Hot Stove League: MLB February Transactions Involving Ex-College Hoopers
Former Illinois college hoopers Tom Haller (Illinois), Cal Neeman (Illinois Wesleyan), Champ Summers (SIU Edwardsville) and Jay Ward (McKendree) were traded by major-league baseball franchises this month in a 15-year span from 1963 through 1977. Summers, a transfer from Nicholls State, also joined prominent ex-Louisiana college hoopers Joe Adcock (LSU), Zeke Bonura (Loyola New Orleans) and George Stone (Louisiana Tech) in MLB February transactions. They are among the following former college hoopers involved in MLB off-season transactions during the month of February:
FEBRUARY
1: OF Jim Lyttle (led Florida State in free-throw shooting in 1965-66 when averaging 12.4 ppg) traded by the Chicago White Sox to Kansas City Royals in 1973. . . . C Ebba St. Claire (Colgate hoops letterman in 1941-42) traded by the Milwaukee Braves to New York Giants in 1954.
2: INF Billy Harrell (averaged 10.3 ppg in three seasons for Siena in early 1950s) awarded on waivers from the Cleveland Indians to St. Louis Cardinals in 1959.
3: RHP Paul Hartzell (averaged 5.9 ppg and 3.4 rpg as Lehigh forward in 1972-73) traded by the California Angels to Minnesota Twins in 1979. . . . INF Larry Wolfe (Sacramento City College CA letterman in 1971-72 and 1972-73 scored juco game-high 33 points) traded by the Minnesota Twins to Boston Red Sox in 1979.
5: OF Ethan Allen (Cincinnati hoops letterman in 1924-25 and 1925-26) purchased from the St. Louis Cardinals to Philadelphia Phillies in 1934. . . . OF Sam Mele (NYU's leading scorer in 1943 NCAA playoffs) traded by the Chicago White Sox to Baltimore Orioles in 1954. . . . OF Leon Roberts (played in four basketball games for Michigan in 1970-71 under coach Johnny Orr) traded by the Toronto Blue Jays to Kansas City Royals for 1B Cecil Fielder in 1983.
6: INF Jake Flowers (member of 1923 "Flying Pentagon" championship hoops squad for Washington College MD) purchased from the Brooklyn Dodgers by Buffalo (International) in 1934.
7: INF Charlie Gelbert (scored at least 125 points each of last three seasons in late 1920s for Lebanon Valley PA) purchased from the Boston Red Sox by Brooklyn Dodgers in 1942. . . . 1B-OF Bud Sharpe (hoops letterman for Penn State in 1902) purchased from the Boston Rustlers by Buffalo (Eastern) in 1911.
8: RHP Elden Auker (All-Big Six Conference first five selection with Kansas State in 1931-32) purchased from the Boston Red Sox by St. Louis Browns in 1940. . . . RHP Ownie Carroll (Holy Cross hoops letterman in 1922) traded with INF Jake Flowers (member of 1923 "Flying Pentagon" championship hoops squad for Washington College MD) by the St. Louis Cardinals to Brooklyn Dodgers in 1933. . . . 2B-OF Davey Lopes (NAIA All-District 15 selection for Iowa Wesleyan averaged 16.9 ppg and 3.4 rpg as freshman in 1964-65 and 12.1 ppg as sophomore in 1965-66 before transferring with his coach to Washburn KS where he became All-CIC choice for 1968 NAIA Tournament team) traded by the Los Angeles Dodgers to Oakland Athletics in 1982.
9: RHP Bobby Munoz (scored 35 points in game for Polk Community College FL in 1986-87) traded by the New York Yankees to Philadelphia Phillies in 1994.
10: LHP Al Downing (attended Muhlenberg PA on hoops scholarship but left before ever playing) traded by the Milwaukee Brewers to Los Angeles Dodgers in 1971. . . . OF Les Mann (Springfield MA hooper in 1913 and 1914) purchased from the Chicago Whales by Chicago Cubs in 1916. . . . C-UTL Billy Sullivan Jr. (Portland hoops letterman in 1927-28) traded by the Cleveland Indians to St. Louis Browns in 1938.
11: INF Rob Sperring (averaged 8.7 ppg and 2.9 rpg for Pacific from 1968-69 through 1970-71) traded by the Chicago Cubs to San Francisco Giants in 1977.
12: 2B Jack Dittmer (Iowa hooper in 1949-50) traded by the Milwaukee Braves to Detroit Tigers in 1957. . . . SS Doc Lavan (Hope MI hooper from 1908 through 1910) purchased from the Philadelphia Athletics by St. Louis Browns in 1914. . . . LHP Joe Ostrowski (leading scorer for Scranton PA in 1942-43) purchased from the New York Yankees by Chicago Cubs in 1953.
13: INF Tim Cullen (starting guard for Santa Clara in 1962-63 when averaging 10 ppg and 3.4 rpg) traded by the Washington Senators to Chicago White Sox in 1968. . . . C Tom Haller (backup forward for Illinois in 1956-57 and 1957-58 under coach Harry Combes) traded by the San Francisco Giants to Los Angeles Dodgers in 1968.
14: C Cal Neeman (Illinois Wesleyan's leading scorer in 1947-48 and 1948-49) traded by the Pittsburgh Pirates to St. Louis Cardinals in 1963.
15: 1B Zeke Bonura (best basketball forward for Loyola New Orleans in late 1920s and early 1930s) purchased from the Chicago Cubs by Minneapolis (American Association) in 1941. . . . OF Pip Koehler (Penn State hoops letterman in 1921-22 and 1922-23) shipped as player to be designated by the New York Giants to Toledo (American Association) in 1926 to complete swap made the previous summer.
16: 1B Joe Adcock (Louisiana State's leading scorer in 1945-46 traded by the Cincinnati Reds to Milwaukee Braves as part of a four-team swap in 1953. . . . OF Bake McBride (averaged 12.7 ppg and 8.1 rpg in 21 games for Westminster MO in 1968-69 and 1969-70) traded by the Philadelphia Phillies to Cleveland Indians in 1982. . . . OF-DH Champ Summers (led SIU-Edwardsville in scoring in 1969-70 after doing likewise with Nicholls State in 1964-65) traded by the Chicago Cubs to Cincinnati Reds in 1977.
18: INF Owen Kahn (basketball letterman for William & Mary in 1924-25 and 1925-26) purchased from Manchester (New England) by the Boston Braves in 1930. . . . INF Jay Ward (attended McKendree IL for one semester as freshman in 1956-57) traded by the Cleveland Indians to Cincinnati Reds in 1970.
19: INF Billy Hunter (multi-sport athlete for Indiana PA post-WWII) traded with OF Irv Noren (1945 player of the year for California community college state basketball champion Pasadena City) and multiple additional players by the New York Yankees to Kansas City Athletics for multiple players in 1957.
20: 1B-OF Buddy Hassett (hooper for Manhattan teams winning school-record 17 consecutive contests in 1930 and 1931) traded by the New York Yankees to Brooklyn Dodgers in 1936.
22: C Art Kusnyer (led Kent State in field-goal percentage in 1965-66 as team's third-leading scorer and rebounder) traded by the Milwaukee Brewers to Kansas City Royals in 1978.
23: LHP Stan Baumgartner (hooper for Western Conference champion University of Chicago in 1914) traded by New Haven (Eastern) to the Philadelphia Athletics in 1924. . . . OF Jerry Martin (Furman's second-leading scorer in 1969-70 and third-leading scorer in 1970-71) traded by the Philadelphia Phillies to Chicago Cubs in 1979. . . . 1B Dick Siebert (Concordia-St. Paul MN hooper in 1929 and 1930) purchased from the Chicago Cubs by St. Louis Cardinals in 1937.
24: 1B Tony Lupien (Harvard hoops captain in 1938-39) purchased from the Philadelphia Phillies by Pittsburgh Pirates in 1946. . . . LHP George Stone (averaged 14.7 ppg and 6.5 rpg for Louisiana Tech in 1964-65 and 1965-66) traded by the New York Mets to Texas Rangers in 1976.
OFF-SEASON WHEELING AND DEALING PREVIOUS THREE MONTHS
MLB January Transactions Involving Former College Hoopers
MLB December Transactions Involving Former College Hoopers
MLB November Transactions Involving Former College Hoopers