On This Date: Ex-College Hoopers Providing MLB Headlines on October 4

October 4th, 2023 - 9:58

Extra! Extra! Instead of wondering on the first anniversary of "Let's Go Brandon" chant why anyone with functioning brain expected aviator sunglasses-donning Plagiarist Biledumb to stand up to Odd Squad radicals and rape-fantasy socialist essaying Bozo Bernie after incoherent divider-in-chief failed to forcefully deal with Taliban thugs and flood of border-crossing illegal aliens, 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.

Former hoopers from four New York colleges - Hank Greenberg (NYU), Jim Konstanty (Syracuse), Marius Russo (LIU) and Hal Schumacher (St. Lawrence) - supplied significant World Series performances on this date. Unless you habitually pore over the content at baseballlibrary.com, baseballreference.com and nationalpastime.com, following is an October 4 calendar focusing on such versatile MLB athletes:

OCTOBER 4

  • RHP Elden Auker (All-Big Six Conference first-five basketball selection with Kansas State in 1931-32) helped the Detroit Tigers capture their first World Series in 1935, starting Game 3 against the Chicago Cubs and allowing two earned runs in six innings in a contest Detroit won in extra frames.

  • In a one-game playoff for the 1948 A.L. pennant, Cleveland Indians player-manager Lou Boudreau (leading scorer for Illinois' 1937 Big Ten Conference co-champion) banged out four hits, including two homers, in an 8-3 win at Boston. Boudreau finished the year with only nine strikeouts, the lowest number by any regular since 1922.

  • Baltimore Orioles CF Al Bumbry (Virginia State's runner-up in scoring with 16.7 ppg as freshman in 1964-65) collected three hits, two runs and two stolen bases in a 9-8 triumph against the California Angels in Game 2 of the 1979 ALCS.

  • Pittsburgh Pirates RHP Bud Culloton (Fordham hoops letterman from 1919 through 1921) started and yielded only one earned run in five innings but dropped his lone MLB decision (4-1 in nightcap of 1925 doubleheader).

  • New York Giants SS Alvin Dark (hoops letterman for LSU and USL during World War II) delivered a three-run homer against New York Yankees P Allie Reynolds in the opener of the 1951 World Series. Thirteen years later, Dark was dismissed as San Francisco Giants manager in 1964.

  • In 1930, St. Louis Cardinals CF Taylor Douthit (California hoops letterman from 1922 through 1924), who hit an anemic .140 in 13 career World Series contests, broke a scoreless tie in the fourth inning by smacking his lone postseason homer in a 5-0 victory against the Philadelphia Athletics in Game 3.

  • California Angels RHP Dave Frost (averaged 10.5 ppg and 4 rpg for Stanford from 1971-72 through 1973-74) lost his lone postseason start (against Baltimore Orioles in Game 2 of 1979 ALCS).

  • INF Charlie Gelbert (scored at least 125 points each of his last three seasons with Lebanon Valley PA in late 1920s) selected by the Washington Senators from the St. Louis Browns in 1938 Rule 5 draft.

  • In the opener of the 1967 World Series, St. Louis Cardinals RHP Bob Gibson (Creighton's leading scorer in 1955-56 and 1956-57) fanned 10 Boston batters in a 2-1 triumph. Red Sox OF Norm Siebern (member of Southwest Missouri State squads capturing back-to-back NAIA Tournament titles in 1952 and 1953) led off the bottom of the eighth inning with a pinch single off Gibson but his pinch-runner was left stranded.

  • Detroit Tigers LF Hank Greenberg (attended NYU briefly on hoops scholarship in 1929) whacked a decisive three-run homer in a 4-1 Game 2 victory against the Chicago Cubs in the 1945 World Series.

  • In the opening game of 1951 World Series, LF Monte Irvin (Lincoln PA hooper 1 1/2 years in late 1930s) stole home and collected four hits to spark the New York Giants to a 5-1 victory against the New York Yankees.

  • New York Yankees LF Charlie Keller (Maryland three-year hoops letterman from 1934-35 through 1936-37) launched his second homer of the 1942 World Series against the St. Louis Cardinals.

  • RHP Jim Konstanty (Syracuse hooper in late 1930s), after making 133 straight relief appearances for the Philadelphia Phillies, started Game 1 of the 1950 World Series but lost against the New York Yankees, 1-0.

  • Cleveland Indians CF Kenny Lofton (Arizona's leader in steals for 1988 Final Four team compiling 35-3 record) swiped three bases against the Baltimore Orioles in Game 3 of the 1996 ALDS. Nine years later, Lofton collected three hits and four RBI against the New York Yankees in the 2007 ALDS opener.

  • Philadelphia Phillies OF Jerry Martin (1971 Southern Conference Tournament MVP after he was Furman's runner-up in scoring previous season) smacked a pinch homer against the Los Angeles Dodgers in the opener of the 1978 NLCS.

  • St. Francisco Giants RHP Roger Mason (multiple-year hoops letterman in late 1970s for Saginaw Valley State MI) tossed his lone MLB shutout (four-hitter with 10 strikeouts against Atlanta Braves in 1985).

  • Minnesota Twins 2B Dan Monzon (played hoops briefly for Buena Vista IA in 1964-65) scored four runs against the Chicago White Sox in a 1972 contest.

  • In 1930, Chicago White Sox rookie OF Jimmy Moore (Union TN hoops standout in late 1920s) stroked a pinch-hit single in his first World Series at-bat in Game 3 against the St. Louis Cardinals.

  • New York Giants RF Red Murray (played hoops for Lock Haven PA in early 1900s) stole three bases in a 1912 game against the Brooklyn Dodgers.

  • RF Bill Nicholson (hooper for Washington College MD in mid-1930s) traded by the Chicago Cubs to the Philadelphia Phillies for former N.L. batting champion Harry Walker in 1948.

  • RHP Roy Parmelee (hoops letterman for Eastern Michigan in 1924-25 and 1925-26) selected from the Boston Red Sox by the Philadelphia Athletics in 1938 Rule 5 draft.

  • RHP Cotton Pippen (Texas Western hoops letterman in 1929-30) selected from the St. Louis Cardinals by the Philadelphia Athletics in 1938 Rule 5 draft.

  • Jim Riggleman (two-year hoops letterman for Frostburg State MD averaged 7.2 ppg in early 1970s) fired as Chicago Cubs manager in 1999.

  • New York Yankees LHP Marius Russo (member of LIU teams compiling a 50-2 record in 1934-35 and 1935-36 under legendary coach Clair Bee) hurled a four-hitter in a 2-1 verdict over the Brooklyn Dodgers in Game 3 of the 1941 World Series. In the seventh inning of a scoreless tie, Russo broke P Fred Fitzsimmons' knee with a line drive.

  • New York Giants RHP Hal Schumacher (St. Lawrence NY hooper in early 1930s) tossed a five-hitter in 6-1 victory in Game 2 of the 1933 World Series against the Washington Senators.

  • Baltimore Orioles RHP Tim Stoddard (starting forward opposite All-American David Thompson for North Carolina State's 1974 NCAA champion) yielded a run in final relief appearance of 1980 campaign after holding the opposition scoreless in previous 14-game span during the month when he recorded seven saves.

  • Rookie 3B Jim Thome (juco hooper for Illinois Central in 1988-89) jacked his first of 612 MLB homers - a two-out, two-run clout in top of ninth inning - to give the Cleveland Indians a 3-2 win against the New York Yankees in 1991.

  • Cincinnati Reds 3B Billy Werber (Duke's first hoops All-American in 1929-30) contributed three hits in a 7-4 setback against the Detroit Tigers in Game 3 of 1940 World Series.