Year 1891 in Sports History

Events in Sport

Event of Interest

May 1 Legendary pitcher Cy Young wins first game played at Cleveland's League Park; Cleveland Spiders 12, Cincinnati Redlegs 3

MLB Pitcher Cy Young — MLB Pitcher
Cy Young

May 13 17th Kentucky Derby: Isaac Murphy aboard Kingman wins in 2:52.25
May 21 Australian boxer Peter Jackson and future world heavyweight champion Jim Corbett fight a No Contest in 61 rounds at California Athletic Club, San Francisco
Jun 10 25th Belmont: Ed Garrison riding Foxford wins in 2:08.75
Jun 27 US National Championship Women's Tennis, Philadelphia Cricket Club: Mabel Cahill beats defending champion Ellen Roosevelt 6-4, 6-1, 4-6, 6-3
Jul 4 Wimbledon Men's Tennis: Wilfred Baddeley wins first of 3 Wimbledon singles championships; beats Joshua Pim 6-4, 1-6, 7-5, 6-0
Jul 9 Wimbledon Women's Tennis: Lottie Dod beats Blanche Bingley-Hillyard 6-2, 6-1 in a repeat matchup and result of the 2 previous finals
Aug 31 US National Championship Men's Tennis, Newport R.I.: Defending champion Oliver Campbell beats Clarence Hobart 2-6, 7-5, 7-9, 6-1, 6-2; second of 3 straight titles
Oct 7 British Open Men's Golf, St Andrews: Hugh Kirkaldy wins by 2 strokes from brother Andrew Kirkaldy and Willie Fernie; last Open contested in a single day over 36 holes
Dec 19 Canadian Rugby Union forms

Event of Interest

Dec 21 1st game of basketball, based on rules created by James Naismith, played by 18 students in Springfield, Massachusetts

Basketball Inventor James Naismith — Basketball Inventor
James Naismith

Birthdays in Sport

Jan 4 Bryn Lewis, Welsh rugby union winger (2 caps; Newport, Cambridge University), born in Pontardawe, Wales (d. 1917)
Jan 6 Ted McDonald, Australian cricketer (great Australian quick of 20's), born in Launceston, Australia (d. 1937)
Jan 15 Ray Chapman, American baseball player (Cleveland Indians) and only MLB player to die from an injury received during a MLB game, born in Beaver Dam, Kentucky (d. 1920)
Jan 21 Francisco Lazaro, Portuguese runner
Jan 23 Jüri Lossmann, Estonian athlete (Olympic silver marathon 1920), born in Kabala, Estonia (d. 1984)
Jan 28 Bill Doak, American baseball pitcher (NL ERA leader 1914, 21; St. Louis Cardinals), born in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania (d. 1954)
Jan 29 R. Norris Williams, American tennis player (US Nat C'ship 1914, 16) who survived the sinking of the RMS Titanic, born in Geneva, Switzerland (d. 1968)
Feb 2 Frank Foyston, NHL Hall of Famer (Seattle)
Feb 4 Yuri Losmann, Estonia, marathon runner (Olympic-silver 1920)

Elizabeth Ryan

Feb 5 Elizabeth Ryan, American tennis player (26 Grand Slam doubles titles), born in Anaheim, California (d. 1979)

Feb 11 J. W. Hearne, English cricket leg-spinner (all-rounder for England in 24 Tests), born in Hillingdon, England (d. 1965)
Feb 12 Cecil Dixon, South African cricket off-spinner (1 Test for South Africa, 3-118, pair), born in Potchefstroom, Transvaal (d. 1969)
Feb 19 J C White, English cricket spin bowler (15 Tests, 49 wickets; 10-76 Somerset v Worcestershire 1921), born in Holford, England (d. 1961)
Feb 23 Harold Horder, Australian Rugby League player (d. 1978)
Mar 4 Dazzy Vance, hall of fame pitcher (led NL in strike-outs 7-yrs)
Apr 1 Frank Rankin, Canadian Hockey Hall of Fame rover (Toronto Eatons, Toronto St. Michael's Majors) and coach (Toronto Granites-Canada Olympic gold 1924), born in Stratford, Ontario (d. 1932)
Apr 30 Pat O'Hara Wood, Australian tennis player (Australasian C'ship 1920, 23), born in Melbourne, Australia (d. 1961)
May 8 Chet "Red" Hoff, pitcher (NY Yankees 1911-15), lived to 103+
Jun 3 Mary Browne, American tennis player (US Nat C'ship 1912-14), born in Ventura County, California (d. 1971)
Jul 2 Gus Dorais, American College Football Hall of Fame quarterback (Notre Dame), coach (Gonzaga, Detroit Lions), born in Chippewa Falls, Wisconsin (d. 1954)
Jul 28 Ron Oxenham, Australian cricketer (Australian all-rounder 1928-32), born in Nundah, Queensland (d. 1939)
Aug 12 John McDermott, American golfer (US Open 1911, 12), born in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania (d. 1971)
Sep 26 Alfred Lane, American sharp shooter (Olympic gold 1912, 20), born in New York (d. 1965)
Oct 2 H. V. Porter, American basketball coach and administrator (created fan-shaped backboard; moulded basketball, rules films), born in Manito, Illinois (d. 1975)
Nov 5 Herb McGirr, New Zealand cricketer (played in NZ's 1st Test series), born in Wellington, New Zealand (d. 1964)
Nov 5 Earl Neale, American College and Pro Football Hall of Fame coach (Virginia; NFL: Philadelphia Eagles) and MLB outfielder (Cincinnati Reds), born in Parkersburg, West Virginia (d. 1973)
Nov 11 Rabbit Maranville, American baseball player (Boston Braves), born in Springfield, Massachusetts (d. 1954)
Nov 20 Leon Cadore, American baseball pitcher (pitched all of 26 inning game), born in Chicago, Illinois (d. 1958)

Cy Denneny

Dec 23 Cy Denneny, Canadian Hockey Hall of Fame left wing (NHL leading scorer 1923-24), born in Farran's Point, Ontario (d. 1970)

Dec 25 Clarrie Grimmett, Australian cricket spin bowler (37 Tests; 216 wickets @ 24.21; ICC Cricket Hall of Fame), born in Dunedin, New Zealand (d. 1980)

Deaths in Sport

Jan 4 Joe Hunter, English cricket wicket-keeper (5 Tests, 11 dismissals; Yorkshire CCC), dies at 35
Feb 26 Ted Barratt, English cricket spin bowler (10-43 in tour match vs Australia 1878), dies from consumption at 46
Mar 28 Dick Pilling, cricketer ("Prince of Wicketkeepers", Eng 1881-88), dies
Jun 23 George Parr, English cricketer (Nottinghamshire & All-England), dies at 65
Aug 14 Johnny Mullagh [Unaarrimin], Australian cricketer (Aboriginal tourist 1868), dies at 50
Aug 29 Pierre Lallement, inventor of the bicycle (b. 1843 or 1844)