Events in Sports History in 1908

Jack Hobbs Debut

Jan 1 Jack Hobbs makes his international debut in England's 2nd Test win over Australia at the MCG, scoring 83 and 28 in his two innings. Goes onto become the leading run scorer and century maker in 1st-class cricket history.

  • Jan 13 Stanley Cup, Montreal Arena, Westmount, Quebec: Montreal Wanderers rout Ottawa Victorias, 13-1 for 2-0 sweep of challenge series

Phillies Sell Waddell

Feb 7 Philadelphia Athletics' manager and owner Connie Mack sells future Baseball Hall of Fame pitcher Rube Waddell to St Louis Browns for $5,000

  • Feb 8 Wilhelmina '08 soccer team forms in Weert, Netherlands

Burns vs. Palmer

Feb 10 Canadian world heavyweight boxing champion Tommy Burns KOs Englishman Jack Palmer in round 4 in London in his 8th title defense

  • Feb 11 Australia regain the Ashes with a 308 run cricket victory vs England
  • Feb 12 NY to Paris auto race (via Alaska & Siberia) begins in NYC George Schuster wins after 88 days behind the wheel
  • Mar 9 Italian football club Inter Milan founded as Foot-Ball Club Internazionale
  • Mar 12 Stanley Cup, Montreal Arena, Westmount, Quebec: Montreal Wanderers beat Winnipeg Maple Leafs, 9-3 for 2-0 sweep of challenge series
  • Mar 14 Stanley Cup, Montreal Arena, Westmount, Quebec: Montreal Wanderers beat Toronto Professionals, 6-4
  • Mar 17 Canadian champion Tommy Burns KOs Irish challenger Jem Roche in 1:28s of the 1st round at the Theatre Royal, Dublin; then quickest world heavyweight boxing title fight
  • Mar 27 70th Grand National: Henry Bletsoe wins aboard American 66/1 outsider Rubio
  • Apr 3 Frank Gotch wins world heavyweight wrestling championship in 2 hrs
  • Apr 13 Groundbreaking for Philadelphia's Shibe Park, home of MLB Athletics (AL), 1909-54, MLB Phillies (NL), 1938-70, and NFL Eagles, 1940-57
  • Apr 18 Canadian champion Tommy Burns KOs Jewey Smith of England in 5th round at Neuilly Bowling Palace, Paris to retain his world heavyweight boxing title
  • Apr 20 12th Boston Marathon won by Tom Morrissey in 2:25:43.2
  • Apr 20 Opening day of competition of the New South Wales Rugby League.
  • Apr 22 Queensland beat NSW by 171 runs for their 1st cricket win at Gabba
  • Apr 27 IV Summer (Modern) Olympic Games open in London
  • May 5 34th Kentucky Derby: Arthur Pickens aboard 66-1 chance Stone Street wins in muddy track conditions; 2:15.20 slowest Derby in history
  • May 30 42nd Belmont: Joe Notter aboard Colin win
  • Jun 2 33rd Preakness: Eddie Dugan riding Royal Tourist wins in 1:46.4
  • Jun 13 Canadian champion Tommy Burns KOs Bill Squires of Australia in 8th round at Neuilly Bowling Palace, Paris to retain world heavyweight boxing title

British Golf Open

Jun 19 British Open Men's Golf, Prestwick GC: Scotsman James Braid wins his 4th Championship by 8 strokes from Tom Ball

  • Jun 27 US National Championship Women's Tennis, Philadelphia CC: Maud Barger-Wallach beats defending champion Evelyn Sears 6-3, 1-6, 6-3 for her lone major title

Sports History

Jun 30 At 41 years, 3 months future Baseball Hall of Fame pitcher Cy Young becomes oldest player to record a third career no-hitter as Boston Red Sox beat NY Highlanders, 8-0

  • Jun 30 Wimbledon Men's Tennis: Arthur Gore takes his 2nd of 3 Wimbledon titles beating Herbert Roper-Barrett 6-3, 6-2, 4-6, 3-6, 6-4

Wimbledon Women's Tennis

Jun 30 Wimbledon Women's Tennis: Charlotte Cooper Sterry wins her 5th and final Wimbledon title with a 6-4, 6-4 win over Agnes Morton

  • Jul 4 MLB New York Giants pitcher George "Hooks" Wiltse no-hits Philadelphia Phillies, 1-0 in 10 inning; missed a perfect game by hitting one batter with a pitch (Polo Grounds, NYC)
  • Jul 19 Dutch football club Feyenoord is established in Rotterdam as Wilhelmina; reverts to SC Feijenoord 1912; updated to SC Feyenoord 1974 and to Feyenoord Rotterdam 1978
  • Jul 24 American Johnny Hayes wins London Olympic marathon in Games record 2:55:18.4 after Dorando Pietri of Italy disqualified for receiving assistance before the finish line
  • Jul 29 St Louis Browns' future Baseball Hall of Fame pitcher Rube Waddell strikes out 16 Philadelphia A's in 5-4 win against his previous team at Sportsman's Park II, St. Louis
  • Jul 30 Around the World Automobile Race ends in Paris
  • Aug 6 St Louis Cardinals Johnny Lush pitches 2nd career no-hitter in 2-0 win over Brooklyn Superbas; change of MLB rules makes this unofficial, as game was shortened by rain

Tour de France

Aug 9 Tour de France: French road cyclist Lucien Petit-Breton successfully defends his title beating François Faber of Luxembourg

  • Aug 13 Future Baseball HOF pitcher Cy Young's career is celebrated with special day in his name in Boston; he pitches briefly for Red Sox against an All-Star team
  • Aug 24 Canadian champion Tommy Burns KOs Bill Squires in 13th round at the Sydney Stadium, Australia to retain world heavyweight boxing title; Burns' 3rd KO of Squires
  • Aug 24 NY Giants scores shown on electric diamonds known as "Compton's Baseball Bulletin" at Madison Square Garden
  • Aug 27 Calgary City Rugby Football Club re-organizes as the Tigers

US Men's Tennis Open

Aug 29 US National Championship Men's Tennis, Newport, RI: Defending champion William Larned beats Beals Wright 6-1, 6-2, 8-6 for his 4th of 7 US singles titles

US Golf Open

Aug 29 US Open Men's Golf, Myopia Hunt GC: Fred McLeod defeats fellow Scot Willie Smith by 6 strokes in an 18-hole playoff to win his only major title

  • Sep 3 Canadian world heavyweight boxing champion Tommy Burns KOs Australian Bill Lang in 6 rounds in Melbourne in a warmup fight for his famous title bout with Jack Johnson
  • Sep 5 Brooklyn Superbas pitcher Nap Rucker no-hits Boston Braves, 6-0 at Washington Park, Brooklyn
  • Sep 20 Chicago White Sox Frank Smith 2nd no-hitter, beats Philadelphia 1-0
  • Sep 23 Giant Fred (Bonehead) Merkle fails to touch 2nd, causes 3rd out in 9th & disallows winning run (game ends tied, Cubs win replay & pennant)
  • Sep 24 Robert B Rhoads becomes 1st Cleveland pitcher (Cleveland Naps) to toss a no-hit game, Cleveland 2, Boston 1
  • Sep 26 MLB Chicago Cubs' Ed Reulbach becomes only pitcher to throw doubleheader shutout, winning 3-0 and 5-0 over the Superbas at Washington Park in Brooklyn, New York
  • Sep 29 Calgary Rugby Football Union forms

Baseball History

Oct 1 Future Baseball Hall of Fame pitcher Jack Chesbro records final victory for the NY Highlanders before waived and claimed by Red Sox; beats Walter Johnson and Washington Senators, 2-1

Baseball Record

Oct 2 Cleveland Naps and future Baseball Hall of Fame pitcher Addie Joss hurls a classic perfect game, beating Ed Walsh and the Chicago White Sox, 1-0

  • Oct 5 Chicago White Sox pitcher Ed Walsh beats Detroit Tigers, 6-1, his 40th victory of the MLB season; forces AL pennant race to the final day
  • Oct 6 Tigers beat White Sox, 7-0 to win AL pennant
  • Oct 6 Yanks lose 100th game of year go 51-103 for season
  • Oct 8 Chicago Cubs beat NY Giants 4-2 in a playoff to win NL pennant
  • Oct 8 NY Giants set season attendance record at 910,000 (broken in 1920)
  • Oct 14 Baseball World Series: Chicago Cubs beat Detroit Tigers, 2-0 at Bennett Park, Detroit to clinch 4-1 series win; 6,210 fans is smallest crowd in WS history; Cubs retain title
  • Oct 14 Upset over seating arrangements at the Baseball World Series, sports reporters form a professional group that will become Baseball Writers Association of America
  • Oct 16 Edmonton Rugby Foot-ball Club re-organizes as Esquimoux
  • Oct 31 IV Summer (Modern) Olympic Games close in London
  • Nov 22 1st US-Japanese baseball game Reach All-Americans defeat Waseda U, 5-0
  • Nov 25 Dorando Pietri (It) beats Johnny Hayes (US) in Madison Square Garden marathon by 60 yds

Australasia Wins

Nov 30 International Lawn Tennis Challenge, Melbourne, Australia: Anthony Wilding representing Australasia beats American Fred Alexander 6-3, 6-4, 6-1 to give defending champions a 3-2 victory

  • Dec 12 Australasian Championships Men's Tennis, Sydney: American Fred Alexander beats Alfred Dunlop of Australia 3-6, 3-6, 6-0, 6-2, 6-3

Jackson vs. Burns

Dec 26 African-American boxer Jack Johnson stops Canadian defending champion Tommy Burns in the 14th round in Sydney, Australia, to become the first black man to win world heavyweight title; Burns is favorite in 12th title defense but Johnson dominates before police stop the bout

  • Dec 30 Stanley Cup, Montreal Arena, Westmount, Quebec: Montreal Wanderers outscore Edmonton HC, 14-9 in 2 game challenge series