On This Date: Ex-College Hoopers Providing MLB Headlines on September 7

September 7th, 2023 - 8:56

Extra! Extra! Instead of debating whether first week in January should be remembered politically more for alleged coordinated "Insurrection Day" or unmasking #Demonrats orchestrating Obama Administration meeting in 2017 when indifferent Plagiarist Biledumb was involved with #DirtyRice of Domestic Policy and FBI in weaponizing Logan Act to entrap Gen. Michael Flynn, 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.

Four former Big Ten Conference hoopers - Sammy Esposito (Indiana), Hoot Evers (Illinois), Johnny Gee (Michigan) and Dave Winfield (Minnesota) - made MLB news on this date. Ditto ex-NYU hoopers Hank Greenberg and Eddie Yost with outstanding offensive performances in the American League. Unless you habitually pore over the content at baseballlibrary.com, baseballreference.com and nationalpastime.com, following is a September 7 calendar focusing on such versatile MLB athletes:

SEPTEMBER 7

  • In 1966, California Angels 1B Joe Adcock (Louisiana State's leading basketball scorer in 1945-46) jacked his final of 336 MLB homers.

  • Igniting a streak of nine consecutive contests with at least one RBI, LF Brant Alyea (Hofstra's leading basketball scorer and rebounder in 1960-61 after being runner-up in both categories previous season) drove in all of the Minnesota Twins' runs with two homers in a 7-6 win against the Milwaukee Brewers in opener of 1970 doubleheader.

  • Philadelphia Phillies RHP Ray Benge (multi-year hoops letterman for Sam Houston State first half of 1920s) hurled a complete game without yielding an earned run against the Boston Braves for the second time the first week of month in 1928.

  • Seattle Mariners LF Bruce Bochte (starting forward for Santa Clara's NCAA playoff team in 1969-70 averaged 7.4 ppg and 4 rpg) went 4-for-4 in a 5-2 victory against the Kansas City Royals in 1982.

  • Baltimore Orioles LF Al Bumbry (Virginia State's runner-up in scoring with 16.7 ppg as freshman in 1964-65) stroked four hits against the Cleveland Indians in a 1981 game.

  • Detroit Tigers C Mickey Cochrane (Boston University hooper in early 1920s) went 6-for-7 and scored five runs in a 1935 doubleheader sweep of his original team (Philadelphia Athletics).

  • Ending a personal six-game losing streak, Philadelphia Phillies RHP Gene Conley (All-PCC first-team selection led North Division in scoring in 1949-50 as Washington State sophomore) hurled a four-hit shutout against the Chicago Cubs in 1960.

  • Cleveland Indians CF Larry Doby (reserve guard for Virginia Union's 1943 CIAA hoops titlist) supplied a pair of homers in a 6-0 verdict over the Baltimore Orioles in 1955.

  • Boston Red Sox 1B Walt Dropo (first player in Connecticut history to average 20 ppg in single season with 21.7 in 1942-43) homered twice in a 10-8 triumph against the New York Yankees in 1950.

  • Sammy Esposito (averaged 7 ppg as Indiana hoops starter in 1951-52) started in place of Chicago White Sox 2B Nellie Fox in 1960, ending Fox's consecutive-game streak at 798.

  • Detroit Tigers LF Hoot Evers (hoops starter for Illinois in 1939-40) went for the cycle, adding another triple, and amassing six RBI in a 13-13, 10-inning tie with the Cleveland Indians in 1950.

  • New York Giants 3B Frankie Frisch (Fordham hoops captain) furnished six hits in a 1921 doubleheader sweep of the Philadelphia Phillies.

  • Rookie LHP Johnny Gee (Michigan captain was Big Ten Conference's sixth-leading scorer in 1936-37) didn't allow an earned run in eight innings in his MLB debut but committed one of eight errors by the Pittsburgh Pirates in a 7-3 setback against the Philadelphia Phillies in opener of 1939 twinbill.

  • Detroit Tigers 1B Hank Greenberg (enrolled at NYU on hoops scholarship in 1929 but attended college only one semester) collected three extra-base hits, including two homers (199th and 200th of his career), against the Cleveland Indians in a 1939 contest.

  • New York Giants RHP Jim Hearn (Georgia Tech hoops letterman in 1941-42) had a 12-game winning streak against the Pittsburgh Pirates snapped in 1953.

  • Los Angeles Dodgers 1B Gil Hodges (hooper for St. Joseph's IN in 1943 and Oakland City in 1947 and 1948) homered twice against the St. Louis Cardinals in a 1958 outing.

  • New York Giants LF Monte Irvin (Lincoln PA hooper 1 1/2 years in late 1930s) ripped a 500-foot homer in a 7-3 nod over the Boston Braves in 1951.

  • Kansas City Royals RF Lynn Jones (averaged 10.4 ppg for Thiel PA from 1970-71 through 1973-74) contributed his fourth three-hit game in less than a month in 1984.

  • Philadelphia Phillies rookie 2B Moon Mullen (backup guard for Oregon's legendary "Tall Firs" team winning inaugural NCAA tourney in 1939) stroked four singles in a 7-5 win against the Brooklyn Dodgers in 1944 game.

  • Minnesota Twins rookie RF Graig Nettles (shot 87.8% from free-throw line for San Diego State in 1963-64) smacked two homers against the Detroit Tigers in 1968. Six years later as a New York Yankees 3B, Nettles homered in both ends of a 1974 doubleheader against the Tigers. In 1981, whacked two round-trippers for the Yanks in a contest against the Milwaukee Brewers.

  • Detroit Tigers RF Jim Northrup (second-leading scorer and third-leading rebounder for Alma MI in 1958-59) went 5-for-5 with two homers in a 3-2, 11-inning victory against the Washington Senators in 1971.

  • St. Louis Browns RHP Jim Park (hooper for Kentucky in 1911-12 and 1913-14) won his MLB debut in 1915 when he didn't allow an earned run in 11 innings of a 4-1 win against the Cleveland Indians.

  • New York Giants rookie RHP Roy Parmelee (Eastern Michigan hoops letterman in 1924-25 and 1925-26) hurled his second straight four-hit, complete-game triumph in 1931.

  • OF Carl Reynolds (Southwestern TX hoops MVP and captain in mid-1920s) was purchased from Minneapolis (American Association) by the Chicago Cubs in 1937.

  • Brooklyn Dodgers LHP Preacher Roe (Harding AR hooper in late 1930s) walked six Philadelphia Phillies batters but raised his record to 19-2 in 1951 with an 11-6 decision over RHP Robin Roberts (Michigan State's second-leading scorer in 1945-46 and 1946-47).

  • LHP Garry Roggenburk (led Dayton in scoring all three seasons from 1959-60 through 1961-62 and grabbed school-record 32 rebounds in third varsity game en route to pacing Flyers in rebounding first two years) purchased from the Minnesota Twins by the Boston Red Sox in 1966.

  • Philadelphia Phillies CF Cy Williams (Notre Dame forward in 1909-10) homered in both ends of a 1921 twinbill against the New York Giants.

  • New York Yankees RF Dave Winfield (starting forward with Minnesota's first NCAA playoff team in 1972) got hung up in a rundown between third base and home plate following a pitchout but escaped to score decisive run in 3-2 triumph against the Oakland A's in 1985.

  • After he was purchased from the Milwaukee Braves in 1963, RF Corky Withrow (averaged more than 22 ppg for Georgetown College KY in 1957-58 and 1958-59) made his only MLB start with the St. Louis Cardinals, notching his lone big-league RBI with a first-inning ground out off Pittsburgh Pirates LHP Joe Gibbon (two-time All-SEC forward for Mississippi averaged 18.6 ppg and 9.6 rpg from 1953-54 through 1956-57).

  • Washington Senators 3B Eddie Yost (NYU freshman hooper in 1943-44 under coach Howard Cann) reached base nine times (five hits and four walks) in a 1953 doubleheader sweep of the Philadelphia Athletics. Six years later with the Detroit Tigers, Yost homered twice in opener of 1959 twinbill against the Cleveland Indians.

  • New York Giants 1B Babe Young (Fordham hoops letterman in 1935-36) blasted a grand slam in a 4-1 victory against the Brooklyn Dodgers in 1940.

  • San Diego Padres RHP Chris Young (All-Ivy League first-team selection for Princeton in 1999-00) retired the first 23 Milwaukee Brewers batters en route to a two-hitter in 2008. It was Young's lone MLB complete game.