On This Date: Former College Hoopers Make News on August 6 MLB Games

August 6th, 2020 - 8:16

Extra! Extra! Unless you're a cardboard cut-out, you can read news 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 from several Deep South small colleges beginning with letter "M" - Dale Alexander (Milligan TN), Donn Clendenon (Morehouse GA) and Harry Craft (Mississippi College) - made MLB news on this date. Unless you habitually pore over the content at baseballlibrary.com, baseballreference.com and nationalpastime.com, following is an August 6 calendar focusing on such versatile MLB athletes:

AUGUST 6

  • In a 1932 game, 1B Dale Alexander (starting basketball center for Milligan TN in mid-1920s) provided a single for the Boston Red Sox' lone safety off Wes Ferrell of the Cleveland Indians.

  • Pittsburgh Pirates 1B Donn Clendenon (four-sport letterman with Morehouse GA) went 4-for-4 against the Cincinnati Reds in a 1966 contest.

  • Mickey Cochrane (Boston University hooper in early 1920s) fired as Detroit Tigers manager in 1938.

  • Cincinnati Reds rookie CF Harry Craft (four-sport letterman with Mississippi College in early 1930s) cracked a grand slam in an 11-6 triumph against the Brooklyn Dodgers in 1938.

  • New York Giants SS Alvin Dark (hoops letterman for Louisiana State and Southwestern Louisiana in mid-1940s) whacked two homers in a 1954 game against the Milwaukee Braves.

  • New York Giants 3B Frankie Frisch (Fordham hoops captain) provided four hits against the Cincinnati Reds in the opener of a 1923 twinbill. Thirteen years later as a St. Louis Cardinals 2B, Frisch collected four hits against the Chicago Cubs in a 1936 outing.

  • San Diego Padres RF Tony Gwynn (All-WAC second-team selection with San Diego State in 1979-80 and 1980-81) went 4-for-5 in a 12-10 win against the Montreal Expos in 1999, posting the 3,000th hit of his MLB career.

  • LHP Mark Hendrickson (two time All-Pacific-10 Conference selection paced Washington State in rebounding four straight seasons from 1992-93 through 1995-96) made his MLB debut with the Toronto Blue Jays in 2002.

  • Los Angeles Dodgers 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) delivered three extra-base hits against the Chicago Cubs in a 1961 game.

  • INF Davey Johnson (averaged 1.7 ppg with Texas A&M in 1961-62) traded by the Philadelphia Phillies to the Chicago Cubs in 1978.

  • San Francisco Giants 1B-OF Rick Leach (averaged 15.5 ppg for Michigan's JV hoops team in 1975-76) suspended for 60 days in 1990 following a positive drug test.

  • New York Yankees RHP Lindy McDaniel (played for Oklahoma's 1954-55 freshman hoops squad) posted his eighth save in last 10 relief appearances en route to 12 straight scoreless games in 1970.

  • Cleveland Indians RF Ed Morgan (Tulane hoops letterman from 1923-24 through 1925-26) raised his batting average to .372 with back-to-back three-hit games.

  • Washington Senators 2B Buddy Myer (Mississippi State hoops letterman in 1923-24) contributed three doubles among his four hits in a 13-11 victory against the New York Yankees in the opener of 1929 doubleheader.

  • Detroit Tigers CF Jim Northrup (second-leading scorer and third-leading rebounder for Alma MI in 1958-59) went 4-for-4 against the Cleveland Indians in the opener of a 1972 twinbill.

  • 1B Jack Phillips (leading scorer for 14-1 Clarkson NY in 1942-43) purchased from the New York Yankees by the Pittsburgh Pirates in 1949.

  • New York Mets OF Tony Phillips (New Mexico Military juco hooper in 1977-78 as teammate of eventual Drake All-American Lewis Lloyd) banged out four hits in a 1998 contest against the San Francisco Giants.

  • Pittsburgh Pirates CF Bill Virdon (Drury MO hooper in 1949) knocked in five runs against the St. Louis Cardinals in a 1959 game.

  • San Francisco Giants RF Randy Winn (Santa Clara backcourtmate of eventual two-time NBA Most Valuable Player Steve Nash in 1993-94) went 4-for-4 against the Atlanta Braves in a 2008 contest.