On This Date: Former College Hoopers Make News in August 8 MLB Games

August 8th, 2020 - 9:12

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 Fordham hoopers Frankie Frisch and Babe Young supplied significant National League hitting performances on this date. Ex-Duke hoopers Chubby Dean and Billy Werber accounted for the winning run in bottom of ninth inning with the Philadelphia Athletics in a 1937 contest. Unless you habitually pore over the content at baseballlibrary.com, baseballreference.com and nationalpastime.com, following is an August 8 calendar focusing on such versatile MLB athletes:

AUGUST 8

  • Milwaukee Braves 1B Joe Adcock (Louisiana State's leading basketball scorer in 1945-46) launched two homers against the St. Louis Cardinals in the opener of a 1956 twinbill.

  • Detroit Tigers rookie 1B Dale Alexander (starting hoops center in mid-1920s for Milligan TN) went 5-for-5 in a 9-6 win against the Cleveland Indians in 1929. Two years later, Alexander contributed four hits in a 7-1 victory against the Indians.

  • Chicago Cubs 2B Joey Amalfitano (Loyola Marymount hooper in 1952-53) contributed a career-high four hits in a 14-10 triumph against the New York Mets in 1965.

  • Chicago Cubs CF Frankie Baumholtz (MVP in 1941 NIT and first player in Ohio University history to score 1,000 career points) had career-high 16-game hitting streak snapped by his original team (the Cincinnati Reds) in the nightcap of a 1951 doubleheader.

  • Chicago Cubs 2B Glenn Beckert (three-year hoops letterman for Allegheny PA) collected seven hits against the San Francisco Giants in a 1971 twinbill split.

  • Boston Red Sox RHP Gene Conley (All-PCC first-team selection led North Division in scoring in 1949-50 as Washington State sophomore) tossed a four-hit shutout against the Cleveland Indians in 1962.

  • Philadelphia Athletics 1B Chubby Dean (reserve guard for Duke in 1936) scored the game-winning run on a double by Billy Werber (first Duke hoops All-American in 1929-30) in the bottom of ninth inning of a 5-4 verdict over the St. Louis Browns in 1937. Six years later as a LHP with the Cleveland Indians, Dean allowed only two hits in five innings of scoreless relief before knocking in the winning run in bottom of 14th of a 6-5 triumph against the Browns in opener of 1943 doubleheader.

  • St. Louis Cardinals 2B Frankie Frisch (Fordham hoops captain) furnished four hits against the Chicago Cubs in a 1931 game.

  • Kansas City Royals RHP Rich Gale (led New Hampshire with 7.2 rpg in 1975-76) hurled a four-hit shutout against the Toronto Blue Jays in 1980.

  • Kansas City Royals 2B Bob Hegman (four-year starting point guard for St. Cloud State MN averaged 9.4 ppg and 2.9 rpg from 1976-77 through 1979-80) made his only MLB appearance as a defensive replacement in top of ninth inning in opener of 1985 twinbill against Chicago White Sox. He replaced 3B George Brett in lineup with teammate Greg Pryor shifting from 2B to 3B.

  • Brooklyn Dodgers rookie 1B Gil Hodges (hooper for St. Joseph's IN in 1943 and Oakland City IN in 1947 and 1948) amassed two homers and five RBI against the Cincinnati Reds in a 1948 contest.

  • Kansas City Royals 1B Gail Hopkins (averaged 2.5 ppg with Pepperdine in 1963-64) went 4-for-4 against the Milwaukee Brewers in a 1971 outing.

  • Atlanta Braves rookie RF David Justice (Thomas More KY assists leader in 1984-85 while averaging 9.3 ppg and 3.5 rpg) jacked two homers against the San Diego Padres for the second game in a row in 1990.

  • New York Yankees LF Charlie Keller (Maryland hoops letterman from 1934-35 through 1936-37) went 4-for-4 with three doubles against the Philadelphia Athletics in a 1941 game.

  • SS Gene Michael (Kent State's leading scorer with 14 ppg in 1957-58) stroked a two-out single in the ninth inning to give the New York Yankees a 3-2 victory against the Texas Rangers in 1973.

  • RF Bill Nicholson (hooper for Washington College MD in mid-1930s) pounded an 11th-inning homer to propel the Chicago Cubs to a 2-1 triumph against the Cincinnati Reds in 1947.

  • Atlanta Braves RHP Ron Reed (Notre Dame's leading rebounder in 1963-64 and 1964-65) fired a 10-inning shutout against the New York Mets, triggering a streak where he won nine of his final 11 starts of the 1969 campaign.

  • Chicago White Sox CF Carl Reynolds (Southwestern TX hoops MVP and captain in mid-1920s) went 4-for-4 in the nightcap of a 1929 twinbill against the St. Louis Browns.

  • Philadelphia Phillies RHP Robin Roberts (Michigan State's second-leading scorer in 1945-46 and 1946-47) won his eighth straight decision and fourth game in 10 days in 1956.

  • Baltimore Orioles LF Larry Sheets (All-ODAC hoops selection in 1981-82 and 1982-83 with Eastern Mennonite VA) socked two homers in each of back-to-back games against the Texas Rangers in 1987.

  • St. Louis Browns RHP Rollie Stiles (played hoops for Southeastern State OK in 1926-27) registered his third victory in as many decisions in a six-week span in 1931.

  • Baltimore Orioles RHP Tim Stoddard (starting forward opposite All-American David Thompson for North Carolina State's 1974 NCAA champion) notched his fourth save in as many relief appearances during a 12-game scoreless stretch in 1980.

  • Detroit Tigers RF-1B Champ Summers (led SIUE in scoring in 1969-70 after doing same with Nicholls State in 1964-65) knocked in five runs against the Texas Rangers in the opener of a 1979 doubleheader.

  • New York Yankees RF Dave Winfield (starting forward for Minnesota's first NCAA playoff team in 1972) collected two homers and six RBI against the Cleveland Indians in opener of a 1985 twinbill.

  • Washington Senators 3B Eddie Yost (NYU freshman hooper in 1943-44 under coach Howard Cann) homered and drew four walks in a 1957 game against the New York Yankees.

  • New York Giants 1B Babe Young (Fordham hoops letterman in 1935-36) homered in his fourth consecutive contest in 1941.