On This Date: Ex-College Hoopers Make News in MLB History on October 30

October 30th, 2020 - 8:24

Extra! Extra! Unless you're a cardboard cut-out, you can read news 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.

In 1963, 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.