On This Date: Ex-College Hoopsters Make Mark on September 16 MLB Games

September 16th, 2015 - 7:11

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 16 calendar focusing on such versatile MLB athletes:

SEPTEMBER 16

  • Switch-hitting C Mark Bailey (Southwest Missouri State's top basketball rebounder in 1980-81) homered from both sides of the plate in 1984 as a rookie with the Houston Astros.

  • Chicago Cubs 2B Glenn Beckert (three-year letterman for Allegheny PA) established a dubious MLB record (subsequently tied by Todd Helton in 1998) by stranding 12 baserunners in an 18-5 victory against the New York Mets in 1972. Five years earlier, Beckert provided multiple hits for the sixth consecutive contest in 1967.

  • Baltimore Orioles RF Angelo Dagres (averaged 6 ppg for Rhode Island in 1954-55) delivered a hit and scored a run in both ends of a 1955 doubleheader sweep against the Washington Senators.

  • Cleveland Indians rookie RF Larry Doby (reserve guard for Virginia Union's 1943 CIAA titlist) extended his hitting streak to 21 games with a first-inning grand slam against the Washington Senators in 1948.

  • St. Louis Cardinals CF Taylor Douthit (California letterman from 1922 through 1924), en route to amassing 84 RBI as a leadoff hitter, singled in the game's only run against the Brooklyn Dodgers in the 10th inning in 1930.

  • New York Giants 3B Frankie Frisch (Fordham captain) furnished four hits against the Cincinnati Reds in the opener of a 1922 doubleheader.

  • Brooklyn Dodgers 1B Gil Hodges (played for St. Joseph's IN in 1943 and Oakland City IN in 1947 and 1948) homered twice against the New York Giants in 1955.

  • Philadelphia Phillies CF Kenny Lofton (Arizona's leader in steals for 1988 Final Four team compiling 35-3 record) stroked five hits against the Florida Marlins in a 2005 game.

  • St. Louis Browns RF Don Lund (Michigan starter in 1943-44 and 1944-45) went 4-for-4 in a 3-1 against the Boston Red Sox in 1948.

  • St. Louis Cardinals LF Irv Noren (player of year for California community college state champion Pasadena City in 1945) homered in his third consecutive contest in 1958.

  • Detroit Tigers RF Jim Northrup (second-leading scorer and third-leading rebounder for Alma MI in 1958-59) homered in fifth different and final contest during seven-game road trip in 1969. Five years later, Northrup was purchased from the Montreal Expos by the Baltimore Orioles in 1974.

  • In 1954, Philadelphia Phillies RHP Robin Roberts (Michigan State's second-leading scorer in 1945-46 and 1946-47) became the first N.L. hurler to reach the 20-win plateau five successive seasons since Carl Hubbell in the mid-1930s.

  • New York Yankees 3B Red Rolfe (played briefly with Dartmouth in 1927-28 and 1929-30) knocked in five runs against the Detroit Tigers in 1939.

  • RHP Dave Sisler (All-Ivy League second-team selection for Princeton's first NCAA Tournament team in 1952) traded with cash by the Washington Senators to the Cincinnati Reds for P Claude Osteen in 1961.

  • New York Mets C John Stephenson (scored 1,361 points for William Carey MS in early 1960s) swatted two homers against the Cincinnati Reds in 1965.

  • St. Louis Browns SS Bud Thomas (Central Missouri letterman in late 1940s) belted his lone MLB homer (third-inning blast against Philadelphia Athletics in nightcap of 1951 doubleheader).

  • Pittsburgh Pirates rookie LHP Bob Veale (scored 1,160 points from 1955-56 through 1957-58 with Benedictine KS) hurled his second shutout in an 11-day span in 1963.

  • In 1993, Minnesota Twins DH-RF Dave Winfield (starting forward with Minnesota's first NCAA playoff team in 1972) singled against the Oakland A's for his 3,000th hit.