On This Date: Former College Hoopers Make Mark on October 13 MLB Games

October 13th, 2018 - 7:06

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

Former hoopers from current power-conference members - Dave Giusti (Syracuse), Frank Howard (Ohio State), Jim Lyttle (Florida State), Eppa Rixey (Virginia) and Tim Stoddard (North Carolina State) - made MLB news on this date. Unless you habitually pore over the content at baseballlibrary.com, baseballreference.com and nationalpastime.com, following is an October 13 calendar focusing on such versatile MLB athletes:

OCTOBER 13

  • Los Angeles Dodgers RF Joe Ferguson (hooper for Pacific's 1967 NCAA playoff basketball team) smacked a homer off Oakland Athletics P Vida Blue, accounting for the game-winning hit in a 3-2 triumph in Game 2 of the 1974 World Series.

  • Unscored upon in all seven postseason relief appearances covering 9 2/3 innings, Pittsburgh Pirates RHP Dave Giusti (made 6 of 10 field-goal attempts in two games for Syracuse in 1959-60) earned a save in Game 4 of the 1971 World Series against the Baltimore Orioles.

  • 1B Gail Hopkins (averaged 2.5 ppg for Pepperdine in 1963-64) traded by the Chicago White Sox to the Kansas City Royals in 1970.

  • 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) fired as San Diego Padres manager in 1981.

  • Atlanta Braves RF David Justice (Thomas More KY assists leader in 1984-85 while averaging 9.3 ppg and 3.5 rpg) jacked two homers against the Pittsburgh Pirates in Game 6 of the 1992 NLCS.

  • OF Jim Lyttle (Florida State free-throw shooting leader in 1965-66 when averaging 12.4 ppg) traded by the New York Yankees to the Chicago White Sox in 1971.

  • Los Angeles Dodgers 1B-OF Len Matuszek (Toledo starter for hoops squad compiling 18-7 record in 1975-76) collected his lone postseason hit, a pinch single against the St. Louis Cardinals in Game 4 of the 1985 NLCS.

  • 3B Graig Nettles (shot 87.8% from free-throw line for San Diego State in 1963-64) hit a three-run, first-inning double to spark the New York Yankees to a 3-1 victory against the Oakland A's in the 1981 ALCS opener. Nettles' spectacular defense highlighted a 5-1 triumph for the Yankees against the Los Angeles Dodgers in Game 3 of the 1978 World Series. Nettles whacked two homers in Game 4 of the 1976 ALCS for the Yankees but they weren't enough to prevent a 7-4 loss against the Kansas City Royals.

  • Philadelphia Phillies LHP Eppa Rixey (Virginia hoops letterman in 1912 and 1914) allowed two homers in 6 2/3 innings in a 5-4 defeat against the Boston Red Sox in Game 5 of the 1915 World Series.

  • Baltimore Orioles RHP Tim Stoddard (starting forward opposite All-American David Thompson for North Carolina State's 1974 NCAA champion) won Game 4 as a reliever against the Pittsburgh Pirates in the 1979 World Series.

  • In his final MLB and only World Series at-bat, San Diego Padres OF Champ Summers (led SIUE in scoring in 1969-70 after doing same with Nicholls State in 1964-65) fanned as a pinch-hitter against a former teammate (Jack Morris of Detroit Tigers) in Game 4 of the 1984 WS.

  • CF Bill Virdon (Drury MO hooper in 1949) smacked a two-run single to help the Pittsburgh Pirates outlast the New York Yankees, 10-9, in Game 7 of the 1960 World Series.