On This Date: Former College Hoopsters Make Mark on August 12 MLB Games

August 12th, 2015 - 7:24

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 12 calendar focusing on such versatile MLB athletes:

AUGUST 12

  • California Angels RHP Chris Beasley (Arizona State's leading basketball scorer in 1983-84) lost his only MLB decision in 1991 (4-3 against Minnesota Twins).

  • Cleveland Indians SS Lou Boudreau (leading scorer for Illinois' 1937 Big Ten Conference co-champion) went 4-for-4, including two triples, against the Philadelphia Athletics in 1943.

  • Arizona Diamondbacks 1B Tony Clark (San Diego State's leading scorer in WAC games in 1991-92) smacked two homers against the Atlanta Braves in 2005.

  • Philadelphia Athletics C Mickey Cochrane (Boston University player in early 1920s) contributed four hits against the Detroit Tigers in 1931.

  • In the midst of a career-high 14-game hitting streak, New York Yankees rookie RF Charlie Keller (Maryland letterman from 1934-35 through 1936-37) collected back-to-back three-safety contests against the Philadelphia Athletics in 1939.

  • Chicago Cubs LF Irv Noren (player of year for California community college state champion Pasadena City in 1945) went 4-for-4 against the Los Angeles Dodgers in 1959.

  • Chicago Cubs rookie RHP Paul Reuschel (averaged 12.1 rpg for Western Illinois in 1966-67 and 1967-68) surrendered his only run in a 13-game relief span through the end of the month in 1975.

  • In 1953, Philadelphia Phillies RHP Robin Roberts (Michigan State's second leading scorer in 1945-46 and 1946-47) beat the Pittsburgh Pirates for the 15th consecutive time. Roberts reached the 20-win plateau for the fourth straight season.

  • Pittsburgh Pirates LHP Preacher Roe (played for Harding AR in late 1930s) registered back-to-back six-hit shutouts in 1945.

  • Baltimore Orioles OF Larry Sheets (All-ODAC selection for Eastern Mennonite VA in 1981-82 and 1982-83) and teammate Wayne Gross (led Cal Poly Pomona in assists in 1974-75) socked back-to-back pinch-hit homers but they weren't enough to prevent an 8-5 setback against the Cleveland Indians in 1985.

  • In 1960, Detroit Tigers RHP Dave Sisler (All-Ivy League second-team selection for Princeton's first NCAA playoff team in 1952) supplied his eighth straight relief appearance without yielding an earned run.

  • Arizona Diamondbacks rookie 2B Junior Spivey (redshirted his only semester at Northwestern Oklahoma State on hoop scholarship before transferring to KS junior college) registered his second five-hit game of the 2001 campaign.

  • Chicago Cubs INF-OF Riggs Stephenson (Alabama letterman in 1920) knocked in the winning run in the 11th inning of a 3-2 victory against the Brooklyn Dodgers in 1930.

  • San Francisco Giants CF Randy Winn (Santa Clara backcourtmate of eventual two-time NBA Most Valuable Player Steve Nash in 1993-94) accounted for the game's only run with a homer at Florida in 2005.