Sports in August are all about Major League Baseball, the U.S. Open Tennis Championship, the start of the Premier League season, WWE events, the NASCAR Cup Series, track and field…
Sports in August are all about Major League Baseball, the U.S. Open Tennis Championship, the start of the Premier League season, WWE events, the NASCAR Cup Series, track and field meets, and the first week of College Football. Over the years, Aug. 11 has witnessed notable sports moments and stories from legends of the game. Here's a closer look at some of these.
Unforgettable Games and Remarkable Records
Great moments in sports history that occurred on Aug. 11 include:
- 1907: Ed Karger pitched a perfect game against the Boston Doves.
- 1919: The Green Bay Packers franchise originated on this date.
- 1926: Tris Speaker hit career double number 700.
- 1928: Carl Hubbell got his first MLB win.
- 1929: Babe Ruth hit career home run number 500, becoming the first player in MLB history to achieve this feat.
- 1950: Vern Bickford pitched a no-hitter against the Dodgers.
- 1950: Joe DiMaggio had to settle for the bench for the first time in his career because of a four-for-38 slump.
- 1951: The NFL's New York Giants beat the CFL's Ottawa Roughriders 38-6.
- 1961: Warren Spahn got his 300th MLB win.
- 1969: Don Drysdale retired from the MLB because of a shoulder injury. He was the last Los Angeles Dodger to play in Brooklyn.
- 1970: Jim Bunning became the second Cy Young Award holder to win at least 100 games in both the National and American Leagues.
- 1971: Harmon Killebrew hit his 500th career home run.
- 1974: Lee Trevino won the first of two PGA Championships.
- 1980: Reggie Jackson hit career home run number 400.
- 1984: Carl Lewis won his fourth Olympic Gold medal with the U.S. 4x100-meter relay team, which set a world record time of 37.83 seconds.
- 1984: Also at the Los Angeles Olympics, four-weight world boxing champion Pernell Whitaker won the lightweight gold medal.
- 1985: Hubert Green won the PGA Championship by two strokes.
- 1993: Roger Clemens got his 2,000th career strikeout.
- 2002: Karrie Webb won the Women's British Open by two strokes, securing her fifth major victory.
- 2008: The U.S 4x100-meter freestyle swimming team beat France by eight seconds to win the gold medal and set a new world record.
- 2013: Jason Dufner achieved his first major title by winning the PGA Championship by two shots.
- 2013: Usain Bolt got the best time of the year by winning the 100-meter race at the World Athletics Championships with a time of 9.77 seconds.
Looking back on the events of Aug. 11, the athletes who stood out were Jim Bunning, Carl Lewis, and Karrie Webb. Bunning was a seven-time All-Star and one of the few pitchers to record 100 wins and 1,000 strikeouts in both the American and National Leagues. Lewis achieved incredible success, particularly in the long jump and sprints, at multiple Olympic Games and World Championships. Webb had an exceptional career, which included 41 LPGA Tour victories and seven major championships.
