On This Date: Ex-College Hoopers Generating MLB Headlines on August 13

August 13th, 2022 - 11:00

Extra! Extra! Instead of debating whether your faith in government is undermined by FBI "pansy" raid on #TheDonald's residence compound (Mara-a-lago) including going through Melania's wardrobe and proposed hiring of 87,000 Lois Lerner IRS goons, 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 Mississippi State hoops lettermen Boo Ferriss and Buddy Myer supplied significant MLB performances on this date. Ditto former Virginia hoopers Eppa Rixey and Mel Roach plus ex-juco hoopers Bob Oliver (American River CA) and Jim Thome (Illinois Central). Unless you habitually pore over the content at baseballlibrary.com, baseballreference.com and nationalpastime.com, following is an August 13 calendar focusing on such versatile MLB athletes:

AUGUST 13

  • Toronto Blue Jays CF Danny Ainge (three-time Brigham Young basketball All-American and national player of year as senior in 1980-81) went 3-for-3 in a 5-4 setback against the Milwaukee Brewers in 1980.

  • Pittsburgh Pirates SS Gair Allie (freshman hooper for Wake Forest in 1950-51) knocked in three runs with a pair of extra-base hits in 5-0 win in nightcap of 1954 doubleheader against the Philadelphia Phillies. Two days later, he amassed a career-high three safeties in nightcap of twinbill against the Phillies.

  • Chicago Cubs rookie RF George Altman (appeared in 1953 and 1954 NAIA Tournament with Tennessee State hoops squad) collected five hits, including two homers, and five RBI in a 20-9 win against the San Francisco Giants in 1959.

  • Pittsburgh Pirates RHP Jim Bibby (Fayetteville State NC backup hooper and brother of UCLA All-American Henry Bibby) won his sixth decision in a row en route to leading the N.L. in winning percentage in 1979.

  • St. Louis Cardinals 1B George Crowe (four-year letterman from 1939-40 through 1942-43 for Indiana Central after becoming first high school player named state's Mr. Basketball) cracked a pinch-hit grand slam against the Los Angeles Dodgers in a 1959 game.

  • Chicago White Sox RHP Dave DeBusschere (three-time All-American for Detroit from 1959-60 through 1961-62) tossed a shutout against the Cleveland Indians in 1963.

  • In 1955, Cleveland Indians CF Larry Doby (reserve guard for Virginia Union's 1943 CIAA hoops titlist) committed his first miscue after an A.L.-record 165 errorless games.

  • Boston Red Sox RHP Boo Ferriss (Mississippi State hoops letterman in 1941) won his eighth straight game for victory No. 20 in 1946.

  • New York Giants INF Frankie Frisch (Fordham hoops captain) stroked four hits against the Pittsburgh Pirates in a 1925 contest.

  • Pittsburgh Pirates RHP Dave Giusti (made 6-of-10 field-goal attempts in two games for Syracuse in 1959-60) hurled a one-hitter to beat the Chicago Cubs, 1-0, in 1966.

  • Detroit Tigers rookie 1B Hank Greenberg (enrolled at NYU on hoops scholarship in 1929 but attended college only one semester) provided three doubles in a 17-inning contest against the Chicago White Sox in 1933.

  • Pittsburgh Pirates SS Dick Groat (two-time All-American with Duke in 1950-51 and 1951-52 when finishing among nation's top five scorers each season) went 4-for-4 against the St. Louis Cardinals in a 1960 outing.

  • In his MLB debut in 1981, Kansas City Royals LHP Atlee Hammaker (averaged 5.3 ppg as freshman in 1976-77 and 4.9 as sophomore in 1977-78 under ETSU coach Sonny Smith) hurled four innings of shutout relief against the Baltimore Orioles.

  • Cleveland Indians LF Mike Hargrove (Northwestern Oklahoma State hoops letterman) homered in his third consecutive contest in 1979.

  • New York Giants RHP Jim Hearn (Georgia Tech hoops letterman in 1941-42) shut out the Philadelphia Phillies' Whiz Kids in 1950.

  • In the midst of a career-high 17-game hitting streak, Chicago Cubs SS Don Kessinger (three-time All-SEC selection for Mississippi from 1961-62 through 1963-64 while finishing among nation's top 45 scorers each year) contributed three hits and three runs against the New York Mets in a 1972 game.

  • Baltimore Orioles rookie RHP Ben McDonald (started six games as 6-6 freshman forward for LSU in 1986-87 under coach Dale Brown) won his first five MLB starts in 1990.

  • Chicago White Sox RHP Jimmy Miles (averaged 5.2 ppg and 8.9 rpg for Delta State MS in 1964-65) lost his lone MLB decision (7-3 against Kansas City Royals in 1969).

  • Washington Senators 2B Buddy Myer (Mississippi State hoops letterman in 1923-24) went 4-for-4 against the Chicago White Sox in a 1930 game.

  • New York Yankees 3B Graig Nettles (shot 87.8% from free-throw line for San Diego State in 1963-64) amassed two homers and five RBI against the Minnesota Twins in a 1976 contest.

  • St. Louis Brown RHP Jack Ogden (Swarthmore PA hooper in 1918) went 4-for-4 at the plate with three RBI in 14-2 whipping of Washington Senators in 1929.

  • Kansas City Royals rookie 3B Bob Oliver (All-Valley Conference basketball choice for American River Community College CA in 1962) stroked four safeties in a 7-3 win against the Washington Senators in 1969.

  • New York Yankees RF Lou Piniella (averaged 2.5 ppg and 1.4 rpg with Tampa as freshman in 1961-62) provided four hits and four RBI in a 9-3 win against the Minnesota Twins in 1976.

  • C Don Prohovich (member of Holy Cross' 1954 NIT champion) traded with $15,000 by the White Sox to the Cubs for utilityman Earl Averill Jr. in 1960. Deal was first swap of players between the two Chicago franchises.

  • OF Rip Repulski (started several hoops games for St. Cloud State MN) hit a three-run pinch homer for the Philadelphia Phillies but they still lost against the Pittsburgh Pirates, 10-9, in 1958.

  • Cincinnati Reds LHP Eppa Rixey (Virginia hoops letterman in 1911-12 and 1913-14) drove in two runs and blanked the Pittsburgh Pirates, 3-0, in 1932.

  • Milwaukee Braves 2B Mel Roach (averaged 9.3 ppg for Virginia in 1952-53) went 3-for-3, including a homer, and chipped in with three RBI in a 4-2 win against the San Francisco Giants in 1960.

  • In the midst of a career-high 15-game hitting streak, Cleveland Indians C Billy Sullivan Jr. (Portland hoops letterman in 1927-28) went 3-for-4 and scored three runs in 1936 contest against the Detroit Tigers.

  • Philadelphia Phillies 1B Jim Thome (played junior-college hoops for Illinois Central in 1988-89) whacked two homers in a 2003 game against the Milwaukee Brewers.