Bob Knight, passing away at the age of 83, didn't believe he required professional assistance to control his temper. But he did believe in being addressed as Mister or Coach. His time on earth is finished, but Knight's critics didn't need to wait until now before starting to kiss his posterior. They should have commenced puckering up when his time at Indiana expired at the start of this century. Let's face it! Knight did superior coaching at Army (four NIT appearances in his first five seasons) and Texas Tech (five national tournament appearances in his six full seasons). But his 29-year stint at IU is all that really matters and essentially what he'll be remembered for; especially the NCAA's last undefeated team (1975-76).

His career is basically what he achieved on the court and classroom at IU and how he departed the institution. Incredibly, the most innocuous of salutations - "What's up, Knight?" - hastened the demise of Knight School. But his departure was inevitable even if a flighty freshman had inserted General or Your Royal Highness before stating his last name.

Although it was the most minor of an extensive list of transgressions, a relatively benign set of circumstances was bound to revive a malignant tumor sooner or later. IU was forced to just get it over with. Egomaniac couldn't be "Bubble Boy" immune from everyday conversation let alone impulses stemming from the slings and arrows of detractors.

Buttressed to push back because icon wasn't winning as much as before, the light finally turned on for Indiana's pooh-bahs, who unleashed a torrent of criticism. After years of coddling Knight, they called him insubordinate, unwilling to follow a chain of command, hostile and defiant. They said he had an intolerable attitude and a persistent and troubling pattern of unacceptable behavior. They said he failed to take advantage of one last opportunity, intimidated another female employee and did not fulfill promises of a spring meeting.

Responding late instead of never, IU's administration decided to focus on its essential business as an educational mission rather than being immersed in dealing with continually taking out the trash from its contaminated campus. Amid the rubbish that must have alarmed school brass was Knight's conspiracy theory branding some intemperate teenager (19-year-old Kent Harvey) as a stepson of an attorney, author and radio talk show host in Bloomington who had been a "vitriolic" critic of Knight. Was Knight implying that a sullied student hid behind a pillar at Assembly Hall waiting for him to emerge at precisely the right time to test some axiom he learned the first full week of class in Goading 101?

Pathetic was the only word to describe Knight in burgeoning shorts illustrating his version of the incident on a blackboard. As if he was diagramming some last-second play using then assistant coach Mike Davis as a prop, it turned out to be a last-second caricature of his tenure at IU.

Knight said he contemplated that he had not gotten through to Harvey, but it is difficult to put too much stock in his interest in manners and civility. Myles Brand, IU President at the time, and the trustees probably thought the same thing about their investigation of Knight. Perhaps they should have taken a similar approach long beforehand and grabbed him by the neck, inside the elbow or wherever it took to drive home the message that his gig was almost up.

It had to be throw-chair-across-court disconcerting when Knight disrespected his bosses by saying he wouldn't teach a class in basketball theory because he wasn't certain he could abide by the "nebulous" guidelines of zero tolerance. After all, Brand assured everyone months before that there were "a clear set of guidelines."

Knight had said that he "welcomed the guidelines." Most of the sanctions imposed by the school's trustees and president--a three-game suspension, $30,000 fine, and forced apologies to athletic department members--were not substantially different from others he previously faced. What was different was the creation of an ill-defined zero tolerance policy in regard to his public decorum.

A menacing Knight was an expert in practicing zero tolerance on virtually everyone around him. That's what made many of his teams virtually unbeatable. He was a neophyte, however, in applying comparable standards to himself, especially a powerless student such as Harvey. Frankly, it was difficult to generate much optimism for him with no mandate from IU's silk-suited spineless superiors regarding anger management counseling or psychiatric evaluations.

A sure sign the school was going nowhere fast was "The General" avoiding the school's press conference frontline announcing the sanctions. He might have been sorry, but not as sorry as being a no-show. Perhaps he went hunting fruitlessly for a personality transplant in Scotland.

Brand wanted Knight to postpone a hunting trip to Canada, but the Hall of Famer apparently had more pressing matters. Fishing for a cure, Knight said his wife has put signs around their house to help curb his temper. Posters, billboards and sky writing would have been more appropriate in helping him cope with a level of scrutiny no coach ever had faced. Of course, many in the media wouldn't have been satisfied until a sign outside his office read: "Gone Fishin' (Permanently)."

It could have been an inspiring story if Knight purposefully ended his personal war. But he couldn't simply order away his personal demons as easily as ordering his team off the floor in the middle of an exhibition game against the Soviet Union.

The Baron of Bloomington insisted his players attend class, but he frequently showed such little class. For instance, Knight reportedly kayoed former SID Kit Klingelhoffer in a dispute over a news release before the master manipulator "bribed" the school flack with shirts. Harvey's situation wasn't going to be that easy to shirk.

A suddenly diplomatic Knight tried to diffuse his mess by acknowledging that "my temper problem is something that I have had to deal with for as long as I can remember." How serious the skilled behind-the-scenes public relations tactician was remained debatable when he funneled the statement through a web site friendly to him instead of issuing it through a university official.

The 350-plus-word partially-contrite statement temporarily impressed IU's power brokers, but didn't come close to offsetting more than 30 years of protracted troubling behavior. A state-supported psycho finally ran out of lifelines.

Knight is the fourth-winningest coach in NCAA history, but there were no winners in his sorry departure spectacle. Following is a look reflecting on the four biggest losers:

Loser 1: University President/Trustees/Athletic Department

At least the sports department publicist didn't use his boss for one of his inane comparisons trying to defend Knight for yelling at a secretary, getting after a reporter and "touching" a player. The henchman didn't say if it was okay to kayo another SID.

It wasn't portrayed that way but not winning enough, rather than incessant outrageous conduct, was the main factor in Indiana's hypocritical brass sanctioning Knight at all. IU's culpable brass had little credibility left to erode after doing so little for so long in holding the coach truly accountable. What took so long in coming up with zero tolerance guidelines?

IU's wizards looked as if they were going down a yellow-brick road in their seemingly never-ending search for a heart, a brain and some courage. John Walda, the president of the board of trustees, was ineffectual and nowhere to be seen the weekend everything unraveled. If Walda, waiting for the light bulb to turn on upstairs, was a player for Knight during the previous three decades, he would have received a head butt much like vulnerable backup guard Sherron Wilkerson in 1994. The smirking lead investigator sounded Clintonesque when he said, "It depends on how you define the word, `choking.'"

Brand, Walda and the remaining trustees should have gotten knee pads and apologized to whistle blower Neil Reed for allowing the former Hoosiers guard to be branded in such a derogatory fashion. It didn't seem possible that IU could be so desperate for a competent coach. A sure sign the school was going nowhere fast was "The General" avoiding the school's press conference frontline. He might have been sorry, but not as sorry as being a no-show. Perhaps he went hunting for a personality transplant in Scotland.

Loser 2: Knight's Immediate Family and Bobbyheads Everywhere

Assistant coach at the time Pat Knight, a Kevin Costner-like bodyguard trying to protect his father, sounded like a classic case of paranoia from a dysfunctional family with his incoherent remarks about betrayal and assorted conspiratorial claptrap.

It was surprising the family inheritance didn't take a huge hit from former assistant Ron Felling, who possibly could have wound up getting his hands wrapped around a sizable portion of Knight's largesse stemming from circumstances surrounding their split. Felling deserved punitive damages for being characterized as a traitor of some sort.

Knight worshipers must be fond of neck-first directions. The rubes probably believed that he was checking Reed's collar size for a letterman's jacket. Can you imagine how they'd still be trying to smear Reed if the 1997 practice videotape had not surfaced? After all, Knight remained in utter denial. "I don't need to look at it," he said. "I never choked anyone."

Loser 3: Past, Present and Future Hoosier Players

Transfers such as Reed, who averaged 18.1 points per game as an All-Conference USA guard for Southern Mississippi 1998-99, and Luke Recker (Iowa) took a toll on the illustrious Hoosiers. By any measure, Knight didn't get his robotic players to play to their potential his last six years there when the Hoosiers failed to reach an NCAA Tournament regional semifinal. It's not just a string of bad luck because the losing margin for the last five IU playoff setbacks averaged a whopping 17.2 points.

Knight said with a straight face in an ESPN interview that he "listens to his players." No program can consistently lose the talents of Recker, Reed and the following alphabetical list of transfer players and expect to keep reaching an NCAA regional semifinal let alone the Final Four:

• Bob Bender, G--Key substitute for Duke's NCAA Tournament runner-up in 1978.
• Larry Bird, F--National Player of the Year (28.6 ppg, 14.9 rpg, 5.5 apg, 53.2 FG%, 83.1 FT%) when he carried Indiana State to the 1979 NCAA Tournament championship game.
• Delray Brooks, G--Second-leading scorer (14.4 ppg) for Providence's 1987 Final Four team. He averaged 13.5 ppg for the Friars the next season as a senior.
• Rick Calloway, F--Averaged 13.1 ppg and 4.3 rpg and shot 54.4% from the floor for Kansas' 30-5 team in 1989-90.
• Jason Collier, F-C--All-ACC player for Georgia Tech is expected to be an NBA first-round draft choice this year.
• John Flowers, C--Starter for UNLV's 33-5 team in 1985-86.
• Tracy Foster, G--All-Sun Belt Conference second-team selection in 1986-87 when he was UAB's leading scorer (17.3 ppg).
• Lawrence Funderburke, F--Averaged 12.2 ppg, 6.2 rpg and 2.4 bpg for Ohio State in 1991-92, team-high 16.3 ppg and 6.8 rpg in 1992-93 and team-high 15.2 ppg and 6.6 rpg in 1993-94.
• Mike Giomi, F--North Carolina State starter averaged 7.1 ppg and 5 rpg in 1986-87.
• Steve Hart, G--Averaged 12.9 ppg for Indiana State in 1997-98.
• Rob Hodgson, F--Averaged 12.8 ppg, 5.6 rpg and shot 40.6% from three-point range for Rutgers as an All-Big East performer.
• Derek Holcomb, C--Illinois' leader in field-goal shooting as a senior in 1980-81 (56.9%). He averaged almost three blocked shots per game as a sophomore.
• Chris Lawson, C--Averaged 11.5 ppg and 5.5 rpg for Vanderbilt in 1992-93 before averaging 12.3 ppg and 6.8 rpg in 1993-94.
• Mike Miday, F--Bowling Green's leading rebounder in 1978-79.
• Lou Moore, F--Averaged 8.7 ppg and 4 rpg for Oklahoma in 1996-97.
• Dave Shepherd, G--Ole Miss' leading scorer in 1973-74 (14.3 ppg) and 1974-75 (20.7 ppg as an All-SEC third-team selection).
• Marty Simmons, F--Two-time All-Midwestern Collegiate Conference first-team selection averaged 24.3 ppg for Evansville in 1986-87 and 1987-88.
• Rich Valavicius, F--Led Auburn in field-goal shooting in 1978-79 (53.1%) and 1979-80 (52.2%) while averaging more than 12 points per game.
• Chuckie White, F--Leading scorer (14.5 ppg) and rebounder (6 rpg) for Colorado State in 1990-91.

Remember: Kansas (Phog Allen), Kentucky (Adolph Rupp) and UCLA (John Wooden) each reached the Final Four under at least three different coaches since their legendary mentors retired. North Carolina advanced to the Final Four twice in the first three seasons after Dean Smith stepped down as coach. The game generally and IU specifically will not miss Knight all that much. Indiana earned two NCAA championships before his tenure and the Hoosiers, despite some struggles in recent years, eventually will be respectable again.

Loser 4: Big Ten Conference and NABC

Knight's predicament was another blemish for a league whose prestige has taken a severe pounding sans so few NCAA titles of late. It came on the heels of NCAA investigations at Michigan and Purdue, academic fraud at Minnesota and a point-shaving scandal at Northwestern. It's even more of an indictment for the Big Ten and IU that Knight said he never had any decorum requirements to follow.

The National Association of Basketball Coaches squandered an opportunity to forcefully declare that no coach should operate outside acceptable standards of their profession. A well-defined code of conduct should have been issued. Instead, the organization seems more concerned with a Rebel flag flying over a state capital than flagging rebellious members. At least college basketball patriarch John Wooden stepped up and addressed the issue while most of the gutless coaching community fell silent. Said the UCLA coaching legend and Indiana native: "I wouldn't let someone I love play for him."

If ESPN's exclusive interview conducted back then was any indication, Knight University didn't realize it was about to go out of business. Saying resigning "wasn't a valid option," Knight admitted he was "confrontational" but that "I'm a pretty good person."

Holding court at midcourt in IU's Assembly Hall, he periodically hid behind a flippant numbers-game justification comparing his actions to everyone else. "Ducking (questions) has never been a characteristic of mine," Knight said during his I'm OK! You're OK! gabfest. "Mistakes here and there don't define a person."

Reducing mistakes by his players made Knight a coaching legend. Failing to tone down personal pitfalls tarnished his own legacy. His life encompassed both mountaintops and valleys. Sounds like the textbook definition of a full life for an authentic man fond of Frank Sinatra's song ("I Did It My Way").

In 1988, an ignoble Knight said in a highly-publicized network interview with Connie Chung: "If rape is inevitable, then lay back and enjoy it." Well, if you're a Knight detractor, you should embrace a similar "Knightcap" philosophy recounting his misdeeds. But if you're a Knight supporter, you should recall all of his on-court successes and lay back and enjoy it.

Two-time basketball All-Americans Dick Groat (Duke/1951 and 1952) and Ryan Minor (Oklahoma/1995 and 1996) were involved in MLB transactions this month. They are among the following ex-college hoopers involved in MLB off-season transactions during the month of November:

NOVEMBER

1: RHP Jim Beattie (Dartmouth's top rebounder in 1974-75 when selected team MVP and honorable mention All-Ivy League) traded by the New York Yankees to Seattle Mariners in 1979. . . . INF Gene Handley (Bradley hoops letterman in 1932-33 and 1933-34) selected from Sacramento (PCL) by the Philadelphia Athletics in 1945 Rule 5 draft. . . . RHP Lee Pfund (Wheaton's all-time winningest basketball coach for Wheaton IL with 362-240 record in 24 campaigns from 1951-52 through 1974-75) selected from the St. Louis Cardinals by Brooklyn Dodgers in 1944 Rule 5 draft. . . . OF Fuzz White (four-year hoops letterman for Drury MO during second half of 1930s) selected from the St. Louis Browns by New York Giants in 1946 Rule 5 draft.
2: INF Dick Culler (#9 jersey retired by High Point for Little All-American in 1935 and 1936) selected from St. Paul (American Association) by the Chicago White Sox in 1942 Rule 5 draft. . . . RHP Nels Potter (leading scorer during two years he attended Mount Morris IL in early 1930s) selected from the Boston Red Sox by St. Louis Browns in 1942 Rule 5 draft. . . . LHP George Stone (averaged 14.7 ppg and 6.5 rpg for Louisiana Tech in 1964-65 and 1965-66) traded by the Atlanta Braves to New York Mets in 1972.
3: 1B Ron Jackson (second-team All-Mid-American Conference selection from 1951-52 through 1953-54 led Western Michigan in scoring and rebounding each of his last two seasons) traded by the Chicago White Sox to Boston Red Sox in 1959. . . . RHP Cecil Upshaw (Centenary's leading scorer as junior in 1962-63) traded by the Houston Astros to Cleveland Indians in 1973.
4: 1B George Altman (appeared in 1953 and 1954 NAIA Tournament with Tennessee State's hoops team) traded by the St. Louis Cardinals with Bill Wakefield to New York Mets for RHP Roger Craig (forward with North Carolina State's 1949-50 freshman squad) in 1963.
5: INF Frank Callaway (Tennessee hoops letterman in 1918 and 1919) traded by the Philadelphia Athletics to Milwaukee (American Association) in 1922. . . . C Bill Conroy (Illinois Wesleyan hooper in early 1930s) shipped with two additional players by the Philadelphia Athletics to Oakland (PCL) in 1937 to complete a trade made the previous month. . . . 1B-OF Doug Howard (All-WAC second-team selection with Brigham Young in 1968-69 and 1969-70) traded by the Cleveland Indians to Toronto Blue Jays in 1976. . . . INF Garth Iorg (juco hooper with College of the Redwoods CA in mid-1970s) selected from the New York Yankees by Toronto Blue Jays as 41st pick in 1976 expansion draft. . . . RHP Dave Lemanczyk (averaged 4.5 ppg and 3.5 rpg for Hartwick NY teams compiling 51-21 record from 1969-70 through 1971-72) selected from the Detroit Tigers by Toronto Blue Jays as 43rd pick in 1976 expansion draft. . . . INF Nolen Richardson (Georgia hoops captain in 1925-26 as member of All-Southern Conference Tournament team) purchased from the New York Yankees by Baltimore (International) in 1937. . . . RHP Ray Washburn (Whitworth WA leading scorer when named All-Evergreen Conference in 1958-59 and 1959-60) traded by the St. Louis Cardinals to Cincinnati Reds in 1969.
7: 2B Glenn Beckert (three-year hoops letterman for Allegheny PA) traded by the Chicago Cubs to San Diego Padres in 1973. . . . OF Lindsay Deal (leading scorer for Lenoir-Rhyne NC with 7.4 ppg in 1933-34) selected from Atlanta (Southern Association) by the Boston Red Sox in 1944 minor league draft. . . . RHP Frank Linzy (listed on Oklahoma State's freshman hoops roster in 1959-60) traded by the Milwaukee Brewers to the Philadelphia Phillies in 1973.
8: OF "Sweet" Lou Johnson (Kentucky State teammate of legendary HBCU coach Davey Whitney averaged 5.7 ppg and 2 rpg in 1951-52) acquired from Toronto (International) by the Milwaukee Braves as part of minor-league working agreement in 1961.
9: C Frank Grube (starting hoops guard for Lafayette as senior in 1926-27) traded by the Chicago White Sox to Dallas (Texas) in 1936. . . . INF Gene Handley (Bradley hoops letterman in 1932-33 and 1933-34) purchased from the Philadelphia Athletics by Hollywood (PCL) in 1947. . . . OF Les Mann (Springfield MA hooper in 1913 and 1914) purchased from the Boston Braves by St. Louis Cardinals in 1920. . . . 2B Marv Olson (All-Iowa Conference hoops selection in 1929-30 with Luther IA) traded by the New York Yankees to Baltimore (International) in 1933.
10: C Ferrell Anderson (Kansas hoops letterman in 1936-37 and 1937-38) selected from the Brooklyn Dodgers by Cincinnati Reds in 1947 Rule 5 draft. . . . OF John Simmons (starting guard averaged 8.7 ppg for NYU's 17-6 NCAA Tournament team in 1943) selected from the Brooklyn Dodgers by Washington Senators and RHP Jim Wilson (hoops letterman for San Diego State's 1942 NAIA Tournament participant) selected from the Cleveland Indians by Philadelphia Athletics in 1948 Rule 5 draft.
11: RHP Bill Crouch (Eastern Michigan hoops captain in 1927-28) traded by the Brooklyn Dodgers to Philadelphia Phillies in 1940.
12: INF Eddie Grant (paced Harvard's freshman squad in scoring in 1902 and played varsity as sophomore before declared ineligible for receiving money in independent summer baseball league) traded by the Philadelphia Phillies to Cincinnati Reds in 1910. . . . OF Jimmy Moore (Union TN hoops standout in late 1920s) traded by the Philadelphia Athletics to Portland (PCL) in 1931.
14: C Bob Garbark (four-year hoops letterman graduated from Allegheny PA in 1932) purchased from the Philadelphia Athletics by Boston Red Sox in 1944.
15: OF Grant Dunlap (Pacific hoops letterman in 1942-43 and 1946-47) selected from the Cleveland Indians by New York Yankees in 1948 minor league draft.
16: 3B Ryan Minor (two-time All-Big Eight Conference first-team selection for Oklahoma was league player of year as junior in 1994-95 when averaging 23.6 ppg and 8.4 rpg) awarded off waivers from the Montreal Expos to Seattle Mariners in 2001. . . . 2B Johnny Temple (briefly played hoops for Catawba NC in 1945 before serving in U.S. Navy) traded by the Cleveland Indians to Baltimore Orioles in 1961.
17: C Mickey Cochrane (played hoops for Boston University in early 1920s) traded by Portland (PCL) to the Philadelphia Athletics in 1924. . . . INF Billy Hunter (multi-sport athlete for Indiana PA post-WWII) traded by the Baltimore Orioles to New York Yankees in 1954. . . . LHP Joe Ostrowski (leading scorer for Scranton PA in 1942-43) traded with RHP Jim Wilson (hoops letterman for San Diego State's 1942 NAIA Tournament participant) by the Boston Red Sox to St. Louis Browns in 1947. . . . OF Wally Roettger (Illinois hoops letterman in 1921-22 and 1922-23) traded by the Cincinnati Reds to Pittsburgh Pirates in 1933. . . . OF John Simmons (starting guard averaged 8.7 ppg for NYU's 17-6 NCAA Tournament team in 1943) selected from the New York Yankees by Brooklyn Dodgers in 1947 minor league draft. . . . SS Tom Upton (led SEMO in scoring three years last half of 1940s and was All-EIBL first-team selection with Penn in 1945-46 while serving in military) selected from the New York Yankees by St. Louis Browns in 1949 Rule 5 draft.
18: INF Jerry Lumpe (member of Southwest Missouri State's 1952 NAIA Tournament hoops championship team) traded by the Kansas City Athletics to Detroit Tigers in 1963. . . . RHP Sonny Siebert (team-high 16.7 ppg for Missouri in 1957-58 as All-Big Eight Conference second-team selection) traded by the St. Louis Cardinals to San Diego Padres in 1974. . . . OF Randy Winn (Santa Clara backcourtmate of eventual two-time NBA Most Valuable Player Steve Nash in 1993-94) selected from the Florida Marlins by Tampa Bay Devil Rays in 1997 expansion draft.
19: SS Dick Groat (two-time hoops All-American with Duke in 1950-51 and 1951-52 when finishing among nation's top five scorers each season) traded by the Pittsburgh Pirates to St. Louis Cardinals in 1962. . . . OF Rip Repulski (started a few games for St. Cloud State MN) traded by the St. Louis Cardinals to Philadelphia Phillies in 1956. . . . OF Kite Thomas (averaged 5.1 ppg for Kansas State in 1946-47) selected from the New York Yankees by Philadelphia Athletics in 1951 Rule 5 draft.
20: 1B Tony Clark (San Diego State's leading scorer in WAC games in 1991-92) awarded off waivers from the Detroit Tigers by Boston Red Sox in 2001. . . . RHP Don Schwall (All-Big Seven Conference second-team selection as sophomore in 1956-57 when leading Oklahoma in rebounding) traded by the Boston Red Sox to Pittsburgh Pirates in 1962.
21: 1B-OF Dick Gernert (hoops letterman with Temple in 1948-49 when averaging 2.7 ppg) traded by the Boston Red Sox to Chicago Cubs in 1959. . . . UTL Harvey Hendrick (Vanderbilt hoops letterman in 1918) traded by the Chicago Cubs to Philadelphia Phillies in 1933. . . . OF Lyle Mouton (starter in LSU's backcourt with All-American Chris Jackson for 1989 NCAA playoff team) purchased from the Chicago White Sox by Yakult Swallows (Japan Central) in 1997. . . . CF Billy North (played briefly for Central Washington in 1967-68) traded by the Chicago Cubs to Oakland Athletics in 1972. . . . RHP Claude Passeau (Millsaps MS hooper in late 1920s and early 1930s) traded by the Pittsburgh Pirates to Philadelphia Phillies in 1935. . . . C-UTL Billy Sullivan Jr. (Portland hoops letterman in 1927-28) traded by the Chicago White Sox to Indianapolis (American Association) in 1934. . . . SS Coot Veal (averaged team-high 10.9 ppg as Auburn sophomore in 1951-52 before transferring to Mercer) purchased from the Washington Senators by Pittsburgh Pirates in 1961.
22: 1B-OF Ed Morgan (Tulane hoops letterman from 1923-24 through 1925-26) purchased from the Boston Red Sox by St. Louis Cardinals in 1934. . . . OF Greasy Neale (hooper graduated from West Virginia Wesleyan College in 1915) traded with another player by the Cincinnati Reds to Philadelphia Phillies for LHP Eppa Rixey (Virginia hoops letterman in 1911-12 and 1913-14).
23: C-OF Joe Ferguson (played in 1967 NCAA playoffs with Pacific) traded by the St. Louis Cardinals to Houston Astros in 1976.
24: INF Pat Crawford (Davidson hoops captain in early 1920s) traded by the Cincinnati Reds to Hollywood (PCL) in 1930. . . . INF Chick Gagnon (Holy Cross hoops letterman in 1920-21 and 1921-22) traded by the Detroit Tigers to Washington Senators in 1922. . . . LHP Dennis Rasmussen (sixth-man for Creighton averaged 5.1 ppg from 1977-78 through 1979-80) shipped by the California Angels in 1982 as player to be designated to New York Yankees to complete deal made three months earlier for LHP Tommy John.
25: 1B-DH-3B Jim Thome (juco hooper for Illinois Central in 1988-89) traded by the Philadelphia Phillies to Chicago White Sox in 2005.
26: OF Brant Alyea (Hofstra's leading scorer and rebounder in 1960-61 after finishing runner-up in both categories previous season) selected from the Cincinnati Reds by Washington Senators in 1962 first-year draft. . . . RHP Rich Beck (listed on Gonzaga's hoops roster in 1961-62) selected from the New York Yankees by Philadelphia Phillies in 1962 first-year draft. . . . 2B Glenn Beckert (three-year hoops letterman for Allegheny PA) selected from the Boston Red Sox by Chicago Cubs in 1962 first-year draft. . . . RHP Casey Cox (juco recruit averaged 1.7 ppg and 1.2 rpg for Cal State Los Angeles in 1961-62) selected from the Cincinnati Reds by Cleveland Indians in 1962 first-year draft. . . . INF Gene Freese (hoops captain of 1952 NAIA Tournament team for West Liberty WV) purchased from the Cincinnati Reds by Pittsburgh Pirates in 1963. . . . OF Lou Piniella (averaged 2.5 ppg and 1.4 rpg as Tampa freshman in 1961-62) selected from the Cleveland Indians by Washington Senators in 1962 first-year draft. . . . INF Ted Schreiber (played hoops briefly for St. John's in 1957-58 under coach Joe Lapchick) selected from the Boston Red Sox by New York Mets in 1962 Rule 5 draft. . . . 1B Moose Skowron (scored 18 points in eight games for Purdue in 1949-50) traded by the New York Yankees to Los Angeles Dodgers in 1962.
27: 1B Joe Adcock (Louisiana State's leading scorer in 1945-46) traded by the Milwaukee Braves to Cleveland Indians in 1962. . . . SS Bill Almon (averaged 2.5 ppg in half a season for Brown's 1972-73 team ending school's streak of 12 straight losing records) traded by the San Diego Padres to Montreal Expos in 1979. . . . RHP Buddy Harris (Philadelphia Textile hoops letterman in 1965-66 and 1966-67) traded by the Houston Astros to New York Mets in 1972. . . . RHP Wynn Hawkins (Little All-American was all-time leading scorer for Baldwin-Wallace OH upon graduation in 1957) purchased from the Cleveland Indians by New York Mets in 1962. . . . 1B Gil Hodges (hooper for St. Joseph's IN in 1943 and Oakland City IN in 1947 and 1948) traded by the Washington Senators to New York Mets in 1967. . . . OF-1B Monte Irvin (Lincoln PA hooper 1 1/2 years in late 1930s) selected from the New York Giants by Chicago Cubs in 1955 Rule 5 draft. . . . INF Jerry Kindall (averaged 6.9 ppg for Minnesota as junior in 1955-56) traded by the Chicago Cubs to Cleveland Indians in 1961. . . . 3B Graig Nettles (shot 87.8% from free-throw line for San Diego State in 1963-64) traded by the Cleveland Indians to New York Yankees in 1972. . . . RHP Ray Rippelmeyer (led Southern Illinois in scoring and rebounding as sophomore in 1952-53 before transferring and becoming two-time All-MIAA first-team selection by pacing Southeast Missouri State in scoring in 1953-54 and 1954-55) selected from the Cincinnati Reds by Washington Senators in 1961 Rule 5 draft. . . . 1B-OF Norm Siebern (member of Southwest Missouri State) squads capturing back-to-back NAIA Tournament titles in 1952 and 1953) traded by the Kansas City Athletics to Baltimore Orioles in 1963. . . . SS Tom Upton (led SEMO in scoring three years last half of 1940s and was All-EIBL first-team selection with Penn in 1945-46 while serving in military) traded by the St. Louis Browns to Chicago White Sox in 1951 before promptly dealt to Washington Senators.
28: C Gene Desautels (Holy Cross hoops letterman in 1929 and 1930) purchased from the Detroit Tigers by Hollywood (PCL) in 1934. . . . RHP Eddie Fisher (hooper for Oklahoma's 1954-55 freshman squad) traded by the Baltimore Orioles to Cleveland Indians in 1967. . . . INF Billy Harrell (averaged 10.3 ppg in three seasons for Siena in early 1950s) selected from the Philadelphia Phillies by Boston Red Sox in 1960 Rule 5 draft. . . . OF Ted Savage (led Lincoln MO in scoring average in 1955-56) traded by the Philadelphia Phillies to Pittsburgh Pirates in 1962. . . . RHP Dave Sisler (All-Ivy League second-team selection for Princeton's first NCAA Tournament team in 1952) shipped as player to be designated by the Washington Senators to Cincinnati Reds to complete trade made two months earlier. . . . RHP Darrell Sutherland (averaged 8.1 ppg and 2.2 rpg for Stanford from 1960-61 through 1962-63) selected from the New York Mets by Cleveland Indians in 1967 minor league draft. . . . RHP Billy Wynne (one of prime hoopers in mid-1960s for Pfeiffer NC) selected from the New York Mets by Cleveland Indians in 1966 Rule 5 draft.
29: OF Brant Alyea (Hofstra's leading scorer and rebounder in 1960-61 after finishing runner-up in both categories previous season) selected from the Minnesota Twins by Oakland Athletics in 1971 Rule 5 draft. . . . 1B Zeke Bonura (best basketball forward for Loyola New Orleans in late 1920s and early 1930s) traded with two additional players by the Cleveland Indians to Indianapolis (American Association) for RHP Oral Hildebrand (Butler hoops All-American in 1928-29 and 1929-30) in 1930. . . . 2B Marv Breeding (Samford hooper in mid-1950s) selected from the Baltimore Orioles by Atlanta Braves in 1965 Rule 5 draft. . . . OF-1B Jim Hickman (Ole Miss freshman hooper in 1955-56) traded by the New York Mets to Los Angeles Dodgers in 1966. . . . OF-INF Chuck Hinton (played multiple sports for Shaw NC before serving two years in U.S. Army in mid-1950s) traded by the Cleveland Indians to California Angels for OF Jose Cardenal in 1967. . . . LHP-1B Ossie Orwoll (Luther IA hooper in first half of 1920s) traded by the Philadelphia Athletics to Portland (PCL) in 1930. . . . UTL Jimmy Stewart (All-Volunteer State Athletic Conference selection for Austin Peay State in 1959-60 and 1960-61) traded by the Cincinnati Reds to Houston Astros in 1971.
30: OF Brant Alyea (Hofstra's leading scorer and rebounder in 1960-61 after finishing runner-up in both categories previous season) shipped as player to be designated by the Oakland Athletics to Texas Rangers in 1972 to complete trade made one month earlier. . . . INF Joey Amalfitano (Loyola Marymount hooper in 1952-53) selected from Toronto (International) by the San Francisco Giants in 1959 Rule 5 draft. Three years later in 1962, he was traded by the Houston Colt .45s to San Francisco Giants. . . . CF Ken Berry (Wichita freshman hooper in 1959-60) traded with RHP Billy Wynne (one of prime hoopers in mid-1960s for Pfeiffer NC) by the Chicago White Sox to California Angels in 1970. . . . RHP Vince Colbert (averaged 14.3 ppg and 7.3 rpg for East Carolina in 1966-67 and 1967-68) traded by the Cleveland Indians to Texas Rangers in 1972. . . . INF Tim Cullen (starting guard for Santa Clara in 1962-63 when averaging 10 ppg and 3.4 rpg) selected from the Boston Red Sox by Washington Senators in 1964 first-year draft. . . . RHP Eddie Fisher (hooper for Oklahoma's 1954-55 freshman squad) traded by the San Francisco Giants to Chicago White Sox in 1961. . . . 1B-OF Gary Holman (USC hoops letterman in 1962-63) selected from the Los Angeles Dodgers by Washington Senators in 1964 first-year draft. . . . 2B Davey Johnson (averaged 1.7 ppg with Texas A&M in 1961-62) traded by the Baltimore Orioles to Atlanta Braves in 1972. . . . OF "Sweet" Lou Johnson (Kentucky State teammate of legendary HBCU coach Davey Whitney averaged 5.7 ppg and 2 rpg in 1951-52) traded by the Los Angeles Dodgers to Chicago Cubs for INF Paul Popovich (teammate of All-American Jerry West averaged 3.3 ppg for West Virginia's 1960 NCAA playoff team) and another player in 1967. . . . OF Don Lock (led Wichita in field-goal percentage in 1956-57 and 1957-58) traded by the Washington Senators to Philadelphia Phillies in 1966. . . . SS Gene Michael (Kent State's scoring leader with 14 ppg in 1957-58) purchased from the Los Angeles Dodgers by New York Yankees in 1967. . . . RHP Ray Rippelmeyer (led Southern Illinois in scoring and rebounding as a sophomore in 1952-53 before transferring and becoming a two-time All-MIAA first-team selection by pacing Southeast Missouri State in scoring in 1953-54 and 1954-55) selected from the Milwaukee Braves by Cincinnati Reds in 1959 minor league draft. . . . UTL Mel Roach (averaged 9.3 ppg for Virginia in 1952-53) traded by the Chicago Cubs to Cleveland Indians in 1961. . . . OF Richie Scheinblum (averaged 6.1 ppg and 3.6 rpg in final two seasons with C.W. Post NY in 1962-63 and 1963-64) traded by the Kansas City Royals to Cincinnati Reds in 1972. . . . UTL Roe Skidmore (scored 41 points in single game for Millikin IL in 1965-66) traded by the Chicago Cubs to Chicago White Sox in 1970. . . . C John Stephenson (scored 1,361 points for William Carey MS in early 1960s) selected from the San Francisco Giants by California Angels in 1970 Rule 5 draft.

Six days in November (2nd/3rd/13th/21st/24th/25th) each had six NCAA Division I All-Americans born on that date. Two All-Americans for North Carolina (Tyler Hansbrough and Ty Lawson/3rd), Boston College (Troy Bell and Craig Smith/10th) and Kentucky (Jamal Mashburn and Julius Randle/29th) were born on the same day this month. UK and Michigan each contributed the most A-As born in November with five. Oregon had four All-Americans born the first half of month while Marquette had four the second half of month. Following are A-As and Hall of Fame coaches born in November:

NOVEMBER

1: All-Americans Joe Caldwell (1941/Arizona State), David "Corky" Calhoun (1950/Penn) and Johnny Cox (1936/Kentucky).
2: All-Americans Keith "Mister" Jennings (1968/East Tennessee State), Ted Kitchel (1959/Indiana), Ron Lee (1952/Oregon), Oscar "Sonny" Olson (1917/Carleton MN), Myer "Whitey" Skoog (1926/Minnesota) and Tom Thacker (1939/Cincinnati).
3: All-Americans Tyler Hansbrough (1985/North Carolina), Steve Johnson (1957/Oregon State), Ty Lawson (1987/North Carolina), Jeremiah Robinson-Earl (2000/Villanova), Dick Triptow (1922/DePaul) and George Yardley (1928/Stanford).
4: All-Americans Trevon Bluiett (1994/Xavier), Dick Groat (1930/Duke), Gene Rock (1921/Southern California), George Stanich (1928/UCLA) and Lorenzen Wright (1975/Memphis).
5: All-Americans Jerry Stackhouse (1974/North Carolina), Bill Walton (1952/UCLA) and Mark West (1960/Old Dominion).
6: All-Americans Luke Jackson (1981/Oregon) and Jack Murdock (1934/Wake Forest).
7: All-American Tony Jackson (1942/St. John's).
8: All-Americans Don Hennon (1937/Pittsburgh), Chester "Chet" Jaworski (1916/Rhode Island State), Brevin Knight (1975/Stanford) and Tom "Satch" Sanders (1938/NYU) plus Hall of Fame coach Frank McGuire (1913/St. John's, North Carolina and South Carolina).
9: All-Americans Mel Davis (1950/St. John's), John Dick (1918/Oregon) and Frank Selvy (1932/Furman).
10: All-Americans Darryl "D.J." Augustin (1987/Texas), Troy Bell (1980/Boston College), Barry Kramer (1942/NYU), Jacob Pullen (1989/Kansas State) and Craig Smith (1983/Boston College).
11: All-Americans Richie Fuqua (1950/Oral Roberts) and Andre Woolridge (1973/Iowa).
12: All-Americans Paolo Banchero (2002/Duke) and Trey Burke (1992/Michigan).
13: All-Americans Ron Artest (1979/St. John's), Forrest "Whitey" Baccus (1911/Southern Methodist), Gene Brown (1935/San Francisco), Rumeal Robinson (1966/Michigan), Scott Steagall (1929/Millikin IL) and Rich Yunkus (1949/Georgia Tech) plus Hall of Fame coach Roland "Rollie" Massimino (1934/Stony Brook, Villanova, UNLV and Cleveland State).
14: All-Americans Wally Borrevik (1921/Oregon), Jason Gardner (1980/Arizona), Simmie Hill (1946/West Texas State) and Lionel Simmons (1968/La Salle).
15: All-American Karl-Anthony Towns (1995/Kentucky).
16: All-Americans Art Bunte (1933/Utah) and Denzel Valentine (1993/Michigan State).
17: All-Americans Elvin Hayes (1945/Houston), Terry Rand (1934/Marquette), Glen Smith (1928/Utah) and Steve Stipanovich (1960/Missouri) plus Hall of Fame coach Jim Boeheim (1944/Syracuse).
18: All-Americans Irv Bemoras (1930/Illinois), Len Bias (1963/Maryland), Julius Hodge (1983/North Carolina State), Don Lofgran (1928/San Francisco) and Richard "Buzz" Wilkinson (1932/Virginia) plus Hall of Fame coach Forrest "Phog" Allen (1885/Kansas).
19: All-Americans Justin Anderson (1993/Virginia) and Kenneth Faried (1989/Morehead State).
20: All-Americans Carlos Boozer (1981/Duke), Louie Dampier (1944/Kentucky), Howard Engleman (1919/Kansas) and Phil Sellers (1953/Rutgers).
21: All-Americans Terry Dischinger (1940/Purdue), John Lucas III (1982/Oklahoma State), Cedric "Cornbread" Maxwell (1955/UNC Charlotte), Earl "The Pearl" Monroe (1944/Winston-Salem State), Miles Simon (1975/Arizona) and Stromile Swift (1979/Louisiana State).
22: All-Americans Benoit Benjamin (1964/Creighton), Byron Houston (1969/Oklahoma State) and Mel Hutchins (1928/Brigham Young).
23: All-Americans Steve Alford (1964/Indiana), Frank Johnson (1958/Wake Forest), Malik Rose (1974/Drexel), Andrew Toney (1957/Southwestern Louisiana) and Lloyd Walton (1953/Marquette).
24: All-Americans Henry Bibby (1949/UCLA), Dave Bing (1943/Syracuse), Jimmy Collins (1946/New Mexico State), John Horan (1932/Dayton), Oscar Robertson (1938/Cincinnati) and Rudy Tomjanovich (1948/Michigan).
25: All-Americans Chris Carrawell (1977/Duke), Lorenzo Charles (1963/North Carolina State), Hunter Dickinson (2000/Michigan, Jared Jeffries (1981/Indiana), Bob Kessler (1914/Purdue) and Anthony Peeler (1969/Missouri).
26: All-Americans Kresimir Cosic (1948/Brigham Young) and Luther Head (1982/Illinois).
27: All-Americans Brendan Haywood (1979/North Carolina), Jim Price (1949/Louisville) and Nick Van Exel (1971/Cincinnati).
28: All-Americans Andrew Bogut (1984/Utah), Don Collins (1958/Washington State) and Roy Tarpley (1964/Michigan).
29: All-Americans Don "Red" Goldstein (1938/Louisville), Jamal Mashburn (1972/Kentucky), Julius Randle (1994/Kentucky), Charles E. Smith IV (1967/Georgetown) and George Thompson (1947/Marquette).
30: All-Americans Jim Chones (1949/Marquette), Tom Kondla (1946/Minnesota), Paul Westphal (1950/Southern California) and Grant Williams (1998/Tennessee) plus Hall of Fame coach Joe B. Hall (1928/Kentucky).

Birthdays in January for All-Americans and Hall of Fame Coaches
Birthdays in February for All-Americans and Hall of Fame Coaches
Birthdays in March for All-Americans and Hall of Fame Coaches
Birthdays in April for All-Americans and Hall of Fame Coaches
Birthdays in May for All-Americans and Hall of Fame Coaches
Birthdays in June for All-Americans and Hall of Fame Coaches
Birthdays in July for All-Americans and Hall of Fame Coaches
Birthdays in August for All-Americans and Hall of Fame Coaches
Birthdays in September for All-Americans and Hall of Fame Coaches
Birthdays in October for All-Americans and Hall of Fame Coaches
Birthdays in November for All-Americans and Hall of Fame Coaches
Birthdays in December for All-Americans and Hall of Fame Coaches

Extra! Extra! Instead of debating whether nothing is scarier on Halloween than risk of creepy Plagiarist Biledumb's America having anything to do with your life turning you into Dr. Frankenstein creation like hideous Hunter, you can read news 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.

Mike Flanagan, who averaged 13.9 ppg for Massachusetts' freshman hoop squad in 1971-72 a year after Hall of Fame coach Rick Pitino averaged 16.1 ppg for UMass frosh, won the 1979 American League Cy Young Award as Baltimore Orioles LHP on this date. Unless you habitually pore over the content at baseballlibrary.com, baseballreference.com and nationalpastime.com, following is an October 31 calendar focusing on such versatile MLB athletes:

OCTOBER 31

• SS Alvin Dark (basketball letterman for Louisiana State and Southwestern Louisiana during World War II) traded by the Milwaukee Braves to the San Francisco Giants in 1960.

• Baltimore Orioles LHP Mike Flanagan (averaged 13.9 ppg for Massachusetts' 15-1 freshman squad in 1971-72) named winner of 1979 American League Cy Young Award.

• RHP Chris Young (All-Ivy League first-team selection as Princeton's leading scorer and rebounder in 1999-00) started Game 4 for the Kansas City Royals when they defeated the New York Mets, 5-3, to take a commanding 3-1 lead in 2015 World Series.

Extra! Extra! Plagiarist Biledumb's Administration left several hundred thousand weapons behind for Taliban thugs to utilize and then lectures U.S. citizens on gun control. Instead of seeking to shake DC Swamp like an Etch A Sketch to start representative government over, you can read news 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.

In 1963, it was announced former college hoopers Sandy Koufax (Cincinnati) and Dick Groat (Duke) finished 1-2 in National League MVP balloting on this date. Unless you habitually pore over the content at baseballlibrary.com, baseballreference.com and nationalpastime.com, following is an October 30 calendar focusing on such versatile MLB athletes:

OCTOBER 30

• Washington Nationals LHP Patrick Corbin (hooper for Mohawk Valley Community College NY in 2007-08) hurled three scoreless innings of relief in posting a 6-2 victory against the Houston Astros in decisive Game 7 of 2019 World Series.

• Los Angeles Dodgers LHP Sandy Koufax (Cincinnati's freshman basketball squad in 1953-54) and St. Louis Cardinals SS Dick Groat (two-time All-American with Duke in 1950-51 and 1951-52 when placing among nation's top five scorers each season) finished 1-2 in N.L. MVP voting in 1963.

• 1B Gary Holle (Siena's scoring and rebounding leader in 1974-75 and 1975-76) traded by the Chicago White Sox to the Philadelphia Phillies in 1981.

• Davey Johnson (averaged 1.7 ppg with Texas A&M in 1961-62) hired as Baltimore Orioles manager in 1995.

Extra! Extra! Instead of debating whether MAGA rallies and fan-filled football games featuring "Let's Go Brandon!" chants were super spreaders according to COVID connoisseurs such as Dr. Fraudci and chronically-confused CDC chief but not peak-insanity BLM riot throngs at minimum spreading destruction, you can read news 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 Dallas Green (Delaware) and Wally Roettger (Illinois) made National League news on this date. Unless you habitually pore over the content at baseballlibrary.com, baseballreference.com and nationalpastime.com, following is an October 29 calendar focusing on such versatile MLB athletes:

OCTOBER 29

• Dallas Green (Delaware's second-leading basketball scorer and rebounder in 1954-55) stepped down as president and general manager of the Chicago Cubs in 1987.

• OF Wally Roettger (Illinois hoops letterman in 1921-22 and 1922-23) purchased from the New York Giants by the Cincinnati Reds in 1930.

Extra! Extra! Instead of calling out Nike hypocrisy and mum NBA lapdog for atrocious modern-day slavery (oppressive use of Chinese forced consumer-goods labor in genocidal Uyghur Muslim prison camps), you can read news 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 Creighton top hoops scorer Bob Gibson of the St. Louis Cardinals captured the Cy Young Award on this date. Seven years later on same date, former Ole Miss top scorer Don Kessinger was traded to the Cards. Unless you habitually pore over the content at baseballlibrary.com, baseballreference.com and nationalpastime.com, following is an October 28 calendar focusing on such versatile MLB athletes:

OCTOBER 28

• St. Louis Cardinals RHP Bob Gibson (Creighton's leading basketball scorer and rebounder in 1955-56 and 1956-57) captured the Cy Young Award in 1968 after posting a microscopic 1.12 ERA. Incredibly, Gibson's 13 shutouts and 28 complete games that year were almost as many as the entire National League in 2021 (18 and 29, respectively).

• A lead-off homer in bottom of sixth inning by Atlanta Braves RF David Justice (led Thomas More KY in assists in 1984-85 while averaging 9.3 ppg and 3.5 rpg) against the Cleveland Indians accounted for only run in Game 6 of 1995 World Series as the Braves became first franchise to win championships representing three different cities (previously Boston and Milwaukee).

• SS Don Kessinger (three-time All-Southeastern Conference selection for Mississippi from 1961-62 through 1963-64 while finishing among nation's top 45 scorers each year) traded by the Chicago Cubs to the St. Louis Cardinals in 1975.

• In Game 6 of World Series, 2B Davey Lopes (NAIA All-District 15 selection for Iowa Wesleyan averaged 16.9 ppg as All-Iowa Conference freshman selection in 1964-65 and 12.1 as sophomore in 1965-66 before transferring with his coach to Washburn KS where he was All-CIC choice for 1968 NAIA Tournament team) posted his 10th stolen base in as many attempts during the Los Angeles Dodgers' 1981 championship-winning postseason.

• OF Randy Winn (Santa Clara backcourtmate of eventual two-time NBA Most Valuable Player Steve Nash in 1993-94) traded by the Tampa Bay Devil Rays to the Seattle Mariners in 2002 for managerial rights of Lou Piniella (averaged 2.5 ppg and 1.4 rpg for Tampa as a freshman in 1961-62) and a player.

Long before kneeling knuckleheads and politicized multiple anthems, the NCAA Tournament commenced in 1939, which was one year after the NIT triggered national postseason competition. An overlooked "versatile athlete" feat occurring in 1938 likely never to be duplicated took place at Arkansas, where the quarterback for the football squad (Jack Robbins) repeated as an All-SWC first-team basketball selection, leading the Razorbacks (19-3) to the league title. After the season, Robbins became an NFL first-round draft choice by the Chicago Cardinals (5th pick overall) and senior football/basketball teammates Jim Benton (11th pick by Cleveland Rams) and Ray Hamilton (41st pick by Rams) went on to become wide receivers for at least six years in the NFL. Yes, they created a kneeling-in-admiration shatterproof achievement - three do-everything members of a league championship basketball squad who promptly were among the top 41 selections in same NFL draft.

Two years later, All-SWC first-team hoop selection Howard "Red" Hickey was instrumental in Arkansas reaching the 1941 Final Four before becoming an end for the Cleveland Rams' 1945 NFL titlist. Two-sport college teammate and fellow end O'Neal Adams scored five touchdowns for the New York Giants the first half of the 1940s. Another two-sport Hog who played for the Giants in the mid-1940s was Harry Wynne. An earlier versatile Razorback was Jim Lee Howell, who was an All-SWC first five hoop selection in 1935-36 before becoming a starting end for the Giants' 1938 NFL titlist and Pro Bowl participant the next year. Adams, Benton, Hamilton, Hickey and Howell combined for 77 touchdowns in an 11-year span from 1938 through 1948 when at least one of the ex-Razorback hoopers scored a TD in each of those seasons.

Hickey and ex-Hog All-SWC second-team hooper in 1929-30/NFL end Milan Creighton each coached NFL franchises. Many other ex-college hoopers also displayed their wares on the gridiron. Following is exhaustive research you can tackle regarding former college basketball players who made a name for themselves on October 27 in football at the professional level (especially in 1963 and 1968):

OCTOBER 27

• Denver Broncos QB Marlin Briscoe (averaged 9.5 ppg and 3.6 rpg for Nebraska-Omaha in 1964-65) rushed for two second-half touchdowns in a 21-14 AFL win against the Miami Dolphins in 1968.

• San Francisco 49ers rookie HB Don Durdan (Oregon State hoops letterman from 1941 to 1943) caught a touchdown pass from Frankie Albert in 34-20 AAFC win against the Cleveland Browns in 1946.

• Houston Texans TE Darren Fells (led UCI in rebounding each of last three seasons while averaging 10.2 ppg and 6.3 rpg from 2004-05 through 2007-08) caught two fourth-quarter touchdown passes from Deshaun Watson in 27-24 win against the Oakland Raiders in 2019. Texans WR DeAndre Hopkins (played in seven hoop games for Clemson in 2010-11) had 11 pass receptions.

• New Orleans Saints TE Jimmy Graham (part-time starter for Miami FL averaged 4.2 ppg and 4.2 rpg from 2005-06 through 2008-09) caught two of his NFL-high 16 touchdown passes from Drew Brees in a 35-17 win against the Buffalo Bills in 2013.

• Rookie B Swede Hagberg (three-year West Virginia hoops letterman in late 1920s) scored the Buffalo Bisons' only touchdown with a 55-yard pass reception in 14-6 setback against the Boston Bulldogs in 1929.

• Green Bay Packers rookie RB Paul Hornung (averaged 6.1 ppg in 10 contests for Notre Dame in 1954-55) rushed for two fourth-quarter touchdowns in a 24-21 win against the Baltimore Colts in 1957.

• St. Louis Cardinals QB Charley Johnson (transferred from Schreiner J.C. to New Mexico State to play hoops before concentrating on football) threw three touchdown passes in a 21-7 win against the Washington Redskins in 1963. WR Sonny Randle (scoreless in seven basketball games in Virginia's third season in ACC in 1955-56) caught two of the TD passes in second half. Eleven years later with the Denver Broncos, Johnson threw two first-half TD passes in a 23-21 setback against the Cleveland Browns in 1974.

• Green Bay Packers RB Aaron Jones (collected six points and six assists in eight basketball games for Texas-El Paso in 2013-14 under coach Tim Floyd) caught two touchdown passes from QB Aaron Rodgers in a 31-24 win against the Kansas City Chiefs in 2019. Decisive TD was a 67-yarder with 8:02 remaining in fourth quarter.

• E Chuck Kassel (Illinois hoops letterman in 1925 and 1926) accounted for the Chicago Cardinals' lone touchdown with a 28-yard catch from Ernie Nevers (All-Pacific Coast Conference second-five choice for Stanford in 1924-25) in a 7-6 setback against the Green Bay Packers in 1929.

• Miami Dolphins RB Jerris McPhail (starting point guard for Mount Olive NC with 11 ppg in early 1990s) scored two first-half touchdowns - 71-yard run from scrimmage and 10-yard pass reception from Dan Marino - in a 36-33 setback against the Chicago Bears in 1997. The previous year as a rookie, McPhail returned two kickoffs for 69 yards in 29-10 setback against the Dallas Cowboys in 1996.

• San Francisco 49ers WR Terrell Owens (UTC hooper from 1993-94 through 1995-96 started five games) caught two first-half touchdown passes from Jeff Garcia (21 and 61 yards) in a 38-28 win against the Arizona Cardinals in 2002.

• Chicago Bears K Mac Percival (three-year hoops letterman was part of squad winning Texas Tech's first SWC championship in major sport in 1960-61) converted all four of his field-goal attempts - including a decisive 47-yarder in fourth quarter - in 26-24 win against the Minnesota Vikings in 1968.

• Oakland Raiders WR Art Powell (averaged 10.5 ppg and 8.2 rpg for San Jose State in 1956-57) had two touchdown catches in a 34-33 AFL win against the San Diego Chargers in 1963.

• Philadelphia Eagles HB Bosh Pritchard (four-sport letterman for VMI) had a 45-yard pass reception for touchdown in 28-24 win against the Washington Redskins in 1946.

• B Dave Ryan (Hardin-Simmons TX hoops letterman in 1942 and 1943) had the Detroit Lions' only score by returning a fumble recovery 36 yards for touchdown in 10-7 setback against the Green Bay Packers in 1946.

• Cincinnati Bengals rookie WR S.T. Saffold (two-time All-WCAC first-team choice led San Jose State in scoring and rebounding all three seasons from 1963-64 through 1965-66 while averaging 14.6 ppg and 9.8 rpg) had career highs of five pass receptions for 66 yards in a 31-10 AFL setback against the Oakland Raiders in 1968.

• New York Jets DB Johnny Sample (freshman hooper for Maryland-Eastern Shore) had two interceptions in a 48-14 AFL win against the Boston Patriots in 1968.

• An 11-yard pass reception by E Billy Wilson (averaged 3.3 ppg as senior letterman for San Jose State in 1950-51) for fourth-quarter touchdown propelled the San Francisco 49ers to a 21-17 win against the Chicago Bears in 1957.

• TE Bob Windsor (played two games for Kentucky in 1965-66 under coach Adolph Rupp) caught a 10-yard touchdown pass from Jim Plunkett in fourth quarter to power the New England Patriots to a 17-14 win against the Minnesota Vikings in 1974.

• New York Giants LB Bill Winter (St. Olaf MN hoops letterman averaged 5.3 ppg and 2.7 rpg in 1960-61 and 1961-62) had an interception in 33-6 win against the Cleveland Browns in 1963.

Long before kneeling knuckleheads and politicized multiple anthems, the NCAA Tournament commenced in 1939, which was one year after the NIT triggered national postseason competition. An overlooked "versatile athlete" feat occurring in 1938 likely never to be duplicated took place at Arkansas, where the quarterback for the football squad (Jack Robbins) repeated as an All-SWC first-team basketball selection, leading the Razorbacks (19-3) to the league title. After the season, Robbins became an NFL first-round draft choice by the Chicago Cardinals (5th pick overall) and senior football/basketball teammates Jim Benton (11th pick by Cleveland Rams) and Ray Hamilton (41st pick by Rams) went on to become wide receivers for at least six years in the NFL. Yes, they created a kneeling-in-admiration shatterproof achievement - three do-everything members of a league championship basketball squad who promptly were among the top 41 selections in the same NFL draft.

Two years later, All-SWC first-team hoop selection Howard "Red" Hickey was instrumental in Arkansas reaching the 1941 Final Four before becoming an end for the Cleveland Rams' 1945 NFL titlist. Two-sport college teammate and fellow end O'Neal Adams scored five touchdowns for the New York Giants the first half of the 1940s. Another two-sport Hog who played for the Giants in the mid-1940s was Harry Wynne. An earlier versatile Razorback was Jim Lee Howell, who was an All-SWC first five hoop selection in 1935-36 before becoming a starting end for the Giants' 1938 NFL titlist and Pro Bowl participant the next year. Adams, Benton, Hamilton, Hickey and Howell combined for 77 touchdowns in an 11-year span from 1938 through 1948 when at least one of the ex-Razorback hoopers scored a TD in each of those seasons.

Hickey and ex-Hog All-SWC second-team hooper in 1929-30/NFL end Milan Creighton each coached NFL franchises. Many other ex-college hoopers also displayed their wares on the gridiron. Following is exhaustive research you can tackle regarding former college basketball players who made a name for themselves on October 26 in football at the professional level (especially in 1969 and 1975):

OCTOBER 26

• WR Don Alley (collected 12 points and 13 rebounds in seven hoops games for Adams State CO in 1963-64) had a career-long 16-yard pass reception from Terry Hanratty for the Pittsburgh Steelers' lone score in 14-7 setback against the Washington Redskins in 1969.

• A three-yard rushing touchdown in the fourth quarter by Cincinnati Bengals QB Ken Anderson (swingman finished Augustana IL career in early 1970s as fifth-leading scorer in school history with 1,044 points) was the difference in 21-14 win against the Atlanta Falcons in 1975.

• A touchdown catch by New York Giants TE Kevin Boss (averaged 3 ppg and 2.7 rpg while shooting 51.9% from floor for Western Oregon in 2004-05 and 2005-06) with 3:07 remaining was the difference in 21-14 win against the Pittsburgh Steelers in 2008.

• Cleveland Browns FB Jim Brown (#2-scorer with 14 ppg for Syracuse as sophomore in 1954-55 before averaging 11.3 as junior) rushed for four touchdowns - two of them for 41 and 62 yards - in a 38-24 win against the Chicago Cardinals in 1958.

• New York Giants B Dale Burnett (two-time all-conference hooper for Emporia State KS) scored two touchdowns - one receiving/one rushing - in a 25-0 win against the Providence Steam Roller in 1930.

• Philadelphia Eagles WR Harold Carmichael (starter two seasons for Southern LA averaged 9.8 ppg and 10.6 rpg in 1969-70) caught two first-half touchdown passes from Roman Gabriel in a 20-17 setback against the Dallas Cowboys in 1975.

• New York Giants T Victor Carroll (three-year hoops letterman for Nevada-Reno in mid-1930s) caught an 18-yard touchdown pass in 38-21 setback against the Pittsburgh Steelers in 1947.

• Rookie B Clyde Crabtree (Florida hoops letterman in 1928 and 1929) scored only touchdown for the Frankfort Yellow Jackets (44-yard pass reception) in a 13-7 setback against the Chicago Bears in 1930.

• Rookie WR Dobie Craig (runner-up in scoring and rebounding for Howard Payne TX in 1960-61) opened the Oakland Raiders' scoring with a 34-yard touchdown catch from Cotton Davidson in 26-16 AFL setback against the Boston Patriots in 1962.

• Chicago Cardinals E Billy Dewell (three-time All-SWC first-team hoops pick for SMU in late 1930s) caught two touchdown passes from Paul Christman in a 27-7 win against the Boston Yanks in 1947.

• Pittsburgh Steelers QB Jim Finks (led Tulsa with 8.9 ppg as sophomore in 1946-47) threw three of his league-high 20 touchdown passes - one of them to Lynn Chandnois (forward scored 15 points in 11 games for Michigan State in 1946-47 and 1947-48) - in a 34-28 win against the Chicago Cardinals in 1952.

• Dallas Cowboys TE Jean Fugett (leading scorer and rebounder for Amherst MA as junior in 1970-71) had career highs with seven pass receptions for 93 yards in a 20-17 win against the Philadelphia Eagles in 1975. Cowboys QB Roger Staubach (Navy varsity hooper in 1962-63) passed for 314 yards.

• Cleveland Browns QB Otto Graham (Big Ten Conference runner-up in scoring as Northwestern sophomore in 1941-42 and junior in 1942-43) threw two first-half touchdown passes in a 14-7 win against the San Francisco 49ers in 1947.

• Miami Dolphins QB Bob Griese (sophomore guard for Purdue in 1964-65) threw two second-quarter touchdown passes in a 24-6 AFL win against the Buffalo Bills in 1969.

• Cincinnati Bengals DE Harry Gunner (J.C. transfer averaged 4.4 ppg and 4.5 rpg for Oregon State, playing on NCAA playoff team in 1966) returned an interception 70 yards for touchdown in 42-22 AFL setback against the Kansas City Chiefs in 1969.

• San Diego Chargers SS Rodney Harrison (averaged 7.4 ppg, 4.1 rpg, 3 apg and 1.6 spg for Western Illinois in 1992-93) returned a kickoff 40 yards for touchdown in 35-19 win against the Indianapolis Colts in 1997.

• St. Louis Cardinals QB Charley Johnson (transferred from Schreiner J.C. to New Mexico State to play hoops before concentrating on football) passed for 306 yards and three touchdowns in a 21-21 tie against the Cleveland Browns in 1969.

• Houston Texans WR Jacoby Jones (part-time starter averaged 3.4 ppg and 3.7 rpg for Lane TN in 2004-05 and 2005-06) returned a punt 73 yards for touchdown in 35-6 win against the Cincinnati Bengals in 2008.

• Detroit Lions QB Bobby Layne (Texas hooper in 1944-45) threw three touchdown passes in a 52-17 win against the Green Bay Packers in 1952.

• Cleveland Browns WR Dave Logan (three-time scoring runner-up averaged 14.1 ppg and 6.3 rpg for Colorado in mid-1970s) caught eight passes for 131 yards in a 27-26 win against the Pittsburgh Steelers in 1980.

• San Francisco 49ers DB Ronnie Lott (USC hooper as junior in 1979-80) had two interceptions - returning one of them 55 yards for fourth-quarter touchdown - in a 31-17 win against the Green Bay Packers in 1986.

• Minnesota Vikings DB Earsell Mackbee (teammate of Utah State All-American Wayne Estes averaged 3.4 ppg and 1.4 rpg in 1964-65) had three interceptions in a 24-10 win against the Detroit Lions in 1969.

• Brooklyn Dodgers rookie HB Banks McFadden (led Clemson in scoring each of his three seasons en route to becoming school's first hoops All-American in 1939) had a 75-yard rushing touchdown in 21-7 win against the Philadelphia Eagles in 1940.

• Chicago Cardinals FB Ernie Nevers (All-Pacific Coast Conference second-five choice for Stanford in 1924-25) rushed for two touchdowns in a 23-13 win against the Portsmouth Spartans in 1930.

• Cleveland Browns RB Greg Pruitt (Oklahoma frosh hooper in 1969-70) caught two second-half touchdown passes from Brian Sipe in a 27-26 win against the Pittsburgh Steelers in 1980.

• Pittsburgh Steelers WR Antwaan Randle El (member of Indiana's 1999 NCAA Tournament team) returned a punt 84 yards for touchdown in 33-21 setback against the St. Louis Rams in 2003.

• Rookie TE Oscar Roan (averaged 5.8 ppg and 4.3 rpg for Southern Methodist in 1973-74) accounted for the Cleveland Browns' only touchdown with a 15-yard pass reception from Brian Sipe in 23-7 setback against the Washington Redskins in 1975.

• Denver Broncos SE Lionel Taylor (led New Mexico Highlands in scoring average with 13.6 ppg in 1955-56 and 20.3 in 1956-57) caught two touchdown passes in a 35-35 AFL tie against the New York Jets in 1963.

• New England Patriots LB Adalius Thomas (averaged 2.9 ppg and 1.9 rpg for Southern Mississippi in 1996-97 and 1997-98) had two sacks in a 23-16 win against the St. Louis Rams in 2008.

• B Doug Wycoff (Georgia Tech hoops letterman in 1926) threw a 12-yard touchdown pass for the Staten Island Stapletons' only score in 6-6 tie with the Frankfort Yellow Jackets in 1929.

Numerous universities have had versatile athletes who played college basketball before going on to major league baseball careers including appearances in the World Series. Tim Stoddard (North Carolina State) and Kenny Lofton (Arizona) are the only two such athletes to participate in an NCAA Final Four before competing in a WS. Believe it or not, the duo attended the same high school (Washington in East Chicago, Ind., a town with modest population of 28,000).

While many single-minded basketball fans are assessing polls and rankings in preseason hoop magazines and websites, following is an incisive "Who Am I?" quiz for well-rounded basketball/baseball enthusiasts taking a toll on their memories as they try to recall Fall Classic participants who played varsity basketball for a current NCAA Division I college. Keep your chin up if you need relief answering the following questions because they're almost as difficult as pitchers will find keeping the potent offenses of the Arizona Diamondbacks and Texas Rangers at bay (TX General Manager Chris Young was an All-Ivy League hooper):

I was a 13-year major league second baseman who set several fielding records and played in the 1967 World Series with the Boston Red Sox after ranking among the nation's top 12 free-throw shooters both of my college basketball seasons with Oklahoma State.
Who am I? Jerry Adair

I was a 17-year first baseman who hit four homers and a double in a single game and played in back-to-back World Series with the Milwaukee Braves after being LSU's leading scorer (18.6 points per game) for the Tigers' 1945-46 team compiling an 18-3 record and losing against Kentucky in the Southeastern Conference Tournament final.
Who am I? Joe Adcock

I was a 10-year pitcher who led the A.L. in winning percentage in 1935 with an 18-7 record (.720) for the World Series-bound Detroit Tigers after I was named to the first five on an all-conference basketball team in my final season at Kansas State. I was a submariner who hurled a complete game victory in a 10-4 verdict over the St. Louis Cardinals in Game 4 of the '34 Series before losing Game 7 to Dizzy Dean.
Who am I? Eldon Auker

I was a shortstop who participated in five World Series, four with the champion, in a six-year span from 1910 through 1915 after earning a basketball letter for Holy Cross in 1908.
Who am I? John "Jack" Barry

I was a rookie pitcher in 1978 with the New York Yankees who went the distance for the first time in my major league career in a Game 5 victory over the Los Angeles Dodgers in the World Series. I was a 6-5 forward who averaged 14.3 ppg and a team-high 8.9 rebounds per game for Dartmouth in 1974-75 when I was selected team MVP and honorable mention All-Ivy League.
Who am I? Jim Beattie

I was a catcher who appeared in back-to-back World Series with the New York Yankees (1927 and 1928) after being a basketball letterman for Niagara from 1916-17 through 1918-19.
Who am I? Bernard "Benny" Bengough

I was an outfielder who, during my 11-year career with the Pittsburgh Pirates, hit a double in the 1925 World Series to help them become the first team to come back from a 3-1 deficit in a seven-game series. I played with my brother on Oregon's basketball squad before we briefly played alongside each other with the Pirates.
Who am I? Carson "Skeeter" Bigbee

I was 1952 National League Rookie of the Year and pitched a complete-game victory in World Series opener that year for the Brooklyn Dodgers after playing hoops with Morgan State in the mid-1940s.
Who am I? Joe Black

I was a player-manager who earned American League MVP honors in leading the Cleveland Indians to the 1948 World Series after being the top scorer for an Illinois team sharing a Big Ten Conference basketball title.
Who am I? Lou Boudreau

I was an infielder who participated in 1962 World Series for the San Francisco Giants after lettering in hoops with East Tennessee State in the mid-1950s.
Who am I? Ernie Bowman

I was a pitcher who appeared in the 1947 and 1949 World Series with the Brooklyn Dodgers after notching 21-12 and 13-5 won-loss marks, respectively, following a basketball career at NYU, where I was the Violets' sixth-leading scorer in 1943-44 with an average of 3.8 ppg. Major league player and manager Bobby Valentine is my son-in-law.
Who am I? Ralph Branca

I was credited with creating "the high five" in conjunction with fellow Los Angeles Dodgers outfielder Dusty Baker in 1977 before stroking a single later that year in World Series opener against the New York Yankees. I averaged 16.3 ppg in six basketball contests for Nevada-Reno in 1974-75 prior to dismissal for a so-called lack of discipline.
Who am I? Glenn Burke

I was a 12-year outfielder who played in three World Series with the New York Yankees and hit 38 home runs in one season with Kansas City after finishing my college basketball career ranking fourth on Nebraska's career scoring list.
Who am I? Bob Cerv

I am a Hall of Fame catcher who participated in five World Series (1929-30-31-34-35) with the Philadelphia Athletics and Detroit Tigers after playing basketball for Boston University.
Who am I? Mickey Cochrane

I posted a 1.88 ERA in 14 1/3 innings for the Boston Red Sox against the New York Giants in the 1912 World Series after being a two-year basketball letterman with Vermont.
Who am I? Ray Collins

I am a Hall of Fame outfielder for the New York Yankees who compiled a .350 batting average in four World Series (1926-27-28-32) after being captain with Eastern Kentucky's basketball squad.
Who am I? Earle Combs

I am a three-time All-Star Game performer who pitched in the 1957 World Series for the Milwaukee Braves after being an All-Pacific Coast Conference first-team selection in 1949-50 when the 6-7 sophomore center led Washington State and the PCC North Division in scoring (13.3 ppg).
Who am I? Gene Conley

I appeared in two World Series games for St. Louis Cardinals in 1934 after serving as Davidson basketball captain in early 1920s.
Who am I? Pat Crawford

I hit .323 in three World Series (1948 with Boston Braves; 1951 and 1954 with New York Giants). Member of LSU's 1942-43 basketball squad before entering military service (Marine Corps V-12 program) during World War II. Known as the "Swamp Fox," I was a five-sport letterman with Southwestern Louisiana Institute (now Louisiana-Lafayette) during 1943-44.
Who am I? Alvin Dark

I led N.L. outfielders in putouts three years and hit near or over .300 for three St. Louis Cardinal pennant winners (1926, 1928 and 1930) after earning letters three seasons in basketball for California.
Who am I? Taylor Douthit

I was a second baseman who posted a career-high 22-game hitting streak during 1975 regular season before hitting safely in all seven World Series contests for Boston Red Sox against Cincinnati Reds. I averaged 2.7 ppg in 11 basketball outings with Morehead State in 1962-63.
Who am I? Denny Doyle

I was a 10-year utility infielder who saw action in two World Series games in 1959 with the Chicago White Sox after averaging seven ppg as a 5-9 starting guard for Indiana in 1951-52.
Who am I? Sammy Esposito

I was a catcher who appeared in two World Series with the Los Angeles Dodgers (1974 and 1978). Pacific teammate of All-American Keith Swagerty averaged 3.7 ppg and 2.3 rpg in 1965-66 and 1966-67 under coach Dick Edwards, scoring two points against eventual NCAA champion UCLA in the 1967 West Regional final.
Who am I? Joe Ferguson

I led the A.L. in won-loss percentage in 1946 with a 25-6 mark before pitching a shutout in Game 3 of the World Series for the Boston Red Sox against the St. Louis Cardinals after earning a basketball letter for Mississippi State in 1940-41.
Who am I? Boo Ferriss

I was a lefthanded hitting backup outfielder who participated in the 1929 World Series with the Philadelphia Athletics after being a basketball letterman for Army's 18-5 team in 1921 following two campaigns with Rutgers.
Who am I? Walt French

I wasa righthanded pitcher who appeared in the 1980 World Series with the Kansas City Royals after leading New Hampshire with 7.2 rpg in 1975-76.
Who am I? Rich Gale

I was a first baseman-outfielder who hit 103 major league homers and pinch hit four times for the Cincinnati Reds in the 1961 World Series after earning a letter with Temple's basketball team in 1948-49 when I averaged 2.7 ppg.
Who am I? Dick Gernert

I was a lefthanded pitcher who appeared in the 1960 World Series with the Pittsburgh Pirates after finishing my four-year college career as Mississippi's leader in career scoring and rebounds following a senior season when my scoring average was higher than first-team All-Americans Elgin Baylor (Seattle) and Wilt Chamberlain (Kansas).
Who am I? Joe Gibbon

I am a Hall of Fame pitcher who set a record with 17 strikeouts against the Detroit Tigers in my third World Series in five years after becoming the first basketball player in Creighton history to average at least 20 ppg in a career.
Who am I? Bob Gibson

I am a palm-ball specialist who blanked the Baltimore Orioles in 5 1/3 innings in three relief appearances for the champion Pittsburgh Pirates in the 1971 World Series after becoming the first N.L. pitcher to appear in each contest of a four-game LCS. I connected on 6-of-10 field-goal attempts in two games for Syracuse in 1959-60.
Who am I? Dave Giusti

I am a Hall of Fame first baseman-left fielder who had 14 extra-base hits in four World Series with the Detroit Tigers after attending NYU briefly on a basketball scholarship in 1929.
Who am I? Hank Greenberg

I am an eight-time All-Star Game shortstop who started for World Series championship teams with the Pittsburgh Pirates in 1960 and St. Louis Cardinals in 1964 after twice ranking among the top four scorers in the country with Duke.
Who am I? Dick Groat

I was a perennial All-Star outfielder with multiple Gold Gloves and N.L. batting titles who sparked the San Diego Padres to two World Series (1984 and 1998) after becoming a two-time All-WAC second-team selection as a San Diego State guard who led the league in assists as a sophomore and junior.
Who am I? Tony Gwynn

I was a three-time All-Star catcher who played in the 1962 World Series with the San Francisco Giants (swatted a two-run homer off Hall of Famer Whitey Ford of the Yankees in Game Four) after playing as a backup forward for Illinois' basketball squad as a sophomore (1956-57) and junior (1957-58).
Who am I? Tom Haller

I was a 12-year lefthanded reliever who appeared in back-to-back World Series (1963 and 1964) with the New York Yankees after the 6-7 Morehead State forward-center ranked 15th in the country in scoring as a junior (24.2 ppg in 1956-57) and among the nation's top 10 rebounders as a senior (19.1 rpg in 1957-58).
Who am I? Steve Hamilton

I was a 12-year lefthanded pitcher who appeared in the 1989 World Series with the San Francisco Giants after being a 6-2 guard who averaged 5.3 ppg as a freshman in 1976-77 and 4.9 ppg as a sophomore in 1977-78 for East Tennessee State.
Who am I? Atlee Hammaker

I was a first baseman-outfielder who participated in the 1942 World Series with the New York Yankees after playing for Manhattan basketball teams winning a school-record 17 consecutive games in 1930 and 1931.
Who am I? John "Buddy" Hassett

I was a lefthanded hitting utilityman who participated as a rookie with the New York Yankees in the 1923 World Series against the New York Giants after earning a basketball letter for Vanderbilt in 1918.
Who am I? Harvey Hendrick

I was a 16-year pitcher who relieved in two World Series games for the Cincinnati Reds in 1961 after earning a hoops letter with Houston in 1946-47 when eventual coach Guy Lewis was co-captain.
Who am I? Bill Henry

I was a 10-year pitcher who hurled four shutout innings as the fourth-game starter for the New York Yankees in the 1939 World Series after being a basketball All-American for Butler. I was named to the first A.L. All-Star team in 1933.
Who am I? Oral Hildebrand

I was a 16-year first baseman/outfielder who homered in Game 4 of the 1963 World Series to help the Los Angeles Dodgers sweep the New York Yankees and twice led the A.L. in homers after leading Ohio State in scoring and rebounding as a junior and senior.
Who am I? Frank Howard

I am a lefthanded pitcher who started three games with Boston Red Sox (winning two) in 1986 Word Series after being a member of Dixie State's third-place hoop squad in 1980 NJCAA Tournament when the Utah-based school was a juco.
Who am I? Bruce Hurst

I was a 13-year infielder who slugged 43 of my 136 career homers for the Atlanta Braves in 1973 after appearing in four World Series with the Baltimore Orioles (1966, 1969, 1970 and 1971). I averaged 1.7 ppg as a sophomore in my only varsity basketball season (1961-62) with Texas A&M before signing a pro baseball contract.
Who am I? Davey Johnson

I was a 13-year outfielder who hit .306 for the New York Yankees in 19 World Series games after being a three-year basketball letterman for Maryland.
Who am I? Charlie Keller

I was a Philadelphia Phillies relief pitcher who became N.L. MVP but lost the 1950 World Series opener to the New York Yankees as a starter, 1-0, after playing two seasons for Syracuse basketball teams.
Who am I? Jim Konstanty

I began rookie year with the Chicago Cubs by winning nine of my first 10 decisions before becoming a reliever for the 1969 Amazin' Mets World Series champion. I was a standout basketball player for Campbell in 1960 and 1961 when the North Carolina-based school was a junior college.
Who am I? Cal Koonce

I was an infielder-outfielder who hit .303 in my 15-year career. When I was with the Detroit Tigers, I led the A.L. in batting average once (.353 in 1959), hits four times (209 in 1953 when he was rookie of the year, 201 in 1954, 196 in 1956 and 198 in 1959) and doubles on three occasions (38 in 1955, 39 in 1958 and 42 in 1959) before appearing in the 1962 World Series with the San Francisco Giants. I managed the Milwaukee Brewers in the 1982 World Series. I played in five games for Wisconsin's basketball team in the 1951-52 season.
Who am I? Harvey Kuenn

I was a three-time All-Star outfielder who posted a .331 average with 22 HRs and 107 RBI in my first full season with the New York Giants in 1935 before appearing in the World Series in 1936 and 1937. I had two hits in a six-run second inning of Game Four in the Giants' lone victory against the New York Yankees in 1937 after scoring 16 points in nine basketball games for Arizona in 1931.
Who am I? Hank Leiber

I am an outfielder who led the A.L. in stolen bases, a record for an A.L. rookie, and appeared in the World Series with three different teams (Cleveland Indians, Atlanta Braves and San Francisco Giants) after setting Arizona basketball records for steals in a season and career.
Who am I? Kenny Lofton

I was a 12-year infielder who played in the 1957 and 1958 World Series with the New York Yankees after being a member of Southwest Missouri State squads that won 1952 and 1953 NAIA Tournament titles.
Who am I? Jerry Lumpe

I was a lefthanded outfielder who appeared in 1943 World Series for the New York Yankees against the St. Louis Cardinals after being a basketball letterman with William & Mary from 1935-36 through 1937-38.
Who am I? Arthur "Bud" Metheny

I was a Gold Glove left fielder in 1960 between participating in two World Series with the Dodgers (1959 and 1965) after averaging 4.3 ppg with Texas A&M in 1948-49 and 1949-50.
Who am I? Wally Moon

I was a righthander who appeared in 1934 World Series with the St. Louis Cardinals' Gas House Gang against the Detroit Tigers. I was an all-around athlete for East Tennessee State.
Who am I? Jim Mooney

I was an infielder who hit .303 with the Washington Senators and Boston Red Sox in 17 A.L. seasons from 1925 through 1941, participating in two World Series (1925 and 1933). I was a basketball letterman for Mississippi State in 1923-24.
Who am I? Charles "Buddy" Myer

I was a five-time All-Star who holds the A.L. record for most homers by a third baseman (319), but was homerless in five World Series (four with the New York Yankees and one with the San Diego Padres). The highlight of my career was four dazzling stops in Game 3 of the 1978 World Series to help the Yankees win their first of four consecutive games. I averaged 5.3 ppg while earning basketball letters in my hometown for San Diego State in 1963-64 and 1964-65, shooting 87.8% from the free-throw line (36 of 41) as a sophomore.
Who am I? Graig Nettles

I was a 17-year A.L. pitcher and three-time All-Star who made two relief appearances for the Minnesota Twins in 1965 World Series shutouts by Los Angeles Dodgers opponent Sandy Koufax after averaging more than 20 ppg in late 1950s for North Carolina-based former juco Campbell.
Who am I? Jim Perry

I was a 19-year MLB pitcher who appeared in two World Series with the Philadelphia Phillies after averaging 18.9 ppg and 14.3 rpg in three varsity basketball seasons with Notre Dame.
Who am I? Ron Reed

I was a catcher who played with the St. Louis Cardinals in the 1967 and 1968 World Series. I led Duquesne in scoring in my senior season with a 17.9 average in 1956-57 when I finished fourth in the nation in free-throw percentage (86.2). As a sophomore, I was a starter for an NIT championship team compiling a 22-4 record and finishing sixth in the final AP poll.
Who am I? Dave Ricketts

I appeared in 1915 World Series with the Philadelphia Phillies en route to becoming the N.L.'s winningest lefthanded pitcher until Warren Spahn broke my record. I earned basketball letters with Virginia in 1911-12 and 1913-14.
Who am I? Eppa Rixey Jr.

I am a Hall of Fame pitcher who was a 20-game winner for six consecutive seasons with the Philadelphia Phillies after leading Michigan State in field-goal percentage as a junior captain. In 1950, I lost my only World Series start, 2-1, when the Yankees' Joe DiMaggio homered off me in the 10th inning.
Who am I? Robin Roberts

I am a Hall of Fame infielder who was a regular for six National League pennant winners after compiling league-high scoring averages in both of my seasons with UCLA. I collected two homers and seven doubles in World Series competition for the Brooklyn Dodgers.
Who am I? Jackie Robinson

I was a four-time All-Star third baseman with the New York Yankees who appeared in six of the seven World Series from 1936 through 1942. I managed the Detroit Tigers after being a head basketball coach with Yale and with the Toronto Huskies of the Basketball Association of America. I played in a handful of basketball games for Dartmouth.
Who am I? Robert "Red" Rolfe

I was a New York Yankees lefthander who registered a pair of 2-1 World Series victories (over the Brooklyn Dodgers in 1941 and St. Louis Cardinals in 1943) after playing for two of the premier teams in college basketball history when LIU went 24-2 in 1934-35 and 26-0 in 1935-36. I was named to the first five on the Metropolitan New York Basketball Writers Association All-Star Team after the undefeated season.
Who am I? Marius Russo

I pitched in two World Series games for the New York Yankees in 1964 after being a 6-4 sophomore forward who averaged 13.5 ppg and 7.1 rpg for Connecticut's NCAA Tournament team in 1959-60.
Who am I? Rollie Sheldon

I was a three-time All-Star first baseman-outfielder who played in the 1956 and 1958 World Series with the New York Yankees and 1967 World Series with the Boston Red Sox. I was a member of Southwest Missouri State squads winning back-to-back NAIA Tournament titles in 1952 and 1953.
Who am I? Norm Siebern

I was an infielder-outfielder who batted .319 or better in 12 of 14 major league seasons with the Cleveland Indians and Chicago Cubs from 1921 through 1934. In 1927, my first full season with the Cubs, I led the N.L. with 46 doubles. In the Cubs' 1929 pennant-winning season, I combined with Hall of Famers Kiki Cuyler and Hack Wilson to become the first outfield in N.L. history to have each starter finish with more than 100 RBI. I hit .378 in nine World Series games with the Cubs in 1929 and 1932 after earning a letter as guard with the Alabama Crimson Tide in 1920.
Who am I? Riggs Stephenson

I was a 10-year switch-hitting utilityman who played in the 1970 World Series with the Cincinnati Reds. I was an all-conference selection both years when I finished third in scoring for Austin Peay State teams in 1959-60 (11.5 ppg) and 1960-61 (10.4 ppg) participating in the NCAA Division II Tournament.
Who am I? Jimmy Stewart

I was a 13-year veteran who appeared in 485 major league games, all as a reliever, and won a 1979 World Series game with the Baltimore Orioles after starting as a forward opposite national player of the year David Thompson of North Carolina State for an NCAA basketball champion.
Who am I? Tim Stoddard

I was a lefthander who led the N.L. in won-loss percentage in 1973 (12-3 mark with the New York Mets) before appearing in the World Series and notching a save in Game 2 against the Oakland A's. Basketball letterman for Louisiana Tech in 1964-65 and 1965-66 (averaged 14.7 ppg as teammate of noted women's coach Leon Barmore).
Who am I? George Stone

I was a catcher for the Kansas City Royals in two World Series (1980 and 1985) after averaging 3.7 ppg with San Diego in 1968-69.
Who am I? John Wathan

I was an 11-year infielder who led the A.L. in stolen bases three times and hit .326 in the World Series for back-to-back N.L. pennant winners with the Cincinnati Reds after becoming the first Duke player to earn All-American honors in basketball. I was the initial player to bat in a televised major league game (Reds vs. Brooklyn on August 26, 1939) and the only player ever to hit four consecutive doubles in a game in both leagues.
Who am I? Billy Werber

I was an outfielder who played in 12 All-Star Games and had over 3,000 career hits after playing the entire game for Minnesota in the Gophers' first NCAA Tournament appearance in 1972. I participated in the World Series with the New York Yankees (1981) and Toronto Blue Jays (1992).
Who am I? Dave Winfield

In the longest opener in World Series history (5-4 decision over the New York Mets in 14 innings), I fanned the side in the top of the 12th for the Kansas City Royals in 2015 en route to three hitless frames of relief in my 11th MLB season after the 6-10 center was an All-Ivy League first-team selection for Princeton in 1999-00 (13.8 ppg, 6.3 rpg, 3.5 apg, 2.9 bpg).
Who am I? Chris Young

Extra! Extra! Instead of wondering if "strong as hell" Plagiarist Biledumb learned most of his economic underage-girl commentary from watching "To Catch a Predator", you can read news 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 Larry Doby (Virginia Union), Tom Haller (Illinois), Mike Hargrove (Northwestern Oklahoma State) and Jim Todd (Parsons IA/Millersville State PA) switched MLB teams on this date. Unless you habitually pore over the content at baseballlibrary.com, baseballreference.com and nationalpastime.com, following is an October 25 calendar focusing on such versatile MLB athletes:

OCTOBER 25

• OF Larry Doby (reserve guard for Virginia Union's 1943 CIAA basketball titlist) traded by the Cleveland Indians to the Chicago White Sox in 1955.

• C Tom Haller (backup forward for Illinois in 1956-57 and 1957-58 under coach Harry Combes) purchased from the Detroit Tigers by the Philadelphia Phillies in 1972.

• 1B Mike Hargrove (Northwestern Oklahoma State hoops letterman) traded by the Texas Rangers to the San Diego Padres in 1978.

• In 1977, RHP Jim Todd (played for Parsons IA before averaging 16 ppg with Millersville State PA in 1968-69) shipped by the Chicago Cubs to the Seattle Mariners to complete an earlier deal in the spring.

Extra! Extra! Instead of debating whether the Atlanta Braves need to agree to #Dimorat-driven vote about "chopping" longstanding nickname similar to Cleveland Indians in order for Georgia to return to World Series after gutless politicized MLB executives plus bozo bureaucrats such as steamy romance novelist/childcare advocate Stacey Abrams helped strip city of an All-Star Game, you can read news 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 Arizona hooper Kenny Lofton supplied significant World Series performances with two different MLB teams - one from each league - on this date. Unless you habitually pore over the content at baseballlibrary.com, baseballreference.com and nationalpastime.com, following is an October 24 calendar focusing on such versatile MLB athletes:

OCTOBER 24

• Philadelphia Athletics SS Jack Barry (basketball letterman for Holy Cross in 1908) stroked two doubles among his three hits in a 4-2 Game 4 victory against the New York Giants and Hall of Fame RHP Christy Mathewson (Bucknell hooper at turn of 20th Century) in 1911 World Series.

• 2B Tommy Herr (hooper with Delaware's freshman team in 1974-75) traded by the Minnesota Twins to Philadelphia Phillies in 1988. The previous year with the St. Louis Cardinals, he hammered a homer among three hits in Game 6 of 1987 World Series against the Minnesota Twins.

• Securing at least one steal in his seventh consecutive postseason contest, Cleveland Indians CF Kenny Lofton (Arizona's leader in steals for 1988 Final Four team compiling 35-3 record) went 3-for-3, scored three runs and received three walks in a 7-6 win against the Atlanta Braves in Game 3 of 1995 World Series. Seven years later with the San Francisco Giants, Lofton provided three hits for the second straight game in 2002 World Series against the Anaheim Angels.

• Los Angeles Dodgers 2B Davey Lopes (NAIA All-District 15 selection for Iowa Wesleyan averaged 16.9 ppg as All-Iowa Conference freshman selection in 1964-65 and 12.1 as sophomore in 1965-66 before transferring with his coach to Washburn KS where he was All-CIC choice for 1968 NAIA Tournament team) supplied the game-winning RBI in an 8-7 victory against the New York Yankees in Game 4 of 1981 World Series.

• Brooklyn Dodgers INF Jackie Robinson (highest scoring average in PCC both of his seasons for UCLA in 1939-40 and 1940-41), the first black major leaguer of the 20th Century, died of heart disease at the age of 53 in 1972.

• DH-RF Dave Winfield (starting forward with Minnesota's first NCAA playoff team in 1972) banged out a two-out, two-run double in the top of the 11th inning to spark the Toronto Blue Jays to their first World Series championship with a 4-3 decision over the Atlanta Braves in Game 6 in 1992.