On This Date: Ex-College Hoopers Providing MLB Headlines on September 26

September 26th, 2023 - 9:48

Extra! Extra! How many gold bars did mental midget Sen. Menendez (D-NJ) need to stand on to see over podium? Instead of wondering how often foreign aid funds are laundered back to corrupt U.S. politicians as kickbacks, 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 pair of former Iowa small-college hoopers - Larry Biittner (Buena Vista) and Paul Splittorff (Morningside) - supplied significant MLB performances on this date. Ditto ex-Oregon hoopers Carson "Skeeter" Bigbee and Fred "Moon" Mullen in National League contests. Unless you habitually pore over the content at baseballlibrary.com, baseballreference.com and nationalpastime.com, following is a September 26 calendar focusing on such versatile MLB athletes:

SEPTEMBER 26

  • New York Yankees rookie SS Frank Baker (Southern Mississippi basketball letterman in 1965-66 and 1966-67) banged out three hits for second consecutive contest against the Detroit Tigers in 1970.

  • In 1972, Milwaukee Brewers RHP Jerry Bell (Belmont hooper in 1965-66 and 1966-67) posted his fifth victory in as many decisions in the span of a month.

  • Cleveland Indians RHP Ray Benge (multi-year hoops letterman for Sam Houston State first half of 1920s) hurled a four-hit shutout in his MLB debut against the Philadelphia Athletics in nightcap of 1925 doubleheader. He also collected two hits.

  • Pittsburgh Pirates LF Carson "Skeeter" Bigbee (Oregon hoops letterman in 1915) went 4-for-4 against the Chicago Cubs in the opener of a 1924 doubleheader.

  • Chicago Cubs LF Larry Biittner (runner-up in scoring and rebounding in 1966-67 for Buena Vista IA) supplied three extra-base hits in a 10-7 win against the Philadelphia Phillies in 1977.

  • In midst of four-game hitting streak, Boston Red Sox C Danny Doyle (averaged 6.8 ppg for Oklahoma A&M in late 1930s and 1944 under Hall of Fame coach Hank Iba) reached base four times against the Detroit Tigers with a single and three walks in opener of 1943 twinbill.

  • Chicago White Sox SS Sammy Esposito (averaged 7 ppg in 1951-52 as starting guard under Indiana coach Branch McCracken), who hit .207 in his 10-year MLB career, went 3-for-3 against the Kansas City Athletics in a 1958 game.

  • Los Angeles Dodgers C Joe Ferguson (hooper in 1967 NCAA playoffs with Pacific) stroked three extra-base hits against the San Diego Padres in a 1972 contest.

  • Intended as a sacrifice, Hall of Fame C Rick Ferrell (Guilford NC hooper in mid-1920s) contributed a bunt single in 1941 that was only hit for the St. Louis Browns against Cleveland Indians P Bob Feller.

  • Baltimore Orioles LHP Mike Flanagan (averaged 13.9 ppg for Massachusetts' 15-1 freshman squad in 1971-72) had his no-hit bid end with two outs in ninth inning against the Cleveland Indians in 1978.

  • St. Louis Browns rookie LF Joe Gallagher (Manhattan varsity hooper in 1934-35) slugged three homers in a 1939 doubleheader against the Detroit Tigers.

  • Detroit Tigers 1B Hank Greenberg (enrolled at NYU on hoops scholarship in 1929 but attended college only one semester) collected five extra-base hits, five runs and nine RBI in a 1934 twinbill sweep of the Chicago White Sox.

  • In 1954, 1B Gil Hodges (hooper for St. Joseph's IN in 1943 and Oakland City IN in 1947 and 1948) hammered his 25th homer at Ebbets Field (new Brooklyn Dodgers single-season record). Hodges also finished the year with a MLB-high 18 sacrifice flies.

  • Rookie RF Roy Hutson (played hoops for Central Missouri State in mid-1920s) went 2-for-3 as the Brooklyn Robins' leadoff hitter in a 4-1 triumph against the Cincinnati Reds in 1925.

  • New York Giants LF Monte Irvin (Lincoln PA hooper 1 1/2 years in late 1930s) delivered three extra-base hits and four of his N.L.-high 121 RBI against the Philadelphia Phillies in a 1951 game.

  • Philadelphia Phillies RHP Jim Konstanty (Syracuse hooper in late 1930s) made his 71st relief appearance of the 1950 campaign. It was a MLB record (subsequently broken).

  • In a 1986 outing, Toronto Blue Jays DH Rick Leach (averaged 15.5 ppg for Michigan's junior varsity team in 1975-76) went 3-for-3 against Roger Clemens of the Boston Red Sox.

  • New York Giants RHP Christy Mathewson (Bucknell hooper at turn of 20th Century) secured his sixth multiple-hit outing in last seven weeks of 1912 season.

  • St. Louis Cardinals CF Wally Moon (averaged 4.3 ppg with Texas A&M in 1948-49 and 1949-50) capped off his 1954 Rookie of the Year season with an 11th-inning, two-run homer at Milwaukee.

  • Philadelphia Phillies rookie 2B Moon Mullen (backup guard for Oregon's legendary "Tall Firs" team winning inaugural NCAA tourney in 1939) scored career-high three runs in nightcap of 1944 doubleheader when tying his career-long hitting streak of eight games in a row.

  • St. Louis Cardinals RF Red Murray (played hoops for Lock Haven PA in early 1900s) stole three bases in the opener of a 1908 doubleheader against the Philadelphia Phillies.

  • Milwaukee Brewers rookie DH John Poff (member of Duke's freshman basketball squad in 1970-71) contributed a career-high three hits in 10-7 win against the Oakland Athletics in 1980.

  • RHP Nels Potter (leading scorer during two years he attended Mount Morris IL in early 1930s) purchased from the Boston Braves by the Cincinnati Reds in 1949.

  • In 1951, Brooklyn Dodgers 2B Jackie Robinson (highest scoring average in PCC both of his seasons for UCLA in 1939-40 and 1940-41) annoyed the Boston Braves by stealing home with a 13-3 lead in the eighth inning.

  • New York Yankees LHP Marius Russo (member of LIU hoop teams compiling 50-2 record in 1934-35 and 1935-36 under legendary coach Clair Bee) fired his third three-hit shutout of the 1941 campaign.

  • Kansas City Royals LHP Paul Splittorff (runner-up in scoring and rebounding for Morningside IA in 1967-68) won his fifth straight start to finish the 1973 season with 20 victories.

  • In 2012, Baltimore Orioles DH Jim Thome (played junior-college hoops for Illinois Central in 1988-89) jacked his final of 612 MLB career homers.

  • Pittsburgh Pirates starting RHP Jim Umbricht (Georgia hoops captain in 1951-52) lost his MLB debut (against Cincinnati Reds in 1959).

  • Boston Red Sox C Sammy White (All-PCC Northern Division first-five selection for Washington in 1947-48 and 1948-49) smacked two homers against the Washington Senators in a 1954 game.

  • 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 against the San Diego Padres in a 2005 contest.