On This Date: Ex-College Hoopers Make Mark in September 30 MLB Games

September 30th, 2019 - 7:31

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 hoopers for three different Big Apple universities - Hank Greenberg (NYU), Buddy Hassett (Manhattan) and Joe Zapustas (Fordham) - plus two IL small colleges - Bill Conroy (Illinois Wesleyan) and Roe Skidmore (Millikin) - made MLB news on this date. Unless you habitually pore over the content at baseballlibrary.com, baseballreference.com and nationalpastime.com, following is a September 30 calendar focusing on such versatile MLB athletes:

SEPTEMBER 30

  • Detroit Tigers RHP Elden Auker (All-Big Six first-five basketball selection with Kansas State in 1931-32) closed out his 1933 rookie campaign with a four-hit shutout against the Cleveland Indians.

  • RHP Mike Barlow (Syracuse substitute from 1967-68 through 1969-70) shipped by the St. Louis Cardinals to the Houston Astros in 1975 to complete an earlier deal.

  • Pittsburgh Pirates 1B Donn Clendenon (four-sport letterman with Morehouse GA) collected four hits against the Cincinnati Reds in a 1961 game.

  • C Bill Conroy (Illinois Wesleyan hooper in early 1930s) selected by Boston Red Sox in 1941 Rule 5 draft.

  • In 1967, Houston Astros LHP Danny Coombs (Seton Hall's third-leading scorer and rebounder as sophomore in 1961-62) posted his third relief victory in as many decisions in a 19-day span.

  • Roger Craig (forward with North Carolina State's 1949-50 freshman hoops team) fired as San Diego Padres manager in 1979.

  • LF Hank Greenberg (enrolled at NYU on hoops scholarship in 1929 but attended college only one semester) smacked a ninth-inning grand slam against the St. Louis Browns on final day of 1945 campaign to clinch the A.L. pennant for the Detroit Tigers.

  • New York Yankees 1B Buddy Hassett (hooper for Manhattan teams winning school-record 17 consecutive games in 1930 and 1931) twice knocked in Hall of Famer Joe DiMaggio with safeties in a 7-4 win against the St. Louis Cardinals in the opener of the 1942 World Series.

  • In 1975, 1B-OF Doug Howard (All-WAC second-team selection with Brigham Young in 1968-69 and 1969-70) shipped by the St. Louis Cardinals to the Cleveland Indians to complete an earlier deal.

  • OF-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 a homer against the New York Yankees in the Senators' final game in Washington in 1971.

  • Chicago Cubs RF Bill Nicholson (hoops guard for Washington College MD two years in mid-1930s) tripled twice against the Boston Braves in a 1943 contest.

  • OF Irv Noren (hooper of year for California junior college state champion Pasadena City in 1945) purchased from the Brooklyn Dodgers by the Washington Senators for $50,000 in 1949.

  • OF Curtis Pride (led William & Mary in steals three seasons and in assists twice from 1986-87 through 1989-90) smacked a pinch, two-run homer for the Montreal Expos in the top of the ninth inning in 1993. Pride's blast was the difference in a 5-3 win against the Florida Marlins.

  • Setting the stage for a 1951 playoff with the New York Giants, INF Jackie Robinson (highest scoring average in PCC both of his seasons with UCLA in 1939-40 and 1940-41) ripped an upper-deck homer in the 14th inning off Philadelphia Phillies Hall of Fame RHP Robin Roberts (Michigan State's second-leading scorer in 1945-46 and 1946-47), giving the Brooklyn Dodgers a 9-8 victory. Five years later, New York Giants rookie 1B Bill White (played two years with Hiram OH in early 1950s) whacked two homers off Roberts in the opener of a 1956 twinbill while Robinson homered in his final MLB game.

  • New York Mets RF Ken Singleton (Hofstra freshman hoops team in mid-1960s) homered twice in the 1971 season finale against the St. Louis Cardinals.

  • Utilityman Roe Skidmore (scored 41 points for Millikin IL in game against Illinois College on 1-28-66) shipped by Cincinnati Reds to St. Louis Cardinals in 1973 to complete a deal made two months earlier.

  • Pittsburgh Pirates LHP Bob Veale (scored 1,160 points from 1955-56 through 1957-58 with Benedictine KS) amassed 16 strikeouts and eight walks in 12 1/3 innings against the Cincinnati Reds in 1964.

  • St. Louis Cardinals rookie RHP Ray Washburn (Whitworth WA scoring leader in 1958-59 and 1959-60 when named All-Evergreen Conference) earned his first MLB victory with a five-hit, complete-game 12-2 decision over the Philadelphia Phillies in 1961.

  • INF Whitey Wietelmann (hoops captain for Muskingum OH in mid-1940s) traded by the Boston Braves to the Pittsburgh Pirates in 1946.

  • Philadelphia Phillies OF Cy Williams (Notre Dame forward in 1909-10) contributed two of his NL-leading 41 homers in a 6-4 win against the Brooklyn Robins in 1923.

  • San Francisco Giants CF Randy Winn (Santa Clara backcourtmate of eventual two-time NBA Most Valuable Player Steve Nash in 1993-94) went 4-for-4 with two homers against the Arizona Diamondbacks in a 2005 game.

  • Philadelphia Athletics LF Joe Zapustas (Fordham hoops letterman in 1932-33) secured his lone MLB hit (single against Boston Red Sox in nightcap of 1933 doubleheader).