1951 in sports

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January 26: Mel Ott and Jimmie Foxx are inducted into the Baseball Hall of Fame.
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.
April 17: Mickey Mantle makes his Major League debut.
May 7: Johnny Vander Meer pitches in his final Major League game.
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.
July 14 - St. Louis Browns sign Satchel Paige as a free agent.
August 11: The New York Giants fall 13 games behind in the National League standings. Following this nadir, the Giants go 37-8 over their last 45 games in one of baseball's most famous comebacks. This enables them to tie their crosstown rivals Brooklyn Dodgers for first place and forces a playoff series.
August 19: 3' 7" Eddie Gaedel becomes the only midget to play in a major league game, pinch-hitting and drawing a walk in his lone plate appearance.
August 29 - The New York Yankees trade Lew Burdette and $50,000 cash to the Boston Braves for Johnny Sain.
September 7 - Bobby Doerr plays in his final career game.
September 30 - Joe DiMaggio plays in his final career regular season game.
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.
MVP Awards: Roy Campanella (NL) and Yogi Berra (AL)
Rookie of the Year Awards: Willie Mays (NL) and Gil McDougald (AL)
Babe Ruth Award: Phil Rizzuto
Sporting News Major League Player of the Year: Stan Musial
Sporting News Pitcher of the Year: Preacher Roe (NL) and Bob Feller (AL)

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Basketball

NCAA Men's Basketball Championship:
- Kentucky wins 68-58 over Kansas State University.

NBA Finals:
- Rochester Royals won 4 games to 3 over the New York Knicks
Amateur Basketball Association:
- Basketball Jones single handedly beats the Harlem Globetrotters

The seventh European basketball championship, Eurobasket 1951, is won by the Soviet Union.

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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.

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Cycling

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

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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

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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

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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)

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Football (Canadian)

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

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Football (soccer)

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England

First Division - Tottenham Hotspur win the 1950-51 title.
FA Cup - Newcastle United beat Blackpool 2-0.

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Golf

Men's Golf

Grand Slam of golf results:
1. May - The Masters - Ben Hogan
2. June - US Open - Ben Hogan
3. July - British Open - Max Faulkner
4. 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.

Women's Golf