July 26, 1928: Gene Tunney's Last Fight, and His Million-Dollar Check

July 26, 1928: Yankee Stadium hosts its 1st fight for the Heavyweight Championship of the World. Champion Gene Tunney knocks Australian fighter Tom Heeney out in the 11th round.

George "Tex" Rickard, king of boxing promoters, and builder of the 1925-68 version of Madison Square Garden, had promised Tunney a percentage of the gate. It turned out to be $970,000. Tunney wanted a check for $1 million, so he gave Rickard a check for $30,000, to make up the difference, and got what he wanted. That million bucks, with inflation factored in, would be about $17.3 million today.

Tunney was a cultured man, but also a veteran of the U.S. Marine Corps, where he learned what he called "scientific boxing." He didn't even like to call himself a "boxer," instead preferring the term "pugilist." He once said, "Boxing is a chess game with gloves. You don't win by hitting hardest, but by hitting smartest. Every move must have a purpose, and every punch must set up the next."

Tunney then retired while still Champion. Unlike most fighters, he stayed retired. He was only 31 years old. His only professional loss was to Harry Greb, later Light Heavyweight Champion, in 1922 at the 2nd Madison Square Garden. He would beat Greb 3 times.

He died in 1978, living long enough to see his son, John, be elected to the U.S. Senate from California.

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July 26, 1928 was a Thursday. These baseball games were played:

* The New York Yankees and the Detroit Tigers played a doubleheader at Navin Field, the ballpark that became Briggs Stadium in 1938 and Tiger Stadium in 1961. In the opener, Waite Hoyt and Vic Sorrell were even for 11 innings, but in the top of the 12th, the Yankees pummeled Sorrell for 11 runs, and won, 12-1. Bob Meusel hit for the cycle. Those 11 runs in an extra inning would remain a record, tied by the 1969 Minnesota Twins, until the Texas Rangers scored 12 runs in a 15th inning in 1983.

The Tigers won the nightcap, 13-10. In other words, the Yankees scored 22 runs, but only came away with a split.

* The New York Giants lost to the Pittsburgh Pirates, 7-5 at the Polo Grounds. Burleigh Grimes went the distance for the win. Rookie Carl Hubbell didn't get out of the 2ndinning, but would straighten things out by the end of the season.

For the Bucs, Harold "Pie" Traynor went 2-for-5 with an RBI, Paul Waner went 3-for-5 with 2 RBIs, and Lloyd Waner went 1-for-5 with an RBI. For the Jints, Bill Terry went 1-for-4 with an RBI. So did Travis Jackson, whose hit was a home run. Lefty O'Doul went 1-for-4 with a walk and 2 RBIs, and Mel Ott went 2-for-4 with a walk and an RBI.

* The Brooklyn Robins, as the Dodgers were known when Wilbert Robinson was their manager from 1914 to 1931, lost to the St. Louis Cardinals, 6-1 at Ebbets Field. Grover Cleveland Alexander collected his 357th career win.Frankie Frisch went 2-for-5 with a home run and 2 RBIs.

* The Boston Braves beat the Chicago Cubs, 7-6 at Braves Field in Boston. Lance Richbourg singled Doc Farrell home with the winning run in the bottom of the 14th inning.

* The Cincinnati Reds beat the Philadelphia Phillies, 6-4 at Baker Bowl in Philadelphia. The Reds scored 4 runs in the top of the 9th, and the Phils could only come back with 1 in the bottom half.

* The Cleveland Indians swept the Boston Red Sox, 4-2 and 4-3 at League Park in Cleveland.

* The Philadelphia Athletics beat the Chicago White Sox, 5-1 at Comiskey Park in Chicago. Playing the last season of their respective legendary careers, Ty Cobb went 2-for-5, and Tris Speaker did not play. Jimmie Foxx went 2-for-5 with an RBI. Mickey Cochrane went 1-for-4 with a walk. Al Simmons went 2-for-4 with a walk and an RBI. Lefty Grove outpitched Tommy Thomas.

* And a doubleheader was split at Sportsman's Park in St. Louis. The St. Louis Browns won the 1st game, 7-5. The Washington Senators won the 2nd game, 6-4.