September 23, 1845 -- The first baseball team, the N.Y. Knickerbockers, organizes. The Knickerbockers were one of the first organized baseball teams to play under a set of rules similar to the game today. The club, founded as the Knickerbocker Base Ball Club by Alexander Cartwright in 1845, would remain active until the early 1870s. One century later, the Knickerbockers name itself was adopted by the NBA team in N.Y., now commonly referred to as the Knicks.
Also happening this week:
- September 24, 1927 -- The NHL’s Toronto St. Patricks become the Maple Leafs.
- September 25, 1926 -- The NHL grants franchises to Chicago and Detroit.
- September 25, 1997 -- The WNBA announces it will add Detroit and D.C. franchises.
- September 26, 1979 -- Coverage of the 1984 L.A. Games is sold to ABC for $225M.
