Hot Stove League: MLB March Transactions Involving Former College Hoopers
Former San Diego State hooper Graig Nettles, a six-time All-Star third baseman, was moved from one MLB franchise to another twice in the mid-1980s during March. Fellow All-Stars Gene Conley (Washington State) and Sammy White (Washington) were principals in MLB trades this month after earning All-PCC North Division first-team acclaim as hoopers. Nettles, Conley and White are among the following ex-college hoopers involved in MLB off-season transactions during the month of March:
MARCH
1: INF Dick Culler (#9 jersey retired by High Point for Little All-American in 1935 and 1936) traded by the Boston Braves to Chicago Cubs in 1948. . . . C Rick Ferrell (played forward for Guilford NC before graduating in 1928) traded by the St. Louis Browns to Washington Senators in 1944.
4: OF-DH Champ Summers (led SIU-Edwardsville in scoring in 1969-70 after doing likewise with Nicholls State in 1964-65) traded by the Detroit Tigers to San Francisco Giants in 1982.
5: RHP Oral Hildebrand (Butler hoops All-American in 1928-29 and 1929-30) purchased from the Pittsburgh Pirates by Indianapolis (American Association) in 1942.
8: RHP Vince Colbert (averaged 14.3 ppg and 7.3 rpg for East Carolina in 1966-67 and 1967-68) traded by the Texas Rangers to Cleveland Indians in 1973.
10: OF Lou Piniella (averaged 2.5 ppg and 1.4 rpg as Tampa freshman in 1961-62) traded by the Baltimore Orioles to Cleveland Indians in 1966. . . . LHP Jack Spring (freshman hooper for Washington State in 1951-52) acquired from Dallas (American Association) by the Kansas City Athletics as part of a minor league working agreement.
11: RHP Ben McDonald (started six times as freshman forward for Louisiana State in 1986-87 under coach Dale Brown) traded by the Cleveland Indians to Milwaukee Brewers in 1998.
13: C-UTL Billy Sullivan Jr. (Portland hoops letterman in 1927-28) purchased from the Detroit Tigers by Brooklyn Dodgers in 1942.
14: 3B Wally Gilbert (Valparaiso hoops captain in early 1920s) traded by the Brooklyn Dodgers to Cincinnati Reds in 1932.
15: RHP Ray Fisher (1910 Middlebury VT graduate was "class" basketball participant) awarded off waivers from the New York Yankees to Cincinnati Reds in 1919. . . . RHP Dave Giusti (made 6-of-10 field-goal attempts in two games for Syracuse in 1959-60) traded by the Pittsburgh Pirates to Oakland Athletics in 1977. . . . C Art Kusnyer (led Kent State in field-goal percentage in 1965-66 as team's third-leading scorer and rebounder) traded by the Chicago White Sox to California Angels in 1971. . . . RHP Jim Todd (played for Parsons IA before averaging 16 ppg with Millersville PA in 1968-69) shipped by the Chicago Cubs as player to be designated to Seattle Mariners in 1977 to complete trade made six months earlier.
16: LHP Amir Garrett (averaged 7.4 ppg and 4 rpg for St. John's under coach Steve Lavin in 2011-12 and 2012-13 before redshirt transfer year at Cal State Northridge) traded by the Cincinnati Reds to Kansas City Royals in 2022. . . . 3B Billy Werber (first Duke hoops All-American in 1929-30) purchased from the Philadelphia Athletics by Cincinnati Reds in 1939. . . . C Sammy White (All-PCC Northern Division first-five selection for Washington in 1947-48 and 1948-49) traded by the Boston Red Sox to Cleveland Indians in 1960 before deal was voided when he refused to report to his new team.
17: RHP Mike Barlow (Syracuse hoops substitute from 1967-68 through 1969-70) traded by the California Angels to Toronto Blue Jays in 1980. . . . RHP Marty McLeary (Mount Vernon Nazarene OH academic redshirt), a Rule 5 draft pick, returned by the Montreal Expos to Boston Red Sox in 2000.
19: RHP Jim Perry (averaged more than 20 ppg in late 1950s for former juco Campbell) traded by the Detroit Tigers to Cleveland Indians as part of three-team swap also involving New York Yankees in 1974. . . . LHP Willie Prall (Upsala NJ hooper) traded by the San Francisco Giants to Chicago Cubs in 1974.
20: UTL Mel Roach (averaged 9.3 ppg for Virginia in 1952-53) traded by the Cleveland Indians to Philadelphia Phillies in 1962. . . . SS Roy Smalley Jr. (one of top scorers for Drury MO in 1942-43 and 1943-44) traded by the Chicago Cubs to Milwaukee Braves in 1954. . . . LHP Matt Thornton (averaged 5.8 ppg and 2.4 rpg for Grand Valley State MI from 1995-96 through 1997-98) traded by the Seattle Mariners to Chicago White Sox in 2006.
21: SS Bill Almon (averaged 2.5 ppg in half a season for Brown's 1972-73 team ending school's streak of 12 straight losing records) traded by the New York Mets to Philadelphia Phillies in 1988. . . . OF Bryant Alyea (Hofstra's leading scorer and rebounder in 1960-61 after finishing runner-up in both categories previous season) traded by the Washington Senators to Minnesota Twins in 1970. . . . CF Larry Doby (reserve guard for Virginia Union's 1943 CIAA hoops titlist) traded by the Cleveland Indians to Detroit Tigers for OF-1B Tito Francona in 1959. . . . INF Vance Law (averaged 6.8 ppg for Brigham Young from 1974-75 through 1976-77) traded by the Pittsburgh Pirates to Chicago White Sox in 1982.
23: INF Jake Flowers (member of 1923 "Flying Pentagon" championship hoops squad for Washington College MD) purchased from Buffalo (International) by the Cincinnati Reds in 1934. . . . OF-1B Jim Hickman (Ole Miss freshman hooper in 1955-56) traded by the Chicago Cubs to St. Louis Cardinals in 1974.
24: 3B Graig Nettles (shot 87.8% from free-throw line for San Diego State in 1963-64) purchased from the Atlanta Braves by Montreal Expos in 1988.
25: UTL Leo Burke (averaged 9.2 ppg for Virginia Tech in 1952-53 and 1953-54) purchased from the Los Angeles Angels by St. Louis Cardinals in 1963. . . . RHP Bobby Humphreys (four-year hoops letterman graduated from Hampden-Sydney VA in 1958) purchased from the Detroit Tigers by St. Louis Cardinals in 1963. . . . OF David Justice (led Thomas More KY in assists in 1984-85 while averaging 9.3 ppg and 3.5 rpg) traded with another player by the Atlanta Braves to Cleveland Indians for CF Kenny Lofton (Arizona's leader in steals for 1988 Final Four team compiling 35-3 record) and another player in 1997. . . . 1B Bill White (two-year hooper with Hiram OH in early 1950s) traded by the San Francisco Giants to St. Louis Cardinals in 1959.
26: RHP Frank Linzy (listed on Oklahoma State's freshman hoops roster in 1959-60) traded by the St. Louis Cardinals to the Milwaukee Brewers in 1972. . . . OF-1B Gary Redus (J.C. hooper for Athens AL and father of Centenary/South Alabama guard with same name) traded by the Philadelphia Phillies to Chicago White Sox in 1987. . . . INF Rob Sperring (averaged 8.7 ppg and 2.9 rpg for Pacific from 1968-69 through 1970-71) traded by the San Francisco Giants to Houston Astros in 1977. . . . RHP Tim Stoddard (starting forward opposite All-American David Thompson for North Carolina State's 1974 NCAA champion) traded by the Oakland Athletics to Chicago Cubs in 1984.
27: RHP Dan Fife (averaged 12.6 ppg and 4.9 rpg as Michigan's) third-leading scorer each year from 1968-69 through 1970-71 under coach Johnny Orr) traded with cash by the Detroit Tigers to Minnesota Twins for RHP Jim Perry (averaged more than 20 ppg in late 1950s for former juco Campbell) in 1973. . . . OF-INF Tony Phillips (juco teammate of eventual Drake All-American Lewis Lloyd with New Mexico Military) traded by the San Diego Padres to Oakland Athletics in 1981. . . . OF Kite Thomas (averaged 5.1 ppg for Kansas State in 1946-47) traded by the Washington Senators to Chicago White Sox in 1954. . . . RHP Monte Weaver (hoops center for Emory & Henry VA in mid-1920s) purchased from the Washington Senaotrs by Boston Red Sox in 1939.
29: RHP Andy Karl (Manhattan hoops letterman from 1933 through 1935) traded by the Philadelphia Phillies to Boston Braves for C-OF Don Padgett (freshman in 1934 excelled in multiple sports for Lenoir-Rhyne NC) in 1947. . . . RHP Curly Ogden (competed as hoops center for Swarthmore PA in 1919, 1920 and 1922) purchased from the Washington Senators by Baltimore (International) in 1927.
30: LHP Atlee Hammaker (averaged 5 ppg for East Tennessee State in 1976-77 and 1977-78 under coach Sonny Smith) traded by the Kansas City Royals to San Francisco Giants in six-player swap in 1982. . . . RHP Oral Hildebrand (Butler hoops All-American in 1928-29 and 1929-30) purchased from the New York Yankees by St. Paul (American Association) in 1941. . . . 3B Graig Nettles (shot 87.8% from free-throw line for San Diego State in 1963-64) traded by the New York Yankees to San Diego Padres in 1984 for LHP Dennis Rasmussen (sixth-man for Creighton averaged 5.1 ppg from 1977-78 through 1979-80) and a player to be designated. . . . RHP Steve Renko (averaged 9.9 ppg and 5.8 rpg as Kansas sophomore in 1963-64) traded by the Chicago White Sox to Oakland Athletics in 1978. . . . OF Ted Savage (led Lincoln MO in scoring average in 1955-56) traded by the Los Angeles Dodgers to Cincinnati Reds in 1969. . . . LHP Eric Stults (hooper for 1999 NAIA D-II Tournament runner-up and 2000 NCCAA Tournament titlist with Bethel IN) purchased from the Los Angeles Dodgers by Hiroshima Toyo Carp (Japan Central) in 2010.
31: RHP Gene Conley (All-PCC first-team selection led North Division in scoring in 1949-50 as Washington State sophomore) traded with two other players by the Milwaukee Braves in 1959 to Philadelphia Phillies for INF Johnny O'Brien (two-time All-American with Seattle was first college player to crack 1,000-point plateau in single season by scoring 1,051 in 37 games in 1951-52) and two other players. . . . SS Rich Hacker (member of Southern Illinois' 1965-66 freshman hoops squad) traded by the New York Mets to Montreal Expos in 1971. . . . C Duane Josephson (led Northern Iowa in scoring in 1962-63 and 1963-64 under coach Norm Stewart) traded by the Chicago White Sox to Boston Red Sox in 1971. . . . RHP Howie Judson (Illinois' third-leading scorer in 1944-45) purchased from the Cincinnati Redlegs by Seattle (PCL) in 1955.
OFF-SEASON WHEELING AND DEALING PREVIOUS FOUR MONTHS
MLB February Transactions Involving Former College Hoopers
MLB January Transactions Involving Former College Hoopers
MLB December Transactions Involving Former College Hoopers
MLB November Transactions Involving Former College Hoopers