1845 – The Knickerbocker Base Ball Club of New York is formed, making it the first baseball team in history.
1908 – Fred Merkle of the Giants fails to touch second base in the ninth inning of a tie game against the Cubs, causing the third out and disallowing the winning run. The Cubs win the replay of the game, capturing the NL pennant.
1949 – Pete Rusinski’s Roughriders ride rough shot over the Horsemen of Horace Mann 31-0. It’s the third of 10 straight wins for ECR, who would add another mythical championship to the collection for their efforts during the ‘49 season.
1952 – Rocky Marciano KOs world heavyweight champion Jersey Joe Walcott to in the title in a bout at Municipal Stadium in Philadelphia.
1961 – Cubs great Ernie Banks’ streak of 717 consecutive games comes to an end.
1977 – The defending state champion Merrillville Pirates hand the next state champion (Portage) their only loss of the season; a 34-7 whoopin’ at the old Demarree Field. It’s the 10th of 15 consecutive wins for the Pirates dating back to the start of the ‘76 season. These two teams will have a date with each other and with destiny just six short weeks later. Check back in early November for more on that one.
1979 – Lou Brock of the St. Louis Cardinals steals his 938th and final base of his career.
1984 – Joe Montana, then with the 49ers, misses his first start in 49 games.
1988 – Jose Canseco becomes the first player in MLB history to hit 40 homers and steal 40 bases in a season.
1988 – Hammond High, on their way to the school’s only regional title, disposed of the West Side Cougars 35-6 at Krueger Field. The ‘Cats went on to finish 11-2. It’s the second and final time the program would win 11 games in a season.
1994 – Jim Sherer and his Hammond High Wildcats go to the Hessville section of town where the shutout the Morton Governors 27-0 to improve to their record to 5-0. The ‘Cats would not be defeated during the regular season. It’s the seventh and final time Hammond High would go through a regular season without losing a game.
2001 – Barry Bonds hits his 66th home run of the season, tying Sammy Sosa for the second most homers in a single season.
2011 – Two legendary coaches; Leroy Marsh and Russ Radtke, square off one final time. When it’s all said and done, it’s Radtke and the Griffith Panthers who a get a late touchdown to win a close one 20-13 at the Marshlands.
2018 – Saints quarterback Drew Brees sets an NFL record by completing the 6,300th pass of his career, passing Brett Favre for the most all-time.
2022 – Albert Pujols hits his #699 and #700 career homeruns, becoming the fourth player in history to reach that mark.
2022 – Roger Federer plays in his final professional tennis match.
