On This Date: Ex-College Hoopers Providing MLB Headlines on October 8

October 8th, 2023 - 9:58

Extra! Extra! Instead of cursing Plagiarist Biledumb's lame Mr. Magoo-like response to Hamas' terrorist attacks on Israel plus DOJ and teacher unions treating ordinary traditional-value parents like crap if they question woke-speak buzzwords/phrases such as CRT, domestic terrorism, cancel culture, cisgender, toxic masculinity and misinformation, 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.

Three former hoopers from Pennsylvania small colleges - George Earnshaw (Swarthmore), Danny Litwhiler (Bloomsburg) and Christy Mathewson (Bucknell) - supplied significant World Series performances on this date. Ex-hoopers from current Big Ten Conference members Illinois (Tom Haller), Maryland (Charlie Keller) and Minnesota (Dave Winfield) also made news in MLB postseason competition on this date. Unless you habitually pore over the content at baseballlibrary.com, baseballreference.com and nationalpastime.com, following is an October 8 calendar focusing on such versatile MLB athletes:

OCTOBER 8

  • INF Ernie Bowman (East Tennessee State basketball letterman in 1954-55 and 1955-56) scored a run as pinch-runner on Chuck Hiller's seventh-inning grand slam in 7-3 Game 4 triumph in 1962 World Series against the New York Yankees.

  • Detroit Tigers C Mickey Cochrane (five-sport athlete with Boston University first half of 1920s) stroked three singles in a 4-3 setback against the St. Louis Cardinals in Game 6 of 1934 World Series.

  • New York Giants SS Alvin Dark (hooper for Louisiana State and Southwestern Louisiana in mid-1940s) delivered three doubles against the New York Yankees in Game 4 of 1951 World Series.

  • RHP George Earnshaw (Swarthmore PA hooper in 1922), clearly the pitching standout of 1930 World Series, carried the Philadelphia Athletics to a decisive 7-1 triumph against the St. Louis Cardinals.

  • RHP Eddie Fisher (hooper for Oklahoma's 1954-55 freshman squad) traded by the Cleveland Indians to the California Angels in 1968.

  • New York Giants 3B Frankie Frisch (Fordham hoops captain) supplied his fourth multiple-hit game in 1922 World Series to finish with a .471 batting average for champions in five outings against the New York Yankees.

  • St. Louis Cardinals RHP Bob Gibson (Creighton's leading scorer in 1955-56 and 1956-57) hurled a five-hit shutout against the Boston Red Sox in Game 4 of 1967 World Series.

  • San Francisco Giants C Tom Haller (backup forward for Illinois in 1956-57 and 1957-58 under coach Harry Combes) supplied a go-ahead homer off Whitey Ford in the seventh inning against the New York Yankees in Game 4 of 1962 World Series.

  • RHP Oral Hildebrand (All-American hooper for Butler in 1928-29 and 1929-30) hurled four scoreless innings as the New York Yankees' starter in Game 4 of 1939 World Series when they swept the Cincinnati Reds.

  • Boston Red Sox LHP Bruce Hurst (J.C. hooper for Dixie UT in mid-1970s) secured a 9-2 victory against the California Angels in Game 2 of 1986 ALCS.

  • New York Yankees RF Charlie Keller (Maryland three-year hoops letterman from 1934-35 through 1936-37) broke up a scoreless duel with seventh-inning homer en route to 7-4 success against the Cincinnati Reds in Game 4 of 1939 World Series.

  • St. Louis Cardinals LF Danny Litwhiler (member of JV hoops squad with Bloomsburg PA in mid-1930s) delivered a homer and double in 2-0 win against the St. Louis Browns in Game 5 of 1944 World Series.

  • Chicago Cubs CF Kenny Lofton (Arizona's leader in steals for 1988 Final Four team compiling 35-3 record) supplied four hits against the Florida Marlins in Game 2 of 2003 NLCS.

  • In Game 2, RHP Christy Mathewson (Bucknell hooper at turn of 20th Century) hurled a 10-inning shutout for the New York Giants' lone victory against the Philadelphia Athletics in 1913 World Series.

  • LF Wally Moon (averaged 4.3 ppg with Texas A&M in 1948-49 and 1949-50) capped off a six-run, fourth-inning eruption with two-run homer as the Los Angeles Dodgers clinched 1959 World Series crown with 9-3 triumph against the Chicago White Sox in Game 6.

  • RHP Roy Parmelee (hoops letterman for Eastern Michigan in 1924-25 and 1925-26) traded by the St. Louis Cardinals to the Chicago Cubs in 1936.

  • New York Yankees 3B Red Rolfe (played hoops briefly with Dartmouth in 1927-28 and 1929-30) provided a pair of doubles in 5-1 win against the New York Giants in Game 3 of 1937 World Series.

  • Detroit Tigers C Billy Sullivan Jr. (Portland hoops letterman in 1927-28) scored their only run in decisive Game 7 of 1940 World Series (2-1 setback against Cincinnati Reds).

  • OF Hub Walker (Ole Miss hooper in 1927 and 1929) stroked a pinch-hit double for the Detroit Tigers to fuel a four-run rally in eighth inning of 12-inning, 8-7 setback against the Chicago Cubs in Game Six of 1945 World Series.

  • New York Yankees LF Dave Winfield (starting forward with Minnesota's first NCAA playoff team in 1972) delivered a triple among his postseason career-high three hits in 3-0 win against the Milwaukee Brewers in Game 2 of 1981 ALDS.

  • Kansas City Royals RHP Chris Young (All-Ivy League first-team selection for Princeton in 1999-00) fanned seven Houston Astros batters in four innings of relief in the opener of 2015 ALDS.