On This Date: Former College Hoopers Make Mark in October 21 MLB Games

October 21st, 2019 - 8:27

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 Far West university hoop guards Tony Gwynn (San Diego State) and Kenny Lofton (Arizona) supplied significant World Series performances as MLB outfielders on this date. Unless you habitually pore over the content at baseballlibrary.com, baseballreference.com and nationalpastime.com, following is an October 21 calendar focusing on such versatile MLB athletes:

OCTOBER 21

  • 1B Bill Davis (averaged 12.5 ppg in 1963-64 for Minnesota basketball team including eventual NBA standouts Archie Clark and Lou Hudson) traded by the Cleveland Indians to the San Diego Padres in 1968.

  • Kansas City Royals RHP Rich Gale (led New Hampshire with 7.2 rpg in 1975-76) lost Game 6 when the Philadelphia Phillies clinched the 1980 World Series championship.

  • RHP Dave Giusti (made 6 of 10 field-goal attempts in two games for Syracuse in 1959-60) traded with C Dave Ricketts (Duquesne's leading scorer with 17.9 ppg in 1956-57) by the St. Louis Cardinals to the Pittsburgh Pirates in 1969.

  • San Diego Padres RF Tony Gwynn (All-WAC second-team selection with San Diego State in 1979-80 and 1980-81) provided his third multiple-hit game in four World Series contests against the New York Yankees in 1998.

  • In 1995 opener against the Atlanta Braves, Cleveland Indians CF Kenny Lofton (Arizona's leader in steals for 1988 Final Four squad compiling 35-3 record) became the first player since 1921 to steal two bases in one inning of a World Series game.

  • RHP Joe Niekro (averaged 8.9 ppg and 3.8 rpg for West Liberty WV from 1963-64 through 1965-66) made his lone World Series appearance, hurling two innings of shutout relief for the Minnesota Twins in Game 4 of the 1987 World Series against the St. Louis Cardinals.

  • RHP Claude Passeau (Millsaps MS hooper in late 1920s and early 1930s) traded by the Pittsburgh Pirates to the Philadelphia Phillies in 1935.

  • OF Richie Scheinblum (averaged 6.1 ppg and 3.6 rpg in 1962-63 and 1963-64 with LIU-C.W. Post) purchased from the Texas Rangers by the Kansas City Royals in 1971.