Today in sports history, September 22

On September 22, historical moments in sports unfolded across decades. In 1905, Willie Anderson clinched the U.S. Open title for the third consecutive year, setting a record for the most consecutive championships. In 1911, Cy Young pitched the Boston Rustlers to a 1-0 victory, ending his career with 511 wins, a record still unmatched.

Eddie Collins of the Philadelphia Athletics achieved an impressive six-steal game in 1912, matching a feat he repeated twice. A Chicago grand jury investigated sports gambling in 1920, suspecting White Sox players of conspiring to throw the 1919 World Series. Gene Tunney defeated Jack Dempsey in the "Long Count" fight in 1927, retaining the heavyweight championship.

The Brooklyn Dodgers secured the National League pennant in 1947, a year after Jackie Robinson's debut. The Chicago White Sox won their first American League pennant in 40 years in 1959. The Baltimore Orioles clinched their first American League championship since 1944 in 1966. Willie Mays of the San Francisco Giants became the second player to reach 600 career home runs in 1969.

The Pittsburgh Steelers and Denver Broncos ended in a 35-35 tie in the first overtime game in NFL history in 1974. Fernando Valenzuela of the Los Angeles Dodgers became the first Mexican-born pitcher to win 20 games in a season in 1986. A 24-day NFL Players Association strike occurred in 1987, causing the cancellation of a week of games and the use of replacement players.

South Korean boxing coaches attacked a referee during the 1988 Olympics, causing a major incident. Illinois running back Howard Griffith set an NCAA record in 1990 with eight touchdowns and 48 points in a single game. Barry Larkin of the Cincinnati Reds became the first shortstop in major league history to hit 30 home runs and 30 stolen bases in a season in 1996.

Alfonso Soriano of the New York Yankees set a major league record in 2003 with 13 leadoff home runs. Barry Bonds of the San Francisco Giants drew four intentional walks in a game in 2004, tying the record previously set by Andre Dawson in 1990. Houston Astros pitcher Justin Verlander earned his 20th victory in a major league season in 2019, clinching the American League West championship for the third consecutive year.