On This Date: Former College Hoopsters Score Big in April MLB Games

Extra! Extra! Read all about memorable major league baseball achievements and moments involving former college basketball players! Numerous ex-college hoopsters had front-row seats to many of the most notable games and dates in MLB history. Unless you habitually pore over the content at baseballlibrary.com, baseballreference.com and nationalpastime.com, following is an April calendar involving such versatile athletes:

APRIL
30 - In 1937, Philadelphia Athletics INF Clarence "Ace" Parker (letterman for Duke in 1935-36) became the first A.L. player to hit a pinch-hit homer in his MLB debut (against Wes Ferrell of the Boston Red Sox). . . . INF 1B Jack Phillips (leading scorer for 14-1 Clarkson, NY, in 1942-43) traded by the Detroit Tigers to the Boston Red Sox in 1957. . . . SS Roy Smalley Jr. (one of top scorers for Drury, MO, in 1942-43 and 1943-44) purchased from the Milwaukee Braves by the Philadelphia Phillies in 1955. . . . RF Dave Winfield (starting forward with Minnesota's first NCAA playoff team in 1972), who was on base at least once in every game this month, tied a MLB record for RBI in April with 29 for the New York Yankees in 1988.
29 - In 1953, Milwaukee Braves 1B Joe Adcock (LSU's leading scorer in 1945-46) hit a homer into the center-field bleachers against the New York Giants at the Polo Grounds, a feat that had never been done before and would only be achieved twice more (by Hank Aaron and Lou Brock). . . . OF Taylor Douthit (California letterman from 1922 through 1924) awarded on waivers to the Chicago Cubs from the Cincinnati Reds in 1933. . . . 2B Dutch Meyer (letterman for TCU in 1934-35 and 1935-36) traded by the Detroit Tigers to the Cleveland Indians in 1945. . . . Cleveland tied a MLB record by winning its first 10 games of the 1966 campaign before the Indians lost, 4-1, to Chicago White Sox P Gary Peters (played basketball for Grove City, PA, in mid-1950s). . . . In 1975, OF Champ Summers (team-high scoring averages of 15.7 ppg for Nicholls State in 1964-65 and 22.5 ppg for SIUE in 1969-70) shipped by the Oakland Athletics to the Chicago Cubs to complete a deal made earlier in the month.
28 - In 1966, OF Billy Cowan (co-captain of Utah's 1960 NCAA playoff team) traded by the Atlanta Braves to the Chicago Cubs for cash and 3B Bobby Cox, who went on to become one of MLB's all-time winningest managers with the Braves. . . . San Diego Padres OF Tony Gwynn (All-WAC second-team selection with San Diego State in 1979-80 and 1980-81) collected five hits in a 7-3 victory over the Chicago Cubs in 1998, registering the ninth game of at least five hits in his career. . . . INF Tim Nordbrook (letterman in 1968-69 for Loyola, LA) traded by the Toronto Blue Jays to the Milwaukee Brewers in 1978. . . . P Sonny Siebert (team-high 16.7 ppg for Mizzou in 1957-58 as an All-Big Eight Conference second-team selection) defeated the Angels, 2-1, as the Cleveland Indians tied a MLB record by winning their first 10 contests of the 1966 season. . . . Baltimore Orioles OF Ken Singleton (Hofstra freshman team in mid-1960s) grounded into a double play against the Chicago White Sox to snap his streak of 10 consecutive safeties in 1981.
27 - Two NBA players - Gene Conley of the Boston Celtics and Dave DeBusschere of the New York Knicks - oppose each other as pitchers in 1963. Conley (All-PCC first-team selection led the North Division in scoring in 1949-50 as a Washington State sophomore) hurled 4-plus innings as starter for the Boston Red Sox while DeBusschere (three-time All-American for Detroit from 1959-60 through 1961-62) relieved for 2/3 of the fourth inning with the Chicago White Sox. . . . 1B Mike Hargrove (Northwestern Oklahoma State letterman) hit a bases-loaded double in the top of the 19th inning to spark the Cleveland Indians to an 8-4 win over the Detroit Tigers in 1984. . . . C Hugh Poland (Western Kentucky letterman from 1931-32 through 1933-34) traded by the New York Giants to the Boston Braves in 1943.
26 - Cleveland Indians player-manager Lou Boudreau (leading scorer for Illinois' 1937 Big Ten Conference co-champion) banged out five hits, including a pair of doubles and pair of triples, in a 12-11, 14-inning victory over the Chicago White Sox in 1948. . . . OF Curtis Pride (led William & Mary in steals three times and assists twice from 1986-87 through 1989-90) shipped by the New York Mets to the Boston Red Sox as part of a conditional deal in 2000. . . . Reliever Cecil Upshaw (led Centenary in scoring as a junior while averaging 13.7 ppg and 6 rpg from 1961-62 through 1963-64) traded by the Cleveland Indians to the New York Yankees in 1974.
25 - Two weeks after helping the Boston Celtics capture the 1961 NBA title, P Gene Conley (All-PCC first-team selection led the North Division in scoring in 1949-50 as a Washington State sophomore) earned his first A.L. victory (6-1 for the Boston Red Sox over the Washington Senators). . . . Cleveland Indians RF Larry Doby (reserve guard for Virginia Union team that won 1943 CIAA title) tied MLB record by striking out five times in a single game (at Detroit in 1948). . . . OF David Justice (led Thomas More, KY, in assists in 1984-85) went deep twice for the Cleveland Indians as they hit a team-record eight homers in an 11-4 triumph over the Milwaukee Brewers in 1997. . . . Only 14 games into the 1982 season, New York Yankees owner George Steinbrenner fired manager Bob Lemon and replaced him with Gene Michael (Kent State's leading scorer with 14 ppg in 1957-58), the man Lemon succeeded the previous September. . . . 3B Graig Nettles (shot 87.8% from free-throw line for San Diego State in 1963-64) put the Minnesota Twins ahead with a three-run pinch-hit homer in the eighth inning but they wound up losing at Chicago, 6-5, in 1969. . . . P Joe Niekro (played for West Liberty WV in mid-1960s) traded by the Chicago Cubs to the San Diego Padres in 1969.
24 - Los Angeles Dodgers P Sandy Koufax (Cincinnati's freshman basketball squad in 1953-54) tied a MLB record by striking out 18 batters in a nine-inning game at Chicago in 1962. . . . OF Danny Litwhiler (member of JV team with Bloomsburg, PA, three years in mid-1930s) collected four of 22 hits by the Boston Braves in a 14-5 victory over the New York Giants in 1947. Johnny Mize socked three successive homers for the Giants. . . . John Pyecha (led Appalachian State in scoring, rebounding and field-goal shooting in 1951-52 and 1954-55) lost his only pitching appearance with the Chicago Cubs in 1954.
23 - In a celebrated fracas, New York Giants SS Alvin Dark (letterman for LSU and USL during World War II) confronts Jackie Robinson (Pacific Coast Conference leading scorer both seasons with UCLA in 1939-40 and 1940-41) after the Brooklyn Dodgers' INF bowled over a Giants pitcher covering first base on a bunt in 1955. . . . The previous year, Robinson swiped second, third and home in the sixth inning before doubling in the winning run in the 13th in a 6-5 decision over the Pittsburgh Pirates. . . . P Jay Hook (Northwestern's third-leading scorer as a sophomore with 10.7 ppg in 1955-56) posted the expansion New York Mets' first-ever victory (9-1 at Pittsburgh in 1962) after they dropped their initial nine contests. . . . St. Louis Cardinals rookie CF Wally Moon (averaged 4.3 ppg with Texas A&M in 1948-49 and 1949-50) went 5-for-5 but the Milwaukee Braves won, 7-5, in 14 innings in 1954 when Hank Aaron hammered his first of 755 MLB homers. . . . OF Ted Savage (led Lincoln, MO, in scoring average in 1955-56) involved in four-player swap going from the Chicago Cubs to the Los Angeles Dodgers in 1968.
22 - In 1953, New York Giants P Jim Hearn (Georgia Tech letterman in 1941-42) posted his 12th consecutive win over the Pittsburgh Pirates. . . . Chicago Cubs SS Don Kessinger (three-time All-SEC team selection for Mississippi from 1961-62 through 1963-64 while finishing among nation's top 45 scorers each year) contributed three hits, including an inside-the-park HR, in a 7-5 victory over the St. Louis Cardinals in 1970, snapping P Mike Torrez's 11-game winning streak dating back to previous season. . . . OF Lyle Mouton (starter in LSU's backcourt with All-American Chris Jackson for 1989 NCAA playoff team) shipped by the New York Yankees to the Chicago White Sox in 1995 to complete an earlier deal involving P Jack McDowell. . . . Reliever Cecil Upshaw (led Centenary in scoring as a junior while averaging 13.7 ppg and 6 rpg from 1961-62 through 1963-64) traded by the Atlanta Braves to the Houston Astros in 1973.
20 - Boston Red Sox 1B Dick Gernert (Temple letterman in 1948-49) smashed three homers in a doubleheader sweep of the Washington Senators in 1953. . . . A single by Kansas City Royals OF Jerry Martin (Furman's second-leading scorer in 1969-70 and third-leading scorer in 1970-71) was the only hit Detroit Tigers P Milt Wilcox surrendered in an 8-0 shutout in 1980. . . . Chicago Cubs OF Bill Nicholson (played for Washington College, MD, in the mid-1930s) blasted two homers, including a grand slam, in a 7-4 win at St. Louis in 1947. . . . 2B Wayne Terwilliger (two-year letterman for Western Michigan averaged 5.6 ppg in his final season in 1947-48) collected an eighth-inning single for the Washington Senators' lone safety in a 7-0 loss against the Philadelphia Athletics in 1954.
19 - 3B Bosey Berger (Maryland's first basketball All-American in 1931-32) awarded on waivers to the Chicago White Sox from the Cleveland Indians in 1937. . . . Five hits by OF Bake McBride (averaged 12.7 ppg and 8.1 rpg in 21 games for Westminster, MO, in 1968-69 and 1969-70) were in vain as the St. Louis Cardinals incurred a 17-inning, 4-3 loss to the New York Mets. . . . P Sonny Siebert (team-high 16.7 ppg for Missouri in 1957-58 as an All-Big Eight Conference second-team selection) traded by the Cleveland Indians to the Boston Red Sox in a six-player swap in 1969.
18 - P Jim Konstanty (Syracuse player in late 1930s) was traded by the Cincinnati Reds with cash to the Boston Braves in 1946. . . . Los Angeles Dodgers P Sandy Koufax (Cincinnati's freshman squad in 1953-54) threw the second of two immaculate innings in his career when he struck out the side on nine pitches against the Cincinnati Reds in the third frame in 1964. . . . Atlanta Braves OF Kenny Lofton (Arizona's leader in steals for 1988 Final Four team compiling a 35-3 record) had a homer among his five hits in a 14-0 romp over the Colorado Rockies in 1997. . . . Davey Lopes (NAIA All-District 15 selection for Iowa Wesleyan averaged 16.9 ppg and 3.4 rpg as a freshman in 1964-65 and 12.1 ppg as a sophomore in 1965-66) fired as manager of the Milwaukee Brewers in 2002. . . . Hall of Fame P Robin Roberts (one of Michigan State's top three scorers each season from 1944-45 through 1946-47) surrendered the first hit on artificial turf in 1966 when Los Angeles Dodgers SS Maury Wills singled to center at Houston's Astrodome. . . . Jackie Robinson (highest scoring average in Pacific Coast Conference both of his seasons with UCLA in 1939-40 and 1940-41) hit his first homer for the Brooklyn Dodgers in 1947 (against the New York Giants).
17 - Pittsburgh Pirates reliever Joe Gibbon (two-time All-SEC forward for Ole Miss was the nation's second-leading scorer as a senior in 1956-57), making his MLB debut in the nightcap of a doubleheader against the Cincinnati Reds in 1960, threw two scoreless innings and emerged as the winner when the Bucs erupted for six runs in the ninth. . . . Utilityman Chuck Harmon (freshman starter was Toledo's second-leading scorer for 1943 NIT runner-up) became the second black to play for the Cincinnati Reds when he pinch-hit against the Milwaukee Braves in 1954. . . . Jackie Robinson (highest scoring average in Pacific Coast Conference both of his seasons with UCLA in 1939-40 and 1940-41) got his first hit with the Brooklyn Dodgers in 1947. It was one of 19 bunt hits as a rookie.
16 - 1B Kerby Farrell (key player for a couple of strong Freed-Hardeman, TN, basketball squads in mid-1930s) purchased from the Boston Braves by the Chicago White Sox in 1945. . . . St. Louis Cardinals P Bob Gibson (Creighton's leading scorer in 1955-56 and 1956-57) and Philadelphia Phillies P Cal McLish both fail to finish the first inning when each starter allowed six runs of the Cards' 12-6 win at Philly in 1962. . . . P Roy Parmelee (letterman for Eastern Michigan in 1924-25 and 1925-26) purchased from the Chicago Cubs by the Boston Red Sox in 1938.
15 - P Bob Gibson (Creighton's leading scorer in 1955-56 and 1956-57) made his St. Louis Cardinals debut at Los Angeles in 1959, hurling the final two innings in a 5-0 setback against the Dodgers. He became the first future Hall of Famer to yield a homer to first batter he faced in the majors (3B Jim Baxes went downtown in seventh inning). . . . INF Gene Handley (Bradley letterman in 1932-33 and 1933-34) purchased from the Pittsburgh Pirates by the St. Louis Cardinals in 1940. . . . 1B Jackie Robinson (highest scoring average in Pacific Coast Conference both of his seasons with UCLA in 1939-40 and 1940-41) debuted for the Brooklyn Dodgers in 1947, becoming the first black player to appear in a MLB game. Before being replaced by Howie Schultz (played for Hamline, MN, in early 1940s), he went hitless in three at-bats against the Boston Braves a year before President Truman desegregated the military. . . . San Diego Padres P Chris Young (All-Ivy League first-team selection for Princeton in 1999-00) tied a MLB record with 25 straight starts on the road without a defeat before bowing at Los Angeles to the Dodgers in 2007.
14 - Los Angeles Dodgers P Sandy Koufax (Cincinnati's freshman squad in 1953-54) threw the ninth complete game without permitting a walk in his career as he blanked the St. Louis Cardinals, 4-0, in 1964 in his only Opening Day start. . . . Atlanta Braves OF Kenny Lofton (Arizona's leader in steals for 1988 Final Four team compiling a 35-3 record) contributed five hits and five runs scored in a 14-5 rout of the Cincinnati Reds in 1997. . . . New York Yankees 3B Graig Nettles (shot 87.8% from free-throw line for San Diego State in 1963-64), en route to tying a MLB record with 11 homers in the month of April, collected four round-trippers - two in each game - during a 1974 doubleheader split with his former team (the Cleveland Indians).
13 - San Diego Padres OF Tony Gwynn (All-WAC second-team selection with San Diego State in 1979-80 and 1980-81) and two teammates establish a MLB record by each hitting a homer as the first three batters in the bottom of the first inning of their 1987 home opener against the San Francisco Giants. . . . 1B Tony Lupien (Harvard captain in 1938-39) awarded on waivers from the Boston Red Sox to the Philadelphia Phillies in 1944. . . . St. Louis Cardinals CF Wally Moon (averaged 4.3 ppg with Texas A&M in 1948-49 and 1949-50) swats a homer against the Chicago Cubs in his first at-bat en route to becoming 1954 N.L. Rookie of the Year. . . . St. Louis Cardinals closer Lee Smith (averaged 3.4 ppg and 1.9 rpg with Northwestern State in 1976-77) set MLB record for most career saves in 1993 (mark subsequently broken). . . . P Jim Wilson (letterman for San Diego State's 1942 NAIA Tournament participant) purchased from the Milwaukee Braves by the Baltimore Orioles in 1955. . . . Angels OF Dave Winfield (starting forward with Minnesota's first NCAA playoff team in 1972) collected 15 total bases and six RBI on three homers, a double and single in a 15-9 verdict over the Minnesota Twins in 1991.
12 - P Rich Beck (listed on Gonzaga's roster in 1961-62) purchased from the Philadelphia Phillies by the New York Yankees in 1965. . . . P Dick Hall (averaged 13.5 ppg from 1948-49 through 1950-51 for Swarthmore's Middle Atlantic States Conference Southern Division champions) traded by the Kansas City Athletics to the Baltimore Orioles in 1961. . . . After a pair of rainouts, 1B-OF Norm Siebern (member of Southwest Missouri State's back-to-back NAIA Tournament titlists in 1952 and 1953) socked a decisive eighth-inning HR to give the New York Yankees a season-opening 3-2 win over the visiting Boston Red Sox in 1959. . . . Pittsburgh Pirates P Bob Veale (scored 1,160 points from 1955-56 through 1957-58 with Benedictine, KS) outdueled San Francisco Giants P Juan Marichal, 1-0, in 1965.
11 - P Roger Craig (forward with North Carolina State's 1949-50 freshman team) released by the Cincinnati Reds and promptly signed as a free agent by the Philadelphia Phillies in 1966. . . . P Dallas Green (Delaware's runner-up in scoring and rebounding in 1954-55) purchased from the Philadelphia Phillies by the Washington Senators in 1965. Returned to the Phillies a month later. . . . In 1932, utilityman Harvey Hendrick (Vanderbilt letterman in 1918) is traded with P Benny Frey and cash by the Cincinnati Reds to the St. Louis Cardinals for holdout OF Chick Hafey, the previous year's N.L. batting champion. . . . 1B Gil Hodges (played for Oakland City, IN, in 1947 and 1948) hit the first homer in New York Mets history (at St. Louis in 1962). . . . In 1961, Hall of Fame P Robin Roberts (one of Michigan State's top three scorers each season from 1944-45 through 1946-47) tied Grover Cleveland Alexander's N.L. record with a 12th straight Opening Day start for the Philadelphia Phillies. . . . San Diego Padres OF Will Venable (All-Ivy League first-team selection as a junior and second-team choice as a senior averaged 9.3 ppg under Princeton coach John Thompson III from 2001-02 through 2004-05) posted his first five-RBI game (against the Atlanta Braves in 2010). . . . OF Bill Virdon (played for Drury, MO, in 1949) traded by the New York Yankees to the St. Louis Cardinals in a deal involving OF Enos Slaughter in 1954. Seven years later, Virdon socked a two-out, three-run homer to give the Pittsburgh Pirates an 8-7 victory at San Francisco.
10 - OF Wally Roettger (Illinois letterman in 1921-22 and 1922-23) traded by the St. Louis Cardinals to the New York Giants in 1930.
9 - 1B George Crowe (four-year letterman from 1939-40 through 1942-43 for Indiana Central after becoming the first high school player named the state's "Mr. Basketball") traded by the Milwaukee Braves to the Cincinnati Reds in 1956. . . . LF Lou Johnson (Kentucky State teammate of legendary HBCU coach Davey Whitney averaged 5.7 ppg and 2 rpg in 1951-52) traded by the Detroit Tigers with $10,000 to the Los Angeles Dodgers for P Larry Sherry in 1964.
8 - OF Babe Barna (two-year West Virginia letterman in mid-1930s) purchased from the Philadelphia Athletics by the Washington Senators in 1939. . . . P Mark Freeman (averaged 3.6 ppg for LSU as a senior in 1950-51) traded by the New York Yankees to the Kansas City Athletics in 1959. Returned to Yankees a month later. . . . P Pete Sivess (played for Dickinson, PA, in 1935-36) traded by the Philadelphia Phillies with cash to the New York Yankees in 1939.
7 - Minnesota Twins OF Brant Alyea (Hofstra's leading scorer and rebounder in 1960-61 after being runner-up in both categories the previous season) amassed seven RBI, a major league record for opening day, against the Chicago White Sox in 1970. Alyea drove in 19 runs in P Jim Perry's first four starts that year. . . . P Bobby Humphreys (four-year letterman for Hampden-Sydney, VA, in mid-1950s) traded by the St. Louis Cardinals to the Chicago Cubs in 1965. . . . P Dave Madison (letterman for LSU from 1939-40 through 1942-43) purchased from the New York Yankees by the St. Louis Browns in 1952. . . . Boston Red Sox P Gary Peters (played basketball for Grove City, PA, in mid-1950s), after allowing no earned runs in 32 spring training innings, secured a 4-3 season-opening win at New York in 1970.
6 - Detroit Tigers 1B Tony Clark (San Diego State's leading scorer in WAC games in 1991-92) contributed two sixth-inning hits, including a grand slam, in a 10-inning, 10-9 win over the Chicago White Sox in 2001. . . . In 2006, P Mark Hendrickson (two-time All-Pacific-10 Conference selection paced Washington State four straight seasons in rebounding 1992-93 through 1995-96) hurls first complete-game shutout for the Tampa Devil Rays in a span of 349 contests (three-hit, 2-0 whitewash against the Baltimore Orioles). . . . P Joe Niekro (played for West Liberty WV in mid-1960s) purchased from the Atlanta Braves by the Houston Astros for $35,000 in 1975. . . . P Darrell Sutherland (averaged 8.1 ppg and 2.2 rpg for Stanford from 1960-61 through 1962-63) awarded on waivers from the Philadelphia Phillies to the New York Mets as a first-year waiver selection in 1964.
5 - INF Frank Baker (Southern Mississippi letterman in 1965-66 and 1966-67) traded by the New York Yankees to the Baltimore Orioles in 1973. . . . P Fred Kipp (two-time all-conference selection for Emporia State, KS, in early 1950s) traded by the Los Angeles Dodgers to the New York Yankees in 1960. . . . OF Ted Savage (led Lincoln, MO, in scoring average in 1955-56) purchased from the Cincinnati Reds by the Milwaukee Brewers in 1970. . . . OF Ken Singleton (Hofstra freshman squad in mid-1960s) traded with Tim Foli and Mike Jorgensen by the New York Mets to the Montreal Expos for Rusty Staub. . . . Atlanta Braves reliever Cecil Upshaw (led Centenary in scoring as a junior while averaging 13.7 ppg and 6 rpg from 1961-62 through 1963-64) registered the victory in a season-opening 7-4 success at Cincinnati in 1971. Upshaw missed the previous campaign after almost losing the ring finger on his right hand when it go entangled in a net while dunking a basketball.
4 - LF Lou Johnson (Kentucky State teammate of legendary HBCU coach Davey Whitney averaged 5.7 ppg and 2 rpg in 1951-52) traded by the Cleveland Indians to the California Angels for OF Chuck Hinton in 1969.
3 - 1B Bill White (played two years with Hiram, OH, in early 1950s) traded by the Philadelphia Phillies to the St. Louis Cardinals in 1969. . . . P Chris Young (All-Ivy League first-team selection for Princeton in 1999-00) traded by the Montreal Expos to the Texas Rangers in 2004.
2 - In 2001, San Diego Padres OF Tony Gwynn (All-WAC second-team selection with San Diego State in 1979-80 and 1980-81) became the fifth player in N.L. history to spend 20-plus years playing his entire career with one franchise. . . . New York Mets manager Gil Hodges (played for Oakland City, IN, in 1947 and 1948), two days shy of his 48th birthday, suffered a fatal heart attack in 1972 after playing a round of golf in West Palm Beach with his coaches on Easter Sunday. . . . P Bobby Humphreys (four-year letterman for Hampden-Sydney, VA, in mid-1950s) traded by the Chicago Cubs to the Washington Senators in 1966. . . . OF David Justice (led Thomas More, KY, in assists in 1984-85), debuting with the Cleveland Indians, whacked a tie-breaking two-run homer in the seventh inning in a 9-7 decision over the Oakland A's in 1997.
1 - OF Larry Doby (reserve guard for Virginia Union's 1943 CIAA titlist) traded by the Baltimore Orioles to the Cleveland Indians in 1958. . . . LF Lou Johnson (Kentucky State teammate of legendary HBCU coach Davey Whitney averaged 5.7 ppg and 2 rpg in 1951-52) traded by the Chicago Cubs to the Los Angeles Angels in 1961. . . . OF-1B Len Matuszek (starter for Toledo's 18-7 team in 1975-76) traded by the Philadelphia Phillies to the Toronto Blue Jays in 1985. . . . INF Paul Popovich (averaged 3.3 ppg for West Virginia's 1960 NCAA playoff team) traded by the Chicago Cubs to the Pittsburgh Pirates in 1974.