On This Date: Former College Hoopsters Make Mark on August 28 MLB Games

August 28th, 2015 - 6:58

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 28 calendar focusing on such versatile MLB athletes:

AUGUST 28

  • New York Yankees 1B Tony Clark (San Diego State's leading scorer in WAC basketball games in 1991-92) slugged three homers in an 18-6 trouncing of the Toronto Blue Jays in 2004.

  • In 1927, Philadelphia Athletics RF Walt French (letterman for Rutgers and Army) furnished his fourth three-hit game in an eight-day span.

  • Boston Red Sox LF Dick Gernert (Temple letterman in 1948-49 when averaging 2.7 ppg) delivered a walk-off, two-run homer in the 10th inning of a 6-4 win against the Baltimore Orioles in 1959.

  • Pittsburgh Pirates 3B Lee Handley (Bradley letterman from 1932-33 through 1934-35) provided four hits, including a two-run safety in the ninth inning, in a 3-2 win against the Philadelphia Phillies in 1941.

  • Boston Braves 1B Buddy Hassett (played for Manhattan teams winning school-record 17 consecutive contests in 1930 and 1931) had four hits in a 10-5 win against the St. Louis Cardinals in 1939.

  • Cleveland Indians RHP Dutch Levsen (Iowa State letterman in 1918-19) became the last MLB hurler to register a complete-game win in both ends of a doubleheader with a pair of four-hitters against the Boston Red Sox in 1926.

  • Cleveland Indians CF Kenny Lofton (Arizona's leader in steals for 1988 Final Four team compiling 35-3 record) went 4-for-4 against the Toronto Blue Jays in 1995.

  • Chicago Cubs RF Bill Nicholson (guard for Washington College MD two years in mid-1930s) belted two homers against the Brooklyn Dodgers in 1947.

  • Detroit Tigers RF Jim Northrup (second-leading scorer and third-leading rebounder for Alma MI in 1958-59) went 6-for-6 with two homers against the Oakland A's in 1969. Northrup's 13th-inning blast over the roof won the game, 5-3.

  • Washington Senators LHP Denny Riddleberger (averaged 5.7 ppg and 2.5 rpg for Old Dominion in 1965-66) yielded his only earned run in a 15-game span of relief appearances during the 1971 campaign.

  • RHP Jeff Shaw (freshman guard for Rio Grande OH squad compiling 31-5 record and reaching second round of 1985 NAIA Tournament) traded by the Montreal Expos to the Chicago White Sox in 1995.

  • In 1965, Kansas City Athletics RHP Rollie Sheldon (third-leading scorer as sophomore for Connecticut's 1960 NCAA Tournament team) hurled a three-hit shutout against his original team (New York Yankees).

  • Kansas City Athletics 1B Norm Siebern (member of Southwest Missouri squads capturing back-to-back NAIA Tournament titles in 1952 and 1953) homered twice and drove in five runs against the Los Angeles Angels in a 1962 game.