Versatility Personified: Ex-College Hoopers Go On to Touch All of the Bases

MLB award winners for Most Valuable Player, Cy Young and Rookie of the Year will be announced next week. Times have changed but it was commonplace for former college basketball players to previously claim a striking number of the awards. In a 20-year span from 1948 to 1968, a total of six MVPs were ex-college hoopers. After the St. Louis Cardinals supplied back-to-back winners in 1954 (Wally Moon) and 1955 (Bill Virdon), seven rookies of year in first nine years of award were ex-college hoopers. Subsequently, sports specialization intervened. In aftermath of both AL and NL rookie of year winners in 1974 coming from small-college hoopdom (Mike Hargrove and Bake McBride), there has been only two honorees since then in this multiple-sport athlete category - Mike Flanagan in 1979 and David Justice in 1990 (only such individual in last 43 years). Following is a summary of MLB major award winners who previously competed on the hardwood in college (listed alphabetically):

MOST VALUABLE PLAYER

Ex-College Hooper School Summary of MVP Award With MLB Team
Lou Boudreau Illinois AL in 1948 with Cleveland Indians
Gordon "Mickey" Cochrane Boston University AL in 1928 with Philadelphia Athletics and in 1934 with Detroit Tigers
Frankie Frisch Fordham NL in 1931 with St. Louis Cardinals
Bob Gibson Creighton NL in 1968 with St. Louis Cardinals
Hyman "Hank" Greenberg New York University AL in 1935 and 1940 with Detroit Tigers
Dick Groat Duke NL in 1960 with Pittsburgh Pirates
Jim Konstanty Syracuse NL in 1950 with Philadelphia Phillies
Sandy Koufax Cincinnati NL in 1963 with Los Angeles Dodgers
Jackie Robinson UCLA NL in 1949 with Brooklyn Dodgers

CY YOUNG

Ex-College Hooper School Summary of Pitching Award With MLB Team
Mike Flanagan Massachusetts AL in 1979 with Baltimore Orioles
Bob Gibson Creighton NL in 1968 and 1970 with St. Louis Cardinals
Sandy Koufax Cincinnati ML in 1963-65-66 with Los Angeles Dodgers

ROOKIE OF THE YEAR

Ex-College Hooper School(s) Summary of Rookie Award With MLB Team
Joe Black Morgan State NL in 1952 with Brooklyn Dodgers
Al Bumbry Virginia State AL in 1973 with Baltimore Orioles
Alvin Dark Louisiana State and Southwestern Louisiana ML in 1948 with Boston Braves
Walt Dropo Connecticut AL in 1950 with Boston Red Sox
Mike Hargrove Northwestern Oklahoma State AL in 1974 with Texas Rangers
Frank Howard Ohio State NL in 1960 with Los Angeles Dodgers
David Justice Thomas More KY NL in 1990 with Atlanta Braves
Harvey Kuenn Wisconsin AL in 1953 with Detroit Tigers
Arnold "Bake" McBride Westminster MO NL in 1974 with St. Louis Cardinals
Wally Moon Texas A&M NL in 1954 with St. Louis Cardinals
Gary Peters Grove City PA AL in 1963 with Chicago White Sox
Jackie Robinson UCLA ML in 1947 with Brooklyn Dodgers
Don Schwall Oklahoma AL in 1961 with Boston Red Sox
Bill Virdon Drury MO NL in 1955 with St. Louis Cardinals