On This Date: Ex-College Hoopers Make Mark in September 27 MLB Games

September 27th, 2018 - 7:25

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 Swarthmore PA hoopers Dick Hall and Curly Ogden supplied significant American League pitching performances on this date. Unless you habitually pore over the content at baseballlibrary.com, baseballreference.com and nationalpastime.com, following is a September 27 calendar focusing on such versatile MLB athletes:

SEPTEMBER 27

  • Baltimore Orioles 2B Jerry Adair (one of Oklahoma State's three leading basketball scorers in 1956-57 and 1957-58 while ranking among nation's top 12 free-throw shooters each season) smacked his first MLB homer (against Boston Red Sox in 1960).

  • St. Louis Cardinals 1B Walter Alston (Miami OH hoops letterman from 1932-33 through 1934-35) fanned in his lone MLB at-bat (against Chicago Cubs in 1936).

  • In 1983, RHP Jim Beattie (Dartmouth's top rebounder in 1974-75 when selected team MVP and honorable mention All-Ivy League) hurled the first one-hitter in Seattle Mariners history.

  • Baltimore Orioles OF Al Bumbry (Virginia State's runner-up in scoring with 16.7 ppg as freshman in 1964-65) stroked four hits against the Detroit Tigers in a 1977 game. Three years later, Bumbry stole three bases against the Cleveland Indians in a 1980 contest.

  • LHP Danny Coombs (Seton Hall's third-leading scorer and rebounder as a sophomore in 1961-62) made his MLB debut in 1963 as a reliever for the Houston Colt .45s, who started nine rookies including 1B Rusty Staub, 2B Joe Morgan and C Jerry Grote.

  • Detroit Tigers 1B Hank Greenberg (enrolled at NYU on hoops scholarship in 1929 but attended college only one semester) launched two homers for the fourth time in an 18-game span in 1938.

  • Baltimore Orioles RHP Dick Hall (averaged 13.5 ppg from 1948-49 through 1950-51 for three Swarthmore PA Southern Division champions in Middle Atlantic States Conference) became the first pitcher in 51 years to end a season with more victories (10) than walks (6 in 61 innings).

  • C Tom Haller (backup forward for Illinois in 1956-57 and 1957-58 under coach Harry Combes) whacked a pair of homers to spark the San Francisco Giants to an 8-4 triumph against the St. Louis Cardinals in 1965. Three years later with the Los Angeles Dodgers, Haller delivered four RBI, including a go-ahead, two-run triple in the ninth inning of a 5-2 win against the Atlanta Braves in 1968.

  • New York Giants RHP Jim Hearn (Georgia Tech hoops letterman in 1941-42) hurled a shutout against the Philadelphia Phillies to finish the 1950 campaign with a N.L.-leading ERA of 2.49.

  • Kansas City Royals LF Joe Lahoud (New Haven CT hoops letterman in mid-1960s) whacked back-to-back homers against the Oakland Athletics in a 1977 outing.

  • St. Louis Cardinals SS Doc Lavan (Hope MI hooper from 1908 through 1910) delivered four hits in a 16-1 romp over the Chicago Cubs in 1920.

  • Danny Litwhiler (member of JV hoops squad with Bloomsburg PA in mid-1930s) completed his 151st errorless game for the Philadelphia Phillies in 1942. He was the first OF to avoid an error the entire season.

  • Kansas City Athletics SS Jerry Lumpe (member of Southwest Missouri State's 1952 NAIA Tournament championship hoops team) went 4-for-4 against the Cleveland Indians in a 1960 game.

  • Philadelphia Phillies CF Jerry Martin (1971 Southern Conference Tournament MVP after he was Furman's runner-up in scoring previous season) went 4-for-4 in a 5-4 win against the Montreal Expos in 1978.

  • RF Lyle Mouton (starter in LSU's backcourt with All-American Chris Jackson for 1989 NCAA playoff team) knocked in all of the Baltimore Orioles' runs in a 6-4 loss against the Boston Red Sox in 1998.

  • Washington Senators RHP Curly Ogden (Swarthmore PA hoops center in 1919, 1920 and 1922) hurled a three-hit shutout against the Chicago White Sox in 1925.

  • Winning LHP Gary Peters (Grove City PA hooper in mid-1950s) pounded a three-run homer in a 10-1 victory against the Washington Senators as the Boston Red Sox reached the 200-homer plateau for the first time in franchise history.

  • Boston Braves RHP Al Pierotti (Washington & Lee VA captain of school's undefeated 1917 hoops squad) posted his lone MLB victory (complete-game 3-2 verdict over New York Giants in 1920).

  • Los Angeles Dodgers RHP Jeff Shaw (freshman guard for Rio Grande OH hoops squad compiling 31-5 record and reaching second round of 1985 NAIA Tournament) secured his 10th save in as many relief appearances during the month in 1998.

  • In 1962, Houston Astros RHP Jim Umbricht (Georgia hoops captain in 1951-52) won his fourth game of the month as a reliever.

  • Detroit Tigers SS Johnnie Watson (Marshall hoops letterman from 1926-27 through 1929-30) contributed a double and RBI in both ends of a 1930 doubleheader against the Chicago White Sox.

  • In the midst of securing an RBI in 11 of final 12 outings of 1964, St. Louis Cardinals 1B Bill White (two-year hooper with Hiram OH in early 1950s) doubled in his fourth consecutive contest.