On This Date: Ex-College Hoopers Providing MLB Headlines on October 15

October 15th, 2023 - 9:39

Extra! Extra! Instead of deriding dupes who must have buyer's remorse as mentally-meandering Plagiarist Biledumb's malarkey, including asking DOD volunteers to pick up illegal alien trash, evades answering as many non-ice cream press questions as take-a-hike Brian Laundrie's pallbearer-like parents related to Sgt. "I Know Nothing" Schultz, 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.

Three former college hoopers from Oklahoma schools - Jerry Adair (Oklahoma State), Mike Hargrove (Northwestern Oklahoma State) and Don Kaiser (East Central) - made MLB news on this date. Ditto ex-juco hoopers Patrick Corbin (Mohawk Valley NY), Ken Retzer (Jefferson City MO) and Jim Thome (Illinois Central). Unless you habitually pore over the content at baseballlibrary.com, baseballreference.com and nationalpastime.com, following is an October 15 calendar focusing on such versatile MLB athletes:

OCTOBER 15

  • 2B Jerry Adair (one of Oklahoma State's top three basketball scorers in 1956-57 and 1957-58 while ranking among nation's top 12 free-throw shooters each season) selected from the Boston Red Sox (51st pick), INF Billy Harris (UNC Wilmington hooper in mid-1960s) chosen from the Cleveland Indians (36th) and utilityman Bob Oliver (All-Valley Conference basketball choice for American River Community College CA in 1962) drafted from the Minnesota Twins (19th) by the Kansas City Royals in 1968 A.L. expansion draft.

  • New York Yankees rookie RHP Jim Beattie (Dartmouth's top rebounder in 1974-75 when selected team MVP and honorable mention All-Ivy League) went the distance, striking out eight Los Angeles Dodgers batters in a 12-2 success, in Game 5 of 1978 World Series.

  • LF Carson "Skeeter" Bigbee (Oregon hoops letterman in 1915) knocked in the tying run with an eighth-inning, pinch-hit double off Hall of Fame P Walter Johnson and scored go-ahead tally as the Pittsburgh Pirates upended the Washington Senators, 9-7, in Game 7 of 1925 World Series.

  • OF Bob Cerv (ranked fourth on Nebraska's career scoring list in 1949-50 when finishing his career) purchased from the New York Yankees by the Kansas City Athletics in 1956.

  • Washington Nationals LHP Patrick Corbin (hooper for Mohawk Valley Community College NY in 2007-08) fanned 12 opposing batters in five innings in posting a 7-4 victory against the St. Louis Cardinals in Game 4 of 2019 NLCS.

  • In 1957, 2B Jack Dittmer (Iowa hooper in 1949-50) traded by the Detroit Tigers to the New York Giants for 2B Wayne Terwilliger (two-year hoops letterman for Western Michigan in late 1940s).

  • St. Louis Cardinals RHP Bob Gibson (Creighton's leading scorer in 1955-56 and 1956-57) won decisive Game 7 against the New York Yankees in 1964 World Series.

  • Dallas Green (Delaware's second-leading scorer and rebounder in 1954-55) stepped down as Philadelphia Phillies manager to become general manager of the Chicago Cubs in 1981.

  • OF Hinkey Haines (Penn State hoops letterman in 1919-20 and 1920-21) scored the tying run as a pinch-runner in the eighth inning as the New York Yankees came from behind with three tallies to beat the New York Giants, 6-4, and clinch 1923 World Series.

  • RHP Rich Hand (averaged 6.2 ppg for Puget Sound WA in 1967-68) shipped by the California Angels to the St. Louis Cardinals in 1974 to complete an earlier deal.

  • Mike Hargrove (Northwestern Oklahoma State hoops letterman) fired as Cleveland Indians manager in 1999.

  • Baltimore Orioles 2B Davey Johnson (averaged 1.7 ppg in 1961-62 with Texas A&M) supplied a postseason career-high three hits, including a pair of run-producing safeties, against the Cincinnati Reds in Game 5 of 1970 World Series.

  • In 2001 ALDS, OF David Justice (Thomas More KY assists leader in 1984-85 while averaging 9.3 ppg and 3.5 rpg) whacked a pinch-hit homer to help the New York Yankees defeat the Oakland A's and become first team ever to capture a best-of-5 series after dropping the first two contests at home.

  • RHP Don Kaiser (one semester on hoops scholarship at East Central OK) traded by the Milwaukee Braves to the Detroit Tigers in 1959.

  • New York Yankees 3B Graig Nettles (shot 87.8% from free-throw line for San Diego State in 1963-64) notched three RBI in each of three ALCS games against the Oakland Athletics in 1981.

  • OF Lou Piniella (averaged 2.5 ppg and 1.4 rpg for Tampa as freshman in 1961-62) selected from the Cleveland Indians by Seattle Pilots as 28th pick in 1968 A.L. expansion draft. Six years later with the New York Yankees, Piniella went 4-for-4 against the Detroit Tigers in a 1974 contest. In 1977, he hit safely in his ninth straight postseason game.

  • Philadelphia Phillies RHP Ron Reed (Notre Dame's leading rebounder in 1963-64 and 1964-65) earned save in a 6-4 verdict over the Kansas City Royals in Game 2 of 1980 World Series.

  • C Ken Retzer (fourth-leading juco scorer with 184 points for Jefferson City MO in 1953-54) traded by the Washington Senators to Minnesota Twins in 1964.

  • New York Yankees RHP Rollie Sheldon (third-leading scorer as sophomore for Connecticut's 1960 NCAA Tournament team) retired all six St. Louis Cardinals batters he faced in Game 7 of 1964 World Series.

  • A sixth-inning, two-run homer by Cleveland Indians 3B Jim Thome (juco hooper for Illinois Central in 1988-89) proved decisive in a 3-2 win against the Seattle Mariners in Game 5 of 1995 ALCS.