1951 in sports

Baseball

• January 29: Baseball signs a six-year All-Star game pact for TV-radio rights for $6 million. A number of owners criticize lame-duck Commissioner Happy Chandler, believing that in a couple of years, the broadcast rights would be worth much more than $1 million per annum.

• May 25: The New York Giants rookie Willie Mays, goes 0-for-5 in his major league debut against the Philadelphia Phillies.

• July 10: Alfonso "Chico" Carrasquel became the first Latin American player to participate in an All-Star game, beating out reigning MVP Phil Rizzuto as the American League's starting shortstop. Carrasquel would go on to be selected to the All-Star team a total of four times.

• October 4: National League Playoff: The New York Giants and the Brooklyn Dodgers finished the season tied for first place. The Giants then won a playoff series, 2 games to 1. In the final game, when all seemed lost for the Giants, Bobby Thomson hit a dramatic three run homer in the bottom of the ninth inning to give the Giants a 5 to 4 victory and the National League pennant.

• World Series: New York Yankees win 4 games to 2 over the New York Giants.
  

  Basketball

• NCAA Men's Basketball Championship:
• *Kentucky wins 68-58 over Kansas St.

• NBA Finals:
• *Rochester Royals won 4 games to 3 over the New York Knicks

  Boxing

• July 10 - Randy Turpin becomes the middleweight boxing champion after defeating Sugar Ray Robinson.
• July 18, Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania - Jersey Joe Walcott knocks out Ezzard Charles in round 7.
  

  Cycling

• Giro d'Italia won by Fiorenzo Magni of Italy
• Tour de France - Hugo Koblet of Switzerland
• World Cycling Championship: Ferdi Kubler of Switzerland

  Figure Skating

• World Figure Skating Championships:
• *Men's champion: Dick Button, United States
• *Women's champion: Jeanette Altwegg, Great Britain
• *Pairs champions: Ria Baran & Paul Falk, Germany

  Football (American)

• January 14 - The National Football League has its first Pro Bowl Game (Los Angeles, California).
• NFL Championship: Los Angeles Rams won 24-17 over the Cleveland Browns

  Football (Australian Rules)

• Victorian Football League
• * Geelong wins the 55th VFL Premiership (Geelong 11.15 (81) d Essendon 10.10 (70))
• * Brownlow Medal awarded to Bernie Smith (Geelong)
  

  Football (Canadian)

• Grey Cup: Ottawa Rough Riders won 21-14 over the Saskatchewan Roughriders

  Football (Soccer)

• England - FA Cup: Newcastle United won 2-0 over Blackpool

  Golf

  Men's Golf
• Grand Slam of golf results:
• #May - The Masters - Ben Hogan
• #June - US Open - Ben Hogan
• #July - British Open - Max Faulkner
• #August - PGA Championship - Sam Snead

• PGA tour's leading money winner for the year: Lloyd Mangrum - $26,089
• Ryder Cup: United States team wins 9 1/2 to 2 1/2 over the British team in world golf.

Thoroughbred Horse Racing

Harness Racing

Ice Hockey

Snooker

Tennis

• Grand Slam in tennis women's results:
• #Australian Open - Nancy Wynne Bolton
• #French Open - Shirley Fry
• #Wimbledon championships - Doris Hart
• #US Open - Maureen Connolly

• Davis Cup: Australia wins 3-2 over the United States in world tennis.

  General sporting events

• February 25 - The first Pan American Games are held, in Buenos Aires, Argentina

  Births

• March 4 - Kenny Dalglish footballer and football manager
• April 29 - Dale Earnhardt, stock car racer (+ 2001)
• June 2 - Larry Robinson, Hockey Hall of Fame defenseman
• July 31 - Evonne Goolagong, Australian tennis star
• August 13 - Gwen Cheeseman, US field hockey goalkeeper
• October 6 - Manfred Winkelhock, auto racing driver
• November 13 - Beth Anders, US field hockey international
  

  Deaths

• February 25 - Smokey Joe Williams, baseball star
• March 25 - Eddie Collins, Major League Baseball player (106-1930)
• July 9 - Harry Heilmann, Major League Baseball player (1914-1932)
• August 26 - Bill Barilko, Toronto Maple Leafs ice hockey player, plane crash
• December 5 - "Shoeless" Joe Jackson, Major League Baseball player (1908-1920)