On This Date: Former College Hoopers Providing MLB Headlines on August 17

August 17th, 2023 - 8:26

Extra! Extra! Instead of mocking smug Ivy Leaguer Gen. "Way Off" Mark Milley's quest to understand white rage, allowing women in ground combat, force vaccines promoted by colossally-confused CDC and be transgender inclusive more than creating cogent plan to withdraw from Kabul in semi-orderly fashion two years ago, you can read news 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 Ron Allen (Youngstown State), Gene Freese (West Liberty WV) and Frankie Frisch (Fordham) smacked homers for the St. Louis Cardinals in MLB games on this date. Ex-East Tennessee State hoopers Ernie Bowman and Jim Mooney plus ex-PA small-college hoopers Dick Hall (Swarthmore), Billy Hunter (IUP) and Christy Mathewson (Bucknell) also made MLB news on this date. Unless you habitually pore over the content at baseballlibrary.com, baseballreference.com and nationalpastime.com, following is an August 17 calendar focusing on such versatile MLB athletes:

AUGUST 17

  • San Diego Padres RHP Mike Adams (Texas A&M-Kingsville hooper in 1996-97) surrendered his only earned run (against Chicago Cubs) in last 34 relief appearances in 2009.

  • 1B Ron Allen (Youngstown State's scoring and rebounding leader as a sophomore in 1961-62) secured his only MLB hit, a ninth-inning homer at San Diego in 1972, after the brother of standout 1B Dick Allen replaced ejected St. Louis Cardinals teammate Joe Torre.

  • San Diego Padres SS Bill Almon (averaged 2.5 ppg in half a season for Brown's 1972-73 team ending school streak of 12 straight losing records) collected three hits and five RBI in a 7-4 win against the Cincinnati Reds in 1977.

  • Milwaukee Brewers CF Ken Berry (freshman hooper for Wichita in 1959-60) went 4-for-4 in a 4-2 win against the California Angels in 1974.

  • San Francisco Giants INF Ernie Bowman (East Tennessee State hoops letterman in 1954-55 and 1955-56) hit safely in ninth contest during 11-game span in 1963.

  • OF Billy Cowan (Utah letterman from 1957-58 through 1959-60 was co-captain of NCAA playoff team as senior) clubbed a two-run, pinch homer off Juan Pizzaro in the eighth inning to give the California Angels a 7-6 victory against the Cleveland Indians in 1969.

  • Bing Devine (Washington MO hoops letterman in mid-1930s) fired as general manager of the St. Louis Cardinals in 1964 before they go on to win the World Series against the New York Yankees.

  • RHP Eddie Fisher (played for Oklahoma's 1954-55 freshman hoops squad) traded by the California Angels to the Chicago White Sox in 1972.

  • CF Curt Flood and 3B Gene Freese (hoops captain of 1952 NAIA Tournament team for West Liberty WV), the first two St. Louis Cardinals batters, hammered back-to-back homers off Los Angeles Dodgers LHP Sandy Koufax (Cincinnati's freshman hoops squad in 1953-54) in the opener of a 1958 doubleheader.

  • Philadelphia Athletics RF Walt French (hoops letterman for Rutgers and Army) went 4-for-4 against the Cleveland Indians in the opener of a 1926 twinbill.

  • St. Louis Cardinals 2B Frankie Frisch (Fordham hoops captain) homered in both ends of a 1929 doubleheader split against the New York Giants.

  • Baltimore Orioles RHP Dick Hall (averaged 12.8 ppg from 1948-49 through 1950-51 for three Swarthmore PA Southern Division champions in Middle Atlantic States Conference) provided a perfect inning of relief against the Kansas City Athletics in 1963, giving him 28 consecutive batters retired in a span of five appearances. Four years later with the Philadelphia Phillies, Hall notched his 11th straight game in relief without allowing an earned run in 1967.

  • Cleveland Indians LF Mike Hargrove (Northwestern Oklahoma State hoops letterman) homered twice against the Oakland Athletics in a 1979 game.

  • In 2008, Florida Marlins LHP Mark Hendrickson (two-time All-Pacific-10 Conference selection was Washington State's leading rebounder each season from 1992-93 through 1995-96) allowed his only run in nine relief appearances during the month.

  • In his last three plate appearances, Kansas City Athletics SS Billy Hunter (multi-sport athlete for Indiana PA post-WWII) belted a pair of solo homers and stroked game-winning, bases-loaded single in bottom of the ninth inning for 4-3 triumph against the Cleveland Indians in 1957.

  • In 1985, Reggie Jackson of the New York Yankees, moving past Willie McCovey and Ted Williams on the all-time homer list, swatted his 522nd career round-tripper off Oakland A's LHP Bill Krueger (led WCAC in free-throw percentage in 1975-76 with Portland).

  • New York Giants RHP Christy Mathewson (Bucknell hooper at turn of 20th Century) hurled his second straight three-hit shutout against Chicago in 1905.

  • New York Giants LHP Jim Mooney (hooper for East Tennessee State) tossed a four-hit shutout against the Cincinnati Reds in 1932.

  • Cincinnati Reds rookie RF Greasy Neale (hooper graduated in 1915 from West Virginia Wesleyan) had his 12-game hitting streak snapped by the Chicago Cubs in 1920.

  • In the midst of homering in six consecutive contests, San Diego Padres 3B Graig Nettles (shot 87.8% from free-throw line for San Diego State in 1963-64) cracked two round-trippers against the Montreal Expos in a 1984 contest.

  • Los Angeles Dodgers CF Billy North (played hoops briefly for Central Washington in 1967-68) stole three bases against the Philadelphia Phillies in a 1978 game.

  • Cleveland Indians RHP Jim Perry (averaged more than 20 ppg in late 1950s for former juco Campbell) fired a four-hit shutout against the Texas Rangers to post his eighth victory in span of nine decisions in 16th MLB season (1974).

  • Boston Braves rookie C Ebba St. Claire (Colgate letterman in 1941-42) had an 11-game hitting streak snapped by the Brooklyn Dodgers' Carl Erskine in the opener of a 1951 doubleheader.