Sports and Historical Events
On September 14, 1994, acting Major League Baseball commissioner Bud Selig made a significant announcement. He canceled the 249 remaining games of the 1994 MLB season, including the playoffs and World Series. The decision came after the Chicago White Sox were poised for a second consecutive playoff appearance, but a strike had been ongoing for 34 days. The strike eventually ended on April 2, 1995, following a meeting with MLB owners at the O’Hare Hilton in Chicago.
The Chicago Cubs’ celebrated double play trio of Joe Tinker, Johnny Evers, and Frank Chance turned their first double play on September 14, 1902. This debunked the long-held belief that the event occurred on September 15, 1902. MLB’s official historian, John Thorn, confirmed this revelation.
Weather Records
On this day, Chicago experienced its highest temperature of 99 degrees in 1939. The lowest recorded temperature was 40 degrees in 1985. The city also saw precipitation of 2.42 inches in 1896 and a trace of snowfall in 1928.
Pop Culture and Entertainment
September 14, 1985, marked the premiere of “The Golden Girls” on NBC at 8 p.m. Tribune critic Steve Daley was intrigued by the show, hoping it would find a niche despite its unique nature. Fans celebrated the series 37 years later at Navy Pier during the first “Golden-Con.”
Sports Achievements
On September 14, 1986, Walter Payton celebrated a milestone in a 13-10 victory against the Philadelphia Eagles at Soldier Field. He scored his 100th rushing touchdown and passed the 15,000-yard rushing mark, securing two commemorative footballs.
In 1997, the Chicago White Sox retired Carlton Fisk’s No. 72, making it the ninth number to receive this honor. Fisk, a future Hall of Famer, also received a life-sized sculpture of himself in the center-field concourse of Rate Field in 2005.
Legal and Criminal Proceedings
September 14, 2022, saw the conviction of R&B artist R. Kelly on charges of child pornography. He was found guilty of making three videotapes showing himself abusing his goddaughter “Jane” in the late 1990s. Kelly was also convicted of improper sexual conduct with Jane and two other minors, “Pauline” and “Nia.” In 2021, he faced racketeering charges in New York, leading to his current incarceration at a medium-security federal prison in Butner, North Carolina, with no eligibility for release until 2045.