On This Date: Former College Hoopers Providing MLB Headlines on August 21

August 21st, 2023 - 12:56

Extra! Extra! Instead of debating soccer player deserving respect (Chrissy Teigen self-absorbed wannabe Megan Rapinoe bullying teammates into anthem kneeling or deceased Afghani Mohammad Zaki Anwari trapped in landing gear of C-17 transport plane aspiring to board evacuation flight stemming from dumpster fire ignited by Rapinoe-endorsed Plagiarist "The Muck Starts Here" Biledumb), 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.

Several hoopers from Illinois colleges - Lou Boudreau (Illinois), Floyd Newkirk (Illinois College) and Paul Reuschel (Western Illinois) - made MLB news on this date. Boudreau is joined by fellow Hall of Famers Monte Irvin (Lincoln PA), Ted Lyons (Baylor) and Eppa Rixey (Virginia) as ex-college hoopers generating MLB news on this date. Unless you habitually pore over the content at baseballlibrary.com, baseballreference.com and nationalpastime.com, following is an August 21 calendar focusing on such versatile MLB athletes:

AUGUST 21

  • Boston Red Sox INF Jack Barry (basketball letterman for Holy Cross in 1908) tied a MLB single-game record with four sacrifices at Cleveland in 1916.

  • Philadelphia Athletics RHP Bill Beckmann (hooper in late 1920s for Washington MO) tossed a shutout against the Chicago White Sox in 1940 for his fifth victory in as many decisions in a 3 1/2-week span.

  • Cleveland Indians SS Lou Boudreau (leading scorer for Illinois' 1937 Big Ten Conference co-champion) banged out four hits against the Chicago White Sox in the opener of a 1949 twinbill.

  • Philadelphia Phillies rookie RHP Ron Diorio (New Haven CT runner-up in scoring and rebounding in 1968-69) yielded the only run in his first 17 relief appearances in the 1973 campaign (0.60 ERA in that span).

  • Pittsburgh Pirates RHP Dave Giusti (made 6-of-10 field-goal attempts in two games for Syracuse in 1959-60) twirled a shutout and knocked in six runs with a pair of bases-loaded doubles in an 11-0 rout of the Cincinnati Reds in 1966.

  • Cincinnati Reds rookie LHP Don Gross (Michigan State freshman hooper in 1949-50) hurled his lone MLB shutout by blanking the St. Louis Cardinals on four hits in 1955.

  • Monte Irvin (Lincoln PA hooper 1 1/2 years in late 1930s) named special assistant to Commissioner William Eckert in 1968.

  • Brooklyn Dodgers RHP Clyde King (started two basketball games for North Carolina in December 1944 under coach Ben Carnevale didn't allow an earned run in his eighth straight appearance covering 28 1/3 innings in 1947.

  • Chicago White Sox RHP Ted Lyons (two-time All-SWC first-team selection for Baylor in early 1920s) hurled a no-hitter against the Boston Red Sox in 1926. Lyons required only 67 minutes and 81 pitches.

  • Philadelphia Athletics RHP Bill McCahan (three-year Duke letterman named to All-Southern Conference Tournament team in 1942) earned his fourth consecutive complete-game victory in 1947.

  • Atlanta Braves RHP Gary Neibauer (collected 13 points and 9 rebounds in 16 games for Nebraska in 1964-65 under coach Joe Cipriano) earned his second relief victory of the month in 1973.

  • 3B Graig Nettles (shot 87.8% from free-throw line for San Diego State in 1963-64) accounted for both of the New York Yankees' runs via a homer and double in a 2-1 triumph against the Texas Rangers in 1977.

  • RHP Floyd Newkirk (Hall of Fame selection at Illinois College) made his lone MLB appearance with the New York Yankees in 1934.

  • Pitchers Paul Reuschel (Western Illinois' leading rebounder in 1966-67 with 15.2 per game) and Rick Reuschel collaborated on a 7-0 victory for the Chicago Cubs against the Los Angeles Dodgers in 1975 - the first time brothers combined on a shutout. Paul relieved in the seventh inning after Rick was forced to leave because of a blister on his finger.

  • Cincinnati Reds LHP Eppa Rixey (Virginia hoops letterman in 1912 and 1914) was 41 in 1932 when he tossed the second of back-to-back shutouts against the Pittsburgh Pirates.

  • Kansas City Athletics 1B Norm Siebern (member of Southwest Missouri hoop squads capturing back-to-back NAIA Tournament titles in 1952 and 1953) homered twice against the Boston Red Sox in a 1962 game.

  • San Diego Padres RF Clint Venable (two-time All-Ivy League selection averaged 9.3 ppg under Princeton coach John Thompson III from 2001-02 through 2004-05) amassed four hits in a 7-5 win against the Pittsburgh Pirates in 2012.

  • Seattle Mariners CF Randy Winn (Santa Clara backcourtmate of eventual two-time NBA Most Valuable Player Steve Nash in 1993-94) supplied five hits and four RBI against the Detroit Tigers in a 2004 contest.