On This Date: Ex-College Hoopsters Make Mark on September 19 MLB Games

September 19th, 2015 - 8:18

Extra! Extra! Read 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 hoopsters had front-row seats to many of the most notable games, transactions and dates in MLB history.

Unless you habitually pore over the content at baseballlibrary.com, baseballreference.com and nationalpastime.com, following is a September 19 calendar focusing on such versatile MLB athletes:

SEPTEMBER 19

  • Milwaukee Braves 2B Frank Bolling (averaged 7.3 ppg in 1950-51 for Spring Hill AL) contributed four hits against the San Francisco Giants in 1961.

  • Chicago Cubs RHP Ray Burris (two-sport standout in Southwestern Oklahoma State Hall of Fame) fired his second straight shutout in 1976.

  • New York Yankees Hall of Fame RF Earle Combs (three-year captain for Eastern Kentucky) scored five runs in an 18-9 romp over the Chicago White Sox in 1930.

  • Harry Craft (four-sport letterman with Mississippi College in early 1930s) fired as Houston Colt .45s manager in 1964. Twenty-seven years earlier as a Cincinnati Reds CF, Craft collected three hits in his MLB debut in the opener of a 1937 doubleheader against the Boston Braves.

  • Cleveland Indians CF Larry Doby (reserve guard for Virginia Union's 1943 CIAA titlist) walked five times and scored four runs in a 15-2 rout of the Boston Red Sox in 1951.

  • In 1961, Cincinnati Reds 3B Gene Freese (West Liberty WV captain of 1952 NAIA Tournament team) launched two homers against his original MLB team (Pittsburgh Pirates).

  • 2B Frankie Frisch (Fordham captain) and INF Charlie Gelbert (scored at least 125 points each of his last three seasons with Lebanon Valley PA in late 1920s) each stroked three hits for the St. Louis Cardinals in a 9-1 win against the Brooklyn Dodgers in 1935.

  • Brooklyn Dodgers 1B Gil Hodges (played for St. Joseph's IN in 1943 and Oakland City IN in 1947 and 1948) amassed two homers and six RBI against the Pittsburgh Pirates in the opener of a 1950 doubleheader.

  • Washington Senators 1B-OF Frank Howard (two-time All-Big Ten Conference first-team selection when leading Ohio State in scoring and rebounding in 1956-57 and 1957-58) fanned five times against the Boston Red Sox in the opener of a 1970 twinbill.

  • Los Angeles Dodgers LF "Sweet" Lou Johnson (Kentucky State teammate of legendary coach Davey Whitney averaged 5.7 ppg and 2 rpg in 1951-52) jacked two homers against the Philadelphia Phillies in 1966.

  • Detroit Tigers LF Charlie Keller (Maryland three-year letterman from 1934-35 through 1936-37) contributed two homers and five RBI against the Philadelphia Athletics in a 1950 game.

  • Detroit Tigers SS Harvey Kuenn (played briefly for Wisconsin in 1951-52 after competing on JV squad previous season) went 5-for-5 against the Cleveland Indians in 1954.

  • Chicago White Sox RHP Ted Lyons (two-time All-SWC first-team selection for Baylor in early 1920s) had a no-hitter with two outs in the ninth inning broken up by a single from Bobby Veach of the Washington Senators in the nightcap of a 1925 doubleheader.

  • RF Bill Nicholson (played for Washington College MD in mid-1930s), the N.L. leader in homers and RBI in 1943, collected a single, two doubles and a homer to help the Chicago Cubs snap an 11-game losing streak with a 6-0 victory against the World Series-bound St. Louis Cardinals in the opener of a twinbill. Nicholson also homered in the nightcap.

  • In his first at-bat with the Boston Red Sox in 1997, OF Curtis Pride (led William & Mary in steals three times and assists twice from 1986-87 through 1989-90) helped the Boston Red Sox tie the score with a ninth-inning pinch-hit homer but the Chicago White Sox went on to prevail in the 10th.

  • A 12th-inning homer by LF Rip Repulski (started a few games for St. Cloud State MN) gave the St. Louis Cardinals a 6-5 win against the Chicago Cubs in 1955.

  • Cincinnati Reds LHP Eppa Rixey (Virginia letterman in 1912 and 1914) tossed a 1-0 shutout against the Philadelphia Phillies in a 1923 twinbill.

  • Brooklyn Dodgers LHP Preacher Roe (played for Harding AR in late 1930s) improved his record to 21-2 in 1951 with a 3-0 shutout against the St. Louis Cardinals.

  • In 1997, Cincinnati Reds RHP Jeff Shaw (freshman guard for Rio Grande OH squad compiling 31-5 record and reaching second round of 1985 NAIA Tournament) secured his 15th straight save in as many appearances en route to a N.L.-leading 42 saves.

  • New York Mets LHP George Stone (averaged 14.7 ppg and 6.5 rpg for Louisiana Tech in 1964-65 and 1965-66) won his fifth straight start in 1973.

  • Pittsburgh Pirates LHP Bob Veale (scored 1,160 points from 1955-56 through 1957-58 with Benedictine KS) hurled a 10-inning, one-hitter against the Philadelphia Phillies in 1965.

  • Wes Westrum (played for Bemidji State MN one season before serving in military during WWII) resigned as New York Mets manager in 1967.