On This Date: Ex-College Hoopers Make News in September 28 MLB Games

September 28th, 2020 - 8:20

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.

Former NCAA Division I conference all-league hoopers Don Grate (Ohio State), Ted Lyons (Baylor), Bill McCahan (Duke) and Will Venable (Princeton) made MLB news on this date. Unless you habitually pore over the content at baseballlibrary.com, baseballreference.com and nationalpastime.com, following is a September 28 calendar focusing on such versatile MLB athletes:

SEPTEMBER 28

  • 2B Frank Baker (Southern Mississippi hoops letterman in 1965-66 and 1966-67), replacing Bobby Grich in the Baltimore Orioles' lineup, belted his only MLB homer, a grand slam, and finished with six RBI in an 18-4 trouncing of the Cleveland Indians in nightcap of 1973 doubleheader.

  • In the finale of the 1952 campaign, Chicago Cubs lefthanded OF Frank Baumholtz (MVP in 1941 NIT and first player in Ohio University history to score 1,000 career points) reached base on an error after switching over and swinging righthanded at the only delivery Hall of Fame 1B-OF Stan Musial threw from mound at MLB level. Musial, who began his Organized Baseball career as a pitcher before incurring an injury, claimed his sixth N.L. batting crown (.336) and Baumholtz finished runner-up (.325).

  • St. Louis Cardinals 2B Frankie Frisch (Fordham hoops captain) provided his second extra-inning steal of home plate in 1928.

  • Philadelphia Phillies rookie RHP Don Grate (NCAA consensus second-team All-American for Ohio State's Final Four teams in 1944 and 1945) yielded only two hits in five innings of relief in a 1946 game against the New York Giants.

  • LF "Sweet" Lou Johnson (Kentucky State teammate of legendary HBCU coach Davey Whitney averaged 5.7 ppg and 2 rpg in 1951-52) slugged 12th-inning homer to give the Los Angeles Dodgers a 2-1 victory against the Cincinnati Reds in 1965.

  • Philadelphia Phillies LHP Dick Koecher (Temple hoops letterman in 1943-44) hurled his lone MLB complete game in a 4-1 setback against the New York Giants in opener of 1947 twinbill.

  • Chicago White Sox LHP Thornton Lee (Cal Poly hooper in 1925-26) notched his seventh complete-game victory in fewer than seven weeks in 1938. Three years later, Lee's six-hit shutout against the Detroit Tigers was his fifth complete-game triumph of the month.

  • St. Louis Cardinals LF Danny Litwhiler (member of JV hoops squad with Bloomsburg PA in mid-1930s) provided three hits in both ends of a 1943 doubleheader split against the Boston Braves.

  • In a City Series duel, Chicago White Sox RHP Ted Lyons (two-time All-SWC first-team selection for Baylor in early 1920s) blanked the Cubs on three hits in only 1 hour and 18 minutes in 1942. The 41-year-old Lyons then departed to enlist as a private in the U.S. Marine Corps for military service during World War II.

  • RHP Bill McCahan (three-year Duke hoops letterman named to All-Southern Conference Tournament team in 1942) traded by Philadelphia Athletics to Brooklyn Dodgers in 1949.

  • Baltimore Orioles rookie RHP Ben McDonald (started six times as freshman forward for Louisiana State in 1986-87 under coach Dale Brown) hurled a four-hit shutout against the Cleveland Indians in 1990.

  • In 1952, Philadelphia Phillies RHP Robin Roberts (Michigan State's second-leading scorer in 1945-46 and 1946-47) registered his 28th victory (7-4 over New York Giants) with his 30th complete game.

  • Brooklyn Dodgers 3B Jackie Robinson (highest scoring average in Pacific Coast Conference both of his seasons with UCLA in 1939-40 and 1940-41) stole home in 1955 World Series opener against the New York Yankees.

  • Chicago Cubs LF Riggs Stephenson (Alabama hoops letterman in 1920), who hit safely in all nine World Series outings in his career, provided three safeties in the 1932 opener against the New York Yankees.

  • St. Louis Browns rookie RHP Rollie Stiles (played hoops for Southeastern State OK in 1926-27) registered his second complete-game victory in a two-week span in 1930.

  • Detroit Tigers utilityman Champ Summers (led SIUE in scoring in 1969-70 after doing same with Nicholls State in 1964-65) socked a game-tying, two-run pinch homer off the New York Yankees' Goose Gossage in bottom of eighth inning in 1980.

  • In a 1938 contest, C Birdie Tebbetts (Providence hooper in 1932) blasted a grand slam (10th such homer of season for Detroit Tigers).

  • San Diego Padres RF Will Venable (All-Ivy League first-team selection as junior and second-team choice as senior averaged 9.3 ppg under Princeton coach John Thompson III from 2001-02 through 2004-05) whacked his first MLB grand slam (against Chicago Cubs in 2011).

  • New York Mets RHP Joe Vitko (averaged 4.9 ppg and 3.6 rpg for St. Francis PA in 1987-88 and 1988-89 under coach Jim Baron) lost his lone MLB start in nightcap of 1992 twinbill.

  • In 1965, St. Louis Cardinals 1B Bill White (two-year hooper with Hiram OH in early 1950s) contributed three extra-base hits in a game against his original team (San Francisco Giants).

  • Rookie pinch-hitter Bob Will (Mankato State MN captain in 1954-55 with 8.5 ppg and 2.5 rpg) stroked a two-run single in eighth inning to put the Chicago Cubs ahead to stay in 6-4 win against the St. Louis Cardinals in 1957. Five years later, Will's two-run pinch double catapulted the Cubbies to a 3-2 triumph against the New York Mets in 1962.