August 1920 in Sports History

Events in Sport

Aug 8 Tigers beat Yanks 1-0 in shortest AL game, 73 minutes

US Golf Open

Aug 13 US Open Men's Golf, Inverness GC: Isle of Jersey native Ted Ray pars the 18th, giving him a 1-stroke win over runners-up Harry Vardon, Jock Hutchison, Leo Diegel & Jack Burke Sr

Golfer and Two-Time PGA Champion Leo Diegel

Aug 14 VII Summer Olympic Games open in Antwerp, Belgium; first time Olympic Oath voiced, doves released to symbolise peace, and Olympic Flag flown
Aug 16 Cleveland Indians shortstop Ray Chapman is hit in head by NY Yankees pitcher Carl Mays; he dies the next day in only MLB game related fatality
Aug 17 New York Yankees cancel game with Cleveland Indians in memory of Ray Chapman who dies after being hit by a pitch the previous day
Aug 18 1st class cricket debut of Walter Hammond

Sports History

Aug 20 American Professional Football Association forms; Jim Thorpe installed as president; later to become the National Football League (NFL)

Aug 21 PGA Championship Men's Golf, Flossmoor CC: American based Scotsman Jock Hutchison beats J. Douglas Edgar of England, 1-up; first of Hutchinson's 2 majors
Aug 23 American swimmer Warren Kealoha wins first of 2 consecutive Olympic gold medals in the 100m backstroke, beating teammate Ray Kegeris at the Antwerp Games
Aug 25 American swimmer Norman Ross wins his first of 3 gold medals at the Antwerp Olympics in dominating men's 1,500m freestyle; also wins 400m freestyle and 4 x 200m freestyle relay
Aug 25 Ethelda Bleibtrey leads an American medal sweep of the Antwerp Olympics women's 100m freestyle with a world record 1:13.6; first US female Olympic champion
Aug 25 Swedish divers sweep the medals in the men's plain high diving event at the Antwerp Olympics; Arvid Wallman wins gold ahead of teammates Nils Skoglund & John Jansson
Aug 26 Surrey cricket all-rounder Percy Fender scores 100 in 35 minutes [113no] in a county match vs Northamptonshire at the County Ground, Northampton
Aug 27 American diver Louis Kuehn leads a US medal sweep in the men's 3m springboard event at the Antwerp Olympics; teammates Clarence Pinkston & Louis Balbach take the minor medals
Aug 28 American swimmer Norman Ross wins his 2nd of 3 gold medals at the Antwerp Olympics; beats teammate Ludwig Langer in the men's 400m freestyle; also wins 1,500m and 4 x 200m freestyle relay
Aug 28 Ethelda Bleibtrey leads an American medal sweep of the Antwerp Olympics women's 300m freestyle with a world record swim of 4:34.0
Aug 29 An American sweep of the medals in the men's 100m freestyle at the Antwerp Olympics; Duke Kahanamoku sets world record 1:00.4 in defending his 1912 gold medal
Aug 29 An American sweep of the medals in the women's 3m springboard diving event at the Antwerp Olympics; Aileen Riggin wins gold ahead of teammates Helen Wainwright & Thelma Payne
Aug 29 Ethelda Bleibtrey wins her 3rd gold medal of the Antwerp Olympics; teams with Irene Guest, Frances Schroth & Margaret Woodbridge in American 4 x 100m freestyle relay team; world record 5:11.6
Aug 29 Swedish swimmer Håkan Malmrot completes the breaststroke double at the Antwerp Olympics beating teammate Thor Henning in the 200m; also beats Henning for gold in the 400m

Birthdays in Sport

Aug 1 Sammy Lee, American diver (Olympic Gold 10m platform 1948, 52), born in Fresno, California (d. 2016)
Aug 10 William "Red" Holzman, American Basketball Hall of Fame coach (New York Knicks 14 seasons), born in Brooklyn, NY (d. 1998)
Aug 11 Chuck Rayner, Canadian Hockey HOF goaltender (Hart Memorial Trophy 1950; NHL All-Star 1949, 50, 51; New York Americans, New York Rangers), born in Sutherland, Saskatchewan (d. 2002)
Aug 12 Peter West, British sports commentator
Aug 17 Vern Bickford, American baseball pitcher (MLB All Star 1949; no-hitter 1950; Boston / Milwaukee Braves), born in Hellier, Kentucky (d. 1960)
Aug 18 Bob Kennedy, American MLB baseball player, 1939-57 (Chicago White Sox, Cleveland Indians, and 3 other teams, manager, 1963-68 (Chicago Cubs, Oakland A's), and executive, 1976-92, born in Chicago, Illinois (d. 2005)
Aug 18 Godfrey Evans, English cricket wicket-keeper (91 Tests; 219 dismissals; Kent), born in Finchley, England (d. 1999)
Aug 21 Gerry Staley, American baseball pitcher (MLB All Star 1952-53, 60; St. Louis Cardinals, Chicago White Sox), born in Brush Prairie, Washington (d. 2008)