On This Date: Ex-College Cagers Make Their Mark on September 16 MLB Games

Extra! Extra! Read all about memorable major league baseball achievements and moments involving former college basketball players! Baseball is portrayed as a thinking man's game but only 4% of active MLB players earned college diplomas. Nonetheless, numerous ex-college hoopsters had front-row seats to many of the most notable games, transactions and dates in MLB history.

Unless you habitually pore over the content at baseballlibrary.com, baseballreference.com and nationalpastime.com, following is a September 16 calendar focusing on such versatile MLB athletes:

SEPTEMBER 16

  • Switch-hitting C Mark Bailey (Southwest Missouri State's top basketball rebounder in 1980-81) homered from both sides of the plate as Houston Astros rookie in 1984 game against the San Diego Padres.

  • Chicago Cubs 2B Glenn Beckert (three-year letterman for Allegheny PA) established a dubious MLB record (subsequently tied by Todd Helton in 1998) by stranding 12 baserunners in an 18-5 victory against the New York Mets in 1972. Five years earlier, Beckert provided multiple hits for the sixth consecutive contest in 1967.

  • Baltimore Orioles RF Angelo Dagres (averaged 6 ppg for Rhode Island in 1954-55) delivered a hit and scored a run in both ends of a 1955 doubleheader sweep against the Washington Senators.

  • Cleveland Indians rookie RF Larry Doby (reserve guard for Virginia Union's 1943 CIAA titlist) extended his hitting streak to 21 games with a first-inning grand slam against the Washington Senators in 1948.

  • St. Louis Cardinals CF Taylor Douthit (California letterman from 1922 through 1924), en route to amassing 84 RBI as a leadoff hitter, singled in the contest's only run against the Brooklyn Dodgers in the 10th inning in 1930.

  • New York Giants 3B Frankie Frisch (Fordham captain) furnished four hits against the Cincinnati Reds in the opener of a 1922 doubleheader.

  • Brooklyn Dodgers 1B Gil Hodges (played for St. Joseph's IN in 1943 and Oakland City IN in 1947 and 1948) homered twice against the New York Giants in a 1955 game.

  • Philadelphia Phillies CF Kenny Lofton (Arizona's leader in steals for 1988 Final Four team compiling 35-3 record) stroked five hits against the Florida Marlins in a 2005 contest.

  • St. Louis Browns RF Don Lund (Michigan starter in 1943-44 and 1944-45) went 4-for-4 in a 3-1 triumph against the Boston Red Sox in 1948.

  • St. Louis Cardinals LF Irv Noren (player of year for California community college state champion Pasadena City in 1945) homered in his third consecutive outing in 1958.

  • Detroit Tigers RF Jim Northrup (second-leading scorer and third-leading rebounder for Alma MI in 1958-59) homered in fifth different and final contest during seven-game road trip in 1969. Five years later, Northrup was purchased from the Montreal Expos by the Baltimore Orioles in 1974.

  • In 1954, Philadelphia Phillies RHP Robin Roberts (Michigan State's second-leading scorer in 1945-46 and 1946-47) became the first N.L. hurler to reach the 20-win plateau five successive seasons since Carl Hubbell in the mid-1930s.

  • New York Yankees 3B Red Rolfe (played hoops briefly with Dartmouth in 1927-28 and 1929-30) knocked in five runs against the Detroit Tigers in a 1939 game.

  • RHP Dave Sisler (All-Ivy League second-team selection for Princeton's first NCAA Tournament team in 1952) traded with cash by the Washington Senators to the Cincinnati Reds for P Claude Osteen in 1961.

  • New York Mets C John Stephenson (scored 1,361 points for William Carey MS in early 1960s) swatted two homers against the Cincinnati Reds in a 1965 contest.

  • Pittsburgh Pirates RHP Kent Tekulve (freshman hooper for Marietta OH in mid-1960s) permitted his only earned run in final 17 relief appearances of the 1984 campaign.

  • St. Louis Browns SS Bud Thomas (Central Missouri letterman in late 1940s) belted his lone MLB homer (third-inning blast against Philadelphia Athletics in nightcap of 1951 doubleheader).

  • Pittsburgh Pirates rookie LHP Bob Veale (scored 1,160 points from 1955-56 through 1957-58 with Benedictine KS) hurled his second shutout in an 11-day span in 1963.

  • Boston Red Sox 3B Billy Werber (first Duke All-American in 1929-30) whacked two homers against the Chicago White Sox in the nightcap of a 1934 twinbill.

  • Philadelphia Phillies CF Cy Williams (Notre Dame forward in 1909-10) went 4-for-4 against the Pittsburgh Pirates in the nightcap of a 1924 doubleheader.

  • In 1993, Minnesota Twins DH-RF Dave Winfield (starting forward with Minnesota's first NCAA playoff team in 1972) singled against the Oakland A's for his 3,000th hit.

  • Homering in his first of three consecutive contests in 2005, San Francisco Giants CF Randy Winn (Santa Clara backcourtmate of eventual two-time NBA Most Valuable Player Steve Nash in 1993-94) went 4-for-4 against the Los Angeles Dodgers.