On This Date: Ex-College Hoopers Make Their Mark on September 7 MLB Games

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 a September 7 calendar focusing on such versatile MLB athletes:

SEPTEMBER 7

  • Igniting a streak of nine consecutive contests with at least one RBI, LF Brant Alyea (Hofstra's leading basketball scorer and rebounder in 1960-61 after being runner-up in both categories previous season) drove in all of the Minnesota Twins' runs with two homers in a 7-6 win against the Milwaukee Brewers in the opener of a 1970 doubleheader.

  • Seattle Mariners LF Bruce Bochte (starting forward for Santa Clara's NCAA playoff team in 1969-70 averaged 7.4 ppg and 4 rpg) went 4-for-4 in a 5-2 victory against the Kansas City Royals in 1982.

  • Baltimore Orioles LF Al Bumbry (Virginia State's runner-up in scoring with 16.7 ppg as freshman in 1964-65) stroked four hits against the Cleveland Indians in a 1981 game.

  • Detroit Tigers C Mickey Cochrane (played for Boston University in early 1920s) went 6-for-7 and scored five runs in a 1935 doubleheader sweep of his original team (Philadelphia Athletics).

  • Ending a personal six-game losing streak, Philadelphia Phillies RHP Gene Conley (All-PCC first-team selection led North Division in scoring in 1949-50 as Washington State sophomore) hurled a four-hit shutout against the Chicago Cubs in 1960.

  • Cleveland Indians CF Larry Doby (reserve guard for Virginia Union's 1943 CIAA titlist) supplied a pair of homers in a 6-0 verdict over the Baltimore Orioles in 1955.

  • Sammy Esposito (averaged 7 ppg as Indiana starter in 1951-52) started in place of Chicago White Sox 2B Nellie Fox in 1960, ending Fox's consecutive-game streak at 798.

  • Detroit Tigers LF Hoot Evers (starter for Illinois in 1939-40) went for the cycle, adding another triple, and amassing six RBI in a 13-13, 10-inning tie with the Cleveland Indians in 1950.

  • New York Giants 3B Frankie Frisch (Fordham captain) furnished six hits in a 1921 doubleheader sweep of the Philadelphia Phillies.

  • Rookie LHP Johnny Gee (Michigan captain was Big Ten Conference's sixth-leading scorer in 1936-37) didn't allow an earned run in eight innings in his MLB debut but committed one of eight errors by the Pittsburgh Pirates in a 7-3 setback against the Philadelphia Phillies in the opener of a 1939 twinbill.

  • Detroit Tigers 1B Hank Greenberg (enrolled at NYU on hoop scholarship in 1929 but attended college only one semester) collected three extra-base hits, including two homers, against the Cleveland Indians in a 1939 contest.

  • New York Giants RHP Jim Hearn (Georgia Tech letterman in 1941-42) had a 12-game winning streak against the Pittsburgh Pirates snapped in 1953.

  • Los Angeles Dodgers 1B Gil Hodges (played for St. Joseph's IN in 1943 and Oakland City in 1947 and 1948) homered twice against the St. Louis Cardinals in a 1958 outing.

  • New York Giants LF Monte Irvin (played for Lincoln PA 1 1/2 years in late 1930s) ripped a 500-foot homer in a 7-3 nod over the Boston Braves in 1951.

  • Kansas City Royals RF Lynn Jones (averaged 10.4 ppg for Thiel PA from 1970-71 through 1973-74) contributed his fourth three-hit game in less than a month in 1984.

  • Minnesota Twins rookie RF Graig Nettles (shot 87.8% from free-throw line for San Diego State in 1963-64) smacked two homers against the Detroit Tigers in 1968. Six years later as a New York Yankees 3B, Nettles homered in both ends of a 1974 doubleheader against the Tigers. In 1981, whacked two round-trippers for the Yanks in a contest against the Milwaukee Brewers.

  • Detroit Tigers RF Jim Northrup (second-leading scorer and third-leading rebounder for Alma MI in 1958-59) went 5-for-5 with two homers in a 3-2, 11-inning victory against the Washington Senators in 1971.

  • St. Louis Browns RHP Jim Park (played for Kentucky in 1911-12 and 1913-14) won his MLB debut in 1915 when he didn't allow an earned run in 11 innings of a 4-1 win against the Cleveland Indians.

  • New York Giants rookie RHP Roy Parmelee (Eastern Michigan letterman in 1924-25 and 1925-26) hurled his second straight four-hit, complete-game triumph in 1931.

  • Brooklyn Dodgers LHP Preacher Roe (played for Harding AR in late 1930s) walked six Philadelphia Phillies batters but raised his record to 19-2 in 1951 with an 11-6 decision over RHP Robin Roberts (Michigan State's second-leading scorer in 1945-46 and 1946-47).

  • LHP Garry Roggenburk (led Dayton in scoring all three seasons from 1959-60 through 1961-62 and grabbed school-record 32 rebounds in third varsity game en route to pacing Flyers in rebounding first two years) purchased from the Minnesota Twins by the Boston Red Sox in 1966.

  • Philadelphia Phillies CF Cy Williams (Notre Dame forward in 1909-10) homered in both ends of a 1921 twinbill against the New York Giants.

  • New York Yankees RF Dave Winfield (starting forward with Minnesota's first NCAA playoff team in 1972) got hung up in a rundown between third base and home plate following a pitchout but escaped to score the decisive run in a 3-2 triumph against the Oakland A's in 1985.

  • New York Giants 1B Babe Young (Fordham letterman in 1935-36) blasted a grand slam in a 4-1 victory against the Brooklyn Dodgers in 1940.

  • San Diego Padres RHP Chris Young (All-Ivy League first-team selection for Princeton in 1999-00) retired the first 23 Milwaukee Brewers batters en route to a two-hitter in 2008. It was Young's lone MLB complete game.

On This Date: Ex-College Hoopers Make Their Mark on September 6 MLB Games

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 a September 6 calendar focusing on such versatile MLB athletes:

SEPTEMBER 6

  • RHP Andy Benes (briefly played basketball for Evansville in 1985-86) defeated his brother, Alan, when the St. Louis Cardinals erupted for 11 third-inning runs in an 11-2 nod over the Chicago Cubs in 2002.

  • Pittsburgh Pirates LF Carson "Skeeter" Bigbee (Oregon letterman in 1915) collected four hits and four runs against the Chicago Cubs in a 1919 game.

  • Philadelphia Athletics C Mickey Cochrane (Boston University player in early 1920s) clobbered a two-run homer in the 10th inning in a 3-1 verdict over the Boston Red Sox, giving Lefty Grove his 25th triumph in 1930.

  • RHP Vince Colbert (averaged 14.3 ppg and 7.3 rpg for East Carolina in 1966-67 and 1967-68) didn't allow a run in eight innings of a 1-0 triumph against the Baltimore Orioles in the nightcap of a doubleheader. Colbert supplied two complete-game victories the remainder of the month to finish as the Cleveland Indians' only winning hurler (7-6) with 10 or more starts in 1971.

  • Los Angeles Dodgers C Joe Ferguson (played in 1967 NCAA playoffs with Pacific) provided three extra-base hits and four RBI against the San Francisco Giants in a 1978 contest.

  • 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) suffered a broken wrist in 1960.

  • Oakland Athletics 3B Wayne Gross (led Cal Poly Pomona in assists in 1974-75) whacked two homers against the Chicago White Sox in a 1983 game.

  • Washington Senators 1B Frank Howard (two-time All-Big Ten Conference first-team selection when leading Ohio State in scoring and rebounding in 1956-57 and 1957-58) hammered two homers among his five hits against the Detroit Tigers in a 1970 contest.

  • New York Yankees LF Charlie Keller (Maryland letterman from 1934-35 through 1936-37) knocked in five runs against the Detroit Tigers in the opener of a 1945 twinbill.

  • Chicago White Sox RHP Ted Lyons (two-time All-SWC first-team selection for Baylor in early 1920s) knocked in the decisive run with a triple as he reached the 20-win plateau in 1930 with a 2-1 decision over the Cleveland Indians, snapping Wes Ferrell's 13-game winning streak.

  • New York Giants RHP Christy Mathewson (played for Bucknell at turn of 20th Century) fanned 14 Brooklyn batters in a 6-2 triumph in 1906.

  • Gene Michael (Kent State's leading scorer with 14 ppg in 1957-58) fired as New York Yankees manager in 1981 despite winning the first-half pennant.

  • Minnesota Twins 3B Graig Nettles (shot 87.8% from free-throw line for San Diego State in 1963-64) whacked his first MLB homer in 1968. The round-tripper came off 31-game winner Denny McLain of the Detroit Tigers.

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

  • St. Louis Cardinals rookie RF Don Padgett (freshman in 1934 with Lenoir-Rhyne NC excelled in multiple sports) went 4-for-4 against the Pittsburgh Pirates in the nightcap of a 1937 twinbill to trigger a 12-game hitting streak.

  • In the midst of closing out the 1952 campaign with eight consecutive complete-game wins, Philadelphia Phillies RHP Robin Roberts (Michigan State's second-leading scorer in 1945-46 and 1946-47) went the distance in a 17-inning, 7-6 victory against the Boston Braves in 1952.

  • In 1948, Boston Braves Hall of Fame LHP Warren Spahn twice picked off Brooklyn Dodgers INF Jackie Robinson (highest scoring average in Pacific Coast Conference both of his seasons with UCLA in 1939-40 and 1940-41).

  • Brooklyn Dodgers LHP Preacher Roe (Harding AR hooper in late 1930s) won his 10th straight decision in 1953.

  • Bill Virdon (Drury MO hooper in 1949) fired as Pittsburgh Pirates manager in 1973. Virdon is replaced by Danny Murtaugh, who assumed control of the club for the fourth and final time.

  • Philadelphia Phillies CF Cy Williams (Notre Dame forward in 1909-10) went 5-for-5 and scored four runs against the New York Giants in the nightcap of a 1924 doubleheader.

On This Date: Ex-College Hoopers Make Their Mark on September 5 MLB Games

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 a September 5 calendar focusing on such versatile MLB athletes:

SEPTEMBER 5

  • RHP Ralph Branca (sixth-leading basketball scorer for NYU in 1943-44) earned the victory as Brooklyn Dodgers teammate Gil Hodges (played for St. Joseph's IN in 1943 and Oakland City IN in 1947 and 1948) hammered a grand slam in a 5-2 verdict over the Philadelphia Phillies in 1951.

  • Los Angeles Dodgers RHP Roger Craig (forward with North Carolina State's 1949-50 freshman team) won his sixth straight decision in 1960.

  • New York Giants SS Alvin Dark (letterman for LSU and USL in mid-1940s) provided three extra-base hits in a 1953 game against the Brooklyn Dodgers.

  • Cleveland Indians CF Larry Doby (reserve guard for Virginia Union's 1943 CIAA titlist) homered in both ends of a 1955 twinbill split against the Kansas City Athletics.

  • Philadelphia Athletics RHP George Earnshaw (Swarthmore PA participant in 1922) tossed a one-hitter against the Boston Red Sox in 1931.

  • Pittsburgh Pirates rookie 3B Gene Freese (West Liberty WV captain of 1952 NAIA Tournament team) homered twice against the New York Giants in the opener of a 1955 doubleheader.

  • Boston Red Sox 1B Dick Gernert (Temple letterman in 1948-49 when averaging 2.7 ppg) collected four hits and three runs against the Baltimore Orioles in a 1958 game.

  • Detroit Tigers 1B Hank Greenberg (enrolled at NYU on hoop scholarship in 1929 but attended college only one semester) launched a homer for the third consecutive contest in 1939.

  • Baltimore Orioles 2B Davey Johnson (averaged 1.7 ppg for Texas A&M in 1961-62) knocked in five runs in an 8-4 win against the Detroit Tigers in 1969.

  • Chicago White Sox rookie RF Lyle Mouton (starter in LSU's backcourt with All-American Chris Jackson for 1989 NCAA playoff team) went 6-for-7 with three doubles in first two contests of a four-game series against the Texas Rangers in 1995.

  • Boston Red Sox 3B Buddy Myer (Mississippi State letterman in 1923-24) doubled before scoring the winning run in the 18th inning of a 12-11 decision over the New York Yankees in the opener of a 1927 doubleheader.

  • Atlanta Braves RHP Cecil Upshaw (Centenary's leading scorer as junior in 1962-63) notched four saves and a victory in five-game span of relief appearances in the midst of holding opponents scoreless in last 13 outings of 1972 campaign.

  • Pittsburgh Pirates CF Bill Virdon (Drury MO hooper in 1949) accounted for the game's only run when he blasted a 10th-inning homer against the Milwaukee Braves in 1958.

  • Philadelphia Phillies CF Cy Williams (Notre Dame forward in 1909-10) collected two homers and five RBI against the Brooklyn Dodgers in the opener of a 1922 twinbill.

  • New York Yankees LF Dave Winfield (starting forward for Minnesota's first NCAA playoff team in 1972) delivered two homers and double in a 1982 contest against the Kansas City Royals.

  • New York Giants CF Babe Young (Fordham letterman in 1935-36) knocked in five runs in a 1942 outing against the Brooklyn Dodgers.

Double Majors: Long Drought for Hoop All-Americans Competing in NFL

America's Team, the Dallas Cowboys, warrants recognition as the last NFL franchise to give versatile college basketball All-Americans (Utah State's Cornell Green and Tennessee's Ron Widby in mid-1970s) an opportunity to labor as authentic NFL players.

Versatile athletes are becoming an endangered species. Right after Labor Day is when majority of college basketball annuals hit the newsstands about the same time the NFL regular season commences. In an era of specialization, the odds are staggering against any of the projected college hoop All-Americans in the magazines enjoying a genuine NFL career such as the following alphabetical list of seven well-rounded athletes including two from Utah State:

All-American College Hoop Position (A-A Year) Summary of NFL Career
Otto Graham Northwestern F (1943 and 1944) Five-time All-Pro QB played 10 seasons (1946 through 1955) with the Cleveland Browns and led team to championship game each year (All-America Football Conference from 1946 through 1949 and NFL from 1950 through 1955).
Cornell Green Utah State F (1962) Five-time Pro Bowler intercepted 34 passes in 13 years as a DB with the Dallas Cowboys (1962 through 1974).
Vern Huffman Indiana G (1936) QB-DB passed for 484 yards and rushed for 368 yards with the Detroit Lions in 1937 and 1938.
Ron Kramer Michigan C (1957) WR for 10 seasons (1957 and 1959 through 1967) with the Green Bay Packers and Detroit Lions. First-round draft choice caught 229 passes for 3,272 yards and 16 TDs.
Banks McFadden Clemson C (1939) Selected by the Brooklyn Dodgers in the first round (third pick overall) of the 1940 NFL draft. Finished fourth in rushing in the NFL in his only pro season, averaging 6.3 yards per carry.
Kent "Rip" Ryan Utah State F-C (1936) Halfback with the Detroit Lions for three seasons from 1938 through 1940.
Ron Widby Tennessee F (1967) Averaged 42 yards per punt in six seasons (1968 through 1973) with the Dallas Cowboys and Green Bay Packers. Punter appeared in the Pro Bowl following the 1971 campaign.

On This Date: Ex-College Hoopers Make Their Mark on September 4 MLB Games

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 a September 4 calendar focusing on such versatile MLB athletes:

SEPTEMBER 4

  • Los Angeles Angels 1B Joe Adcock (Louisiana State's leading basketball scorer in 1945-46) cracked two homers against the Baltimore Orioles in a 1964 game.

  • Pittsburgh Pirates RHP Jim Bibby (Fayetteville State NC backup player and brother of UCLA All-American Henry Bibby) fired a three-hit shutout against the New York Mets in the nightcap of a 1978 twinbill.

  • Philadelphia Athletics LF Lyle Bigbee (letterman with his brother for Oregon in 1915) smacked his lone MLB homer.

  • Boston Red Sox C Gene Desautels (Holy Cross letterman in 1929 and 1930) went 4-for-4 against the Philadelphia Athletics in the opener of a 1938 doubleheader.

  • Detroit Tigers rookie 1B Hank Greenberg (enrolled at NYU on hoop scholarship in 1929 but attended college only one semester) collected five RBI against the Chicago White Sox in a 1933 contest.

  • Chicago White Sox rookie RHP Paul Gregory (Mississippi State letterman in 1929-30) didn't allow an earned run in a complete-game, 5-1 win against the St. Louis Browns in the nightcap of a 1932 twinbill.

  • The Boston Braves started a streak of nine consecutive doubleheaders in 1928 by losing the opener, 3-2, to Brooklyn on a 10th-inning homer by 2B Jake Flowers (member of Washington College MD "Flying Pentagon" squad in 1923).

  • San Diego Padres RF Tony Gwynn (All-WAC second-team selection with San Diego State in 1979-80 and 1980-81) went 4-for-4 against the Philadelphia Phillies in a 1996 game.

  • RHP Jim Hearn (Georgia Tech letterman in 1941-42) and New York Giants teammate Sal Maglie each hurled a shutout in a 1950 twinbill against the Philadelphia Phillies.

  • RHP Andy Karl (Manhattan letterman in mid-1930s) traded by the Philadelphia Phillies to the Chicago Cubs in 1943. Karl refused to report to his new team the following spring.

  • 1B Jack Phillips (leading scorer for 14-1 Clarkson NY in 1942-43) traded by the Pittsburgh Pirates to the Chicago White Sox in 1954.

  • St. Louis Cardinals rookie C Dave Ricketts (three-year starter led Duquesne in scoring senior season with 17.9 ppg in 1956-57) ripped his lone MLB homer (against Pittsburgh Pirates in opener of 1967 doubleheader).

  • 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 his second shutout in less than three weeks in 1939.

  • Kansas City Royals LHP Paul Splittorff (runner-up in scoring and rebounding for Morningside IA in 1967-68) twirled the second of back-to-back shutouts in 1975.

  • Philadelphia Athletics 3B Billy Werber (first Duke All-American in 1929-30) banged out three hits in both ends of a 1937 twinbill against the Boston Red Sox.

  • Brooklyn Dodgers LHP Frank Wurm (acknowledged as best hooper for Middlebury VT in 1945-46) walked five batters in 1/3 of an inning in his lone MLB appearance and start (against Boston Braves in nightcap of 1944 doubleheader).

On This Date: Ex-College Hoopers Make Their Mark on September 3 MLB Games

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 a September 3 calendar focusing on such versatile MLB athletes:

SEPTEMBER 3

  • Detroit Tigers 1B Tony Clark (San Diego State's leading scorer in WAC basketball games in 1991-92) contributed five RBI against the Atlanta Braves in a 1997 game.

  • In the midst of hitting safely in all 13 games he played this month, Philadelphia Phillies 2B Denny Doyle (averaged 2.7 ppg for Morehead State in 1962-63) delivered four safeties in the nightcap of a 1973 twinbill against the New York Mets.

  • Baltimore Orioles LHP Mike Flanagan (averaged 13.9 ppg for Massachusetts' 15-1 freshman squad in 1971-72) became MLB's first 20-game winner in the 1979 season.

  • In his final MLB appearance in 1975, St. Louis Cardinals RHP Bob Gibson (Creighton's leading scorer in 1955-56 and 1956-57) allowed a pinch-hit grand slam to the Chicago Cubs' Pete LaCock before retiring SS Don Kessinger (three-time All-SEC selection for Mississippi from 1961-62 through 1963-64 while finishing among nation's top 45 scorers each year).

  • Philadelphia Phillies LHP Lefty Hoerst (four-year letterman for La Salle in late 1930s) hurled his first complete game (4-1 win against Brooklyn Dodgers in nightcap of 1941 doubleheader).

  • New York Yankees LF Charlie Keller (Maryland letterman from 1934-35 through 1936-37) lashed three extra-base hits against the Philadelphia Athletics in the nightcap of a 1945 twinbill.

  • Brooklyn Dodgers rookie LHP Sandy Koufax (Cincinnati's freshman squad in 1953-54) hurled his second straight shutout in 1955 (4-0 against Pittsburgh Pirates).

  • Cleveland Indians CF Kenny Lofton (Arizona's leader in steals for 1988 Final Four team compiling a 35-3 record) tied a MLB record by scoring in his 18th straight game, stole five bases and supplied five hits, including a walk-off homer in the 13th inning, in a 12-11 victory against the Baltimore Orioles in 2000.

  • Philadelphia Athletics rookie RHP Bill McCahan (three-year Duke letterman named to All-Southern Conference Tournament team in 1942) hurled a no-hitter against Washington in 1947.

  • LF Jimmy Moore (Union TN standout in late 1920s), making his Philadelphia Athletics debut in 1930, collected a double, homer and four RBI in an 11-4 win against the Boston Red Sox.

  • Pittsburgh Pirates LHP Preacher Roe (Harding AR hooper in late 1930s) fanned 11 St. Louis Cardinals batters en route to an N.L.-leading 148 whiffs in 1945.

  • Pittsburgh Pirates OF Ted Savage (led Lincoln MO in scoring average in 1955-56) stroked a pinch-hit, three-run homer against the St. Louis Cardinals in a 1963 contest.

  • Chicago Cubs LF Riggs Stephenson (Alabama letterman in 1920) went 4-for-4 against the St. Louis Cardinals in a 1933 outing.

  • San Francisco Giants CF Randy Winn (Santa Clara backcourtmate of eventual two-time NBA Most Valuable Player Steve Nash in 1993-94) whacked two homers against the Arizona Diamondbacks in a 2005 game.

On This Date: Ex-College Hoopers Make Their Mark on September 2 MLB Games

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 hoopers had front-row seats to many of the most notable games, transactions and dates in MLB history.

Multiple Show-Me State colleges - Central Missouri, Drury, Mizzou, Missouri State and Washington University - had former hoopers supply significant MLB performances on this date. Unless you habitually pore over the content at baseballlibrary.com, baseballreference.com and nationalpastime.com, following is a September 2 calendar focusing on such versatile MLB athletes:

SEPTEMBER 2

  • Bonus baby 2B Jerry Adair (one of Oklahoma State's top three basketball scorers in 1956-57 and 1957-58 while ranking among nation's top 12 free-throw shooters each season) made his MLB debut with the Baltimore Orioles in 1958.

  • 1B Joe Adcock (Louisiana State's leading scorer in 1945-46) pounded a pinch-hit, two-run homer off RHP Bobby Humphreys (four-year letterman graduated from Hampden-Sydney VA in 1958) to give the California Angels a 6-5 win against the Washington Senators in 1966.

  • In 1981, RHP Jim Beattie (Dartmouth's top rebounder in 1974-75 when selected team MVP and honorable mention All-Ivy League) toiled 10 innings against the Baltimore Orioles en route to setting a Seattle Mariners record for a starter by pitching 19 straight scoreless innings.

  • Philadelphia Athletics rookie RHP Bill Beckmann (played in late 1920s for Washington MO) hurled his second straight shutout in 1939.

  • INF Bosey Berger (NCAA consensus All-American first-team selection in 1932 for Maryland) combined with Chicago White Sox teammate Mike Kreevich to hit homers as the first two batters in a game for the second time in the 1937 campaign.

  • New York Mets 1B Donn Clendenon (four-sport letterman with Morehouse GA) clobbered two homers against the Los Angeles Dodgers in a 1969 contest.

  • After sitting out almost a month because of a broken rib, New York Giants SS Alvin Dark (letterman for LSU and USL during World War II) fell and broke his shoulder in a game against the Philadelphia Phillies in 1955.

  • Boston Red Sox RHP Boo Ferriss (Mississippi State letterman in 1941) won his 12th straight contest for victory No. 24 in the opener of a 1946 twinbill against the New York Yankees.

  • In 1983, Baltimore Orioles LHP Mike Flanagan (averaged 13.9 ppg for Massachusetts' 15-1 freshman squad in 1971-72) posted his 13th consecutive triumph over the Minnesota Twins when teammate Ken Singleton (played for Hofstra's freshman team in mid-1960s) broke up a scoreless duel with a ninth-inning homer.

  • Pittsburgh Pirates 3B Gene Freese (West Liberty WV captain of 1952 NAIA Tournament team) accumulated a total of nine hits in back-to-back 1957 twinbills the first two days of the month.

  • St. Louis Cardinals RHP Bob Gibson (Creighton's leading scorer and rebounder in 1955-56 and 1956-57) hurled his 12th shutout in span of 18 starts covering less than three months in 1968.

  • San Francisco Giants RHP Ed Halicki (NAIA All-American third-team choice in 1971-72 when leading Monmouth in scoring with 21 ppg after setting school single-game rebounding record with 40 previous season) fanned 12 opposing batters for the third game in a three-week span in 1975.

  • Brooklyn Robins 1B Buddy Hassett (played for Manhattan teams winning school-record 17 consecutive contests in 1930 and 1931) banged out four hits against the Chicago Cubs in a 1937 game. Five years later, Hassett duplicated the feat for the New York Yankees against the St. Louis Browns in the nightcap of a 1942 twinbill.

  • Philadelphia Phillies LHP Lefty Hoerst (four-year letterman for La Salle in late 1930s) yielded only two hits but managed to lose by walking four batters in the eighth inning in 1942.

  • Washington Senators slugging 1B-OF Frank Howard (two-time All-Big Ten Conference first-team selection when leading Ohio State in scoring and rebounding in 1956-57 and 1957-58) received intentional passes his first three plate appearances, twice leading off an inning, against the Cleveland Indians in a 1970 contest.

  • Atlanta Braves 1B Davey Johnson (averaged 1.7 ppg for Texas A&M in 1961-62) homered in both ends of a 1974 doubleheader sweep of the San Diego Padres.

  • St. Louis Browns SS Doc Lavan (played for Hope MI from 1908 through 1910) went 4-for-4 against the Cleveland Indians in a 1916 outing.

  • Chicago Cubs INF Vance Law (averaged 6.8 ppg for Brigham Young from 1974-75 through 1976-77) accounted for the game's only run with a ninth-inning homer off the Los Angeles Dodgers' Bob Welch in 1986.

  • Philadelphia Phillies rookie OF Danny Litwhiler (member of JV squad with Bloomsburg PA in mid-1930s), en route to a 21-game hitting streak, collected six safeties and eight RBI in a 1940 doubleheader sweep of the New York Giants.

  • Los Angeles Dodgers 2B Davey Lopes (NAIA All-District 15 selection for Iowa Wesleyan averaged 16.9 ppg as freshman in 1964-65 and 12.1 ppg as sophomore in 1965-66) stroked a game-winning grand slam in the bottom of the ninth inning off Chicago Cubs closer Bruce Sutter in 1979.

  • New York Yankees rookie RHP Zach Monroe (played briefly for Bradley in 1950-51) hurled his lone MLB complete game, defeating the Boston Red Sox, 6-1, in 1958.

  • In his first start for the St. Louis Cardinals, RF Irv Noren (player of year for California community college state champion Pasadena City in 1945) stroked three extra-base hits against the Cincinnati Reds in a 1957 contest.

  • Atlanta Braves RHP Ron Reed (Notre Dame's leading rebounder in 1963-64 and 1964-65) spun his second three-hit shutout in less than a month in 1974.

  • OF Larry Sheets (All-ODAC selection for Eastern Mennonite VA in 1981-82 and 1982-83) shipped by the Milwaukee Brewers to the Seattle Mariners as part of a conditional deal in 1993.

  • Boston Red Sox RHP Sonny Siebert (team-high 16.7 ppg for Missouri in 1957-58 as All-Big Eight Conference second-team selection) hurled a one-hitter and socked two homers in a 3-0 triumph against the Baltimore Orioles in 1971.

  • Boston Red Sox RHP Dave Sisler (All-Ivy League second-team selection for Princeton's first NCAA Tournament team in 1952) surrendered back-to-back homers to Hall of Famers Yogi Berra and Mickey Mantle in 1958. It was one of 12 times the New York Yankees' duo whack back-to-back round-trippers. They homered in the same game 50 times.

  • SS Roy Smalley Jr. (one of top scorers for Drury MO in 1942-43 and 1943-44) drilled a pinch two-run double in the bottom of the eighth inning to propel the Philadelphia Phillies to a 5-3 win against the New York Giants in 1955.

  • In the midst of winning his final seven decisions in 1977, Kansas City Royals LHP Paul Splittorff (runner-up in scoring and rebounding for Morningside IA in 1967-68) tossed a one-hit shutout against the Milwaukee Brewers in the nightcap of a twinbill.

  • LHP Bob Veale (scored 1,160 points with Benedictine KS from 1955-56 through 1957-58) purchased from the Pittsburgh Pirates by the Boston Red Sox in 1972.

  • Pittsburgh Pirates 1B Preston Ward (second-leading scorer for Southwest Missouri State in 1946-47 and 1948-49) knocked in six runs in an 8-1 victory against the Chicago Cubs in 1953.

  • St. Louis Browns OF Hal Warnock (Arizona letterman from 1931-32 through 1933-34) contributed a pinch-hit double in his first MLB plate appearance in the nightcap of a 1935 doubleheader against the Cleveland Indians.

  • Boston Braves 3B Chuck Workman (two-time All-MIAA first-five selection was leading scorer when Central Missouri won inaugural NAIA Tournament in 1937) whacked two homers in the opener of a 1945 twinbill against the Philadelphia Phillies.

Back in the Day: Former College Hoopers Became Notable Football Coaches

Bobby Petrino, after returning to Louisville as the Cardinals' football coach and overseeing the program's entrance into the ACC and preseason Top 20 ranking this year, is accustomed to controversy such as subject use of timeout and accepting soap-opera challenges (remember departures from the Atlanta Falcons and Arkansas Razorbacks). If U of L basketball coach Rick Pitino needs to take a sabbatical for some restauranteur reason, Petrino boasts a background making him capable of filling in for Pitino reminiscent of two-sport college coaches in the middle of the 20th Century. Petrino, who scored 1,145 points in four years of basketball for Carroll (Mont.) in the early 1980s, was an All-Frontier Conference first-team hoop selection as a senior.

Petrino isn't the first Louisville football coach with a link to college hoops. Frank Camp Jr., the school's all-time winningest coach (118-95-2), was captain of the Transylvania (Ky.) basketball squad before coaching such standouts as Johnny Unitas, Lenny Lyles and Doug Buffone. Petrino is far from being the first marquee college football coach with a college hoops connection. It might not be delivered to you on a "Hog" motorcycle with a statuesque blond, but he joins the following alphabetical list of versatile ex-college hoopsters who guided major universities to multiple major bowl games:

EARL "RED" BLAIK, Miami (Ohio)/Army
College Football Hall of Fame coach, boasting six undefeated teams, compiled a 121-33-10 record at Dartmouth (1934 through 1940) and Army (1941 through 1958). . . . After graduating from Miami, he enrolled at Army and became the first Cadet to compete against Navy in three sports in one season (football, basketball and baseball).

FRANK BROYLES, Georgia Tech
Retired Arkansas athletic director compiled a 149-62-6 record in 20 seasons as head football coach at Missouri (1957) and Arkansas (1958 through 1976). Guided 10 teams to bowl games, winning the AP and UPI national title in 1964. Quarterback was SEC Player of the Year in 1944. Third-round selection by the Chicago Bears in 1946 NFL draft (19th pick overall). He threw for a career-high 304 yards against Tulsa in the 1945 Orange Bowl. . . . Four-year starting guard in basketball for Tech. Named to the second five on SEC All-Tournament team in 1944, 1945 and 1947. Second-leading scorer for Tech with a 10.4-point average as a senior in 1946-47.

HERBERT "FRITZ" CRISLER, University of Chicago
Member of College Football Hall of Fame compiled a 116-32-9 record in 18 seasons as football coach at Minnesota (1930 and 1931), Princeton (1932 through 1937) and Michigan (1938 through 1947). The only team he coached with a losing record was in his first year. His last seven Michigan teams finished in the top 10 in the final Associated Press Poll. The 1947 Wolverines had a 10-0 record, defeated Southern Cal in the Rose Bowl (49-0) and finished second in the final AP poll behind Notre Dame. . . . Named to third five on All-Big Ten Conference basketball team in 1919-20 when the University of Chicago was a member of the league.

DAN DEVINE, Minnesota-Duluth
College Football Hall of Famer coached Notre Dame to a national champinship in 1977 after directing the Green Bay Packers to the NFC Central Division title five years earlier. Guided the Fighting Irish to a 53-16-1 mark in six seasons from 1975 through 1980. Also coached Missouri to six bowl games in the 1960s (92-38-7 record in 13 years from 1958 through 1970). . . . Played guard for Duluth's basketball squad in 1942-43 and 1945-46. Captained the Bulldogs as a senior and paced the club in scoring that season. He was a quarterback for the school's football team.

BOBBY DODD, Tennessee
Compiled a 165-64-8 coaching record with Georgia Tech in 22 years from 1945 through 1966. Won his first eight of 13 bowl games with the Yellow Jackets. . . . All-SEC second-team selection in basketball as a junior in 1929-30. He was captain of the team as a senior.

VINCE DOOLEY, Auburn
Auburn MVP in 1954 Gator Bowl. Coached Georgia to the 1980 national championship and six SEC titles. Compiled a 201-66-10 record as 20 teams played in bowl games in his 25 seasons from 1964 through 1988. . . . Averaged 6.3 points per game as a starting guard in 1951-52 in his only season of varsity basketball with Auburn before concentrating on football.

PETE "BUMP" ELLIOTT, Michigan
Executive director of the Pro Football Hall of Fame earned All-American honors as a quarterback for the Wolverines' 1948 national champion. Big Ten Conference MVP led Michigan to a 49-0 victory over USC in the 1948 Rose Bowl. Former head coach at Nebraska (4-6 record in 1956), California (10-21 from 1957 through 1959) and Illinois (1960 through 1966) led Cal and the Illini to Rose Bowl berths. . . . A four-year starter as a 6-0, 190-pound guard on Michigan teams from 1945-46 through 1948-49. Captain of squad as a sophomore and member of Big Ten championship team in 1947-48. First-team all-conference choice as a junior and second-team selection as a senior. Second-team pick on Helms All-American team in 1947-48 when he scored a team-high 15 points in Michigan's first NCAA Tournament victory, a 66-49 decision over Columbia in the Eastern Regional third-place game. Excerpt from school guide: "At times his defensive work was almost uncanny as he held high-scoring opposition practically scoreless in several games. Outstanding at recovering rebounds."

DON FAUROT, Missouri
Hall of Famer spent 19 years as head football coach (100-80-10 record from 1935 through 1956) and 30 years as athletic director for Mizzou. Alma mater's all-time winningest coach guided the Tigers to four bowl games in the 1940s. Faurot is best known as the inventor of the Split T formation. In 1972, the Tigers' football stadium was named in his honor (Faurot Field). . . . Captained the Tigers' basketball team as an undergraduate.

WAYNE HARDIN, Pacific
Head football coach at U.S. Naval Academy (38-22-2 record from 1959 through 1964) and Temple (80-50-3 from 1970 through 1982) directed both schools to bowl games. Coached Heisman Trophy winner Roger Staubach in 1963 when Navy finished second in the nation in the final AP poll with a 9-2 record. . . . Letterman on four Pacific basketball teams scored a total of 78 points in his last two seasons in 1947-48 and 1948-49.

RALPH "SHUG" JORDAN, Auburn
Compiled a 176-83-6 record as head football coach for his alma mater from 1951-75. Led Auburn to berths in 12 bowl games and an AP national title in 1957 with a 10-0 record. . . . Three-year basketball letterman was captain of the team his junior season (1930-31). Coached Auburn basketball squad to a 95-75 record (.559) in 10 years from 1933-34 through 1941-42 and 1945-46 before assuming the same post at Georgia and compiling a 41-28 mark (.594) in four campaigns from 1946-47 to 1949-50.

ELMER LAYDEN, Notre Dame
Member of College Football Hall of Fame was a fullback in the famed Four Horseman backfield of the 1920s. The 5-11, 180-pounder was a consensus All-American selection in 1924. Head football coach of the Irish from 1934 through 1940, compiling a 47-12-2 record. His 1938 Notre Dame team was named national champion by the Dickinson System. NFL commissioner from 1941 to 1946. . . . Scored seven points in 10 games for the 1922-23 Notre Dame basketball squad.

HOMER HILL NORTON, Birmingham-Southern
Compiled a 143-75-18 coaching record in 25 seasons from 1919 through 1947 with Centenary (11) and Texas A&M (14). Won the Sugar Bowl and Cotton Bowl with the Aggies in back-to-back years (1939 and 1940). . . . Played four sports in college, including basketball. Also coached basketball for Centenary in the early 1920s.

HOUSTON NUTT, Arkansas/Oklahoma State
Arkansas football coach for 10 years from 1998 through 2007 (75-48 record) after serving in a similar capacity at Murray State (31-16 from 1993 through 1996) and Boise State (5-6 in 1997). Aligned with Ole Miss in 2008, taking the Rebels to a bowl game in his first year with them (only team to defeat national champ Florida). Quarterback at Arkansas under Frank Broyles and Lou Holtz before transferring to Oklahoma State under Jimmy Johnson. . . . Collected six points and three rebounds in 1976-77 as a freshman under coach Eddie Sutton on Arkansas' team that included Sidney Moncrief and Ron Brewer before playing a couple of years with OSU under Paul Hansen.

BENNIE OOSTERBAAN, Michigan
Member of College Football Hall of Fame coached Michigan's football team to a 63-33-4 record in 11 seasons (1948 through 1958). His first team finished with a 9-0 record and was voted national champion in the AP poll. He won Big Ten Conference titles in 1948, 1949 and 1950. . . . In 1943, the Helms Athletic Foundation named him to its 10-man All-American basketball teams it selected for the 1926-27 and 1927-28 seasons. Finished third in Western Conference (forerunner of Big Ten) scoring in 1926-27 (9.3 points per game) and led the league as a senior the next year (10.8 ppg).

TOM OSBORNE, Hastings (Neb.)
Compiled a 255-49-2 record as Nebraska coach while winning 13 conference crown in 25 years from 1973 through 1997. Lost seven straight bowl games prior to having undefeated clubs capture national championships in three of his final four campaigns (1994-95-97). Selected in 19th round of 1959 NFL draft by the San Francisco 49ers before catching 29 passes for 343 yards and two touchdowns for the Washington Redskins in 1960 and 1961. . . . Attending college in his hometown, he scored 1,291 points for Hastings during the last half of 1950s, leading the team in scoring (17.7 ppg) and rebounding (9.1 rpg) as a sophomore in 1956-57.

ARA PARSEGHIAN, Miami (Ohio)
Member of College Football Hall of Fame compiled a 170-58-6 record as coach at Miami of Ohio (1951 through 1955), Northwestern (1956 through 1963) and Notre Dame (1964 through 1974). Guided Notre Dame to three national football titles (1964, 1966 and 1973). Directed the Fighting Irish to five bowl games during the first half of the 1970s. Rookie halfback on Cleveland Browns team that won All-America Football Conference title in 1948. Selected by the Pittsburgh Steelers in 13th round of 1947 NFL draft. . . . Played for Miami basketball squads in 1946-47 and 1947-48 (34 points, 31.3 FG%, 44.4 FT%). Teammate of future Tennessee coach Ray Mears.

JOE PATERNO, Brown
Penn State's head coach from 1966 to 2011 guided the Nittany Lions to national championships in 1982 and 1986, five undefeated/untied seasons (1968-69-73-86-94) and 29 finishes in Top 10 national rankings. Only major-college coach ever to reach the 400-win plateau (409-136-3 record) was 24-12-1 in bowl games. Paterno was fired by school trustees in mid-season 2011 after the arrest of his long-time assistant, Jerry Sandusky, on child sexual abuse charges. . . . He earned varsity basketball letters at Brown in 1947-48 and 1948-49. His 7.3-points-per-game scoring average in 1947-48 was second highest on the team.

BOB ZUPPKE, Wisconsin
Member of College Football Hall of Fame compiled a 131-81-13 record as head football coach at Illinois from 1913 through 1941. Directed the Illini to four national titles (1914, 1919, 1923 and 1927) and seven Big Ten championships. . . . Two-year letterman on Wisconsin's basketball team. The seven-man 1904-05 squad was called the "Western intercollegiate champions" by Spalding's Official Basketball Guide.

On This Date: Ex-College Hoopers Make Their Mark on September 1 MLB Games

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 hoopers had front-row seats to many of the most notable games, transactions and dates in MLB history.

Former Guilford NC hoopers Rick Ferrell and Tom Zachary had significant MLB performances on this date. Unless you habitually pore over the content at baseballlibrary.com, baseballreference.com and nationalpastime.com, following is a September 1 calendar focusing on such versatile MLB athletes:

SEPTEMBER 1

  • Milwaukee Braves 1B Joe Adcock (Louisiana State's leading basketball scorer in 1945-46) swatted two homers against the Chicago Cubs in a 1960 game.

  • Chicago Cubs LF Ethan Allen (Cincinnati letterman in 1924-25 and 1925-26) supplied four hits against the New York Giants in a 1936 contest.

  • Baltimore Orioles LF Al Bumbry (Virginia State's runner-up in scoring with 16.7 ppg as freshman in 1964-65) banged out four hits against the Kansas City Royals in a 1974 outing.

  • Arizona Diamondbacks 1B Tony Clark (San Diego State's leading scorer in WAC games in 1991-92) collected five RBI against the Colorado Rockies in a 2007 game.

  • Philadelphia Athletics rookie RHP Jack Coombs (captain and starting center for Colby ME) went the distance in a 24-inning, 4-1 win against the Washington Senators in 1906. Coombs tossed two more complete-game victories in the next 10 days.

  • New York Giants SS Alvin Dark (letterman for LSU and USL in mid-1940s) manufactured four hits in his second game in a row against the Chicago Cubs in 1953.

  • Milwaukee Braves 2B Jack Dittmer (Iowa hooper in 1949-50), entering the game with a .180 batting average, started a streak of six consecutive multiple-hit contests in 1954. Dittmer homered in three of the tilts.

  • Closing in on the conclusion of an 18-year Hall of Fame career, Washington Senators C Rick Ferrell (played forward for Guilford NC before graduating in 1928) furnished four hits against the Philadelphia Athletics in a 1947 contest.

  • In 1976, Baltimore Orioles rookie LHP Mike Flanagan (averaged 13.9 ppg for UMass' freshman squad in 1971-72) registered his first of 167 MLB career victories (six-hit, 7-1 nod over Kansas City Royals).

  • Pittsburgh Pirates rookie 3B Gene Freese (West Liberty WV captain of 1952 NAIA Tournament team) stroked four hits against the St. Louis Cardinals in a 1955 outing.

  • 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) received a bases-loaded walk in the 21st inning to give the San Francisco Giants a 1-0 victory at Cincinnati in 1967.

  • Chicago Cubs SS Don Kessinger (three-time All-SEC selection for Mississippi from 1961-62 through 1963-64 while finishing among nation's top 45 scorers each year) went 4-for-4 against the Houston Astros in a 1968 game.

  • Detroit Tigers RF Harvey Kuenn (played briefly for Wisconsin in 1951-52 after competing on JV squad previous season) contributed four hits against the Chicago White Sox in a 1959 contest.

  • Washington Senators SS Doc Lavan (played for Hope MI from 1908 through 1910) went 4-for-4 against the New York Yankees in a 1918 outing.

  • In 1931, New York Giants rookie LHP Jim Mooney (played for East Tennessee State) notched his fourth win and second shutout since being summoned from the minors three weeks earlier.

  • Washington Senators rookie SS Buddy Myer (Mississippi State letterman in 1923-24) went 4-for-5 for the second time in an eight-game span in 1926.

  • Cincinnati Reds CF Greasy Neale (graduated in 1915 from West Virginia Wesleyan) went 5-for-5 against the St. Louis Cardinals in the nightcap of a 1918 doubleheader.

  • Brooklyn Dodgers LHP Preacher Roe (Harding AR hooper in late 1930s) yielded five solo homers but the St. Louis Cardinals still were soundly defeated, 12-5, in 1953. Five years earlier, Roe tossed his second of back-to-back shutouts in 1948.

  • 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) earned a save against the Cleveland Indians in the midst of seven straight complete-game victories to close out the 1939 campaign.

  • Baltimore Orioles RF Ken Singleton (played for Hofstra freshman team in mid-1960s) homered twice against the Seattle Mariners in a 1980 contest.

  • Cleveland Indians 2B Riggs Stephenson (Alabama letterman in 1920) collected two homers and six RBI against the St. Louis Browns in the nightcap of a 1924 twinbill.

  • Philadelphia Phillies RHP Kent Tekulve (freshman hooper for Marietta OH in mid-1960s) won his sixth game as a reliever in span of a month in 1986.

  • LHP Bob Veale (scored 1,160 points from 1955-56 through 1957-58 with Benedictine KS) made relief appearance for the Pittsburgh Pirates in 1971 when they started what is believed to be the first all-black lineup (including several Latinos) in MLB history (against Philadelphia Phillies).

  • Pittsburgh Pirates CF Bill Virdon (Drury MO hooper in 1949) belted a two-out, game-ending grand slam in a 6-4 verdict over the Cincinnati Reds in 1963.

  • New York Yankees LHP Tom Zachary (Guilford NC letterman in 1916) yielded his most earned runs of the year (four against Boston Red Sox) en route to a 12-0 worksheet in 1929.

On This Date: Ex-College Hoopsters Make Their Mark on August 31 MLB Games

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.

Ed Morgan (Tulane), Lyle Mouton (LSU) and Lee Smith (Northwestern State) - former major-college hoopers from Louisiana universities - had significant moments in their MLB careers on this date. Ditto ex-Pasadena City CA community college hoopers Darrell Evans and Irv Noren. Unless you habitually pore over the content at baseballlibrary.com, baseballreference.com and nationalpastime.com, following is an August 31 calendar focusing on such versatile MLB athletes:

AUGUST 31

  • New York Giants LF Babe Barna (West Virginia basketball letterman in 1936 and 1937) provided a career-high four hits in a 7-6 win against the Chicago Cubs in 1942.

  • Chicago Cubs 2B Glenn Beckert (three-year letterman for Allegheny PA) supplied four safeties against the Atlanta Braves in a 1969 game.

  • California Angels rookie LF Bruce Bochte (starting forward for Santa Clara's NCAA playoff team in 1970 averaged 7.4 ppg and 4 rpg) belted two homers against the Milwaukee Brewers in a 1974 contest.

  • In 1954, Milwaukee Braves rookie RHP Gene Conley (All-PCC first-team selection led North Division in scoring in 1949-50 as Washington State sophomore) hurled a three-hit shutout against the Brooklyn Dodgers. The whitewash was Conley's fifth win of the month.

  • Milwaukee Braves 1B George Crowe (four-year letterman from 1939-40 through 1942-43 for Indiana Central after becoming first high school player named state's Mr. Basketball) smacked two homers against the Brooklyn Dodgers in a 1955 outing.

  • Boston Braves SS Dick Culler (#9 jersey retired by High Point for Little All-American in 1935 and 1936) contributed four hits against the Philadelphia Phillies in the nightcap of a 1946 doubleheader.

  • San Francisco Giants LF Darrell Evans (member of Jerry Tarkanian-coached Pasadena City CA club winning 1967 state community college crown) went 4-for-4 against the Pittsburgh Pirates in a 1977 outing.

  • Los Angeles Dodgers C Joe Ferguson (played in 1967 NCAA playoffs with Pacific) launched two homers against the Montreal Expos in a 1980 game.

  • LHP Mike Flanagan (averaged 13.9 ppg for Massachusetts' 15-1 freshman squad in 1971-72) traded by the Baltimore Orioles to the Toronto Blue Jays in 1987. Toronto released knuckleballer Phil Niekro to make room on roster for Flanagan.

  • 1B-OF Dick Gernert (Temple letterman in 1948-49 when averaging 2.7 ppg) purchased from the Chicago Cubs by the Detroit Tigers in 1960.

  • Dallas Green (Delaware's second-leading scorer and rebounder in 1954-55) named Philadelphia Phillies manager in 1979.

  • In 1934, St. Louis Browns C Frank Grube (Lafayette starting guard as senior in 1926-27) closed out the month with his seventh multiple-hit contest in an eight-game span.

  • Brooklyn Dodgers 1B Gil Hodges (played for St. Joseph's IN in 1943 and Oakland City IN in 1947 and 1948) swatted four homers, accounting for nine RBI, in a 19-3 romp over the Boston Braves in 1950. Seven years later, Hodges homered in his fifth of final six games of the month in 1957.

  • 1B-OF Frank Howard (two-time All-Big Ten Conference first-team selection when leading Ohio State in scoring and rebounding in 1956-57 and 1957-58) purchased from the Texas Rangers by the Detroit Tigers in 1972.

  • Pittsburgh Pirates LHP Herb Kelly (played for Notre Dame from 1911-12 through 1913-14) notched his lone MLB victory (against Brooklyn Robins in 1915).

  • Chicago Cubs SS Don Kessinger (three-time All-SEC selection for Mississippi from 1961-62 through 1963-64 while finishing among nation's top 45 scorers each year) collected five hits against the Montreal Expos in the opener of a 1971 doubleheader.

  • Philadelphia Phillies RHP Jim Konstanty (member of 1937-38 and 1938-39 Syracuse teams) hurled a three-hit shutout against the Boston Braves in the nightcap of a 1952 twinbill.

  • LHP Bill Krueger (led WCAC in free-throw percentage in 1975-76 with Portland) traded by the Minnesota Twins to Montreal Expos in 1992. It is one of four seasons Krueger split time between the A.L. and N.L. during his career.

  • 2B Davey Lopes (NAIA All-District 15 selection for Iowa Wesleyan averaged 16.9 ppg as freshman in 1964-65 and 12.1 as sophomore in 1965-66) shipped by the Oakland Athletics to the Chicago Cubs in 1984 to complete an earlier deal.

  • Chicago White Sox RHP Ted Lyons (two-time All-SWC first-team selection for Baylor in early 1920s) lifted after seven innings and 15 hits opposing the St. Louis Browns in 1941. It is Lyons' final incomplete MLB game as he finished three subsequent starts in 1941, all 20 in 1942 and all five in 1946 (after serving in U.S. military during World War II).

  • SS Gene Michael (Kent State's leading scorer with 14 ppg in 1957-58) banged out a career-high four of the New York Yankees' 25 hits in an 18-6 romp over the Chicago White Sox in 1974.

  • A three-run, ninth-inning homer by RF Wally Moon (averaged 4.3 ppg with Texas A&M in 1948-49 and 1949-50) gave the Los Angeles Dodgers a 5-2 victory against the San Francisco Giants in 1959 when teammate Sandy Koufax (Cincinnati's freshman squad in 1953-54) broke Dizzy Dean's N.L. mark and tied Bob Feller's MLB record of 18 strikeouts in a single game.

  • In 1930, Cleveland Indians 1B Ed Morgan (Tulane letterman from 1923-24 through 1925-26) collected four hits and four RBI for the second time in last four games of the month.

  • In the midst of a 10-game hitting streak, Chicago White Sox rookie OF Lyle Mouton (starter in LSU's backcourt with All-American Chris Jackson for 1989 NCAA playoff team) went 4-for-4 against the Detroit Tigers in a 1995 contest. Six years later, Mouton was shipped by the Tigers to the Houston Astros as part of a conditional deal in 2001.

  • 3B Graig Nettles (shot 87.8% from free-throw line for San Diego State in 1963-64) belted two homers to power the New York Yankees to a 5-4 victory against Seattle in 1977.

  • Chicago Cubs RF Bill Nicholson (guard for Washington College MD two years in mid-1930s) had his 21-game hitting streak snapped by the Cincinnati Reds in 1943.

  • OF Irv Noren (player of year for California junior college state champion Pasadena City in 1945) awarded off waivers from the Kansas City Athletics to the St. Louis Cardinals in 1957. Two years earlier with the New York Yankees, Noren went 3-for-3 and scored four runs against the Athletics in a 1955 contest.

  • Chicago White Sox LHP Gary Peters (played for Grove City PA in mid-1950s) allowed fewer than three runs in his eighth straight start en route to pacing the A.L. with a 1.98 ERA in 1966.

  • LHP Denny Riddleberger (averaged 5.7 ppg and 2.5 rpg for Old Dominion in 1965-66) traded by the Pittsburgh Pirates with cash to the Washington Senators for P George Brunet in 1970.

  • RHP Lee Smith (averaged 3.4 ppg and 1.9 rpg with Northwestern State in 1976-77) traded by the St. Louis Cardinals to the New York Yankees in 1993.

  • Philadelphia Phillies 3B Jim Tabor (Alabama letterman in 1936-37) provided three extra-base hits and five RBI against the Boston Braves in the opener of a 1946 twinbill.

  • New York Yankees LHP Ed Wells (multi-sport athlete graduated in 1924 from Bethany WV) hurled a one-hit shutout against the Washington Senators in the opener of a 1929 doubleheader.

  • Boston Red Sox rookie 3B Billy Werber (first Duke All-American in 1929-30) knocked in five runs against the New York Yankees in a 1933 outing.

  • Chicago Cubs RF Bob Will (all-league athlete was captain for Mankato State MN in 1954-55) contributed two safeties in both ends of a 1960 twinbill against the Milwaukee Braves. He had 11 multiple-hit games during the month.

  • DH Dave Winfield (starting forward with Minnesota's first NCAA playoff team in 1972) purchased from the Minnesota Twins by the Cleveland Indians in 1994.

On This Date: Ex-College Hoopsters Make Their Mark on August 30 MLB Games

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.

Former Santa Clara hoop guards Tim Cullen and Randy Winn made significant MLB news on this date. Unless you habitually pore over the content at baseballlibrary.com, baseballreference.com and nationalpastime.com, following is an August 30 calendar focusing on such versatile MLB athletes:

AUGUST 30

  • Texas Rangers RF Larry Biittner (runner-up in basketball scoring and rebounding in 1966-67 for Buena Vista IA) banged out four hits against the Minnesota Twins in a 1973 game.

  • Philadelphia Athletics SS John Chapman (played multiple seasons for Mount St. Mary's) chipped in with a career-high three hits against the Boston Red Sox in the opener of a 1924 doubleheader.

  • Brooklyn Dodgers RHP Jack Coombs (captain and starting center for Colby ME) announced his retirement following a 1-0 setback against the New York Giants in a game lasting only 57 minutes.

  • Tim Cullen (starting guard for Santa Clara in 1962-63 when he averaged 10 ppg) tied a MLB single-inning record with three errors in the eighth frame for the Washington Senators against the Oakland A's in 1969 one year before he led A.L. second basemen in fielding percentage. Washington 1B-OF Frank Howard (two-time All-Big Ten Conference first-team selection when he led Ohio State in scoring and rebounding in 1956-57 and 1957-58) contributed four hits in the Senators' 11-3 victory.

  • 2B Jack Dittmer (played for Iowa in 1949-50) socked one of the Milwaukee Braves' eight homers in a 19-4 romp over the Pittsburgh Pirates in the opener of a 1953 doubleheader.

  • Boston Red Sox 2B Denny Doyle (averaged 2.7 ppg for Morehead State in 1962-63) went 4-for-4 against the Oakland Athletics in a 1977 outing.

  • Detroit Tigers 1B Darrell Evans (member of Jerry Tarkanian-coached Pasadena City CA club winning 1967 state community college crown) homered twice in a 1986 game against the California Angels.

  • St. Louis Cardinals 2B Frankie Frisch (Fordham captain) provided four hits against the New York Giants in a 1933 contest.

  • New York Yankees C Mike Garbark (letterman for Villanova's 25-5 squad in 1937-38 under coach Alex Severance) furnished four hits in a 9-7 win against the Boston Red Sox in 1944.

  • Milwaukee Braves SS Johnny Logan (played for Binghamton in 1948-49) homered in both ends of a 1953 doubleheader sweep of the Pittsburgh Pirates.

  • INF Tim Nordbrook (letterman in 1968-69 for Loyola LA) purchased from the Chicago White Sox by the Toronto Blue Jays in 1977.

  • In 1953, Pittsburgh Pirates rookie 2B Johnny O'Brien (consensus All-American second-team choice as junior and consensus first-team selection as senior averaged 25.8 ppg for Seattle from 1950-51 through 1952-53) supplied three contests with three hits and chipped in with a four-RBI outing in his last seven games of the month.

  • Montreal Expos RF Ken Singleton (Hofstra freshman team in mid-1960s) went 4-for-4 and scored four runs against the Cincinnati Reds in a 1974 outing.

  • St. Louis Cardinals RHP Lee Smith (averaged 3.4 ppg and 1.9 rpg with Northwestern State in 1976-77) posted his 12th save of the month in 1992.

  • Bill Virdon (played for Drury MO in 1949) fired as Montreal Expos manager in 1984.

  • San Francisco Giants RF Randy Winn (Santa Clara backcourtmate of eventual two-time NBA Most Valuable Player Steve Nash in 1993-94) ripped two homers in a 2008 game against the Cincinnati Reds.

On This Date: Ex-College Hoopsters Make Their Mark on August 29 MLB Games

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 29 calendar focusing on such versatile MLB athletes:

AUGUST 29

  • In 1959, Milwaukee Braves 1B Joe Adcock (Louisiana State's leading basketball scorer in 1945-46) homered in his third consecutive contest for the second time this month.

  • Cincinnati Reds rookie CF Ethan Allen (Cincinnati letterman in 1924-25 and 1925-26) amassed four hits and scored three runs in a 6-5 win against the Boston Braves in the nightcap of a 1927 doubleheader.

  • St. Louis Browns RHP Elden Auker (All-Big Six Conference first-five selection with Kansas State in 1931-32) notched his fourth consecutive complete-game triumph the last half of the month in 1941.

  • Detroit Tigers CF Hoot Evers (Illinois starter in 1939-40) contributed four hits against the New York Yankees in the nightcap of a 1948 twinbill.

  • RHP Eddie Fisher (played for Oklahoma's 1954-55 freshman squad) purchased from the Chicago White Sox by the St. Louis Cardinals in 1973.

  • Detroit Tigers LF Hank Greenberg (enrolled at NYU on hoop scholarship in 1929 but attended college only one semester) supplied four hits against the Washington Senators in the opener of a 1940 doubleheader.

  • In 1951, New York Giants RHP Jim Hearn (Georgia Tech letterman in 1941-42) defeated the Pittsburgh Pirates for the eighth straight time.

  • Brooklyn Dodgers 1B Gil Hodges (played for St. Joseph's IN in 1943 and Oakland City IN in 1947 and 1948) drove in seven runs and whacked two homers in a 13-1 victory against the Cincinnati Reds in 1951.

  • Washington Senators LF Frank Howard (two-time All-Big Ten Conference first-team selection when leading Ohio State in scoring and rebounding in 1956-57 and 1957-58) smacked three extra-base hits against the Kansas City Royals in a 1970 game.

  • Atlanta Braves RF David Justice (led Thomas More KY in assists in 1984-85) jacked two homers against the Houston Astros in a 1995 contest.

  • New York Mets RHP Cal Koonce (Campbell standout in 1960 and 1961 when North Carolina-based school was junior college) hurled a five-hit shutout against the St. Louis Cardinals in 1967.

  • Kansas City Athletics 2B Jerry Lumpe (member of Southwest Missouri State's 1952 NAIA Tournament championship team) went 4-for-4 against the Boston Red Sox in a 1961 outing.

  • St. Louis Browns RF Don Lund (Michigan starter in 1943-44 and 1944-45) had five RBI in a 12-4 win against the Boston Red Sox in the nightcap of a 1948 doubleheader.

  • Chicago White Sox rookie LHP Gary Peters (Grove City PA hooper in mid-1950s) won his 11th straight decision in 1963.

  • Boston Red Sox 3B Pinky Pittenger (set Toledo's single-game scoring standard with 49 points in 1918-19) went 4-for-4 against the Philadelphia Athletics in a 1922 game.

  • In 1966, Chicago Cubs RHP Robin Roberts (Michigan State's second-leading scorer in 1945-46 and 1946-47) registered the final of his 286 triumphs during 19-year Hall of Fame career.

  • Brooklyn Dodgers 2B Jackie Robinson (highest scoring average in Pacific Coast Conference both of his seasons with UCLA in 1939-40 and 1940-41) hit for the cycle against the St. Louis Cardinals in the opener of a 1948 twinbill.

  • New York Yankees LHP Marius Russo (member of LIU teams compiling 50-2 record in 1934-35 and 1935-36 under legendary coach Clair Bee) registered his fifth complete-game victory of the month in 1940.

  • New York Giants RHP Hal Schumacher (multiple-sport athlete for St. Lawrence NY in early 1930s) fired his second three-hit shutout in just over a month in 1942.

  • Montreal Expos LF Ken Singleton (Hofstra freshman team in mid-1960s) socked two homers against the Atlanta Braves in a 1972 contest.

  • Chicago Cubs rookie 2B Jimmy Stewart (two-time All-VSAC selection was Austin Peay's third-leading scorer in 1959-60 and 1960-61 when participating in NCAA DII Tournament) supplied back-to-back games with three hits against the New York Mets in 1964.

  • San Diego Padres CF Will Venable (All-Ivy League first-team selection as a junior and second-team choice as a senior averaged 9.3 ppg under Princeton coach John Thompson III from 2001-02 through 2004-05) tripled in his first MLB at-bat in 2008.

  • St. Louis Cardinals RHP Ray Washburn (Whitworth WA scoring leader when All-Evergreen Conference selection in 1958-59 and 1959-60) tossed a shutout against the Pittsburgh Pirates in 1968 after hurling two 10-inning no-decisions yielding no earned runs earlier in the month.

  • Detroit Tigers LHP Ed Wells (multi-sport athlete graduated in 1924 from Bethany WV) won his fifth straight decision of the month in 1925.

On This Date: Ex-College Hoopsters Make Their Mark on August 28 MLB Games

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.

  • New York Giants SS Alvin Dark (letterman for LSU and USL in mid-1940s) provided three hits for the third straight outing in a series against the Pittsburgh Pirates in 1952.

  • 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 victory 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 triumph 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 a 1995 contest.

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

  • 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.

  • Boston Red Sox C Birdie Tebbetts (Providence hooper in 1932) registered his eighth multiple-hit outing in a 14-game span in 1947.

Smashing Success: Versatile Hoopers Went From Basketball to Tennis Court

There is a theory in some quarters that basketball players are the most versatile team-sport athletes in the world. Tennis is also a sport demanding an abundance of speed, strength, stamina, coordination, quickness, jumping ability, timing, guile and creativity. As the U.S. Open is ushered in this year in Flushing Meadows, N.Y., following is an alphabetical list of tennis standouts who also exhibited their athletic prowess in college basketball:

TECUMSEH "TEE" HOOPER, The Citadel
Won five Southern Conference tennis crowns (two singles, three doubles). . . . All-Southern Conference second-team selection as a senior forward in 1968-69 when he averaged 17.4 ppg and 8.7 rpg.

JOHN POWLESS, Murray State
He has been ranked No. 1 in the world in singles and doubles for senior men 55 and older, and served six seasons as captain and coach of the U.S. Junior Davis Cup team. Undefeated in three years of varsity tennis competition and won three Ohio Valley Conference singles and doubles titles. . . . The 6-5, 195-pound forward averaged 6.9 points and 5.7 rebounds per game in 81 varsity games in four seasons from 1953-54 through 1956-57. Powless was Wisconsin's head basketball coach for eight seasons from 1968-69 through 1975-76.

JOHN and RUPE RICKSEN, California
Twins were NCAA quarterfinalists in singles - Rupe in 1951 and John in 1953. As a doubles teandem, they reached the NCAA semifinals in 1951 and the quarters in 1952 and 1953. . . . John (8.8) and Rupe (5.6) combined for 14.4 points per game from 1950-51 through 1952-53. John was a first-team all-conference selection as a senior.

MARTY RIESSEN, Northwestern
Nine times ranked among the top 10 men's singles tennis players in the U.S. Member of five U.S. Davis Cup teams (1963, 1965, 1967, 1973, 1981). . . . A 6-1, 170-pound guard, he averaged 6.5 points per game for Northwestern from 1961-62 through 1963-64. Sketch in school guide: "Reputation as a rugged, poised performer. Cool head makes him a logical floor leader."

OLIVER "BO" RODDEY, Davidson
The Charlotte pediatrician is possibly the greatest tennis player in Davidson history. He played No. 1 four years, and in 1950 as a senior was the Southern Conference singles and doubles champion. His doubles teammate was Whit Cobb, a four-year starter in basketball. In 1975, Roddey became one of the original members of the North Carolina Tennis Hall of Fame. The first native North Carolinian to be chosen for the Junior Davis Cup team dominated tennis in the state from 1946 until 1952 and was ranked No. 1 in the South. . . . Roddey scored 73 points from 1947-48 through 1949-50.

VIC SEIXAS, North Carolina
Member of Tennis Hall of Fame was Wimbledon champion in 1953. Ranked No. 1 in the U.S. in 1951, 1954 and 1957. Member of U.S. Davis Cup team from 1951 through 1957 shared French and Australian doubles titles with Tony Trabert in 1953. . . . Scored six points in one basketball game for the Tar Heels in 1946-47.

S.L. SHOFNER, Central Oklahoma
Capped his college tennis career with a 22-2 senior season in 1954 that included the NAIA national singles championship. . . . Member of three OIC titlists averaged 16.8 ppg as a sophomore and 20.2 ppg as a senior.

TONY TRABERT, Cincinnati
Member of International Tennis Hall of Fame won NCAA singles title in 1951 before winning singles titles in French (1954 and 1955), United States (1955) and Wimbledon (1955) tournaments. Ranked the No. 1 men's player in the world by the London Daily Telegraph in 1953 and 1955. . . . Played two seasons of varsity basketball for the Bearcats in a college career interrupted by military service. Averaged 6.9 points in 22 games in 1950-51 and scored 11 points in four games in 1953-54. Starting guard as a 6-0 sophomore for the '51 team that played in the NIT and had an 18-4 record. Sketch in school guide: "Great surprise in early basketball drills. His improvement has been rapid and he should be a great help to the club."

On This Date: Ex-College Hoopsters Make Their Mark on August 27 MLB Games

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 27 calendar focusing on such versatile MLB athletes:

AUGUST 27

  • In 1964, California Angels 1B Joe Adcock (Louisiana State's leading basketball scorer in 1945-46) became the 23rd player to reach the 300-homer plateau when he went yard connecting at Kansas City.

  • Philadelphia Athletics LHP Stan Baumgartner (played on Big Ten Conference champion for University of Chicago in 1914) posted his third straight complete-game victory closing out the month in 1924.

  • Starting on two days rest, Brooklyn Dodgers RHP Ralph Branca (sixth-leading scorer for NYU in 1943-44) spun a two-hit shutout against the Pittsburgh Pirates in 1951, entering the ninth inning with a no-hitter.

  • Montreal Expos RHP Ray Burris (two-sport standout in Southwestern Oklahoma State Hall of Fame) surrendered only one hit in eight innings against the Cincinnati Reds in a 1981 outing.

  • St. Louis Cardinals RHP Bob Gibson (Creighton's leading scorer and rebounder in 1955-56 and 1956-57) won all six starts during the month in 1970 en route to an N.L.-leading 23 triumphs.

  • Chicago Cubs 1B Harvey Hendrick (Vanderbilt letterman in 1918) went 4-for-4 in a 2-0 win against the Brooklyn Dodgers in 1933.

  • In his second MLB start, Brooklyn Dodgers LHP Sandy Koufax (Cincinnati's freshman squad in 1953-54) fanned 14 Cincinnati Reds in a 7-0 two-hit shutout in 1955.

  • Hall of Fame RHP Christy Mathewson (played for Bucknell at turn of 20th Century) resigned as Cincinnati Reds manager in 1918 to accept a commission as a captain in the chemical warfare branch of the Army during World War I.

  • Philadelphia Phillies RF Bake McBride (averaged 12.7 ppg and 8.1 rpg in 21 games with Westminster MO in 1968-69 and 1969-70) banged out four hits and scored four runs against the Los Angeles Dodgers in a 1978 game.

  • St. Louis Browns rookie RHP Jack Ogden (played for Swarthmore PA in 1918), posting his third straight complete-game victory, hurled a four-hit shutout against the Boston Red Sox in the nightcap of a 1928 twinbill.

  • Chicago White Sox LHP Gary Peters (Grove City PA hooper in mid-1950s) hurled an 11-inning shutout against the Boston Red Sox in the nightcap of a 1967 doubleheader.

  • St. Louis Browns RHP Bob Poser (Wisconsin letterman from 1929-30 through 1931-32) posted his lone MLB victory (against Washington Senators in opener of 1935 twinbill).

  • Detroit Tigers rookie 3B Nolen Richardson (Georgia captain in 1925-26 as member of All-Southern Conference Tournament team) went 3-for-3 in a 9-4 win against the Chicago White Sox in 1931.

  • Baltimore Orioles DH Ken Singleton (Hofstra freshman team in mid-1960s) homered in both ends of a 1982 doubleheader against the Texas Rangers.

  • St. Louis Cardinals RHP Lee Smith (averaged 3.4 ppg and 1.9 rpg with Northwestern State in 1976-77) logged a save in his ninth consecutive contest in 1991.

  • Pinch-hitter Jimmy Stewart (All-Volunteer State Athletic Conference selection for Austin Peay State in 1959-60 and 1960-61) stroked a bases-loaded triple to spur the Cincinnati Reds to an 8-7 victory against the St. Louis Cardinals in 1971.

  • Pittsburgh Pirates RHP Kent Tekulve (freshman hooper for Marietta OH in mid-1960s) tallied eighth save in last 10 relief appearances of the month in 1978.

  • After replacing Joe Torre as catcher, Sammy White (All-PCC Northern Division first-five selection for Washington in 1947-48 and 1948-49) supplied an RBI double in the 12th inning to give the Milwaukee Braves an 11-10 triumph against the Philadelphia Phillies in a 1961 contest.

Brooks Among Brothers Boasting NCAA Total of 4,000 Points and Rebounds

"Well done is better than well said." - Philadelphia's famous founding father Benjamin Franklin

Some people talk a good game while others actually play a good game. The recent passing of former La Salle All-American Michael Brooks brought to mind the Explorers' impact among the premium players in the exclusive 4,000 Club. Atop the well-done list in this distinguished NCAA Division I group amassing at least 4,000 career points and rebounds are Tom Gola, a terrific scorer/rebounder for La Salle ranking 11th among premier players in history by CollegeHoopedia.com, and Lionel Simmons. Creighton's Doug McDermott joined La Salle's terrific trio in 2013-14 among the 14 individuals on the following list:

Player DI School College Career Points Rebounds Total
Tom Gola La Salle 1951-52 through 1954-55 2,462 2,201 4,663
Lionel Simmons La Salle 1986-87 through 1989-90 3,217 1,429 4,646
Elvin Hayes Houston 1965-66 through 1967-68 2,884 1,602 4,486
Dickie Hemric Wake Forest 1951-52 through 1954-55 2,587 1,802 4,389
Oscar Robertson Cincinnati 1957-58 through 1959-60 2,973 1,338 4,311
Joe Holup George Washington 1952-53 through 1955-56 2,226 2,030 4,256
Doug McDermott Creighton 2010-11 through 2013-14 3,150 1,088 4,238
Pete Maravich Louisiana State 1967-68 through 1969-70 3,667 528 4,195
Harry Kelly Texas Southern 1979-80 through 1982-83 3,066 1,085 4,151
Danny Manning Kansas 1984-85 through 1987-88 2,951 1,187 4,138
Larry Bird Indiana State 1976-77 through 1978-79 2,850 1,247 4,097
Tyler Hansbrough North Carolina 2005-06 through 2008-09 2,872 1,219 4,091
Elgin Baylor College of Idaho/Seattle 1955-56 through 1957-58 2,500 1,559 4,059
Michael Brooks La Salle 1976-77 through 1979-80 2,628 1,372 4,000

On This Date: Ex-College Hoopsters Make Their Mark on August 26 MLB Games

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 26 calendar focusing on such versatile MLB athletes:

AUGUST 26

  • St. Louis Browns RF Ethan Allen (Cincinnati basketball letterman in 1924-25 and 1925-26) went 4-for-4 against the New York Yankees in a 1937 game.

  • 1B Kevin "Chuck" Connors (scored 32 points in 15 varsity games for Seton Hall in 1941-42 before leaving school for military service) clubbed a game-tying three-run homer for the Chicago Cubs at the Polo Grounds against the New York Giants before Giants C Wes Westrum (played for Bemidji State MN one season before serving in military during WWII) whacked a game-winning, ninth-inning homer in the opener of a 1951 doubleheader.

  • New York Giants SS Alvin Dark (letterman for LSU and USL in mid-1940s) went 5-for-5 with five RBI in a 1953 outings against the St. Louis Cardinals.

  • Boston Red Sox RHP Boo Ferriss (Mississippi State letterman in 1941) posted his 20th victory by doubling home the game-winning run in a 4-3 verdict over the Philadelphia Athletics in the opener of a 1945 doubleheader.

  • Dallas Green (Delaware's second-leading scorer and rebounder in 1954-55) fired as New York Mets manager in 1996.

  • Cleveland Indians DH David Justice (led Thomas More KY in assists in 1984-85) homered in his fourth consecutive contest in 1997.

  • Philadelphia Phillies LF Danny Litwhiler (member of JV squad with Bloomsburg PA in mid-1930s) went 5-for-5 against the Chicago Cubs in the opener of a 1942 doubleheader.

  • Cleveland Indians CF Kenny Lofton (Arizona's leader in steals for 1988 Final Four team compiling 35-3 record) logged four hits and four RBI against the Seattle Mariners in a 2001 game.

  • New York Giants RHP Christy Mathewson (played for Bucknell at turn of 20th Century) tossed his seventh shutout of the 1902 campaign. Twelve years later, Mathewson hurled a two-hit shutout against the St. Louis Cardinals in the nightcap of a twinbill to register his 20th triumph in 1914.

  • In 1977, 3B Graig Nettles (shot 87.8% from free-throw line for San Diego State in 1963-64) stroked a two-run triple in the ninth inning to lift the New York Yankees to their 12th win in 13 contests (6-5 against Texas Rangers).

  • St. Louis Cardinals LF Don Padgett (freshman in 1934 with Lenoir-Rhyne NC excelled in multiple sports) provided three hits against the Brooklyn Dodgers in both ends of a 1941 doubleheader split.

  • LHP Dennis Rasmussen (sixth-man for Creighton averaged 5.1 ppg in three seasons from 1977-78 through 1979-80) traded by the New York Yankees to the Cincinnati Reds in 1987.

  • Baltimore Orioles RHP Robin Roberts (Michigan State's second-leading scorer in 1945-46 and 1946-47), released earlier in the year by the Yankees, outdueled New York Hall of Fame LHP Whitey Ford, 2-1, in 1962.

  • Atlanta Braves rookie RHP Cecil Upshaw (Centenary's leading scorer as junior in 1962-63) allowed his only run in a span of 11 relief appearances covering 15 innings in 1967.

  • In 1939, Cincinnati Reds 3B Billy Werber (first Duke All-American in 1929-30) became the initial player to bat in a televised major league game (against Brooklyn Dodgers).

  • Boston Red Sox rookie C Sammy White (All-PCC Northern Division first-five selection for Washington in 1947-48 and 1948-49) knocked in five runs against the Detroit Tigers in a 1952 contest.

  • St. Louis Cardinals RF Randy Winn (Santa Clara backcourtmate of eventual two-time NBA Most Valuable Player Steve Nash in 1993-94) registered four hits and three RBI against the Washington Nationals in a 2010 outing.

  • Washington Senators LHP Tom Zachary (Guilford NC letterman in 1916) yielded 20 hits in 12 innings of a 5-4 defeat against the Detroit Tigers in 1923.

On This Date: Ex-College Hoopsters Make Their Mark on August 25 MLB Games

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 hoopers had front-row seats to many of the most notable games, transactions and dates in MLB history.

Former junior college hoopers Darrell Evans, Gary Redus and Jackie Robinson registered significant MLB performances on this date. Unless you habitually pore over the content at baseballlibrary.com, baseballreference.com and nationalpastime.com, following is an August 25 calendar focusing on such versatile MLB athletes:

AUGUST 25

  • Cleveland Indians SS Lou Boudreau (leading basketball scorer for Illinois' 1937 Big Ten Conference co-champion) contributed four hits against the Boston Red Sox in a 1947 game.

  • New York Mets 1B Donn Clendenon (four-sport letterman with Morehouse GA) knocked in five runs against the Atlanta Braves in a 1970 contest.

  • New York Yankees Hall of Fame LF Earle Combs (three-year captain for Eastern Kentucky) incurred a severe shoulder injury colliding with a teammate, contributing to Combs' retirement following the 1935 campaign. He delivered two three-hit outings in his previous four starts.

  • San Francisco Giants 3B Darrell Evans (member of Jerry Tarkanian-coached Pasadena City CA club winning 1967 state community college crown) homered twice in a 1978 game against the Montreal Expos.

  • Los Angeles Dodgers C Joe Ferguson (played in 1967 NCAA playoffs with Pacific) collected two homers and four RBI in a 6-4 win against the Philadelphia Phillies in a 1973 outing.

  • Boston Red Sox C Rick Ferrell (played forward for Guilford NC before graduating in 1928) furnished four hits and four RBI in a 5-4 victory against the Cleveland Indians in the opener of a 1935 doubleheader.

  • Boston Red Sox RHP Boo Ferriss (Mississippi State letterman in 1941) topped the visiting Cleveland Indians, 2-1, to improve his 1946 Fenway Park mark to 13-0.

  • Philadelphia Athletics starting RHP Stu Flythe (North Carolina State letterman from 1932-33 through 1934-35) walked 11 Chicago White Sox batters in three innings in a 1936 game.

  • In 1982, San Diego Padres rookie LF Tony Gwynn (All-WAC second-team selection with San Diego State in 1979-80 and 1980-81) broke his wrist diving for a fly ball en route to falling short of a .300 batting average for the only time in his 20-year career (.289).

  • Brooklyn Dodgers 1B Gil Hodges (played for St. Joseph's IN in 1943 and Oakland City IN in 1947 and 1948) homered twice and doubled against the Cincinnati Reds in a 1954 contest.

  • Washington Senators 1B Frank Howard (two-time All-Big Ten Conference first-team selection when leading Ohio State in scoring and rebounding in 1956-57 and 1957-58) went 4-for-4 against the Minnesota Twins in a 1969 game.

  • RF David Justice (led Thomas More KY in assists in 1984-85) and Atlanta Braves teammate Fred McGriff whacked back-to-back homers for the second time in 10 days in 1993. Justice jacked two circuit clouts in the game against the San Francisco Giants as he secured six round-trippers in his last six contests of the month.

  • Washington Senators SS Doc Lavan (played for Hope MI from 1908 through 1910) went 4-for-4 against the Chicago White Sox in the nightcap of a 1918 twinbill.

  • New York Giants RHP Christy Mathewson (played for Bucknell at turn of 20th Century) reached the 20-win plateau for the seventh straight season in 1909.

  • New York Yankees RHP Lindy McDaniel (played for Oklahoma's 1954-55 freshman squad) retired 32 consecutive batters covering four relief appearances in 1968.

  • New York Yankees 3B Graig Nettles (shot 87.8% from free-throw line for San Diego State in 1963-64) cracked two homers against the Minnesota Twins in a 1982 game.

  • Chicago White Sox LHP Gary Peters (played for Grove City PA in mid-1950s) had his personal streak of 14 straight starts allowing fewer than four earned runs snapped by the Boston Red Sox in 1967.

  • In 1989, Pittsburgh Pirates 1B Gary Redus (J.C. player for Athens AL and father of Centenary/South Alabama guard with same name) hit for the cycle against his original team (Cincinnati Reds).

  • Brooklyn Dodgers 3B Jackie Robinson (highest scoring average in Pacific Coast Conference both of his seasons with UCLA in 1939-40 and 1940-41) ripped two homers against the Chicago Cubs in the nightcap of a 1953 twinbill.

  • New York Yankees 3B Red Rolfe (played briefly with Dartmouth in 1927-28 and 1929-30) extended his streak of scoring at least one run to 18 straight contests in 1939.

  • Baltimore Orioles RF Ken Singleton (Hofstra freshman team in mid-1960s) stroked three extra-base hits against the Seattle Mariners in a 1981 contest.

  • Chicago Cubs LF Riggs Stephenson (Alabama letterman in 1920) went 7-for-10 in a 1933 doubleheader split against the Philadelphia Phillies.

  • Detroit Tigers 1B Champ Summers (led SIUE in scoring in 1969-70 after doing likewise for Nicholls State in 1964-65) launched two homers against the Seattle Mariners in a 1979 game.

On This Date: Ex-College Hoopsters Make Their Mark on August 24 MLB Games

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 24 calendar focusing on such versatile MLB athletes:

AUGUST 24

  • Baltimore Orioles 2B Jerry Adair (one of Oklahoma State's top three basketball scorers in 1956-57 and 1957-58 while ranking among nation's top 12 free-throw shooters each season) collected eight hits in a 1962 doubleheader sweep of the New York Yankees.

  • Brooklyn Dodgers RHP Ralph Branca (sixth-leading scorer for NYU in 1943-44) hurled a three-hit shutout against the Chicago Cubs in 1951, striking out 10 and walking none.

  • Baltimore Orioles CF Al Bumbry (Virginia State's runner-up in scoring with 16.7 ppg as freshman in 1964-65) went 4-for-4 against the Chicago White Sox in a 1977 game.

  • Cincinnati Reds CF Harry Craft (four-sport letterman with Mississippi College in early 1930s) contributed two homers, a double and six RBI in a 13-9 win against the New York Giants in 1941.

  • Atlanta Braves rookie 3B Darrell Evans (member of Jerry Tarkanian-coached Pasadena City CA club winning 1967 state community college crown) went 4-for-4 in a 1971 game against the Pittsburgh Pirates.

  • Cleveland Indians RHP Johnson Fry (Marshall letterman in 1921-22) made his lone MLB appearance in 1923.

  • San Francisco Giants RHP Ed Halicki (set Monmouth's single-game rebounding record with 40 as junior in 1970-71 before leading Hawks in scoring with 21 ppg as senior) fired a no-hitter against the New York Mets in 1975.

  • Los Angeles Dodgers rookie RF Frank Howard (two-time All-Big Ten Conference first-team selection when leading Ohio State in scoring and rebounding in 1956-57 and 1957-58) hammered two homers against the Milwaukee Braves in a 1960 contest.

  • RHP Bobby Humphreys (four-year letterman graduated Hampden-Sydney VA in 1958) won his third game in relief in six days for the Washington Senators in 1966.

  • New York Yankees rookie RF Charlie Keller (Maryland letterman from 1934-35 through 1936-37) knocked in five runs against the St. Louis Browns in a 1939 game the day after going 6-for-10 and scoring five runs in a doubleheader sweep of the Chicago White Sox. Two years later, Keller cracked two homers against the White Sox in the nightcap of a 1941 twinbill.

  • SS Doc Lavan (played for Hope MI from 1908 through 1910) purchased from the St. Louis Browns by the Philadelphia Athletics in 1919.

  • New York Giants OF Hank Leiber (played for Arizona in 1931) tied a MLB single-inning record by lashing two homers during an eight-run uprising in the second frame against the Chicago Cubs in 1935.

  • Los Angeles Dodgers 2B Davey Lopes (NAIA All-District 15 selection for Iowa Wesleyan averaged 16.9 ppg as freshman in 1964-65 and 12.1 as sophomore in 1965-66) stole five bases in a 3-0 triumph against the St. Louis Cardinals in 1974. The next year, Lopes extended his MLB record streak to 38 consecutive successful steal attempts before he was thrown out by Montreal Expos C Gary Carter in the 12th inning.

  • Cleveland Indians 1B Ed Morgan (Tulane letterman from 1923-24 through 1925-26) collected five RBI in an 11-7 win against the Boston Red Sox in 1931.

  • Philadelphia Phillies RHP Robin Roberts (Michigan State's second-leading scorer in 1945-46 and 1946-47) had a streak of 13 consecutive complete games against the Milwaukee Braves snapped in 1954.

  • In 1952, Brooklyn Dodgers LHP Preacher Roe (played for Harding AR in late 1930s) registered his 10th straight victory against the St. Louis Cardinals, 10-4.

  • Chicago Cubs 2B Rob Sperring (averaged 8.7 ppg and 2.9 rpg for Pacific from 1968-69 through 1970-71) had his career-high 11-game hitting streak snapped by the Houston Astros in 1976.

  • Atlanta Braves LHP George Stone (averaged 14.7 ppg and 6.5 rpg for Louisiana Tech in 1964-65 and 1965-66) tossed a three-hit shutout against the Montreal Expos in 1970.

  • Pittsburgh Pirates 1B Preston Ward (second-leading scorer for Southwest Missouri State in 1946-47 and 1948-49) pounded a three-run homer off Joe Nuxhall in a 4-2 triumph against the Cincinnati Reds in 1955.

  • Homering in his fourth game in a row, St. Louis Cardinals 1B Bill White (played two years with Hiram OH in early 1950s) stroked three extra-base hits against the Los Angeles Dodgers in 1961.

  • Philadelphia Phillies CF Cy Williams (Notre Dame forward in 1909-10) contributed three extra-base hits in a 1922 game against the Pittsburgh Pirates.

On This Date: Ex-College Hoopsters Make Their Mark on August 23 MLB Games

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.

Former SEC hoopers Joe Adcock (LSU), Don Kessinger (Mississippi) and Jim Tabor (Alabama) delivered significant MLB performances on this date. Unless you habitually pore over the content at baseballlibrary.com, baseballreference.com and nationalpastime.com, following is an August 23 calendar focusing on such versatile MLB athletes:

AUGUST 23

  • Milwaukee Braves 1B Joe Adcock (Louisiana State's leading basketball scorer in 1945-46) provided four hits against the Chicago Cubs in the opener of a 1953 twinbill.

  • In 1989, Atlanta Braves RHP Marty Clary (Northwestern letterman in 1981-82 and 1982-83) notched his lone MLB shutout (3-0 against St. Louis Cardinals).

  • Philadelphia Athletics C Mickey Cochrane (played for Boston University in early 1920s) manufactured two homers among his four hits and chipped with five RBI against the Chicago White Sox in a 1932 game.

  • In the midst of a career-high 10-game hitting streak, Cincinnati Reds 2B Pat Crawford (Davidson captain in early 1920s) stroked an inside-the-park homer in the nightcap of a 1930 doubleheader against the Brooklyn Robins.

  • Philadelphia Phillies 2B Denny Doyle (averaged 2.7 ppg for Morehead State in 1962-63) delivered his third consecutive three-hit outing against the Atlanta Braves in 1972.

  • Atlanta Braves 3B Darrell Evans (member of Jerry Tarkanian-coached Pasadena City CA club winning 1967 state community college crown) homered in his fourth contest of a five-game span in 1974.

  • 3B Gene Freese (captain of 1952 NAIA Tournament team for West Liberty WV) purchased from the Pittsburgh Pirates by the Chicago White Sox in 1965.

  • In the midst of a career-high 23-game hitting streak, St. Louis Cardinals 2B Frankie Frisch (Fordham captain) furnished nine consecutive multiple-hit contests in 1931.

  • 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) knocked in the winning run in the 11th inning of the nightcap of a 1959 doubleheader against the Los Angeles Dodgers to give reliever Elroy Face his 16th victory without a loss.

  • Los Angeles Dodgers 1B Gil Hodges (played for St. Joseph's IN in 1943 and Oakland City IN in 1947 and 1948) hammered his 14th career grand slam to set a new N.L. record. It was the first grand slam in the history of the franchise on the West Coast.

  • Chicago Cubs SS Don Kessinger (three-time All-SEC selection for Mississippi from 1961-62 through 1963-64 while finishing among nation's top 45 scorers each year) supplied a multiple-safety outing for the seventh time in an eight-game span in 1972.

  • Detroit Tigers RF Harvey Kuenn (played briefly for Wisconsin in 1951-52 after competing on JV squad previous season) went 5-for-5 against the Baltimore Orioles in a 1959 contest.

  • New York Yankees rookie RF Jim Lyttle (led Florida State in free-throw shooting in 1965-66 when averaging 12.4 ppg) went 4-for-4 with three RBI in a 7-5 win against the Chicago White Sox in the nightcap of a 1970 twinbill.

  • Philadelphia Phillies CF Bake McBride (averaged 12.7 ppg and 8.1 rpg in 21 games with Westminster MO in 1968-69 and 1969-70) amassed three hits and three stolen bases against the Atlanta Braves in a 1977 game.

  • Utilityman Jimmy Stewart (All-Volunteer State Athletic Conference selection for Austin Peay State in 1959-60 and 1960-61) slugged a three-run, pinch-hit homer off Hall of Famer Tom Seaver to spark the Cincinnati Reds to a 7-5 triumph against the New York Mets in 1970.

  • Chicago Cubs rookie OF Champ Summers (led SIUE in scoring in 1969-70 after doing same with Nicholls State in 1964-65) smacked his first MLB homer, a pinch grand slam, against the Houston Astros in 1975.

  • Boston Red Sox 3B Jim Tabor (Alabama letterman in 1936-37) went 4-for-4 in a 1939 game against the St. Louis Browns.

  • Pittsburgh Pirates CF Bill Virdon (Drury MO hooper in 1949) went 7-for-8 in a 1959 doubleheader sweep of the Los Angeles Dodgers.

  • St. Louis Cardinals 1B Bill White (played two years with Hiram OH in early 1950s) went 4-for-4 against the Houston Colt .45s in a 1963 contest.

  • LHP Tom Zachary (Guilford NC letterman in 1916) awarded on waivers from the Washington Senators to the New York Yankees in 1928.

On This Date: Ex-College Hoopsters Make Their Mark on August 22 MLB Games

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 22 calendar focusing on such versatile MLB athletes:

AUGUST 22

  • Detroit Tigers 1B Dale Alexander (starting basketball center in mid-1920s for Milligan TN) delivered four hits in a 9-6 win against the Boston Red Sox in 1931.

  • San Diego Padres SS Bill Almon (averaged 2.5 ppg in half a season for Brown's 1972-73 team ending school streak of 12 straight losing records) went 4-for-4 against the St. Louis Cardinals in a 1979 game.

  • St. Louis Browns rookie RF Red Badgro (first-five pick on All-Pacific Coast Conference team in 1926-27 as USC's MVP) banged out four hits in a 10-0 victory against the New York Yankees in 1929.

  • Pittsburgh Pirates LF Carson "Skeeter" Bigbee (Oregon letterman in 1915), playing in his third straight extra-inning game against Brooklyn, went 6-for-11 in a 22-inning marathon in 1917.

  • Washington Senators 1B Frank Howard (two-time All-Big Ten Conference first-team selection when leading Ohio State in scoring and rebounding in 1956-57 and 1957-58) hammered two homers, including decisive blow in the top of the 10th inning, against the Minnesota Twins in 1970.

  • RHP Jim Konstanty (Syracuse player in late 1930s) awarded on waivers from the Philadelphia Phillies to the New York Yankees in 1954.

  • In 1973, OF Joe Lahoud (New Haven CT letterman in mid-1960s) launched a ninth-inning, pinch-hit grand slam to give the Milwaukee Brewers a 4-3 lead but they wound up losing against the California Angels, 5-4, in 10 innings.

  • Chicago Cubs RF Bill Nicholson (played for Washington College MD in mid-1930s) socked a game-winning homer in the bottom of the 11th inning in a 5-4 decision over the Cincinnati Reds in 1942.

  • St. Louis Cardinals C Don Padgett (freshman in 1934 with Lenoir-Rhyne NC excelled in multiple sports) provided four hits against the Brooklyn Dodgers in a 1939 contest.

  • In the midst of a 10-game hitting streak closing out the month, Chicago Cubs 2B Paul Popovich (averaged 3.3 ppg for West Virginia's 1960 NCAA playoff team) pounded a three-run homer in a 6-5 win against the Cincinnati Reds in 1973.

  • INF Jackie Robinson (highest scoring average in Pacific Coast Conference both of his seasons with UCLA in 1939-40 and 1940-41) contributed five hits in the nightcap of a 1951 doubleheader to spark the Brooklyn Dodgers to their 14th straight victory against the St. Louis Cardinals.

  • In 1964, Cleveland Indians rookie RHP Sonny Siebert (team-high 16.7 ppg for Missouri in 1957-58 as All-Big Eight Conference second-team selection) tossed his first of 21 shutouts in a 12-year MLB career.

On This Date: Ex-College Hoopsters Make Their Mark on August 21 MLB Games

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 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 (played 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.

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

  • 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.

  • 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 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 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.

On This Date: Ex-College Hoopsters Make Their Mark on August 20 MLB Games

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.

Former Southwest Missouri State hoop standouts Mark Bailey and Preston Ward provided significant MLB performances on this date. Unless you habitually pore over the content at baseballlibrary.com, baseballreference.com and nationalpastime.com, following is an August 20 calendar focusing on such versatile MLB athletes:

AUGUST 20

  • Houston Astros C Mark Bailey (led Southwest Missouri State basketball team in rebounding and field-goal percentage in 1980-81) collected three hits, four runs and four RBI in a 17-2 romp over the St. Louis Cardinals in 1985.

  • Detroit Tigers 2B Frank Bolling (averaged 7.3 ppg in 1950-51 for Spring Hill AL) collected two homers and five RBI against the New York Yankees in a 1959 game.

  • In the midst of a career-high 17-game hitting streak, Kansas City Athletics LF Bob Cerv (ranked fourth on Nebraska's career scoring list in 1949-50 when finishing hoop career) collected three homers and six RBI in an 11-10 defeat against the Boston Red Sox in 1959.

  • RHP Bill Connors (averaged 6 ppg and 2.3 rpg for Syracuse in 1960-61) purchased from the Chicago Cubs by the New York Mets in 1967.

  • Baltimore Orioles LHP Mike Flanagan (averaged 13.9 ppg for UMass' freshman squad in 1971-72) fired his fifth shutout of the 1979 campaign - a three-hitter against the Texas Rangers - in the midst of him winning eight straight starts en route to an A.L.-high 23 triumphs.

  • Brooklyn Dodgers SS Jake Flowers (member of Washington College MD "Flying Pentagon" championship squad in 1923) contributed four hits against the St. Louis Cardinals in the opener of a 1933 doubleheader.

  • Chicago White Sox RHP Bob Keegan (Bucknell letterman in 1941-42 and 1942-43), utilizing a new slow delivery, hurled a 6-0 no-hitter against the Washington Senators in 1957.

  • SS Don Kessinger (three-time All-SEC selection for Mississippi from 1961-62 through 1963-64 while finishing among nation's top 45 scorers each year) traded by the St. Louis Cardinals to the Chicago White Sox in 1977.

  • Cleveland Indians CF Kenny Lofton (Arizona's leader in steals for 1988 Final Four team compiling 35-3 record) logged two homers and six RBI against the Seattle Mariners in a 2000 contest.

  • 2B Davey Lopes (NAIA All-District 15 selection for Iowa Wesleyan averaged 16.9 ppg as freshman in 1964-65 and 12.1 as sophomore in 1965-66) set a Los Angeles Dodgers record with 15 total bases in an 18-8 rout of the Chicago Cubs in 1974 (three homers, double and single).

  • Kansas City Athletics 2B Jerry Lumpe (member of Southwest Missouri State's 1952 NAIA Tournament championship club) went 7-for-10 in a 1963 doubleheader sweep of the Washington Senators.

  • St. Louis Cardinals CF Bake McBride (averaged 12.7 ppg and 8.1 rpg in 21 games with Westminster MO in 1968-69 and 1969-70) belted two homers against the Cincinnati Reds in a 1975 game.

  • Texas Rangers RF Gary Redus (J.C. player for Athens AL and father of Centenary/South Alabama guard with same name) ripped two homers against the Baltimore Orioles in a 1993 contest.

  • St. Louis Cardinals RHP Ron Reed (Notre Dame's leading rebounder in 1963-64 and 1964-65) tossed a four-hit shutout against the Cincinnati Reds in 1975. Reed yielded fewer than two earned runs in nine of his first 16 starts for the Cards.

  • Philadelphia Phillies RHP Robin Roberts (Michigan State's second-leading scorer in 1945-46 and 1946-47) had his 15-game winning streak against the Pittsburgh Pirates snapped in 1953.

  • In 1945, Brooklyn Dodgers SS Tommy Brown (17 years old) became the youngest player to hit a MLB homer when connecting off Pittsburgh Pirates LHP Preacher Roe (played for Harding AR in late 1930s).

  • Baltimore Orioles RF Ken Singleton (played for Hofstra freshman team in mid-1960s) went 4-for-4 against the Minnesota Twins in a 1977 game.

  • Boston Red Sox RHP Lee Smith (averaged 3.4 ppg and 1.9 rpg with Northwestern State in 1976-77) supplied his seventh straight hitless relief appearance in 1988. Smith fanned 15 batters during span covering nine innings.

  • St. Louis Cardinals RHP John Stuper (two-time all-conference junior college player in mid-1970s with Butler County PA) hurled his lone MLB shutout (five-hitter against the Houston Astros in 1983).

  • Birdie Tebbetts (played for Providence in 1932) resigned as Cleveland Indians manager in 1966.

  • In the midst of winning five straight starts during the month, Pittsburgh Pirates LHP Bob Veale (scored 1,160 points for Benedictine KS from 1955-56 through 1957-58) tossed a four-hit shutout against the Houston Astros in 1969.

  • Pittsburgh Pirates 1B Preston Ward (second-leading scorer for Southwest Missouri State in 1946-47 and 1948-49) provided three extra-base hits in a 1955 game against the New York Giants.

  • Pinch two-run single by 1B Bill White (played two years for Hiram OH in early 1950s) sparked the San Francisco Giants to a 4-3 win against the Cincinnati Reds in 1958.

  • New York Yankees RF Dave Winfield (starting forward with Minnesota's first NCAA playoff team in 1972) walloped the 300th homer of his career in 1986.

On This Date: Ex-College Hoopsters Make Their Mark on August 19 MLB Games

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 hoopers had front-row seats to many of the most notable games, transactions and dates in MLB history.

Former Southwest Missouri State hoopers Norm Siebern and Preston Ward provided significant MLB performances on this date. Unless you habitually pore over the content at baseballlibrary.com, baseballreference.com and nationalpastime.com, following is an August 19 calendar focusing on such versatile MLB athletes:

AUGUST 19

  • Chicago Cubs 1B George Altman (appeared in 1953 and 1954 NAIA Basketball Tournament with Tennessee State) amassed four hits in a 4-3 win against the Houston Colt .45s in 1962.

  • Pittsburgh Pirates LF Clyde Barnhart (played for Shippensburg PA predecessor Cumberland Valley State Normal School prior to World War I) went 4-for-4 and chipped in with five RBI against the Brooklyn Robins in 1925.

  • 2B Marv Breeding (played for Samford in mid-1950s) purchased from the Los Angeles Dodgers by the Baltimore Orioles in 1964.

  • Detroit Tigers rookie RHP Ownie Carroll (Holy Cross letterman in 1922) hurled his third complete-game victory of the month in 1927.

  • Detroit Tigers 1B Hank Greenberg (enrolled at NYU on hoop scholarship in 1929 but attended college only one semester) collected three homers and eight RBI in a 1938 doubleheader sweep of the St. Louis Browns.

  • New York Yankees LF David Justice (led Thomas More KY in assists in 1984-85) jacked two homers against the Anaheim Angels in 2000.

  • Philadelphia Phillies RHP Andy Karl (Manhattan letterman from 1933 through 1935) saved Hall of Fame slugger Jimmie Foxx's only MLB pitching decision in 1945 (6-2 win against Cincinnati Reds).

  • New York Yankees LF Charlie Keller (Maryland letterman from 1934-35 through 1936-37) homered in both ends of a 1942 twinbill split against the Boston Red Sox.

  • Detroit Tigers SS Harvey Kuenn (played briefly for Wisconsin in 1951-52 after competing on JV squad previous season) contributed four hits against the Cleveland Indians in the nightcap of a 1954 doubleheader.

  • New York Giants RHP Christy Mathewson (played for Bucknell at turn of 20th Century) had his 22-game winning streak against the Cincinnati Reds snapped in 1911.

  • 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) smacked a pinch-hit, three-run homer against the Chicago White Sox in 1996.

  • OF Gary Redus (J.C. player for Athens AL and father of Centenary/South Alabama guard with same name) traded by the Chicago White Sox to the Pittsburgh Pirates in 1988.

  • 1B-OF Norm Siebern (member of Southwest Missouri State's back-to-back NAIA Tournament titlists in 1952 and 1953) supplied a pinch-hit, bases-loaded triple to help the Boston Red Sox outlasted the California Angels, 12-11, in 1967.

  • Philadelphia Phillies rookie SS Gary Sutherland (averaged 7.4 ppg with USC in 1963-64) went 3-for-3, including his first MLB homer, against the Chicago Cubs in 1967.

  • Boston Red Sox 3B Jim Tabor (Alabama letterman in 1936-37) smacked two homers against the New York Yankees in the opener of a 1942 twinbill.

  • Detroit Tigers rookie SS Coot Veal (averaged team-high 10.9 ppg as Auburn sophomore in 1951-52 before transferring to Mercer) posted his second three-hit outing in the midst of a career-high 13-game hitting streak.

  • San Diego Padres CF Clint Venable (two-time All-Ivy League selection averaged 9.3 ppg under Princeton coach John Thompson III from 2001-02 through 2004-05) went hitless for the only time in his first 25 games of the month in 2013.

  • Bill Virdon (played for Drury MO in 1949) hired as Houston Astros manager in 1975.

  • Pittsburgh Pirates RF Preston Ward (second-leading scorer for Southwest Missouri State in 1946-47 and 1948-49) provided fourth three-hit outing in a six-game span in 1954.

  • New York Yankees RF Dave Winfield (starting forward for Minnesota's first NCAA playoff team in 1972) went 4-for-4 in a 1984 game against the Oakland Athletics.

On This Date: Ex-College Hoopsters Make Their Mark on August 18 MLB Games

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 hoopers had front-row seats to many of the most notable games, transactions and dates in MLB history.

Former Texas Christian hoopers Harry Kinzy and Dutch Meyer delivered significant MLB performances on this date. Unless you habitually pore over the content at baseballlibrary.com, baseballreference.com and nationalpastime.com, following is an August 18 calendar focusing on such versatile MLB athletes:

AUGUST 18

  • In the midst of a 21-game hitting streak, St. Louis Browns RF Beau Bell (two-year basketball letterman for Texas A&M in early 1930s) went 5-for-5 in the opener of a 1936 doubleheader against the Detroit Tigers.

  • RHP Ray Burris (played for Southwestern Oklahoma State) purchased from the New York Yankees by the New York Mets in 1979.

  • Philadelphia Athletics C Mickey Cochrane (played for Boston University in early 1920s) went 4-for-4 against the Detroit Tigers in a 1933 game.

  • St. Louis Browns C Rick Ferrell (played forward for Guilford NC before graduating in 1928) capped off a career-high 20-game hitting streak with four safeties against the Boston Red Sox in 1932. Four years later, Ferrell supplied three extra-base hits against the Philadelphia Athletics in a 1936 contest.

  • St. Louis Cardinals 2B Frankie Frisch (Fordham captain) smacked two homers against the Philadelphia Phillies in the opener of a 1932 twinbill.

  • INF Charlie Gelbert (scored at least 125 points each of his last three seasons with Lebanon Valley PA in late 1920s) awarded on waivers from the Washington Senators to the Boston Red Sox in 1940.

  • Dallas Green (Delaware's second-leading scorer and rebounder in 1954-55) fired as manager of the Philadelphia Phillies in 1989.

  • Chicago White Sox RHP Harry Kinzy (starting forward for TCU from 1931-32 through 1933-34) lost his lone MLB decision and complete game when walking 10 Washington Senators batters in 1934.

  • Cleveland Indians RF Harvey Kuenn (played briefly for Wisconsin in 1951-52 after competing on JV squad previous season) went 4-for-4 against the Chicago White Sox in a 1960 game.

  • Chicago White Sox 3B Vance Law (averaged 6.8 ppg for Brigham Young from 1974-75 through 1976-77) went 3-for-3, including logging the decisive RBI in the bottom of the eighth inning, in a 7-6 win against the Toronto Blue Jays in 1984.

  • New York Giants CF Hank Leiber (played for Arizona in 1931) collected a homer, triple and two doubles in an 8-4 triumph against the Cincinnati Reds in 1935.

  • Philadelphia Phillies LF Danny Litwhiler (member of JV squad with Bloomsburg PA in mid-1930s) smacked two triples against the Cincinnati Reds in the opener of a 1941 doubleheader.

  • Milwaukee Braves SS Johnny Logan (played for Binghamton in 1948-49) doubled in his fifth consecutive contest in 1956.

  • Cleveland Indians 2B Dutch Meyer (TCU letterman in 1934-35 and 1935-36) went 4-for-4 in a 7-4 victory against the Philadelphia Phillies in 1945.

  • Oakland Athletics CF Billy North (played briefly for Central Washington in 1967-68) stroked four hits in a 6-3 win against the Milwaukee Brewers in 1973.

  • RHP Claude Passeau (played for Millsaps MS in late 1920s and early 1930s) tossed a three-hit shutout as the Philadelphia Phillies ended a 14-game losing streak with a 7-0 verdict over the Boston Bees in 1936.

  • RHP Steve Renko (averaged 9.9 ppg and 5.8 rpg as Kansas sophomore in 1963-64) traded by the Chicago Cubs to the Chicago White Sox in 1977.

  • Detroit Tigers C Birdie Tebbetts (Providence hooper in 1932) went 4-for-4 in a 1940 game against the Chicago White Sox.

  • OF Will Venable (All-Ivy League first-team selection as junior and second-team choice as senior averaged 9.3 ppg under Princeton coach John Thompson III from 2001-02 through 2004-05) traded by the San Diego Padres to the Texas Rangers in 2015.

  • Cincinnati Reds 3B Billy Werber (first Duke All-American in 1929-30) knocked in five runs against the Philadelphia Phillies in the opener of a 1941 twinbill.

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