On This Date: Ex-College Hoopers Generating MLB Headlines on August 16

August 16th, 2022 - 9:13

Extra! Extra! If the FBI/DOJ fishing-expedition "panty" raid at Mar-a-lago taught us anything, it's that no one is above the law unless deemed terrorists at school board meetings, crossing the border illegally, reinventing yourself as awesome straw artist such as hideous Hunter, trying to intimidate conservative-leaning Supreme Court justices, gender grooming impressionable children, deleting 33,000 classified emails or rioting way to $2 billion in damages and 42 deaths at "mostly peaceful" protests. Instead, 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.

Several college hoopers from small colleges in Pennsylvania - Glenn Beckert (Allegheny) Tom Dettore (Juniata), Lynn Jones (Thiel) and Christy Mathewson (Bucknell) - supplied significant performances in MLB games on this date. Unless you habitually pore over the content at baseballlibrary.com, baseballreference.com and nationalpastime.com, following is an August 16 calendar focusing on such versatile MLB athletes:

AUGUST 16

  • Minnesota Twins LF Brant Alyea (Hofstra's leading basketball scorer and rebounder in 1960-61 under coach Butch van Breda Kolff) belted a homer against the Boston Red Sox for the third day in a row in 1970.

  • Chicago Cubs 2B Glenn Beckert (three-year hoops letterman for Allegheny PA) contributed four hits against the San Francisco Giants in a 1972 game.

  • St. Louis Cardinals RHP Andy Benes (joined Evansville's shorthanded basketball squad in 1985-86 under coach Jim Crews) won his 10th consecutive decision in 1996.

  • Cincinnati Reds RHP Joe Black (Morgan State hooper in mid-1940s) tossed a complete-game victory against the Chicago Cubs in 1955.

  • Chicago Cubs RHP Tom Dettore (averaged team-high 14.1 ppg plus 9 rpg in 1965-66 for Juniata PA) earned his first MLB victory with 6 1/3 innings of shutout relief against the San Diego Padres in 1974.

  • Chicago White Sox 1B Kerby Farrell (key hooper for couple of strong Freed-Hardeman TN squads in mid-1930s) collected three hits for the second consecutive contest in 1945.

  • Cincinnati Reds 3B Gene Freese (West Liberty WV hoops captain of 1952 NAIA Tournament team) launched two homers against the Los Angeles Dodgers in the nightcap of a 1961 doubleheader.

  • Pittsburgh Pirates 1B Hank Greenberg (enrolled at NYU on hoops scholarship in 1929 but attended college only one semester) clobbered two homers against the St. Louis Cardinals in a 1947 game.

  • 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) registered his seventh consecutive contest with multiple hits.

  • Brooklyn Dodgers 1B Gil Hodges (hooper for St. Joseph's IN in 1943 and Oakland City IN in 1947 and 1948) amassed two homers and six RBI against the New York Giants in a 1950 game.

  • Kansas City Royals CF Lynn Jones (averaged 10.4 ppg for Thiel PA from 1970-71 through 1973-74) stroked four hits against the Toronto Blue Jays in a 1985 contest.

  • Los Angeles Dodgers LHP Sandy Koufax (Cincinnati's freshman hoops squad in 1953-54) improved his record to 19-5 with a 3-0 shutout against the St. Louis Cardinals but will miss the remainder of the 1964 season because of an elbow injury incurred while sliding back into second base earlier in the month.

  • In 1911, New York Giants RHP Christy Mathewson (Bucknell hooper at turn of 20th Century) defeated the Cincinnati Reds for the 22nd straight time.

  • Chicago White Sox RF Lyle Mouton (starter in Louisiana State's backcourt with All-American Chris Jackson for 1989 NCAA playoff team) had his career-high 14-game hitting streak snapped by the Milwaukee Brewers in 1996.

  • Detroit Tigers LF Curtis Pride (led William & Mary in steals three times and assists twice while averaging 5.6 ppg and 3.1 apg from 1986-87 through 1989-90) hit safely in first 10 games of the month, a career high, before he was blanked by the Cleveland Indians in 1996.

  • Seattle Mariners RF Leon Roberts (grabbed one rebound in four basketball games for Michigan in 1970-71 under coach Johnny Orr) collected two homers and five RBI in 7-5 win against the Baltimore Orioles in 1978.

  • RHP Robin Roberts (Michigan State's second-leading scorer in 1945-46 and 1946-47) twirled four-hit shutouts in his first two starts for the Houston Astros in 1965.

  • New York Yankees rookie LHP Marius Russo (member of LIU teams compiling 50-2 record in 1934-35 and 1935-36 under legendary coach Clair Bee) hurled a four-hit shutout against the Washington Senators in 1939, igniting a streak of seven straight complete-game victories as a starter.

  • Cleveland Indians 1B Jim Thome (played junior-college hoops for Illinois Central in 1988-89) smacked two homers in a 2001 game against the Minnesota Twins.

  • Philadelphia Phillies RF Cy Williams (Notre Dame forward in 1909-10) went 7-for-10 and scored five runs in a 1925 twinbill sweep of the Brooklyn Robins.

  • Toronto Blue Jays RF Dave Winfield (starting forward for Minnesota's first NCAA playoff team in 1972) knocked in five runs against the Cleveland Indians in the nightcap of a 1992 doubleheader.