On This Date: Former College Hoopers Generating MLB Headlines on July 24

July 24th, 2022 - 12:37

Extra! Extra! Rather than instructions retrieving illegal firearm, extracting pervert from ritzy hotel with latest hooker or tracking down daughter's inappropriate diary, Plagiarist Bidumb could go long way to preventing monkey-pox from spreading in U.S. by issuing executive order for Secret Service/FBI to keep hideous Hunter's snake in his pants. Instead of debating this obvious observation, you can read 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 hoopers had front-row seats to many of the most notable games, transactions and dates in MLB history.

Former college hoopers Morrie Arnovich (Wisconsin-Superior), Joe Ferguson (Pacific), Dick Groat (Duke), Frank Grube (Lafayette), Harvey Kuenn (Wisconsin), Tony Lupien (Harvard) and Carl Reynolds (Southwestern TX) accrued more than three hits in a MLB game on this date. Unless you habitually pore over the content at baseballlibrary.com, baseballreference.com and nationalpastime.com, following is a July 24 calendar focusing on such versatile MLB athletes:

JULY 24

  • Philadelphia Phillies LF Morrie Arnovich (Wisconsin-Superior hooper in early 1930s) went 4-for-4 and scored four runs in a 13-11 win against the Cincinnati Reds in 1937.

  • Philadelphia Athletics LHP Stan Baumgartner (hooper for Western Conference champion for University of Chicago in 1914) hurled a shutout against the St. Louis Browns in 1924.

  • New York Yankees Hall of Fame LF Earle Combs (three-year hoops captain for Eastern Kentucky) crashed into the wall in St. Louis in 1934, incurring a broken collarbone and fractured skull.

  • St. Louis Cardinals SS Alvin Dark (hoops letterman for Louisiana State and Southwestern Louisiana in mid-1940s) stroked two triples in a 1957 game against the Brooklyn Dodgers.

  • Cleveland Indians CF Larry Doby (reserve guard for Virginia Union's 1943 CIAA hoops titlist) smashed a decisive 10th-inning, two-run homer at New York in 1954. The blast was Doby's third round-tripper in two days at Yankee Stadium.

  • Los Angeles Dodgers RF Joe Ferguson (hooper in 1967 NCAA playoffs with Pacific) delivered four hits against the Philadelphia Phillies in a 1979 game.

  • A four-hitter against the Seattle Mariners in 1988 was the first shutout with the Toronto Blue Jays by LHP Mike Flanagan (averaged 13.9 ppg for UMass' freshman squad in 1971-72).

  • Pittsburgh Pirates SS Dick Groat (two-time All-American with Duke in 1950-51 and 1951-52 when finishing among nation's top five scorer each season) went 4-for-4 against the Cincinnati Reds in a 1957 contest.

  • Chicago White Sox C Frank Grube (Lafayette starting hoops guard as senior in 1926-27) went 7-for-10 in a 1932 doubleheader against the Cleveland Indians.

  • In his MLB debut, Pittsburgh Pirates RHP Dick Hall (averaged 13.5 ppg from 1948-49 through 1950-51 for Swarthmore PA Southern Division champions in Middle Atlantic States Conference) fanned 11 opposing batters in a complete-game, 12-5 win against the Chicago Cubs in the opener of a 1955 twinbill.

  • Boston Red Sox LHP Bill Henry (hoops letterman for Houston's 1947 NAIA Tournament team featuring co-captain Guy Lewis) hurled his first of two MLB shutouts (opener of 1953 doubleheader against St. Louis Browns) before becoming reliever majority of career.

  • The lone MLB homer for Doug Howard (second-team All-WAC choice for BYU in 1968-69 and 1969-70) was a pinch-hit circuit clout for the St. Louis Cardinals off Burt Hooton of the Los Angeles Dodgers in 1975.

  • San Francisco Giants OF Harvey Kuenn (played hoops briefly for Wisconsin in 1951-52 after competing on JV squad previous season) collected three doubles among his four hits against the Los Angeles Dodgers in a 1964 game.

  • Texas Rangers DH Rick Leach (averaged 15.5 ppg for Michigan's junior varsity hoops team in 1975-76) logged six hits in last seven at-bats after going 3-for-4 against the Toronto Blue Jays in 1989.

  • Chicago White Sox LHP Thornton Lee (Cal Poly hooper in 1925-26) tossed his second of back-to-back, 10-inning victories in 1937.

  • Washington Senators CF Don Lock (Wichita State field-goal percentage leader in 1956-57 and 1957-58 under coach Ralph Miller) lashed back-to-back homers against the Kansas City Athletics in a 1965 contest.

  • Chicago White Sox 1B Tony Lupien (Harvard hoops captain in 1938-39) stroked five hits in an 8-4 win against the New York Yankees in the nightcap of a 1948 doubleheader.

  • Kansas City Royals 1B Bob Oliver (All-Valley Conference basketball choice for American River Community College CA in 1962) belted a homer in both ends of 1970 twinbill split against the Cleveland Indians.

  • Toronto Blue Jays OF Tony Phillips (New Mexico Military juco hooper in 1977-78 as teammate of eventual Drake All-American Lewis Lloyd) banged out three safeties in his third consecutive contest in 1998.

  • Chicago White Sox RF Carl Reynolds (Southwestern TX hoops MVP and captain in mid-1920s) registered two triples among his four hits in a 1930 outing against the Washington Senators.

  • St. Louis Cardinals RF Wally Roettger (Illinois hoops letterman in 1921-22 and 1922-23) contributed four RBI in a 6-4 triumph against the Philadelphia Phillies in 1929.

  • Boston Red Sox 3B Jim Tabor (Alabama hoops letterman in 1936-37) knocked in six runs against the Chicago White Sox in a 1941 game.