THIS DAY IN SPORTS HISTORY: 9/19

1901 – 11 MLB games are canceled due to the funeral of President William McKinley.

1947 – Jackie Robinson is named Rookie of the Year.

1955 – Mr. Cub, Ernie Banks sets an MLB record by hitting his fifth grand slam of the year.

1958 – Bernie Krueger and the Wildcats of Hammond High move to 3-0 after a 20-7 win against Pete Rucinski’s East Chicago Roosevelt team. Krueger and crew would not be defeated in ‘58, posting a 8-0-1 record.

1975 – Tom Stokes brings his Valparaiso Vikings with their single wing offense to the Midtown section of Gary for a week four showdown with the Roosevelt Panthers. On their way to a perfect season and state championship, the Vikings run all over Leonard Douglas Stadium and come away with a 55-0 triumph.

1975 – The Andrean 59ers hand Hobart their first loss of the season, 14-7 in overtime at Father Eckert Field on the Holy Lands behind Andrean High School.

1980 – For the first time ever, two future hall of famers – Leroy Marsh and Les Thornton square off, with Munster getting the better of Griffith 32-7 at Barney Hill Field on Columbia Avenue.

1986 – White Sox pitcher Joe Crowley throws a no-hitter against the Angels.

1986 – Mark Hoffman’s Valparaiso Vikings head north on Campbell Street to Chesterton, where they have their way with the Trojans 42-7. Hoffy’s Green Machine made it all the way to semi-state in ’86.

1988 – U.S. diver Greg Louganis hits his head on the diving board at the Olympics in Seoul. Louganis has four stitches put into his head and less than 30 minutes later, comes back to earn his spot in the medal round.

2000 – The U.S. softball team’s 112 game winning streak comes to an end as they fall to Japan 2-1. The U.S. strands 20 runners on base as they lose for the first time since 1998.

2000 – Ken Griffey Jr. enters a game as a pinch hitter and hits his 400^th career home run. He’s the first player in MLB history to reach the milestone as a pinch hitter.

2004 – Jerry Rice, then with the Oakland Raiders, has his streak of 274 consecutive games with a catch come to an end as he fails to catch a pass in Oakland’s 13-10 win over Buffalo. It’s the first time Rice is catch-less since December 1, 1985.

2008 – Greg Maddux pitches his 5,000th career inning against the San Francisco Giants. 

2008 – Russ Radtke and his Griffith Panthers halt an unheard of three game losing streak with a 41-14 win down on the Farm against the Kougars of Kankakee Valley.

2010 – Randy Moss becomes the fourth player in NFL history to score 150 touchdowns.

2017 – Alex Gordon of the Kansas City Royals hits the 5,694th home run of the season, a new MLB record.