Tom Makowski

[DCA]

Did Tom Makowski (who reached the majors in 1975 with the Detroit Tigers) actually pitch for the Bulls? Baseball-Reference has him listed as having attending UB, Buff State and ECC but all my research only shows him pitching at Buff State in 1969 and 1970. He then disappears from the record until he shows up in the minors in 1972. Does anyone have any confirmation of his playing for (or even attending) UB?

[BrooklynBull]

Cannot confirm this.  However, in January Eddie Basinski, then 99 was the second oldest living former major leaguer when he died.  He graduated UB but did not play baseball for UB as there was no team.

https://www.nytimes.com/2022/01/14/sports/baseball/eddie-basinski-dead.html?searchResultPosition=1

Had he become the oldest major leaguer, UB would have had at one time the oldest former major leaguer and NFL player.  When James Ailinger paseed away he was the oldest former NFL player.  For those who saw the movie, The Express, about Ernie Davis, the fights in hte Cotton Bowl were not added for dramatic effect.  They actually happened.  Ailinger was the linesman in the game.

https://www.nytimes.com/2001/04/01/sports/james-ailinger-ex-nfl-player-dies-at-99.html?searchResultPosition=1

Edited June 14, 2022 by BrooklynBull

[rma]

3 hours ago, DCA said:

Did Tom Makowski (who reached the majors in 1975 with the Detroit Tigers) actually pitch for the Bulls?

He does not appear on the all time roster nor the record book.

https://s3.amazonaws.com/ubbulls.com/documents/2022/5/31/Baseball_All_Time_Roster.pdf

https://s3.amazonaws.com/ubbulls.com/documents/2022/5/31/Baseball_Record_Book.pdf