On This Date: Ex-College Hoopers Make Mark in September 13 MLB Games

September 13th, 2019 - 7:35

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

Former Arizona hoopers Hank Leiber and Kenny Lofton supplied significant MLB performances on this date. Unless you habitually pore over the content at baseballlibrary.com, baseballreference.com and nationalpastime.com, following is a September 13 calendar focusing on such versatile MLB athletes:

SEPTEMBER 13

  • Detroit Tigers 1B Dale Alexander (starting basketball center in mid-1920s for Milligan TN) delivered four hits in an 11-10 win against the New York Yankees in the opener of a 1930 doubleheader.

  • Philadelphia Phillies CF Ethan Allen (Cincinnati hoops letterman in 1924-25 and 1925-26) provided four hits in a 5-1 victory against the Pittsburgh Pirates in 1935.

  • Philadelphia Phillies LF Harry Anderson (averaged 7.7 ppg and 8.9 rpg for West Chester PA in 1951-52) went 5-for-5 against the San Francisco Giants in a 1958 game.

  • Final MLB triumph for RHP Elden Auker (All-Big Six first-five selection with Kansas State in 1931-32) was a three-hit shutout with the St. Louis Browns against the Philadelphia Athletics in 1942.

  • California Angels RHP Mike Barlow (Syracuse hooper from 1967-68 through 1969-70) won his third game in six days in 1977, yielding zero earned runs in 10 2/3 innings in that span.

  • RHP Bill Beckmann (Washington MO hooper in late 1920s) posted a clutch victory in his next-to-last MLB appearance and St. Louis Cardinals' debut to help them win 1942 N.L. pennant.

  • Arizona Diamondbacks RHP Andy Benes (played briefly for Evansville in 1985-86) hurled a one-hitter against the Cincinnati Reds in 1998.

  • Washington Senators 1B Zeke Bonura (best basketball forward for Loyola LA in late 1920s and early 1930s) went 4-for-4 in a 7-1 win against his original team (Chicago White Sox) in opener of 1938 doubleheader.

  • RHP Ownie Carroll (Holy Cross hoops letterman in 1922) purchased from the New York Yankees by the Cincinnati Reds in 1930.

  • In 1997, San Diego Padres RF Tony Gwynn (All-WAC second-team selection with San Diego State in 1979-80 and 1980-81) reached the 200-hit plateau in a lone season for the fifth time in his career.

  • Los Angeles Dodgers C Tom Haller (Illinois backup forward in 1956-57 and 1957-58) smacked a pinch-hit, three-run homer in the 10th inning in a 5-3 win against the San Francisco Giants in 1970.

  • In 1972, Detroit Tigers 1B Frank Howard (two-time All-Big Ten Conference first-team selection when leading Ohio State in scoring and rebounding in 1956-57 and 1957-58) socked his 13th career homer off his apparent favorite pitcher - Baltimore Orioles starter Dave McNally.

  • Los Angeles Dodgers LF "Sweet" Lou Johnson (Kentucky State teammate of legendary coach Davey Whitney averaged 5.7 ppg and 2 rpg in 1951-52) smacked two homers against the New York Mets in a 1966 contest.

  • 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) went 4-for-4 against the Atlanta Braves in a 1966 outing.

  • Chicago Cubs CF Hank Leiber (Arizona hooper in 1931) went 4-for-4 with four runs, two homers and six RBI against the Boston Braves in a 1939 contest.

  • Washington Senators CF Don Lock (paced Wichita State in field-goal percentage in 1956-57 and 1957-58 under coach Ralph Miller) secured his fifth two-homer game of the 1964 campaign.

  • In 1992, Cleveland Indians rookie Kenny Lofton (Arizona's leader in steals for 1988 Final Four team compiling 35-3 record) broke the A.L. record for stolen bases by a first-year player with thefts #53 and #54. Lofton went on to finish the campaign with a league-high 66 steals and 14 assists by a center fielder.

  • Hall of Fame RHP Christy Mathewson (Bucknell hooper at turn of 20th Century) made his first MLB start for the New York Giants in 1900.

  • Cincinnati Reds rookie LF Greasy Neale (hooper graduated in 1915 from West Virginia Wesleyan) had his 12-game hitting streak snapped by the New York Giants in 1916.

  • In 1967, Chicago White Sox LHP Gary Peters (played for Grove City PA in mid-1950s) and Cleveland Indians RHP Sonny Siebert (team-high 16.7 ppg for Mizzou in 1957-58 as All-Big Eight second-team selection) each tossed 11 shutout innings as starters before the White Sox finally won by scoring in the 17th frame.

  • Atlanta Braves RHP Cecil Upshaw (Centenary's leading scorer as junior in 1962-63) scored upon for only time in span of 14 relief appearances until his final regular-season outing in 1969. Six years later with the Chicago White Sox, Upshaw permitted an earned run for the only time in his last 11 MLB relief appearances over the final two months of the 1975 campaign.

  • Pittsburgh Pirates 1B Preston Ward (second-leading scorer for Southwest Missouri State in 1946-47 and 1948-49) pounded two homers against the Cincinnati Reds in the nightcap of a 1953 doubleheader.

  • Boston Red Sox C Sammy White (All-PCC Northern Division first-five selection for Washington in 1947-48 and 1948-49) made an unassisted double play against the Chicago White Sox in 1953.

  • Grand slam by Seattle Mariners LF Randy Winn (Santa Clara backcourtmate of eventual two-time NBA Most Valuable Player Steve Nash in 1993-94) proved to be the difference in a 5-1 victory against the Anaheim Angels in 2003.