On This Date: Former College Hoopsters Make Mark on August 16 MLB Games

August 16th, 2015 - 12:26

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 an August 16 calendar focusing on such versatile MLB athletes:

AUGUST 16

  • Chicago Cubs 2B Glenn Beckert (three-year basketball letterman for Allegheny PA) contributed four hits against the San Francisco Giants in 1972.

  • Chicago Cubs RHP Tom Dettore (averaged team-high 14.1 ppg plus 9 rpg in 1965-66 for Juniata PA) earned his first MLB victory with 6 1/3 innings of shutout relief against the San Diego Padres in 1974.

  • Chicago White Sox 1B Kerby Farrell (key player for couple of strong Freed-Hardeman TN squads in mid-1930s) collected three hits for the second consecutive contest in 1945.

  • Cincinnati Reds 3B Gene Freese (West Liberty WV captain of 1952 NAIA Tournament team) launched two homers against the Los Angeles Dodgers in the nightcap of a 1961 doubleheader.

  • Pittsburgh Pirates 1B Hank Greenberg (enrolled at NYU on hoop scholarship in 1929 but attended college only one semester) clobbered two homers against the St. Louis Cardinals in 1947.

  • Pittsburgh Pirates SS Dick Groat (two-time All-American with Duke in 1950-51 and 1951-52 when finishing among nation's top five scorers each season) registered his seventh consecutive contest with multiple hits.

  • Brooklyn Dodgers 1B Gil Hodges (played for St. Joseph's IN in 1943 and Oakland City IN in 1947 and 1948) amassed two homers and six RBI against the New York Giants in 1950.

  • Kansas City Royals CF Lynn Jones (averaged 10.4 ppg for Thiel PA from 1970-71 through 1973-74) stroked four hits against the Toronto Blue Jays in 1985.

  • Los Angeles Dodgers LHP Sandy Koufax (Cincinnati's freshman squad in 1953-54) improved his record to 19-5 with a 3-0 shutout against the St. Louis Cardinals but will miss the remainder of the 1964 season because of an elbow injury incurred while sliding back into second base earlier in the month.

  • In 1911, New York Giants RHP Christy Mathewson (played for Bucknell at turn of 20th Century) defeated the Cincinnati Reds for the 22nd straight time.

  • Chicago White Sox RF Lyle Mouton (starter in LSU's backcourt with All-American Chris Jackson for 1989 NCAA playoff team) had his career-high 14-game hitting streak snapped by the Milwaukee Brewers in 1996.

  • Detroit Tigers LF Curtis Pride (led William & Mary in steals three times and assists twice while averaging 5.6 ppg and 3.1 apg from 1986-87 through 1989-90) hit safely in first 10 games of the month, a career high, before he was blanked by the Cleveland Indians in 1996.

  • RHP Robin Roberts (Michigan State's second-leading scorer in 1945-46 and 1946-47) twirled four-hit shutouts in his first two starts for the Houston Astros in 1965.

  • New York Yankees rookie LHP Marius Russo (member of LIU teams compiling 50-2 record in 1934-35 and 1935-36 under legendary coach Clair Bee) hurled a four-hit shutout against the Washington Senators in 1939, igniting a streak of seven straight complete-game victories as a starter.