On This Date: Former College Hoopers Make News on August 7 MLB Games

August 7th, 2020 - 10:42

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 college hoopers Lou Boudreau (Illinois), Joe Ferguson (Pacific), David Justice (Thomas More KY) and Tony Phillips (New Mexico Military) each hit two homers in a MLB game on this date. Unless you habitually pore over the content at baseballlibrary.com, baseballreference.com and nationalpastime.com, following is an August 7 calendar focusing on such versatile MLB athletes:

AUGUST 7

  • Detroit Tigers rookie 1B Dale Alexander (starting basketball center in mid-1920s for Milligan TN) amassed three extra-base hits and six RBI in a 14-4 win against the Cleveland Indians in 1929.

  • Cleveland Indians SS Lou Boudreau (leading scorer for Illinois' 1937 Big Ten Conference co-champion) collected two homers and six RBI against the Chicago White Sox in a 1940 game.

  • St. Louis Cardinals RF Joe Ferguson (hooper in 1967 NCAA playoffs with Pacific) drilled two triples against the Philadelphia Phillies in a 1976 contest. Three years later with the Los Angeles Dodgers, Ferguson whacked two homers against the Houston Astros in a 1979 outing.

  • Brooklyn Robins LF Buddy Hassett (hooper for Manhattan teams winning school-record 17 consecutive contests in 1930 and 1931) went 4-for-4 against the Cincinnati Reds in the nightcap of a 1938 doubleheader.

  • Washington Senators rookie RHP Bucky Jacobs (member of undefeated hoops team in 1935 was among Richmond's top two scorers each of next two seasons) earned his lone MLB victory (against the Detroit Tigers in the nightcap of a 1937 twinbill).

  • Atlanta Braves rookie RF David Justice (Thomas More KY assists leader in 1984-85 while averaging 9.3 ppg and 3.5 rpg) went 4-for-4 with two homers against the San Diego Padres in the nightcap of a 1990 twinbill. Ten years later as a LF with the New York Yankees, Justice smacked two homers against the Seattle Mariners in a 2000 game.

  • 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 Baltimore Orioles in a 1993 contest.

  • 2B Dutch Meyer (TCU hoops letterman in 1934-35 and 1935-36) traded by the New York Giants to the Detroit Tigers in 1940.

  • St. Louis Cardinals LF Wally Moon (averaged 4.3 ppg with Texas A&M in 1948-49 and 1949-50) went 5-for-5 against the Cincinnati Reds in a 1956 game.

  • RHP Joe Niekro (averaged 8.9 ppg and 3.8 rpg for West Liberty WV from 1963-64 through 1965-66) awarded off waivers from the Detroit Tigers to the Atlanta Braves in 1973.

  • RF Jim Northrup (second-leading scorer and third-leading rebounder for Alma MI in 1958-59) shipped by the Detroit Tigers to the Montreal Expos as part of a conditional deal in 1974.

  • Detroit Tigers LF Tony Phillips (New Mexico Military juco hooper in 1977-78 as teammate of eventual Drake All-American Lewis Lloyd) capped off a career-long 13-game hitting streak by homering twice in a 1994 outing against the Toronto Blue Jays.

  • In 1987, Detroit Tigers RHP Jeff Robinson (two-time NAIA All-District 3 hoops honoree in early 1980s left Azusa Pacific CA as its No. 9 all-time scorer) blanked the New York Yankees, 8-0, retiring the last 24 batters in a row.

  • Boston Red Sox rookie RHP Don Schwall (All-Big Seven Conference second-team selection led Oklahoma won seventh straight start, improving his record to 13-2 in 1961.

  • Cleveland Indians 2B Riggs Stephenson (Alabama hoops letterman in 1920) went 4-for-4 against the New York Yankees in a 1924 contest.

  • St. Louis Browns RHP Rollie Stiles (played hoops for Southeastern State OK in 1926-27) hurled his lone MLB shutout (against the Chicago White Sox in 1933).

  • Cleveland Indians 1B Jim Thome (played junior-college hoops for Illinois Central in 1988-89) collected four hits and four RBI in a 1999 game against the Tampa Bay Devil Rays.

  • In 1990, California Angels RF Dave Winfield (starting forward with Minnesota's first NCAA playoff team in 1972) delivered his 2,500th career hit.