On This Date: Former College Hoopers Make Mark on September 5 MLB Games

September 5th, 2015 - 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 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 5 calendar focusing on such versatile MLB athletes:

SEPTEMBER 5

  • RHP Ralph Branca (sixth-leading basketball scorer for NYU in 1943-44) earned the victory as Brooklyn Dodgers teammate Gil Hodges (played for St. Joseph's IN in 1943 and Oakland City IN in 1947 and 1948) hammered a grand slam in a 5-2 verdict over the Philadelphia Phillies in 1951.

  • Los Angeles Dodgers RHP Roger Craig (forward with North Carolina State's 1949-50 freshman team) won his sixth straight decision in 1960.

  • Cleveland Indians CF Larry Doby (reserve guard for Virginia Union's 1943 CIAA titlist) homered in both ends of a 1955 twinbill split against the Kansas City Athletics.

  • Philadelphia Athletics RHP George Earnshaw (Swarthmore PA participant in 1922) tossed a one-hitter against the Boston Red Sox in 1931.

  • Pittsburgh Pirates rookie 3B Gene Freese (West Liberty WV captain of 1952 NAIA Tournament team) homered twice against the New York Giants in the opener of a 1955 doubleheader.

  • Boston Red Sox 1B Dick Gernert (Temple letterman in 1948-49 when averaging 2.7 ppg) collected four hits and three runs against the Baltimore Orioles in a 1958 game.

  • Detroit Tigers 1B Hank Greenberg (enrolled at NYU on hoop scholarship in 1929 but attended college only one semester) launched a homer for the third consecutive contest in 1939.

  • Baltimore Orioles 2B Davey Johnson (averaged 1.7 ppg for Texas A&M in 1961-62) knocked in five runs in an 8-4 win against the Detroit Tigers in 1969.

  • Chicago White Sox rookie RF Lyle Mouton (starter in LSU's backcourt with All-American Chris Jackson for 1989 NCAA playoff team) went 6-for-7 with three doubles in first two contests of a four-game series against the Texas Rangers in 1995.

  • Boston Red Sox 3B Buddy Myer (Mississippi State letterman in 1923-24) doubled before scoring the winning run in the 18th inning of a 12-11 decision over the New York Yankees in the opener of a 1927 doubleheader.

  • Atlanta Braves RHP Cecil Upshaw (Centenary's leading scorer as junior in 1962-63) notched four saves and a victory in five-game span of relief appearances in the midst of holding opponents scoreless in last 13 outings of 1972 campaign.

  • Pittsburgh Pirates CF Bill Virdon (played for Drury MO in 1949) accounted for the game's only run when he blasted a 10th-inning homer against the Milwaukee Braves in 1958.