On This Date: Former College Hoopers Make Mark on October 25 MLB Games

October 25th, 2018 - 7:50

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 college hoopers Larry Doby (Virginia Union), Tom Haller (Illinois), Mike Hargrove (Northwestern Oklahoma State) and Jim Todd (Parsons IA/Millersville State PA) switched MLB teams on this date. Unless you habitually pore over the content at baseballlibrary.com, baseballreference.com and nationalpastime.com, following is an October 25 calendar focusing on such versatile MLB athletes:

OCTOBER 25

  • OF Larry Doby (reserve guard for Virginia Union's 1943 CIAA basketball titlist) traded by the Cleveland Indians to the Chicago White Sox in 1955.

  • C Tom Haller (backup forward for Illinois in 1956-57 and 1957-58 under coach Harry Combes) purchased from the Detroit Tigers by the Philadelphia Phillies in 1972.

  • 1B Mike Hargrove (Northwestern Oklahoma State hoops letterman) traded by the Texas Rangers to the San Diego Padres in 1978.

  • In 1977, RHP Jim Todd (played for Parsons IA before averaging 16 ppg with Millersville State PA in 1968-69) shipped by the Chicago Cubs to the Seattle Mariners to complete an earlier deal in the spring.