On This Date: Ex-College Hoopers Generating MLB Headlines on September 10

September 10th, 2022 - 9:53

Extra! Extra! Instead of debating whether unprincipled Plagiarist Bile-dumb fleeing previous uniting stance for maligning MAGA masses by declaring war on 75 million Americans resembles stranderer-in-chief abandoning Americans/allies/Christians in Afghanistan while his allies in Martha's Vineyard "support" illegal ailens via National Guard, you can read news 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.

A couple of small-college hoopers from Missouri - Guy Curtright (Northeast Missouri State) and Bake McBride (Westminster) - supplied significant hitting headlines as MLB outfielders on this date. Ex-hoops All-American Frank Howard (Ohio State) hammered noteworthy homers 12 years apart on this date. Unless you habitually pore over the content at baseballlibrary.com, baseballreference.com and nationalpastime.com, following is a September 10 calendar focusing on such versatile MLB athletes:

SEPTEMBER 10

  • In 1954, Milwaukee Braves 1B Joe Adcock (Louisiana State's leading basketball scorer in 1945-46) broke a N.L. record by hitting his ninth homer on the road against a lone opponent (Brooklyn Dodgers at Ebbets Field).

  • Chicago Cubs 2B Glenn Beckert (three-year hoops letterman for Allegheny PA) contributed five RBI against the San Francisco Giants in the midst of a 20-game hitting streak in 1966.

  • Milwaukee Brewers RHP Jim Colborn (attended Whittier CA in mid-1960s before studying for master's at Edinburgh where becoming All-Scotland in basketball) went the distance against the Detroit Tigers for his 19th triumph in 1973.

  • Chicago White Sox CF Guy Curtright (two-time All-MIAA hoops selection led Northeast Missouri State in scoring each of four seasons in early 1930s) collected three extra-base hits against the Washington Senators in a 1945 contest.

  • Boston Red Sox rookie RHP Boo Ferriss (Mississippi State hoops letterman in 1940-41) registered his 21st victory, stroked two doubles and scored three runs in 1945 outing against the Detroit Tigers.

  • New York Giants 2B Frankie Frisch (Fordham hoops captain) went 6-for-6 before grounding out in a 22-1 romp over the Boston Braves in the opener of a 1924 doubleheader.

  • INF Ben Geraghty (Villanova hoops letterman from 1933-34 through 1935-36) traded by the Brooklyn Dodgers to the Washington Senators in 1937.

  • In his first MLB game, 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) homered off Hall of Fame Philadelphia Phillies RHP Robin Roberts (Michigan State's second-leading scorer in 1945-46 and 1946-47). Howard fanned at least once in each of last seven contests of his 1958 rookie campaign. Twelve years later as 1B for the Washington Senators, he hammered two homers in a game against the Cleveland Indians in 1970.

  • Atlanta Braves 2B Davey Johnson (averaged 1.7 ppg with Texas A&M in 1961-62) put a jolt into one against the San Francisco Giants for his 40th homer in 1973.

  • Cleveland Indians LF David Justice (Thomas More KY assists leader in 1984-85 while averaging 9.3 ppg and 3.5 rpg) knocked in five runs against the Chicago White Sox in a 1999 outing.

  • Detroit Tigers SS Harvey Kuenn (played hoops briefly for Wisconsin in 1951-52 after competing on JV squad previous season) stroked four hits against the Philadelphia Athletics in a 1954 game.

  • California Angels RF Joe Lahoud (New Haven CT hoops letterman in mid-1960s) amassed five RBI against the Kansas City Royals in a 1974 contest.

  • Milwaukee Braves SS Johnny Logan (Binghamton hooper in 1948-49) accumulated four hits and six RBI in a 13-5 win against the Pittsburgh Pirates in 1955.

  • Philadelphia Phillies RF Bake McBride (averaged 12.7 ppg and 8.1 rpg in 21 games with Westminster MO in 1968-69 and 1969-70) supplied his second four-hit start in a row in 1980.

  • Career-high 10-game hitting streak for New York Yankees SS Gene Michael (led Kent State in scoring with 14 ppg in 1957-58) ended in 1969 when the Washington Senators' Dick Bosman hurled a two-hitter.

  • Cleveland Indians 3B Graig Nettles (shot 87.8% from free-throw line for San Diego State in 1963-64) homered in his fourth consecutive contest in 1972.

  • New York Yankees RF Lou Piniella (averaged 2.5 ppg and 1.4 rpg with Tampa as freshman in 1961-62) provided multiple safeties in each contest of a four-game set against rival Boston Red Sox in 1978.

  • Pittsburgh Pirates 1B Gary Redus (J.C. hooper for Athens AL and father of Centenary/South Alabama guard with same name) provided three extra-base hits against the Philadelphia Phillies in a 1990 game.

  • C Nate Smith (hoops letterman for Tennessee State in 1953-54 and 1954-55) purchased from the Los Angeles Dodgers by the Baltimore Orioles in 1962.

  • San Diego Padres LHP Eric Stults (played for 1999 NAIA D-II Tournament hoops runner-up and 2000 NCCAA Tournament titlist with Bethel IN) won his fifth straight decision in 2012.

  • LHP Bob Veale (scored 1,160 points from 1955-56 through 1957-58 with Benedictine KS) won his debut as a Boston Red Sox reliever in 1972.

  • Washington Senators 3B Eddie Yost (NYU freshman hooper in 1943-44 under coach Howard Cann) coaxed multiple walks for the 17th time in a 38-game span en route to leading A.L. with 141 bases on balls in 1950. Five years later, he was issued a total of nine free passes in two-game set against the Kansas City Athletics in 1955.

  • Boston Braves LHP Tom Zachary (Guilford NC hoops letterman in 1916) tossed a four-hit shutout against the Pittsburgh Pirates en route to winning five of his last six decisions in 1930.