On This Date: Former College Hoopers Generating MLB Headlines on July 12
July 12th, 2022 - 8:54
Extra! Extra! Instead of debating whether a sucker is someone who voted for hair-sniffing Plagiarist Bidumb seeking to shake hands with invisible man and a loser is someone who still "showers" affection on "the big guy" skinny-dipping in front of female Secret Service officers, 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.
Oklahoma freshman hoops squad teammates Eddie Fisher and Lindy McDaniel made news as MLB pitchers on this date. Former Minnesota hoopers Jerry Kindall and Dave Winfield also supplied significant MLB performances on this date. Unless you habitually pore over the content at baseballlibrary.com, baseballreference.com and nationalpastime.com, following is a July 12 calendar focusing on such versatile MLB athletes:
JULY 12
Chicago White Sox 1B Zeke Bonura (best basketball forward for Loyola LA in late 1920s and early 1930s) collected four hits, four RBI and three runs scores in a 13-2 beating of the Boston Red Sox in 1935.
Philadelphia Athletics C Mickey Cochrane (Boston University basketball player in early 1920s) contributed three extra-base hits against the St. Louis Browns in a 1930 game.
In the 1955 All-Star Game in Milwaukee, Braves RHP Gene Conley (All-Pacific Coast Conference first-team selection led the North Division in scoring in 1949-50 as Washington State sophomore) struck out the side in the top of the 12th inning, earning the victory (6-5) when Stan Musial of the St. Louis Cardinals homered in the bottom of the frame.
In 1949, Cleveland Indians OF Larry Doby (reserve guard for Virginia Union's 1943 CIAA hoops titlist) and Brooklyn Dodgers INF Jackie Robinson (highest scoring average in PCC both of his seasons with UCLA in 1939-40 and 1940-41) are among the first four black players in an All-Star Game.
California Angels RHP Eddie Fisher (hooper for Oklahoma's 1954-55 freshman squad) yielded his only run in 11 relief appearances during the month in 1972.
San Diego Padres OF Tony Gwynn (All-WAC second-team selection with San Diego State in 1979-80 and 1980-81) stroked a two-run double in the third inning and scored the winning tally in the bottom of the 10th in an 8-7 success for the N.L. in the 1994 All-Star Game.
Chicago White Sox rookie 3B Irv Jeffries (posted team-high scoring average of 11.5 ppg for Kentucky in 1927-28) contributed his third three-hit outing in less than seven weeks in 1934.
In 1957, Chicago Cubs rookie 3B Jerry Kindall (averaged 6.9 ppg for Minnesota as junior in 1955-56) clubbed two homers off Philadelphia Phillies Hall of Fame RHP Robin Roberts (Michigan State's second-leading scorer in 1945-46 and 1946-47). Two years earlier, Roberts started his fifth All-Star Game for the N.L. in a six-year span.
Montreal Expos 2B-RF Vance Law (averaged 6.8 ppg for Brigham Young from 1974-75 through 1976-77) logged four hits against the Cincinnati Reds in a 1985 contest.
Only MLB RBI for Minnesota Twins C Tom Lundstedt (collected three points and three rebounds in four basketball games in 1968-69 as Michigan teammate of Rudy Tomjanovich under coach Johnny Orr) was a two-out, pinch-hit single in top of 16th inning before the New York Yankees rallied for two runs in bottom of frame to win, 8-7, in 1975 marathon.
Chicago White Sox RHP Ted Lyons (All-SWC first-team basketball selection with Baylor as sophomore and senior in early 1920s) supplied his third three-hit game in span of a month in 1928.
In 1905, Chicago's Three Fingered Brown hurled a two-hitter as he notched the first of nine consecutive victories over Hall of Fame New York Giants RHP Christy Mathewson (Bucknell hooper at turn of 20th Century).
RHP Lindy McDaniel (hooper for Oklahoma's 1954-55 freshman squad) traded by the San Francisco Giants to the New York Yankees for RHP Bill Monbouquette in 1968.
Baltimore Orioles RHP Ben McDonald (started six times as freshman forward for LSU in 1986-87 under coach Dale Brown) won his sixth straight decision before losing seven in a row in 1996.
Cleveland Indians 1B Ed Morgan (Tulane hoops letterman from 1923-24 through 1925-26) manufactured four hits against the Chicago White Sox in the opener of a 1931 twinbill.
Philadelphia Athletics 1B Ossie Orwoll (hooper for Luther IA in first half of 1920s) collected five hits and scored four runs in 1929 doubleheader sweep of the St. Louis Browns.
Pittsburgh Pirates RF Gary Redus (J.C. hooper for Athens AL and father of Centenary/South Alabama guard with same name) delivered a decisive two-run homer in the top of the 10th inning against the Cincinnati Reds in a 1992 game.
Chicago White Sox RF Carl Reynolds (Southwestern TX hoops MVP and captain in mid-1920s) went 7-for-10 in a 1930 doubleheader split against the New York Yankees. Two days later, he banged out four additional hits in the opener of a twinbill against the Yanks.
Brooklyn Dodgers LHP Preacher Roe (Harding AR hooper in late 1930s) put the A.L. down in order as a N.L. reliever in the ninth inning of the 1949 All-Star Game. Dodgers 2B teammate Jackie Robinson (highest scoring average in PCC both of his seasons with UCLA in 1939-40 and 1940-41) scored three runs for the N.L.
An eighth-inning single by Philadelphia Athletics 1B Dick Siebert (hooper for Concordia-St. Paul in 1929 and 1930) deprived Cleveland Indians P Bob Feller of a no-hitter in 1940.
Cleveland Indians RHP Sonny Siebert (team-high 16.7 ppg for Mizzou in 1957-58 as All-Big Eight Conference second-team selection) tossed two innings of hitless relief for the A.L. in 1966 All-Star Game.
LHP Matt Thornton (averaged 5.8 ppg and 2.4 rpg for Grand Valley State MI from 1995-96 through 1997-98) traded by the Chicago White Sox with cash to the Boston Red Sox in 2013.
San Diego Padres rookie 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) notched his first MLB four-hit game and chipped in with four runs scored (against San Francisco Giants in 2009).
RHP Ray Washburn (Whitworth WA scoring leader when named All-Evergreen Conference in 1958-59 and 1959-60) posted initial win with Cincinnati Reds in 1970 after they incurred defeats in each of his first 16 appearances with them.
New York Yankees RF Dave Winfield (starting forward with Minnesota's first NCAA playoff team in 1972) doubled and scored the eventual decisive run for A.L. in a 2-1 verdict over N.L. in 1988 All-Star Game. It was Winfield's last of 12 straight All-Star appearances.
Shatterproof: Loud and Proud NCAA Records Never to Be Duplicated (#1)
July 12th, 2022 - 8:45
Nothing is more amazing in NCAA men's basketball history than UCLA's 88-game winning streak. The string ended at Notre Dame, 71-70, on January 19, 1974, when guard Dwight Clay's fall-away jump shot from the right baseline with 29 seconds remaining climaxed a 12-0 spurt in the last three minutes for the Irish.
Bruins All-American center Bill Walton, who had injured his back two weeks earlier, hadn't played in 12 days but still went 12 for 13 from the floor. UCLA coach John Wooden, believing his squad was more prepared, didn't like to call timeouts and five consecutive turnovers by his team let UND back into the game.
UCLA compiled a 149-2 record at Pauley Pavilion under Wooden, but its streak of Pacific-8 Conference victories ended at 50 when the Bruins bowed at Oregon State, 61-57. It was OSU's lone victory over UCLA in a 26-game stretch of their series from 1967 through 1979. The Bruins then succumbed at Oregon, 56-51, to give them back-to-back defeats for the first time since 1966. They seemed to be afflicted somewhat by the dreaded disease known as "senioritis" in coaching circles.
"When you have the same group for three years, they're a little more difficult to work with. They don't mean to be, but they are," Wooden said of the Walton Gang. "I can't find fault with my team, but I failed to motivate them. And I'm not talking about won-lost record. In many games we won, I didn't think we displayed intensity and didn't play up to our potential."
The last undefeated squad was Indiana in 1975-76. These days, it's almost inconceivable a men's basketball program could go 2 1/2 consecutive seasons without a loss. What are other untouchable team and individual standards of excellence that will be almost impossible to duplicate, let alone exceed? Records were made to be broken, but perhaps not always in our lifetime. UCLA dominates the most illustrious of the following assessment of the 10 records most likely never to be broken:
1. UCLA's 88-game winning streak (under coach John Wooden from January 30, 1971, to January 19, 1974).
UCLA sandwiched 88 consecutive victories between January defeats at Notre Dame (89-82 in 1971 and 71-70 in 1974). The streak began inauspiciously when five of the first eight triumphs were by fewer than five points. Then, the Bruins went ballistic and finished the streak with an average margin of victory of 23.4 points, including an NCAA single-season record of 30.3 in 1971-72.
They won 49 home games by 29.6 points per game, 25 road games by 23.4 ppg and 14 neutral contests by 13.6 ppg. Here is a further breakdown of UCLA's winning margins during the streak: 0-10 points - 17 games; 11-20 points - 25 games; 21-30 points - 20 games; 31-40 points - 17 games; 41-50 points - four games, and more than 50 points - five games.
Twelve different UCLA players led the Bruins in scoring during the following streak, including 45 times by All-American center Bill Walton. He joined Larry Farmer, Sidney Wicks and Keith Wilkes as the only players pacing UCLA in scoring on at least four occasions in any six-game span during the lengthy winning streak. Wilkes, not Walton, was their top point producer in last four triumphs during streak. Women's basketball doesn't boast anywhere close to the parity exhibited in the men's game. Following is a men's mark that never will be toppled in a transient era for players:
*Neutral court games.
2. Frank Selvy's 100-point game (for Furman vs. Newberry on Feb. 13, 1954).
3. UCLA's 38-game winning streak in NCAA Tournament (under coach John Wooden from 1964 to 1974).
10. Bill Chambers' 51 rebounds in a single game (for William & Mary vs. Virginia on Feb. 14, 1953.).
On This Date: Former College Hoopers Generating MLB Headlines on July 11
July 11th, 2022 - 7:21
Extra! Extra! Hideous Hunter "the amazing artist" Bidumb left a laptop behind, confused Ashley left a diary behind in "halfway house" after inappropriate shower with whispering Pedo Pete, babysitter "Dr." Jill left her first husband behind in brown Corvette to become cover girl/puppeteer/breakfast taco enthusiast and Plagiarist Brandon left America behind along with his pseudonym of KGB mole from Tom Clancy's Jack Ryan series. Instead of dwelling on this crap by "repeating the line," 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.
Former San Diego State hoopers Tony Clark (Yankees) and Tony Gwynn (Padres) each hit two homers in a MLB game on this date. Former MI small-college hoopers Jim Command (Ferris State) and Jim Northrup (Alma) went deep in a big way, too, on this date. Multiple ex-IL college hoopers - Hoot Evers (Illinois), Ernie Krueger (Lake Forest), Ray Rippelmeyer (SIU) and Evar Swanson (Knox) - also made MLB news on this date. Unless you habitually pore over the content at baseballlibrary.com, baseballreference.com and nationalpastime.com, following is a July 11 calendar focusing on such versatile MLB athletes:
JULY 11
1B Joe Adcock (Louisiana State's leading basketball scorer in 1945-46) provided two hits for the N.L. in the first 1960 All-Star Game. Two days later in the second All-Star Game, Adcock singled and scored when Milwaukee Braves teammate Eddie Mathews homered in the second inning for the N.L.'s first two runs en route to a 6-0 win against the A.L.
Chicago Cubs OF George Altman (hooper appeared in 1953 and 1954 NAIA Tournament with Tennessee State) slugged an eight-inning, pinch-hit homer for the N.L. in the first of two All-Star Games in 1961.
In the midst of a career-high 18-game hitting streak, Detroit Tigers 2B Frank Bolling (averaged 7.3 ppg in 1950-51 with Spring Hill AL) went 4-for-4 against the Boston Red Sox in a 1957 game.
Chicago White Sox 1B Zeke Bonura (best basketball forward for Loyola LA in late 1920s and early 1930s) belted two homers and drove in five runs in a 10-2 win against the Boston Red Sox in nightcap of 1935 doubleheader.
New York Yankees 1B Tony Clark (San Diego State's leading scorer in WAC games in 1991-92) cracked two homers for the second time in an eight-game span in 2004.
Philadelphia Phillies 3B Jim Command (Ferris State MI single-season scoring record holder at that time with 344 points in 1946-47) cracked a grand slam off the Brooklyn Dodgers' Carl Erskine in opener of a 1954 twinbill. Blast was his lone MLB homer.
Cleveland Indians OF Larry Doby (reserve guard for Virginia Union's 1943 CIAA hoops titlist) and New York OF Mickey Mantle each propelled blasts in the 500-foot range to the RF upper deck at Yankee Stadium in a 1953 contest.
Boston Red Sox 1B Walt Dropo (Connecticut's first hooper to average 20 points in single season with 21.7 ppg in 1942-43) smacked a triple off Brooklyn Dodgers P Don Newcombe in the 1950 All-Star Game.
In 1948, Detroit Tigers CF Hoot Evers (Illinois hoops starter in 1939-40) notched eight straight multiple-hit games with at least one RBI in each contest.
St. Louis Cardinals RHP Bob Gibson (Creighton's leading scorer and rebounder in 1955-56 and 1956-57) tossed two innings of scoreless relief for the N.L. in the 1967 All-Star Game.
San Diego Padres RF Tony Gwynn (All-WAC second-team selection with San Diego State in 1979-80 and 1980-81) socked two homers against the Colorado Rockies in a 1997 game.
Brooklyn Dodgers 1B Gil Hodges (hooper for St. Joseph's IN in 1943 and Oakland City IN in 1947 and 1948) homered twice against the Philadelphia Phillies in the opener of a 1954 twinbill.
New York Giants LF Monte Irvin (Lincoln PA hooper 1 1/2 years in late 1930s) went 4-for-4 against the Pittsburgh Pirates in the nightcap of a 1954 doubleheader.
Philadelphia Phillies RHP Jim Konstanty (Syracuse hooper in late 1930s) fanned two of the three batters he faced in putting the A.L. down 1-2-3 in the bottom of the sixth inning of the 1950 All-Star Game. Phillies teammate Robin Roberts (Michigan State's second-leading scorer in 1945-46 and 1946-47) was the starting pitcher for the N.L.
Chicago Cubs RHP Cal Koonce (hoops standout for Campbell in 1960 and 1961 when North Carolina-based school was junior college) hurled a six-hit shutout against the St. Louis Cardinals in the nightcap of a 1965 doubleheader.
Cincinnati Reds C Ernie Krueger (hoops captain for Lake Forest IL) contributed a career-high four hits against the Boston Braves in the opener of a 1925 twinbill.
OF Don Lock (Wichita State field-goal percentage leader in 1956-57 and 1957-58) traded by the New York Yankees to the Washington Senators for 1B Dale Long in 1962.
New York Giants RF Red Murray (played hoops for Lock Haven PA in early 1900s) went 5-for-5 with five RBI in a 1913 game against the Chicago Cubs.
Chicago Cubs RF Bill Nicholson (Washington College MD hoops guard for two years in mid-1930s) notched five RBI against the Boston Braves in the opener of a 1940 doubleheader.
Detroit Tigers RF Jim Northrup (second-leading scorer and third-leading rebounder for Alma MI in 1958-59) batted leadoff in 1973 when smacking two homers and driving in eight runs in a 14-2 triumph against the Texas Rangers.
Chicago White Sox LHP Gary Peters (Grove City PA hooper in mid-1950s) tossed three perfect innings of relief for the A.L., including fanning all-time N.L. standouts Willie Mays, Roberto Clemente, Orlando Cepeda and Dick Allen in a span of five batters, in 1967 All-Star Game.
RHP Ray Rippelmeyer (led Southern Illinois in scoring and rebounding as a sophomore in 1952-53 before transferring and becoming two-time All-MIAA first-team selection by pacing Southeast Missouri State in scoring in 1953-54 and 1954-55) returned by the Washington Senators to the Cincinnati Reds in 1962 (earlier rule 5 draft selection).
New York Yankees 3B Red Rolfe (played hoops briefly with Dartmouth in 1927-28 and 1929-30) registered three extra-base hits against the St. Louis Browns in a 1940 contest.
New York Giants RHP Hal Schumacher (St. Lawrence NY hooper in early 1930s) went hitless for the only contest in a 12-game starting span in mid-season of 1934.
Chicago White Sox RF Evar Swanson (played all five hoop positions for Knox IL) went 4-for-4 against the Washington Senators to extend his hitting streak to a career-high 16 in a row.
Boston Braves rookie C Luke Urban (player-coach for Boston College's hoops squad from 1918-19 through 1920-21) knotted the score with a pinch-hit, two-run single in the bottom of ninth inning before scoring winning tally two batters later in 6-5 nod over the Chicago Cubs in opener of 1927 twinbill.
Shatterproof: Loud and Proud NCAA Records Never to Be Duplicated (#2)
July 11th, 2022 - 7:10
What are the school and individual records that will never come close to being matched, let along exceeded? CollegeHoopedia.com has designated the ultimate team and individual standards of excellence. Records were made to be broken, but perhaps not always in our lifetime. Following is #2 in the countdown of most illustrious NCAA DI achievements:
2. Frank Selvy's 100-point major-college game (for Furman vs. Newberry on February 13, 1954).
Selvy scored 100 points vs. Newberry (S.C.) on his way to becoming the first three-year player to reach 2,000 points, finishing with 2,538. Selvy (41.7 ppg) and Furman teammate Darrell Floyd (24.3) combined for 66 points per game during the season and are the highest-scoring duo in major-college history. Selvy, a senior, scored 50 or more in seven games en route to becoming the first player to score 1,000 points in a single season (1,209) and average 30 or more for a career (32.5 ppg). Floyd succeeded his teammate as the nation's leading scorer with 35.9 ppg in 1954-55.
Making Selvy's 100-point outburst even more amazing was the fact his mother, watching her son play for the initial time, was among several hundred fans from his hometown of Corbin, Ky., who made the trip to Greenville, S.C., to watch the game. An early indication that something special was in the offing came less than three minutes into the game when Newberry's Bobby Bailey, who helped hold Selvy to a season-low 25 points two weeks earlier, fouled out.
Selvy's last three field goals in a 41-of-66 shooting performance from the floor came in game's closing 30 seconds and the crowning moment was his final basket. "It (the 100-point game) was something that was just meant to be," Selvy said. "My last basket was from past half-court just before the final buzzer."
He played every minute of every game during his senior season. Following is the box score for Selvy's 100-point outburst:
| FURMAN (149) | FG | FT-A | PTS. |
|---|---|---|---|
| A.D. Bennett | 0 | 1-1 | 1 |
| Darrell Floyd | 12 | 1-1 | 25 |
| Fred Fraley | 3 | 0-2 | 6 |
| Bob Poole | 0 | 0-0 | 0 |
| Bob Thomas | 5 | 1-1 | 11 |
| Al Kyber | 0 | 0-2 | 0 |
| Charles Ruth | 0 | 0-0 | 0 |
| Brock Gordon | 0 | 0-0 | 0 |
| Frank Selvy | 41-66 | 18-22 | 100 |
| Kenny Deardorff | 1 | 1-1 | 3 |
| Sylvester Wright | 0 | 0-0 | 0 |
| Harry Jones | 0 | 1-1 | 1 |
| Joe Gilreath | 1 | 0-0 | 2 |
| TOTALS | 63 | 23-31 | 149 |
| NEWBERRY (95) | FG | FT-A | PTS. |
|---|---|---|---|
| Boland | 0 | 0-0 | 0 |
| Warner | 2 | 0-4 | 4 |
| Leitner | 6 | 4-7 | 16 |
| Bailey | 0 | 1-2 | 1 |
| Blanko | 14 | 7-10 | 35 |
| Cone | 1 | 0-0 | 2 |
| Roth | 0 | 3-4 | 3 |
| McKlven | 1 | 0-0 | 2 |
| Davis | 13 | 6-7 | 32 |
| TOTALS | 37 | 21-34 | 95 |
Halftime: Furman 77-44.
3. UCLA's 38-game winning streak in NCAA Tournament (under coach John Wooden from 1964 to 1974).
10. Bill Chambers' 51 rebounds in a single game (for William & Mary vs. Virginia on Feb. 14, 1953.).
On This Date: Former College Hoopers Generating MLB Headlines on July 10
July 10th, 2022 - 10:22
Extra! Extra! Instead of shaking head in disgust over government priority manipulation as lame as Britney Spears' dad and UFOs while failing to deal with federal officer who shot unarmed Ashli Babbitt on J6 and Schmucky Schumer who tried to bully Supreme Court justices, 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.
Former Fordham hoopers Frankie Frisch and Babe Young and three Big Ten Conference hoopers - multiple-year All-Stars Frank Howard (Ohio State), Harvey Kuenn (Wisconsin) and Dave Winfield (Minnesota) - furnished significant MLB performances on this date. Another New York City-based college ex-hooper making MLB news on this date was Ralph Branca (NYU). Unless you habitually pore over the content at baseballlibrary.com, baseballreference.com and nationalpastime.com, following is a July 10 calendar focusing on such versatile MLB athletes:
JULY 10
Chicago White Sox 2B Jerry Adair (one of Oklahoma State's top three basketball scorers in 1956-57 and 1957-58 while ranking among nation's top 12 free-throw shooters each season) stroked four hits against the Boston Red Sox in the nightcap of a 1966 doubleheader.
Philadelphia Phillies LF Harry Anderson (averaged 7.7 ppg and 8.9 rpg for West Chester PA in 1951-52) knocked in five runs against the St. Louis Cardinals in a 1958 game.
RHP Ralph Branca (sixth-leading scorer for NYU in 1943-44), hampered by an off-season pelvic injury, awarded on waivers from the Brooklyn Dodgers to the Detroit Tigers in 1953.
Atlanta Braves 3B Darrell Evans (member of Jerry Tarkanian-coached Pasadena City CA club winning 1967 state community college hoops crown) homered twice in a 4-2 win against the Philadelphia Phillies in 1973.
St. Louis Cardinals 2B Frankie Frisch (Fordham hoops captain) scored three runs, one on a homer off Lefty Gomez, in the 1934 All-Star Game.
Pittsburgh Pirates 2B Lee Handley (Bradley hoops letterman from 1932-33 through 1934-35) had a 17-game hitting streak snapped by the Chicago Cubs in 1937.
In 1963, Philadelphia Phillies OF-1B Mickey Harrington (leading scorer and rebounder for Southern Mississippi as senior in 1954-55) made his lone MLB appearance as a pinch-runner (for Roy Sievers against San Francisco Giants).
RHP Jim Hearn (Georgia Tech hoops letterman in 1941-42) awarded on waivers from the St. Louis Cardinals to the New York Giants in 1950. Hearn went on to lead the N.L. that season in shutouts (five) and ERA (2.49).
Brooklyn Dodgers 1B Gil Hodges (hooper for St. Joseph's IN in 1943 and Oakland City IN in 1947 and 1948) hammered a two-run homer in 1951 All-Star Game.
Los Angeles Dodgers rookie RF Frank Howard (two-time All-Big Ten Conference first-team selection when leading Ohio State in scoring and rebounding in 1956-57 and 1957-58) furnished five RBI against the St. Louis Cardinals in a 1960 contest.
Detroit Tigers RF Harvey Kuenn (played hoops briefly for Wisconsin in 1951-52 after competing on JV squad previous season) had his career-high 22-game hitting streak snapped by the Kansas City Athletics in 1959.
Cleveland Indians CF Kenny Lofton (Arizona's leader in steals for 1988 Final Four team compiling a 35-3 record) logged four hits and four RBI against the Minnesota Twins in a 1994 game.
OF Jim Lyttle (led Florida State in free-throw shooting in 1965-66 when he averaged 12.4 ppg) purchased from the Kansas City Royals by the Montreal Expos in 1973.
New York Giants RHP Christy Mathewson (Bucknell hooper at turn of 20th Century) extended his streak of consecutive innings without a free pass to 52 but had his nine-game winning streak end with a 3-2 setback against the Chicago Cubs in 1913.
In 1970, Cincinnati Reds SS Woody Woodward went yard off Atlanta Braves RHP Ron Reed (Notre Dame's leading rebounder in 1963-64 and 1964-65) for Woodward's only homer in a nine-year N.L. career (684 of 880 games/1,672 of 2,187 at-bats). They were teammates with the Braves during Reed's first three MLB seasons.
New York Giants RHP Hal Schumacher (St. Lawrence NY hooper in early 1930s), supported by three hits from OF Hank Leiber (played basketball for Arizona in 1931), notched his 11th straight complete-game victory with a 10-3 verdict over the Pittsburgh Pirates in 1935. Three years later, Leiber launched two homers against the Boston Braves in a 1938 contest.
Champ Summers (led SIUE in scoring in 1969-70 after doing likewise for Nicholls State in 1964-65) cracked a game-tying, pinch two-run homer for the Detroit Tigers in bottom of ninth inning against the Minnesota Twins in 1979.
New York Yankees LHP Matt Thornton (averaged 5.8 ppg and 2.4 rpg from 1995-96 through 1997-98 with Grand Valley State MI) had his streak of 19 straight relief appearances without yielding an earned run come to a halt against the Cleveland Indians in 2014.
San Diego Padres RF Dave Winfield (starting forward for Minnesota's first NCAA playoff team in 1972) homered twice against the New York Mets in a 1974 game. Three years later, Winfield whacked a pair of round-trippers in a 5-4 triumph against the Los Angles Dodgers in the nightcap of a 1977 doubleheader.
Cincinnati Reds 1B Babe Young (Fordham hoops letterman in 1935-36) homered in both ends of a 1947 twinbill for the second time in less than week.
San Diego Padres RHP Chris Young (All-Ivy League first-team selection for Princeton in 1999-00) incurred the loss for the N.L. in the 2007 All-Star Game. Young yielded the first inside-the-park homer in All-Star Game history (Ichiro Suzuki in fifth inning).
Shatterproof: Loud and Proud NCAA Records Never to Be Duplicated (#3)
July 10th, 2022 - 10:18
What are the school and individual records that will never come close to being matched, let along exceeded? In ensuing blogs, CollegeHoopedia.com will designate the ultimate team and individual standards of excellence. Records were made to be broken, but perhaps not always in our lifetime. Following is #3 in the countdown of most illustrious NCAA achievements:
3. UCLA's 38-game winning streak in NCAA Tournament (under coach John Wooden from 1964 to 1974).
UCLA's first three outings in this streak were decided by fewer than seven points but the Bruins only had four more decisions in that category in their next 35 playoff assignments. Long Beach State (three), New Mexico State (three) and San Francisco (four) each succumbed at least three times against the Bruins during their streak. USF (eight in 1964) and LBSU (four in 1971) were the only two teams to lead them at halftime during the 38 triumphs. Following is a look at UCLA's NCAA Tournament hit list during the Bruins' wonder years when they won nine national championships from 1964 through 1973 before losing to North Carolina State (80-77 in double overtime) at the 1974 Final Four:
*NCAA Tournament title games.
**Triple overtime.
10. Bill Chambers' 51 rebounds in a single game (for William & Mary vs. Virginia on Feb. 14, 1953.).
On This Date: Former College Hoopers Generating MLB Headlines on July 9
July 9th, 2022 - 9:07
Extra! Extra! Instead of mocking #MessMedia miscreants on CNN ("Most Distrusted Name in News"), MSNBC ("Hosts Paying Their Taxes Matters") and "The View" vixens who promoted convicted criminal creepy porn lawyer #Avenaughty as presidential timber, 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.
Several former small-college hoopers from Pennsylvania - Clyde Barnhart (Shippensburg predecessor Cumberland Valley State), Charlie Gelbert (Lebanon Valley) and Monte Irvin (Lincoln) - made MLB news on this date. Ditto ex-Illinois hoopers Lou Boudreau and Tom Haller, ex-North Carolina State hoopers Roger Craig and Tim Stoddard plus ex-Washington State hoopers Ed Bouchee and Gene Conley. Unless you habitually pore over the content at baseballlibrary.com, baseballreference.com and nationalpastime.com, following is a July 9 calendar focusing on such versatile MLB athletes:
JULY 9
Detroit Tigers RHP Elden Auker (All-Big Six Conference first-five basketball selection with Kansas State in 1931-32) tossed a four-hit shutout against the Chicago White Sox. The whitewash was one of four complete-game wins for Auker during the month in 1938.
Pittsburgh Pirates LF Clyde Barnhart (hooper for Shippensburg PA predecessor Cumberland Valley State Normal School prior to World War I) banged out four hits in a 12-3 win against the New York Giants in opener of 1925 doubleheader.
Chicago Cubs 1B Ed Bouchee (freshman hooper for Washington State in 1951-52) homered in both ends of a 1961 twinbill sweep of the Philadelphia Phillies.
Cleveland Indians SS Lou Boudreau (leading scorer for Illinois' 1937 Big Ten Conference co-champion) went 2-for-2 in the 1941 All-Star Game.
Philadelphia Phillies RHP Gene Conley (All-PCC first-team selection led North Division in scoring in 1949-50 as Washington State sophomore) hurled his second shutout in a nine-day span in 1959.
California Angels OF Billy Cowan (co-captain of Utah's 1960 NCAA hoops playoff team) tied a MLB record in 1971 by fanning six times against the Oakland A's in longest shutout in A.L. history (1-0 in 20 innings).
Brooklyn Dodgers RHP Roger Craig (forward with North Carolina State's 1949-50 freshman hoops team) relieved in the third inning and hurled 11 scoreless frames en route to a 4-3 win against the Milwaukee Braves in 1959.
Philadelphia Athletics RF Walt French (hoops letterman for Rutgers and Army) furnished four hits against the Chicago White Sox in 1926.
INF Charlie Gelbert (scored at least 125 points each of his last three seasons with Lebanon Valley PA in late 1920s) awarded on waivers from the Cincinnati Reds to Detroit Tigers in 1937.
SS Dick Groat (two-time All-American with Duke in 1950-51 and 1951-52 when finishing among nation's top five scorers each season) was part of the St. Louis Cardinals' entire N.L. starting infield in the 1963 All-Star Game, including 1B Bill White (played two years with Hiram OH in early 1950s), 2B Julian Javier and 3B Ken Boyer.
Detroit Tigers C Tom Haller (backup forward for Illinois in 1956-57 and 1957-58 under coach Harry Combes) provided a double, triple and decisive ninth-inning homer against the Chicago White Sox in a 1972 outing.
RHP Geoff Hartlieb (averaged 1.8 ppg and 1.1 rpg for Quincy IL in 2012-13 before transferring to Lindenwood MO to concentrate on baseball) awarded off waivers from the Pittsburgh Pirates to New York Mets in 2021.
New York Giants RHP Jim Hearn (Georgia Tech hoops letterman in 1941-42) hammered two homers at the Polo Grounds in a 10-2 victory against the Brooklyn Dodgers in 1955.
Washington Senators LF Frank Howard (two-time All-Big Ten Conference first-team selection when leading Ohio State in scoring and rebounding in 1956-57 and 1957-58) tied a MLB record with seven strikeouts in a doubleheader split with the Boston Red Sox in 1965. Two years later, Howard hammered two homers against the Cleveland Indians in opener of a 1967 twinbill.
New York Giants LF Monte Irvin (Lincoln PA hooper 1 1/2 years in late 1930s) homered in his fourth consecutive contest in 1954.
Philadelphia Phillies 1B Davey Johnson (averaged 1.7 ppg with Texas A&M in 1961-62) delivered three extra-base hits and five RBI against the Pittsburgh Pirates in a 1977 game.
New York Yankees RF Charlie Keller (Maryland three-year hoops letterman from 1934-35 through 1936-37) opened the scoring with a two-run homer off Chicago Cubs RHP Claude Passeau (Millsaps MS hooper in late 1920s and early 1930s) in the first inning as the A.L. blitzed the N.L., 12-0, in the 1946 All-Star Game.
Cleveland Indians CF Kenny Lofton (Arizona's leader in steals for 1988 Final Four team compiling a 35-3 record) contributed two hits and two stolen bases for the A.L. in 1996 All-Star Game.
Chicago White Sox RHP Ted Lyons (two-time All-SWC first-team selection for Baylor in early 1920s) blanked the Philadelphia Athletics, 7-0, in the opener of a 1932 twinbill, snapping Hall of Famer Lefty Grove's 11-game winning streak.
OF-1B Len Matuszek (starter for Toledo's 18-7 team in 1975-76) traded by the Toronto Blue Jays to the Los Angeles Dodgers for OF Al Oliver in 1985.
In the midst of a 22-game hitting streak in 1953, Chicago White Sox RF Sam Mele (NYU's leading scorer in 1943 NCAA playoffs) homered in each contest of a three-game series against the Detroit Tigers.
OF Lyle Mouton (starter in Louisiana State's backcourt with All-American Chris Jackson for 1989 NCAA playoff team) traded by the Philadelphia Phillies to Cleveland Indians in 2003.
Cleveland Indians 3B Graig Nettles (shot 87.8% from free-throw line for San Diego State in 1963-64) homered in both ends of a 1972 doubleheader against the Kansas City Royals.
Philadelphia Athletics LHP Ossie Orwoll (Luther IA hooper first half of 1920s) earned a save with 3 2/3 innings of hitless relief against the Cleveland Indians in 1928. Orwoll also went 3-for-3 at the plate including a three-run double.
Atlanta Braves RHP Ron Reed (Notre Dame's leading rebounder in 1963-64 and 1964-65) got the first two outs in the ninth inning, including whiffing Baltimore Orioles 2B Davey Johnson (averaged 1.7 ppg with Texas A&M in 1961-62), to help the N.L. blank A.L., 1-0, in 1968 All-Star Game.
New York Yankees rookie RHP Steve Roser (Clarkson NY hoops center in late 1930s before bypassing senior season) registered the lone complete game of his MLB career (8-2 win against Detroit Tigers in nightcap of 1944 doubleheader).
New York Yankees rookie RHP Rollie Sheldon (third-leading scorer as sophomore for Connecticut's 1960 NCAA Tournament team) tossed the second of back-to-back shutouts in 1961.
RHP Tim Stoddard (starting forward opposite All-American David Thompson for North Carolina State's 1974 NCAA champion) traded by the San Diego Padres to the New York Yankees for P Ed Whitson in 1986.
Detroit Tigers C Birdie Tebbetts (Providence hooper in 1932) banged out three hits in both ends of a 1939 twinbill against the Chicago White Sox.
Washington Senators rookie RHP Monte Weaver (hoops center for Emory & Henry VA in mid-1930s) went 4-for-5 at the plate as lefthanded swinger, scored three runs and chipped in with five RBI in nightcap of 1932 doubleheader against the Cleveland Indians.
Minnesota Twins RF Dave Winfield (starting forward for Minnesota's first NCAA playoff team in 1972) went 4-for-4 against the Milwaukee Brewers in 1993 in the midst of homering in back-to-back games three times during the month.
Tampa Bay Devil Rays RF Randy Winn (Santa Clara backcourtmate of eventual two-time NBA Most Valuable Player Steve Nash in 1993-94) stroked a double for the A.L. off Los Angeles Dodgers P Eric Gagne in 2002 All-Star Game.
Shatterproof: Loud and Proud NCAA Records Never to Be Duplicated (#4)
July 9th, 2022 - 9:00
What are the school and individual records that will never come close to being matched, let along exceeded? In ensuing blogs, CollegeHoopedia.com will designate the ultimate team and individual standards of excellence. Records were made to be broken, but perhaps not always in our lifetime. Following is #4 in the countdown of most illustrious NCAA achievements:
4. Pete Maravich's career scoring average of 44.2 points per game with a total of 28 contests scoring at least 50 points (for Louisiana State from 1967-68 through 1969-70).
"Pistol Pete" set NCAA single-season records for most points (1,381) and highest average (44.5), finishing his career with NCAA career marks for most points (3,667) and highest average (44.2). He also established an NCAA record for most successful free throws in a game when he converted 30 of 31 foul shots at Oregon State. Maravich, who broke Oscar Robertson's NCAA career scoring mark with 13 regular-season games remaining, is the only player in NCAA Division I history to score more than 1,000 points and average over 40 points per game in each of three seasons.
Maravich's statistics would have been even more staggering if there had been a three-point basket at the time. He had 56 games with at least 40 points in his three-year career, including a school- and SEC-record 69 in a 106-104 post-game brawl-marred defeat at Alabama when he was hampered by leg ailments. No other player has had more than 21 games with a minimum of 40. He averaged more than 50 points per game in a 10-game stretch spanning the last three games of 1968-69 and the first seven games of 1969-70. Incredibly, Maravich improved his field-goal accuracy and assists average each year. Combining scoring and assists, Maravich was responsible for a whopping 59.4% of LSU's offense during his career.
Maravich never scored fewer than 30 points in back-to-back games and tallied under 20 just once (17 at Tennessee as a sophomore) in his three varsity seasons. The son of LSU coach Press Maravich was outscored in just one regular-season game by a teammate (22-17 by forward Ralph Jukkola) before Danny Hester outpointed him in two of their three NIT outings together.
Maravich tallied more than 50 points in four outings against both SEC power Kentucky and intrastate independent rival Tulane. The Tigers lost all six times to Kentucky by double-digit margins despite his firepower. Here is a breakdown of how he amassed a 44.1-point career scoring average and modest 28-26 record in 54 games against SEC competition:
| SEC Opponent | Average | High | Low | W-L |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Alabama | 48.8 ppg | 69 | 30 | 4-2 |
| Auburn | 49 ppg | 55 | 44 | 3-3 |
| Florida | 44 ppg | 52 | 32 | 4-2 |
| Georgia | 46 ppg | 58 | 37 | 5-1 |
| Kentucky | 52 ppg | 64 | 44 | 0-6 |
| Mississippi | 42.3 ppg | 53 | 31 | 3-3 |
| Mississippi State | 47.3 ppg | 58 | 33 | 6-0 |
| Tennessee | 23 ppg | 30 | 17 | 1-5 |
| Vanderbilt | 44.7 ppg | 61 | 35 | 2-4 |
NOTE: LSU guard Chris Jackson is the only player to compile single-game scoring outbursts higher than Maravich in SEC competition against Mississippi (55 points), Florida (53) and Tennessee (50).
Best estimates are that Maravich would have averaged eight three-point goals per game if the arc had been around during his college playing days, which would have increased his scoring average to in excess of 50 ppg. Following is a game-by-game summary of Pistol Pete's career showing how his prolific scoring produced so many records prior to missing his final outing because of ankle and hip injuries:
Sophomore (1967-68)/Record: 14-12; 8-10 in SEC
| Date | Opponent | FG-A | FT-A | REB | PTS | LSU-OPP |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 12-2-67 | Tampa | 20-50 | 8-9 | 16 | 48 | 97-81 |
| 12-4-67 | at Texas | 15-34 | 12-16 | 5 | 42 | 87-74 |
| 12-9-67 | Loyola (New Orleans) | 22-43 | 7-11 | 9 | 51 | 90-56 |
| 12-15-67 | at Wisconsin* | 16-40 | 10-13 | 9 | 42 | 94-96 |
| 12-16-67 | Florida State* | 17-41 | 8-10 | 5 | 42 | 100-130 |
| 12-19-67 | Mississippi | 17-34 | 12-13 | 11 | 46 | 81-68 |
| 12-22-67 | Mississippi State | 22-40 | 14-16 | 8 | 58 | 111-87 |
| 12-30-67 | Alabama | 10-30 | 10-11 | 6 | 30 | 81-70 |
| 1-3-68 | Auburn | 20-38 | 15-17 | 9 | 55 | 76-72 |
| 1-6-68 | at Florida | 9-22 | 14-17 | 10 | 32 | 90-97 |
| 1-8-68 | at Georgia | 14-37 | 14-17 | 11 | 42 | 79-76 |
| 1-11-68 | at Tulane | 20-42 | 12-15 | 5 | 52 | 100-91 |
| 1-24-68 | Clemson | 14-29 | 5-6 | 6 | 33 | 104-81 |
| 1-27-68 | Kentucky | 19-51 | 14-17 | 11 | 52 | 95-121 |
| 1-29-68 | Vanderbilt | 22-57 | 10-15 | 6 | 54 | 91-99 |
| 2-3-68 | at Kentucky | 16-38 | 12-15 | 8 | 44 | 96-109 |
| 2-5-68 | Tennessee | 9-34 | 3-3 | 6 | 21 | 67-87 |
| 2-7-68 | at Auburn | 18-47 | 13-13 | 6 | 49 | 69-74 |
| 2-10-68 | Florida (OT) | 17-48 | 13-15 | 7 | 47 | 93-92 |
| 2-12-68 | Georgia | 20-47 | 11-18 | 4 | 51 | 73-78 |
| 2-17-68 | at Alabama | 24-52 | 11-13 | 12 | 59 | 99-89 |
| 2-19-68 | at Mississippi State | 13-38 | 8-12 | 7 | 34 | 94-83 |
| 2-21-68 | Tulane | 21-47 | 13-15 | 5 | 55 | 99-92 |
| 2-24-68 | at Mississippi | 13-26 | 14-16 | 4 | 40 | 85-87 |
| 3-2-68 | at Tennessee | 7-18 | 3-4 | 3 | 17 | 71-74 |
| 3-4-68 | at Vanderbilt | 17-39 | 8-11 | 6 | 42 | 86-115 |
*Milwaukee Classic.
Junior (1968-69)/Record: 13-13; 7-11 in SEC
| Date | Opponent | FG-A | FT-A | REB | PTS | LSU-OPP |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 12-2-68 | at Loyola (New Orleans) | 22-34 | 8-9 | 7 | 52 | 109-82 |
| 12-7-68 | at Clemson | 10-32 | 18-22 | 4 | 38 | 86-85 |
| 12-14-68 | Tulane (2OT) | 20-48 | 15-20 | 7 | 55 | 99-101 |
| 12-18-68 | Florida (OT) | 17-32 | 11-15 | 8 | 45 | 93-89 |
| 12-21-68 | Georgia | 18-33 | 11-16 | 10 | 47 | 98-89 |
| 12-26-68 | Wyoming** | 14-34 | 17-24 | 6 | 45 | 84-78 |
| 12-28-68 | at Oklahoma City** | 19-36 | 2-5 | 8 | 40 | 101-85 |
| 12-30-68 | Duquesne** | 18-36 | 17-21 | 2 | 53 | 94-91 |
| 1-4-69 | at Alabama | 19-49 | 4-4 | 10 | 42 | 82-85 |
| 1-9-69 | at Vanderbilt | 15-30 | 8-13 | 4 | 38 | 92-94 |
| 1-11-69 | at Auburn | 16-41 | 14-18 | 5 | 46 | 71-90 |
| 1-25-69 | Kentucky | 20-48 | 12-14 | 11 | 52 | 96-108 |
| 1-27-69 | Tennessee | 8-18 | 5-8 | 4 | 21 | 68-81 |
| 1-31-69 | Pittsburgh | 13-34 | 14-18 | 8 | 40 | 120-79 |
| 2-1-69 | Mississippi (OT) | 11-33 | 9-13 | 11 | 31 | 81-84 |
| 2-3-69 | Mississippi State | 14-32 | 5-6 | 11 | 33 | 95-71 |
| 2-8-69 | Alabama | 15-30 | 8-12 | 5 | 38 | 81-75 |
| 2-10-69 | at Tulane | 25-51 | 16-20 | 10 | 66 | 94-110 |
| 2-12-69 | at Florida | 14-41 | 22-27 | 6 | 50 | 79-95 |
| 2-15-69 | Auburn | 20-44 | 14-15 | 3 | 54 | 93-81 |
| 2-17-69 | Vanderbilt | 14-33 | 7-8 | 8 | 35 | 83-85 |
| 2-22-69 | at Kentucky | 21-53 | 3-7 | 5 | 45 | 89-103 |
| 2-24-69 | at Tennessee | 8-18 | 4-8 | 3 | 20 | 63-87 |
| 3-1-69 | at Mississippi | 21-39 | 7-11 | 3 | 49 | 76-78 |
| 3-3-69 | at Mississippi State | 20-49 | 15-19 | 4 | 55 | 99-89 |
| 3-8-69 | at Georgia (2OT) | 21-48 | 16-25 | 6 | 58 | 90-80 |
**All-College Tournament at Oklahoma City.
Senior (1969-70)/Record: 22-10; 13-5 in SEC
| Date | Opponent | FG-A | FT-A | REB | PTS | LSU-OPP |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 12-4-69 | Oregon State | 14-32 | 15-19 | 5 | 43 | 94-72 |
| 12-9-69 | Loyola (New Orleans) | 17-36 | 9-10 | 6 | 43 | 100-87 |
| 12-11-69 | Vanderbilt | 26-54 | 9-10 | 10 | 61 | 109-86 |
| 12-13-69 | at Tulane | 17-42 | 12-19 | 4 | 46 | 97-91 |
| 12-18-69 | Southern California | 18-43 | 14-16 | 6 | 50 | 98-101 |
| 12-20-69 | at Clemson | 22-30 | 5-8 | 6 | 49 | 111-103 |
| 12-22-69 | at Oregon State | 9-23 | 30-31 | 1 | 48 | 76-68 |
| 12-23-69 | at UCLA | 14-42 | 10-12 | 4 | 38 | 84-133 |
| 12-29-69 | St. John's*** | 20-44 | 13-16 | 8 | 53 | 80-70 |
| 12-30-69 | Yale*** | 13-28 | 8-11 | 5 | 34 | 94-97 |
| 1-3-70 | Alabama | 22-42 | 11-18 | 7 | 55 | 90-83 |
| 1-10-70 | Auburn | 18-46 | 8-11 | 6 | 44 | 70-79 |
| 1-24-70 | at Kentucky | 21-44 | 13-15 | 5 | 55 | 96-109 |
| 1-26-70 | Tennessee | 12-23 | 5-7 | 4 | 29 | 71-59 |
| 1-31-70 | Mississippi | 21-46 | 11-15 | 5 | 53 | 109-86 |
| 2-2-70 | Mississippi State | 21-40 | 7-9 | 3 | 49 | 109-91 |
| 2-4-70 | at Florida | 20-38 | 12-16 | 9 | 52 | 97-75 |
| 2-7-70 | at Alabama | 26-57 | 17-21 | 5 | 69 | 104-106 |
| 2-9-70 | Tulane | 18-45 | 13-15 | 4 | 49 | 127-114 |
| 2-11-70 | Florida | 16-35 | 6-10 | 3 | 38 | 94-85 |
| 2-14-70 | at Vanderbilt | 14-46 | 10-13 | 5 | 38 | 99-89 |
| 2-16-70 | at Auburn | 18-46 | 10-15 | 8 | 46 | 70-64 |
| 2-18-70 | Georgia | 17-34 | 3-6 | 2 | 37 | 88-86 |
| 2-21-70 | Kentucky | 23-42 | 18-22 | 4 | 64 | 105-121 |
| 2-23-70 | at Tennessee | 10-24 | 10-13 | 7 | 30 | 87-88 |
| 2-28-70 | at Mississippi | 13-43 | 9-14 | 9 | 35 | 103-90 |
| 3-2-70 | at Mississippi State | 22-44 | 11-13 | 5 | 55 | 97-87 |
| 3-7-70 | at Georgia | 16-37 | 9-10 | 3 | 41 | 99-88 |
| 3-15-70 | Georgetown (NIT) | 6-16 | 8-12 | 6 | 20 | 83-80 |
| 3-17-70 | Oklahoma (NIT) | 14-33 | 9-13 | 8 | 37 | 97-94 |
| 3-19-70 | Marquette (NIT) | 4-13 | 12-16 | 1 | 20 | 79-101 |
| 3-21-70 | Army (NIT) | DNP | 68-75 |
***Rainbow Classic at Honolulu.
Career Scoring Site-of-Game Breakdown
| Location (Record) | G. | Pts. | Avg. |
|---|---|---|---|
| Home (25-12) | 37 | 1667 | 45.1 |
| Neutral (5-3) | 8 | 304 | 38.0 |
| Road (19-19) | 38 | 1696 | 44.6 |
Marks of Ownership
Three different Rhode Island State players in a six-year span set the major-college single-season scoring average record in the late 1930s and early 1940s. Maravich's record of 44.5 ppg in 1969-70 might never be eclipsed. Following is a look at how long players have held the NCAA Division I single-season scoring average standard (through 2017-18):
| Player | School | Years | Record (Season) |
|---|---|---|---|
| Hank Luisetti | Stanford | one | 17.1 ppg (1936-37) |
| Chet Jaworski | Rhode Island State | one | 22.6 ppg (1938-39) |
| Stan Modzelewski | Rhode Island State | three | 23.1 ppg (1939-40) |
| George Senesky | St. Joseph's | one | 23.4 ppg (1942-43) |
| Ernie Calverley | Rhode Island State | seven | 26.7 ppg (1943-44) |
| Bill Mlkvy | Temple | two | 29.2 ppg (1950-51) |
| Frank Selvy | Furman | 15 | 41.7 ppg (1953-54) |
| Pete Maravich | Louisiana State | 50 | 44.5 ppg (1969-70) |
10. Bill Chambers' 51 rebounds in a single game (for William & Mary vs. Virginia on Feb. 14, 1953.).
On This Date: Former College Hoopers Generating MLB Headlines on July 8
July 8th, 2022 - 9:04
Extra! Extra! Instead of cursing corporation cowards funneling funds to BLM Marxist Mansion Mommas paying nearly $4 million to board secretary and leader's family plus at least $12 million on luxury properties in LA/Toronto, 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 couple of small-college hoopers from Missouri (Bill Virdon of Drury and Chuck Workman of Central Missouri State), New York (Jack Phillips of Clarkson and Hal Schumacher of St. Lawrence) plus Pennsylvania (Kevin Gryboski of Wilkes and Monte Irvin of Lincoln) supplied significant MLB performances on this date. Ex-Louisiana State hoopers Joe Adcock and Alvin Dark also made MLB news on this date. Unless you habitually pore over the content at baseballlibrary.com, baseballreference.com and nationalpastime.com, following is a July 8 calendar focusing on such versatile MLB athletes:
JULY 8
Milwaukee Braves 1B Joe Adcock (Louisiana State's leading basketball scorer in 1945-46) whacked two homers against the Chicago Cubs in 1956, igniting streak of five straight outings with a round-tripper.
St. Louis Cardinals C Ferrell Anderson (Kansas hoops letterman in 1936-37 and 1937-38) amassed three hits in a 7-3 win against the Cincinnati Reds in 1953.
Chicago Cubs CF Frankie Baumholtz (MVP in 1941 NIT and first player in Ohio University history to score 1,000 career points) banged out four hits against the Milwaukee Braves in a 1953 game.
Seattle Mariners RHP Jim Beattie (Dartmouth's top rebounder in 1974-75 when selected team MVP and honorable mention All-Ivy League) hurled a four-hit shutout against the Baltimore Orioles in 1983.
Cleveland Indians SS Lou Boudreau (leading scorer for Illinois' 1937 Big Ten Conference co-champion) smacked two homers against the Boston Red Sox in a 1944 contest.
Kansas City Athletics LF Bob Cerv (ranked fourth on Nebraska all-time scoring list in 1949-50 when finishing college career) singled off Hall of Famer Warren Spahn in the opening inning for the A.L. in a 4-3 win against the N.L. in the 1958 All-Star Game. Four years later with the Houston Colt .45s, Cerv smacked the final two homers of his 12-year MLB career (against Cincinnati Reds in 1962).
Jack Coombs (captain and starting hoops center for Colby ME) resigned as manager of the last-place Philadelphia Phillies in 1919.
Boston Braves SS Alvin Dark (hoops letterman for Louisiana State and Southwestern Louisiana during World War II) carried off the field on a stretcher after being knocked unconscious by thrown ball in 1949.
Detroit Tigers DH Darrell Evans (member of Jerry Tarkanian-coached Pasadena City CA club winning 1967 state community college hoops crown) homered twice in a 1987 game against the Oakland Athletics.
St. Louis Cardinals 2B Frankie Frisch (Fordham hoops captain) furnished three hits in both ends of a 1934 twinbill split against the Cincinnati Reds.
California Angels RHP Dave Frost (averaged 10.5 ppg and 4 rpg for Stanford from 1971-72 through 1973-74) fired a five-hit shutout against the Seattle Mariners in 1978.
Atlanta Braves RHP Kevin Gryboski (backup hooper for Wilkes PA in 1991-92 and 1992-93) contributed his 11th consecutive relief appearance without allowing an earned run, reducing his ERA to 1.47 through 27 games in 2005.
OF Monte Irvin (Lincoln PA hooper 1 1/2 years in late 1930s) stroked a three-run double in the first inning and grand slam in the 11th to carry the New York Giants to a 10-7 triumph over the Pittsburgh Pirates in 1953. Starting RHP Jim Hearn (Georgia Tech hoops letterman in 1941-42) failed in a bid to win his 13th straight against the Bucs.
Detroit Tigers SS Harvey Kuenn (played hoops briefly for Wisconsin in 1951-52 after competing on JV squad previous season) contributed four hits against the Chicago White Sox in the nightcap of a 1956 doubleheader.
Boston Red Sox 1B Tony Lupien (Harvard hoops captain in 1938-39) went 4-for-4 against the St. Louis Browns in a 1943 contest.
Los Angeles Dodgers LF Wally Moon (averaged 4.3 ppg with Texas A&M in 1948-49 and 1949-50) went 4-for-4 against the Cincinnati Reds in a 1961 game.
1B Cotton Nash (three-time All-American averaged 22.7 ppg and 12.3 rpg in Kentucky career from 1961-62 through 1963-64) returned by the Pittsburgh Pirates to the Chicago White Sox after trade three months earlier was voided.
Chicago Cubs RHP Claude Passeau (Millsaps MS hooper in late 1920s and early 1930s) yielded a three-run homer to Hall of Fame Boston Red Sox OF Ted Williams as the A.L. notched a dramatic 7-5 victory in the 1941 All-Star Game.
1B Jack Phillips (leading hoops scorer for Clarkson NY in 1942-43) pounded a pinch-hit grand-slam homer in the bottom of the ninth inning to propel the Pittsburgh Pirates to a 7-6 triumph against the St. Louis Cardinals in 1950.
Cincinnati Reds LHP Eppa Rixey (Virginia hoops letterman in 1912 and 1914) won the 16-inning nightcap of a 1924 twinbill, 2-1, at Cincinnati. It triggered a streak of 31 straight scoreless innings for Rixey.
Brooklyn Dodgers 2B Jackie Robinson (highest scoring average in PCC both of his seasons with UCLA in 1939-40 and 1940-41) ripped a homer for the N.L. in the 1952 All-Star Game.
Seattle Pilots LHP Garry Roggenburk (Dayton's leading scorer three straight seasons from 1959-60 through 1961-62 grabbed school-record 32 rebounds in third varsity contest) hurled his lone MLB complete game (3-1 win against California Angels in 1969).
New York Giants RHP Hal Schumacher (St. Lawrence NY hooper in early 1930s) fanned five A.L. batters, including all-time standouts Jimmie Foxx, Joe Cronin and Al Simmons, in four innings of relief for the N.L. in the 1935 All-Star Game.
Pittsburgh Pirates CF Bill Virdon (Drury MO hooper in 1949) provided five extra-base hits in a 1960 twinbill against the Philadelphia Phillies.
New York Giants C Wes Westrum (hooper for Bemidji State MN one season before serving in military during WWII) and teammate Daryl Spencer twice smacked back-to-back homers in an 11-1 victory against the Pittsburgh Pirates in a 1956 game.
Boston Braves 3B Chuck Workman (first-five hoops selection for Central Missouri State on All-MIAA team as sophomore and junior in mid-1930s) cracked a homer in both ends of 1945 doubleheader split against the Pittsburgh Pirates.
Shatterproof: Loud and Proud NCAA Records Never to Be Duplicated (#5)
July 8th, 2022 - 8:56
What are the school and individual records that will never come close to being matched, let along exceeded? In ensuing blogs, CollegeHoopedia.com will designate the ultimate team and individual standards of excellence. Records were made to be broken, but perhaps not always in our lifetime. Following is #5 in the countdown of most illustrious NCAA achievements:
5. Bill Walton's NCAA Tournament championship game field-goal accuracy of 95.5% (21 of 22 for UCLA vs. Memphis State in 1973).
Walton, aided by Greg Lee's tourney-high 14 assists, erupted for a championship game-record 44 points in an 87-66 triumph over Memphis State in the 1973 NCAA Tournament final at St. Louis. Walton's 21 baskets were two more by himself than what Connecticut managed en route to winning the 2011 NCAA final against Butler. Walton had been outscored by fellow center Steve Downing, 26-14, in UCLA's 70-59 victory against Indiana in the national semifinals. Following is box score of the game:
| UCLA (87) | Min. | FG-A | FT-A | Reb. | A. | PF | Pts. |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Keith Wilkes | 39 | 8-14 | 0-0 | 7 | 1 | 2 | 16 |
| Larry Farmer | 33 | 1-4 | 0-0 | 2 | 0 | 2 | 2 |
| Bill Walton | 33 | 21-22 | 2-5 | 13 | 2 | 4 | 44 |
| Greg Lee | 34 | 1-1 | 3-3 | 3 | 14 | 2 | 5 |
| Larry Hollyfield | 30 | 4-7 | 0-0 | 3 | 9 | 4 | 8 |
| Tommy Curtis | 11 | 1-4 | 2-2 | 3 | 0 | 1 | 4 |
| Dave Meyers | 10 | 2-7 | 0-0 | 3 | 0 | 1 | 4 |
| Swen Nater | 7 | 1-1 | 0-0 | 3 | 0 | 2 | 2 |
| Gary Franklin | 1 | 1-2 | 0-1 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 2 |
| Vince Carson | 1 | 0-0 | 0-0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| Bob Webb | 1 | 0-0 | 0-0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| Totals | 200 | 40-62 | 7-11 | 40 | 26 | 18 | 87 |
FG% - .645. FT% - .636. Blocks - 5. Turnovers - 17 (Walton 6, Wilkes 4). Steals - 2. Team Rebounds - 2.
| Memphis State (66) | Min. | FG-A | FT-A | Reb. | A. | PF | Pts. |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Billy Buford | 38 | 3-7 | 1-2 | 3 | 1 | 1 | 7 |
| Larry Kenon | 34 | 8-16 | 4-4 | 8 | 3 | 3 | 20 |
| Ronnie Robinson | 33 | 3-6 | 0-1 | 7 | 1 | 4 | 6 |
| Bill Laurie | 21 | 0-1 | 0-0 | 0 | 2 | 0 | 0 |
| Larry Finch | 38 | 9-21 | 11-13 | 1 | 2 | 2 | 29 |
| Wes Westfall | 10 | 0-1 | 0-0 | 0 | 0 | 5 | 0 |
| Bill Cook | 18 | 1-4 | 2-2 | 0 | 2 | 1 | 4 |
| Doug McKinney | 1 | 0-0 | 0-0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| Clarence Jones | 4 | 0-0 | 0-0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| Jerry Tetzlaff | 1 | 0-0 | 0-2 | 0 | 0 | 1 | 0 |
| Jim Liss | 1 | 0-1 | 0-0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| Ken Andrews | 1 | 0-0 | 0-0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| Totals | 200 | 24-57 | 18-24 | 21 | 11 | 17 | 66 |
FG% - .421. FT% - .750. Blocks - 1. Turnovers - 8. Steals - 0. Team Rebounds - 2.
Halftime: Tied 39-39.
10. Bill Chambers' 51 rebounds in a single game (for William & Mary vs. Virginia on Feb. 14, 1953.).
On This Date: Former College Hoopers Generating MLB Headlines on July 7
July 7th, 2022 - 8:02
Extra! Extra! Instead of wondering if new CNN chief Chris Licht issued a restraining order to legal analyst Jeffrey Toobin to always keep his snake-loving hands above desk while on-air at "most distrusted name in news," 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.
Dick Groat (Duke), Frank Howard (Ohio State) and Johnny O'Brien (Seattle) - former major university All-Americans in the mid-1950s - provided outstanding offensive outputs in MLB games on this date. Ex-Guilford NC hoopers Rick Ferrell and Tom Zachary made American League news on this date. Unless you habitually pore over the content at baseballlibrary.com, baseballreference.com and nationalpastime.com, following is a July 7 calendar focusing on such versatile MLB athletes:
JULY 7
RHP Mike Adams (Texas A&M-Kingsville hooper in 1996-97) awarded on waivers from the New York Mets to the Cleveland Indians in 2006.
St. Louis Browns C Benny Bengough (Niagara hoops letterman from 1916-17 through 1918-19) banged out four hits in an 8-2 win against the Boston Red Sox in 1932.
Chicago White Sox 1B Walt Dropo (first player in Connecticut history to average 20 ppg in single season with 21.7 in 1942-43) collected five RBI in a 1955 game against the Detroit Tigers.
Detroit Tigers OF Hoot Evers (hoops starter for Illinois in 1939-40) went 5-for-5 and scored five runs in a 13-3 victory over the Cleveland Indians in 1951.
Boston Red Sox C Rick Ferrell (Guilford NC hoops forward before graduating in 1928) accumulated four hits and five RBI in a 7-6 win against the Philadelphia Athletics in opener of 1935 doubleheader.
Cincinnati Reds 3B Gene Freese (West Liberty WV hoops captain of 1952 NAIA Tournament team) homered in both ends of a 1961 twinbill sweep of the Los Angeles Dodgers.
Pittsburgh Pirates SS Dick Groat (two-time All-American with Duke in 1950-51 and 1951-52 when finishing among nation's top five scorers each season) homered in both ends of a 1957 doubleheader sweep of the New York Giants.
Washington Senators LF Frank Howard (two-time All-Big Ten Conference first-team selection in 1956-57 and 1957-58) whacked two homers against the Cleveland Indians in 1969. The next year, Howard homered in both ends of a 1970 twinbill against the Indians.
Chicago White Sox RHP Bart Johnson (averaged 30.5 ppg for Brigham Young's freshman squad in 1967-68) hurled a two-hit, complete game against the Detroit Tigers in his season debut, posting first of four consecutive victories.
St. Louis Cardinals SS Doc Lavan (Hope MI hooper from 1908 through 1910) went 4-for-4 against the Brooklyn Dodgers in a 1922 game.
St. Louis Cardinals RHP Lindy McDaniel (hooper for Oklahoma's 1954-55 freshman squad) extended his streak of consecutive contests without yielding an earned run to 15 in a row in 1962.
Detroit Tigers RF Jim Northrup (second-leading scorer and third-leading rebounder for Alma MI in 1958-59) blasted two homers against the Boston Red Sox in opener of a 1970 twinbill.
Pittsburgh Pirates 2B Johnny O'Brien (consensus All-American second-team choice as junior and first-team selection as senior averaged 25.8 ppg for Seattle from 1950-51 through 1952-53) went 4-for-4 in a 4-3 setback against the Brooklyn Dodgers in 1955.
Philadelphia Phillies OF Gary Redus (J.C. hooper for Athens AL and father of Centenary/South Alabama hoops guard) ripped two homers in a 7-3 triumph over the Atlanta Braves in 1986. Redus registered a double in each of previous four outings against his original team (Cincinnati Reds).
Montreal Expos RHP Steve Renko (averaged 9.9 ppg and 5.8 rpg for Kansas in 1963-64) went 3-for-3 at the plate, scored two runs and added two RBI in a 6-1 victory against the Houston Astros in 1973.
LHP Preacher Roe (Harding AR hooper in late 1930s) hit the lone homer in his Organized Baseball career (against the Pittsburgh Pirates in 1953) as the Brooklyn Dodgers established a N.L. record by homering in 21 consecutive contests.
New York Yankees 3B Red Rolfe (played hoops briefly with Dartmouth in 1927-28 and 1929-30) ripped a two-run triple off Hall of Fame P Carl Hubbell of the New York Giants in 1937 All-Star Game.
Milwaukee Brewers LF Ted Savage (Lincoln MO scoring average leader in 1955-56) smacked a game-winning, pinch-hit homer off Chicago White Sox P Wilbur Wood in the bottom of 12th inning in 1970.
Cleveland Indians 2B Riggs Stephenson (Alabama hoops letterman in 1920) collected three doubles and five RBI in a 27-3 rout of the Boston Red Sox in opener of a 1923 doubleheader.
Washington Senators 3B Eddie Yost (NYU freshman hooper in 1943-44 under coach Howard Cann) provided at least three safeties for third time in first seven games of the month in 1950.
LHP Tom Zachary (Guilford NC hoops letterman in 1916) traded by the St. Louis Browns to the Washington Senators in 1927.
Shatterproof: Loud and Proud NCAA Records Never to Be Duplicated (#6)
July 7th, 2022 - 7:56
What are the school and individual records that will never come close to being matched, let along exceeded? In ensuing blogs, CollegeHoopedia.com will designate the ultimate team and individual standards of excellence. Records were made to be broken, but perhaps not always in our lifetime. Following is #6 in the countdown of most illustrious NCAA achievements:
6. UCLA's streak of 13 consecutive "undisputed" conference championships in a power league (from 1966-67 through 1978-79 in Pacific-8/Pacific-10).
The key factor in this equation is "undisputed." Coach Bill Self assembled an impressive run of 14 consecutive Big 12 Conference regular-season championships with Kansas, but the streak included four ties prior to ending several seasons ago. The Bruins' composite conference record while capturing 13 straight "undisputed" regular-season league titles was an amazing 171-15 (.919). They were undefeated in conference competition five times in the first seven years of that streak. UCLA had three different coaches during the last five seasons of its domination.
Oregon, was the only school to win a home-and-home series against the Bruins during this streak (under coach Dick Harter in 1976-77). UCLA's league losses during the 13 seasons came against the Ducks (five), Washington (three), Oregon State (two), Southern California (two), Stanford (two) and Arizona (one).
| Season | League Mark | UCLA's Head Coach | Scoring Leader | Rebounding Leader |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1966-67 | 14-0 | John Wooden | Lew Alcindor (29 ppg) | Lew Alcindor (15.5) |
| 1967-68 | 14-0 | John Wooden | Lew Alcindor (26.2) | Lew Alcindor (16.5) |
| 1968-69 | 13-1 | John Wooden | Lew Alcindor (24) | Lew Alcindor (14.6) |
| 1969-70 | 12-2 | John Wooden | Sidney Wicks (18.6) | Sidney Wicks (11.9) |
| 1970-71 | 14-0 | John Wooden | Sidney Wicks (21.3) | Sidney Wicks (12.8) |
| 1971-72 | 14-0 | John Wooden | Bill Walton (21.1) | Bill Walton (15.5) |
| 1972-73 | 14-0 | John Wooden | Bill Walton (20.4) | Bill Walton (16.9) |
| 1973-74 | 12-2 | John Wooden | Bill Walton (19.3) | Bill Walton (14.7) |
| 1974-75 | 12-2 | John Wooden | David Meyers (18.3) | David Meyers (7.9) |
| 1975-76 | 12-2 | Gene Bartow | Richard Washington (20.1) | Marques Johnson (9.4) |
| 1976-77 | 11-3 | Gene Bartow | Marques Johnson (21.4) | Marques Johnson (11.1) |
| 1977-78 | 14-0 | Gary Cunningham | David Greenwood (17.5) | David Greenwood (11.4) |
| 1978-79 | 15-3 | Gary Cunningham | David Greenwood (19.9) | David Greenwood (10.3) |
10. Bill Chambers' 51 rebounds in a single game (for William & Mary vs. Virginia on Feb. 14, 1953).
On This Date: Former College Hoopers Generating MLB Headlines on July 6
July 6th, 2022 - 11:00
Extra! Extra! Instead of wondering who is biggest jerk when intentionally going shirtless (hideous Hunter "Amazing Artist" Bidumb/farting camel-rider Eric "Chinese Check-her-out" Swalwell/self-righteous boiler-room horndog Geraldo Rivera/hubris of Huma humiliator Anthony Weiner/Russian President Vladimir Putin's rhythm sex with Olympic gymnast champion mistress), 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.
Several small-college hoopers from North Carolina - Jim Bibby (Fayetteville State), Dick Culler (High Point) and Rick Ferrell (Guilford) - supplied significant MLB performances on this date. Ditto ex-juco hoopers Garth Iorg (Redwoods CA), Tony Phillips (New Mexico Military) and Jim Thome (Illinois Central). Unless you habitually pore over the content at baseballlibrary.com, baseballreference.com and nationalpastime.com, following is a July 6 calendar focusing on such versatile MLB athletes:
JULY 6
San Diego Padres RHP Mike Adams (Texas A&M-Kingsville hooper in 1996-97) fanned the side against the Arizona Diamondbacks in 2008, triggering streak of 12 consecutive relief appearances without yielding a run.
Milwaukee Braves 1B Joe Adcock (Louisiana State's leading scorer in 1945-46) collected five RBI against the Chicago Cubs in a 1954 game.
San Diego Padres RHP Steve Arlin (played two basketball games for Ohio State in 1964-65 under coach Fred Taylor) surrendered only one hit in 10 shutout innings in a 1972 game they won in 14th against the New York Mets.
Pittsburgh Pirates RHP Jim Bibby (Fayetteville State NC backup hooper and brother of UCLA All-American Henry Bibby) improved his record to 11-1 with three scoreless innings of relief in a 20-inning, 5-4 victory over the Chicago Cubs in 1980.
Seattle Mariners DH Bruce Bochte (starting forward for Santa Clara's NCAA playoff team in 1969-70 when averaging 7.4 ppg and 4 rpg) banged out four hits in a 5-3 win against the Kansas City Royals in 1980.
Cleveland Indians SS Lou Boudreau (leading scorer for Illinois' 1937 Big Ten Conference co-champion) led off the 1942 All-Star Game with a homer to help the A.L. defeat the N.L., 3-1.
Boston Braves SS Dick Culler (#9 jersey retired by High Point for Little All-American in 1935 and 1936) went 5-for-9 and scored six runs in a 1945 doubleheader sweep of the Pittsburgh Pirates.
New York Giants SS Alvin Dark (hoops letterman for Louisiana State and Southwestern Louisiana in mid-1940s) homered in the first of five contests in a six-game span in 1954.
CF Taylor Douthit (California hoops letterman from 1922 through 1924) contributed five hits and two walks at Philadelphia to help the St. Louis Cardinals snap an 11-game losing streak with a 28-6 triumph over the Phillies in the nightcap of a 1929 doubleheader.
Washington Senators C Rick Ferrell (Guilford NC hoops forward before graduating in 1928) went 4-for-4, including three doubles, against the Boston Red Sox in the opener of a 1947 twinbill.
A six-hit shutout against the Detroit Tigers was one of six straight complete-game wins in 1977 by Baltimore Orioles LHP Mike Flanagan (averaged 13.9 ppg for UMass' freshman squad in 1971-72). Flanagan also closed out the campaign with six triumphs in a row.
St. Louis Cardinals 2B Frankie Frisch (Fordham hoops captain) supplied a homer in 1933 All-Star Game. Eight years earlier in the midst of a 19-game hitting streak with the New York Giants, Frisch furnished four safeties against the Philadelphia Phillies in the nightcap of a 1925 doubleheader.
Detroit Tigers rookie RHP Floyd Giebell (four-year hoops letterman for Salem College WV in mid-1930s) secured his first MLB victory with 3 2/3 innings of scoreless relief in a 9-5 verdict over the St. Louis Browns in 1939.
Brooklyn Robins 3B Wally Gilbert (hoops captain for Valparaiso from 1918-19 through 1920-21) went 4-for-4 in a 10-4 win against the Boston Braves in 1930.
California Angels RHP Ed Halicki (NAIA All-American third-team choice in 1971-72 when leading Monmouth in scoring with 21 ppg after setting school single-game rebounding record with 40 previous season) hurled a two-hit shutout against the Milwaukee Brewers in 1980 (infield single in first inning and bloop double in ninth).
San Francisco Giants LHP Atlee Hammaker (averaged 5.3 ppg as freshman in 1976-77 and 4.9 as sophomore in 1977-78 under East Tennessee State coach Sonny Smith) yielded seven earned runs to A.L. in 2/3 of an inning in the third frame of 1983 All-Star Game.
Pittsburgh Pirates 3B Lee Handley (Bradley hoops letterman from 1932-33 through 1934-35) lashed out four hits against the St. Louis Cardinals in the opener of a 1940 doubleheader.
Mike Hargrove (Northwestern Oklahoma State hoops letterman) replaced John McNamara as Cleveland Indians manager in 1991.
St. Louis Cardinals rookie RHP Jim Hearn (Georgia Tech hoops letterman in 1941-42) tossed his first MLB shutout (three-hitter against Cincinnati Reds in opener of 1947 twinbill).
Washington Senators 1B Frank Howard (two-time All-Big Ten Conference first-team selection in 1956-57 and 1957-58) homered in both ends of a 1971 doubleheader against the Baltimore Orioles, giving him round-trippers in four straight outings.
Toronto Blue Jays 3B Garth Iorg (juco hooper with College of the Redwoods CA in mid-1970s) supplied three extra-base hits in a 1984 game against the Seattle Mariners.
Toronto Blue Jays DH Tony Johnson (All-VSAC hoops selection in 1976-77 and 1979-80 for LeMoyne-Owen TN) supplied his second 2-for-3 performance in three days in 1982.
In his first MLB start, Brooklyn Dodgers LHP Sandy Koufax (Cincinnati's freshman hoops squad in 1953-54) toiled 4 1/3 innings against the Pittsburgh Pirates in 1955, striking out four batters while yielding three hits and eight walks.
Oakland Athletics 2B Davey Lopes (NAIA All-District 15 selection for Iowa Wesleyan averaged 16.9 ppg as freshman in 1964-65 and 12.1 ppg as sophomore in 1965-66 before transferring with his coach to Washburn KS and becoming All-CIC choice for 1968 NAIA Tournament team) launched two homers against the Cleveland Indians in a 1982 contest.
Kansas City Athletics 2B Jerry Lumpe (member of Southwest Missouri State's 1952 NAIA Tournament championship hoops team) supplied a double and triple in the second of back-to-back games against the Chicago White Sox in 1961.
Chicago Cubs RHP Claude Passeau (Millsaps MS hooper in late 1920s and early 1930s) fired two innings of scoreless relief for the National League in 1942 All-Star Game.
Oakland Athletics INF Tony Phillips (New Mexico Military juco hooper in 1977-78 as teammate of eventual Drake All-American Lewis Lloyd) scored four runs in a 7-6 triumph against the Milwaukee Brewers in opener of 1984 doubleheader.
Only hit in his four games as a member of New York Yankees for RF Curtis Pride (led William & Mary in steals three times and assists twice while averaging 5.6 ppg and 3.1 apg from 1986-87 through 1989-90) was a homer against the Boston Red Sox in 2003.
First MLB batter Cleveland Indians LHP Joe Shaute (hooper for Mansfield PA in early 1920s) faced was New York Yankees RF Babe Ruth, who fanned in bottom of the sixth inning in nightcap of 1922 twinbill. The Bambino whiffed more than 30 times against Shaute in their careers.
Oakland Athletics RHP Jeff Shaver (averaged 2.4 ppg for SUNY-Fredonia in 1983-84 and 1984-85) hurled a hitless inning of relief against the Cleveland Indians in his only MLB appearance in 1988.
Cleveland Indians 1B Jim Thome (played junior-college hoops for Illinois Central in 1988-89) collected three homers and six RBI in a 2001 game against the St. Louis Cardinals. Five years later as Chicago White Sox DH, Thome contributed two round-trippers and six RBI in 2006 contest against the Baltimore Orioles.
Boston Red Sox 3B Billy Werber (first Duke hoops All-American in 1929-30) banged out four hits and scored five runs against the Philadelphia Athletics in a 1934 outing.
New York Yankees RF Dave Winfield (starting forward with Minnesota's first NCAA playoff team in 1972) went 3-for-3 as the A.L. smothered the N.L., 13-3, in the 1983 All-Star Game.
Boston Braves 3B Chuck Workman (two-time All-MIAA first-five hoops selection was leading scorer when Central Missouri won inaugural NAIA Tournament in 1937) manufactured four hits against the Pittsburgh Pirates in the nightcap of a 1945 twinbill.
Shatterproof: Loud and Proud NCAA Records Never to Be Duplicated (#7)
July 6th, 2022 - 10:51
What are the school and individual records that will never come close to being matched, let along exceeded? In ensuing blogs, CollegeHoopedia.com will designate the ultimate team and individual standards of excellence. Records were made to be broken, but perhaps not always in our lifetime. Following is #7 in the countdown of most illustrious NCAA achievements:
7. Artis Gilmore's career rebounding average of 22.7 per game (for Jacksonville in 1969-70 and 1970-71) while also averaging more than 22 points per contest.
Gilmore, a junior college transfer, led NCAA Division I in rebounding in 1969-70 and 1970-71 en route to becoming the only player in major-college history to average more than 22 points and 22 rebounds per game in his career (minimum of two seasons). He finished with 24.3 points and 22.7 rebounds per outing in powering the Dolphins to a 49-6 record during his tenure.
The only time when Gilmore retrieved fewer than 10 missed shots for JU was in New Orleans against Loyola (La.) at the end of a streak of four consecutive road games in his junior season. He averaged 19.4 rpg in a total of 17 contests against schools currently members in power conferences. Marshall's Charlie Slack averaged 23.8 rpg from 1953-54 through 1955-56 while chipping in with 18.7 ppg. Kermit Washington, two years after Gilmore's eligibility expired, became the last major-college player to average more than 20 rebounds per game in a single season (20.4 rpg for American University in 1972-73). Following is a game-by-game summary of Gilmore's scoring and rebounding totals:
Junior (27-2 in 1969-70)
| Date | Opponent | Pts. | Reb. |
|---|---|---|---|
| D. 1 | East Tennessee State | 35 | 18 |
| D. 2 | Morehead State | 31 | 26 |
| D. 9 | Mercer | 34 | 32 |
| D. 13 | Biscayne (Fla.) | 24 | 30 |
| D. 18 | Georgetown* | 11 | 21 |
| D. 22 | Harvard | 29 | 26 |
| D. 26 | vs. Arizona | 32 | 17 |
| D. 27 | at Evansville | 37 | 22 |
| J. 2 | at Hawaii | 23 | 28 |
| J. 5 | at Hawaii | 13 | 21 |
| J. 9 | Richmond | 38 | 29 |
| J. 10 | Miami (Fla.) | 13 | 23 |
| J. 16 | Virgin Islands | 18 | 26 |
| J. 27 | at Florida State | 21 | 19 |
| J. 30 | St. Peter's | 46 | 30 |
| F. 2 | Iona | 29 | 26 |
| F. 5 | at East Carolina | 27 | 19 |
| F. 6 | at Richmond | 27 | 21 |
| F. 13 | at Oklahoma City | 27 | 15 |
| F. 14 | at Loyola (La.) | 16 | 8 |
| F. 18 | Florida State | 19 | 21 |
| F. 24 | Oklahoma City | 25 | 18 |
| F. 26 | at Georgia Tech | 27 | 10 |
| M. 4 | at Miami (Fla.) | 19 | 10 |
| M. 7 | vs. Western Kentucky | 30 | 19 |
| M. 12 | vs. Iowa | 30 | 17 |
| M. 14 | vs. Kentucky | 24 | 20 |
| M. 19 | vs. St. Bonaventure | 29 | 21 |
| M. 21 | vs. UCLA | 19 | 16 |
*Forfeit at 1:26 of first half.
Senior (22-4 in 1970-71)
| Date | Opponent | Pts. | Reb. |
|---|---|---|---|
| D. 1 | Biscayne (Fla.) | 50 | 29 |
| D. 3 | at St. Peter's | 28 | 34 |
| D. 7 | George Washington | 40 | 29 |
| D. 8 | Florida State | 31 | 26 |
| D. 12 | at Richmond | 28 | 19 |
| D. 23 | at Western Kentucky | 29 | 18 |
| D. 29 | vs. Creighton | 15 | 23 |
| D. 30 | vs. Wake Forest | 13 | 21 |
| J. 9 | Miami (Fla.) | 21 | 22 |
| J. 11 | Oklahoma City | 15 | 17 |
| J. 13 | Manhattan | 12 | 16 |
| J. 20 | Furman | 18 | 18 |
| J. 23 | at Mercer | 19 | 20 |
| J. 25 | South Alabama | 15 | 19 |
| J. 27 | Florida State | 15 | 28 |
| F. 4 | at South Alabama | 25 | 17 |
| F. 6 | at Oklahoma City | 18 | 19 |
| F. 8 | Loyola (La.) | 24 | 28 |
| F. 11 | at William & Mary | 2 | 14 |
| F. 13 | at Bradley | 24 | 20 |
| F. 15 | at Florida State | 22 | 25 |
| F. 20 | Valdosta (Ga.) State | 26 | 24 |
| F. 22 | East Carolina | 25 | 28 |
| F. 27 | at Houston | 22 | 15 |
| M. 2 | at Miami (Fla.) | 21 | 10 |
| M. 13 | vs. Western Kentucky | 12 | 22 |
10. Bill Chambers' 51 rebounds in a single game (for William & Mary vs. Virginia on Feb. 14, 1953).
On This Date: Former College Hoopers Generating MLB Headlines on July 5
July 5th, 2022 - 7:33
Extra! Extra! Instead of wondering if "woke" liberal world order has taken a moment to ask themselves what exactly is charging their electric car batteries, 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.
Former Creighton hoopers Bob Gibson and Dennis Rasmussen delivered memorable moments in their MLB pitching careers on this date. Ditto for ex-college hoopers Jack Coombs (Colby ME) and Chubby Dean (Duke) connected as coach and player with the Blue Devils in 1936. Coombs and Dean each contributed significant performances for the Philadelphia Athletics against the Washington Senators on this date. Unless you habitually pore over the content at baseballlibrary.com, baseballreference.com and nationalpastime.com, following is a July 5 calendar focusing on such versatile MLB athletes:
JULY 5
California Angels 1B Joe Adcock (Louisiana State's leading basketball scorer in 1945-46) homered in his third consecutive contest in 1966.
San Diego Padres RHP Andy Benes (joined Evansville's shorthanded basketball squad in 1985-86 under coach Jim Crews) fanned 11 batters in a 1990 game against the St. Louis Cardinals.
In his MLB debut, Philadelphia Athletics RHP Jack Coombs (captain and starting hoops center for Colby ME) hurled a shutout against the Washington Senators in 1906.
1B Chubby Dean (reserve guard for Duke in 1936) stroked two doubles and scored both of the Philadelphia Athletics' runs, including one with two outs in the bottom of the ninth of an 11-inning, 2-2 tie against the Washington Senators, in the nightcap of a 1937 doubleheader.
Cleveland Indians OF Larry Doby (reserve guard for Virginia Union's 1943 CIAA hoops titlist) became the first African-American player in the American League, striking out as a pinch-hitter against the Chicago White Sox in 1947.
Pittsburgh Pirates RHP Skip Dowd (12 field goals in January 1909 set Holy Cross single-game record standing for 41 years until broken by All-American Bob Cousy) made his lone MLB appearance with two innings of relief (allowing four unearned runs) against the Chicago Cubs in 1910.
San Francisco Giants 3B Darrell Evans (member of Jerry Tarkanian-coached Pasadena City CA club winning 1967 state community college hoops crown) furnished three extra-base hits in a 1979 game against the Atlanta Braves.
Boston Red Sox C Rick Ferrell (hoops forward for Guilford NC before graduating in 1928) amassed four hits against the Philadelphia Athletics in a 1936 game.
St. Louis Cardinals 2B Frankie Frisch (Fordham hoops captain) tied a N.L. record with 16 chances in a 6-4 win over the Cincinnati Reds in 1930.
St. Louis Cardinals RHP Bob Gibson (Creighton's leading scorer and rebounder in 1955-56 and 1956-57) belted his first of 24 MLB career homers (off Los Angeles Dodgers' Johnny Podres in 1961).
Detroit Tigers 1B Hank Greenberg (enrolled at NYU on hoops scholarship in 1929 but attended college only one semester) went 4-for-4, including four runs, two homers and five RBI, against the St. Louis Browns in a 1935 contest.
Baltimore Orioles RHP Dick Hall (averaged 13.5 ppg from 1948-49 through 1950-51 for Swarthmore PA Southern Division champions in Middle Atlantic States Conference) hurled a four-hit shutout against the Washington Senators in 1961.
In 1965, New York Yankees LHP Steve Hamilton (All-OVC hoops selection was Morehead State's leading scorer and rebounder in 1956-57 and 1957-58) yielded his only earned run in a span of 21 relief appearances from the end of May to late July.
Cleveland Indians RHP Oral Hildebrand (Butler hoops All-American in 1928-29 and 1929-30) hurled a shutout against the Chicago White Sox for one of his five victories this month in 1934.
Washington Senators LF Frank Howard (two-time All-Big Ten Conference first-team selection in 1956-57 and 1957-58) hammered two homers against the Boston Red Sox in the opener of a 1969 doubleheader.
INF Irv Jeffries (posted team-high scoring average of 11.5 ppg for Kentucky in 1927-28) traded by the Philadelphia Phillies to Baltimore (International) in 1934.
New York Yankees LF Charlie Keller (Maryland three-year hoops letterman from 1934-35 through 1936-37) cracked two homers against the Philadelphia Athletics in a 1941 game.
Detroit Tigers SS Harvey Kuenn (played five hoops games for Wisconsin in 1951-52) provided the game's only tally with an 11th-inning homer against the Cleveland Indians in the nightcap of a 1954 twinbill.
Chicago White Sox RHP Ted Lyons (All-SWC first-team basketball selection with Baylor as sophomore and senior in early 1920s) extended his hitting streak to eight contests in a row in 1942 with five of them including multiple safeties.
Chicago Cubs LF Les Mann (Springfield MA hooper in 1913 and 1914) cracked two triples against the Pittsburgh Pirates in a 1919 game.
Philadelphia Athletics LHP Pete Naktenis (Duke hoops letterman in 1934-35), yielding 10 earned runs in first 1 2/3 innings, lost his lone MLB decision (16-2 rout by Boston Red Sox in opener of 1936 doubleheader).
New York Yankees CF Irv Noren (hoops player of year for California community college state champion Pasadena City in 1945) collected a pair of homers and five RBI against the Philadelphia Athletics in the nightcap of a 1954 twinbill.
New York Yankees RHP Cecil Perkins (All-WVIAC hoops selection in 1961-62 with Salem International WV) lost his lone MLB decision and start (against Minnesota Twins in 1967).
In the midst of winning seven straight decisions in 1986, New York Yankees LHP Dennis Rasmussen (sixth-man for Creighton averaged 5.1 ppg from 1977-78 through 1979-80) tossed a three-hit shutout against the Chicago White Sox.
In 1953, Philadelphia Phillies RHP Robin Roberts (Michigan State's second-leading scorer in 1945-46 and 1946-47) blanked the Pittsburgh Pirates, 2-0, for his 28th consecutive complete game.
Chicago Cubs RHP Lee Smith (averaged 3.4 ppg and 1.9 rpg for Northwestern State in 1976-77) lost fourth straight game as a starter in 1982 before making his final 927 MLB appearances as a reliever.
Detroit Tigers RF Champ Summers (led SIUE in scoring in 1969-70 after doing same for Nicholls State in 1964-65) socked a decisive homer in the bottom of the eighth inning of a 3-2 win against the Toronto Blue Jays in 1979.
In 1969, Montreal Expos 2B Gary Sutherland (averaged 7.4 ppg with USC in 1963-64) stroked four hits in an outing against his original team (Philadelphia Phillies).
Cincinnati Reds CF Evar Swanson (played all five hoops positions for Knox IL) supplied four hits against the St. Louis Cardinals in a 1930 contest.
Pittsburgh Pirates LHP Bob Veale (scored 1,160 points for Benedictine KS from 1955-56 through 1957-58) won his fifth straight start with a two-hit shutout against the Chicago Cubs in 1968. The whitewash capped off a streak of seven starts where Veale allowed fewer than three earned runs.
St. Louis Cardinals 1B Bill White (two-year Hiram OH hooper in early 1950s) collected three homers and a double in 1961 game against the Los Angeles Dodgers.
Boston Red Sox C Sammy White (All-PCC Northern Division first-five selection for Washington in 1947-48 and 1948-49) knocked in five runs against the Baltimore Orioles in the opener of a 1959 twinbill.
In 1998, Tampa Bay Devil Rays LF Randy Winn (Santa Clara backcourtmate of eventual two-time NBA Most Valuable Player Steve Nash in 1993-94) became the 3,000th career strikeout victim of Roger Clemens.
Shatterproof: Loud and Proud NCAA Records Never to Be Duplicated (#8)
July 5th, 2022 - 7:26
What are the school and individual records that will never come close to being matched, let along exceeded? In ensuing blogs, CollegeHoopedia.com will designate the ultimate team and individual standards of excellence. Records were made to be broken, but perhaps not always in our lifetime. Following is #8 in the countdown of most illustrious NCAA achievements:
8. Robert Parish finished among nation's top five in rebounding all four seasons with more than 15 rpg each year.
Parish, attending Centenary College in his hometown of Shreveport, La., finished his career (1972-73 through 1975-76) as the only Division I player ever to rank among the national top five in rebounding for four seasons. He averaged more than 15 rpg each campaign, a figure no one surpassed since 1979-80 when Alcorn State's Larry "Mr. Mean" Smith led the country with 15.1 rpg until Kentucky's Oscar Tshiebwe averaged 15.2 rpg last year.
How in the name of James Naismith did no outlet acknowledge Parish as a first-team All-American? He had 33 games grabbing a minimum of 20 rebounds en route to retrieving an average of 16.9 missed shots per contest. Centenary de-emphasized its program early last decade but Parish's prolific performances won't be forgotten despite the NCAA overlooking them as part of probation sanctions against the Gentlemen. Following is a list of Parish's eight contests with at least 25 rebounds and his game-by-game totals:
33 -- vs. Southern Mississippi (January 27, 1973)
30 -- at Lamar (December 22, 1972)
29 -- vs. Texas-Arlington (February 5, 1973)
27 -- vs. Lamar (February 7, 1973)
27 -- vs. Northwestern State (December 9, 1974)
27 -- at Northeast Louisiana (January 15, 1976)
26 -- vs. Houston (January 17, 1974)
25 -- vs. LSU-New Orleans (January 15, 1973)
1972-73 (Freshman/18.7 rpg)
| Game | Opponent | Reb. |
|---|---|---|
| 1. | Southwestern TX | 21 |
| 2. | *Houston Baptist | 8 |
| 3. | *Louisiana Tech | 15 |
| 4. | East Texas Baptist | 7 |
| 5. | Indiana State | 8 |
| 6. | Northern Colorado | 20 |
| 7. | at Lamar | 30 |
| 8. | at Arkansas | 21 |
| 9. | Texas | 16 |
| 10. | at Southern Mississippi | 16 |
| 11. | at Northwestern State | 22 |
| 12. | LSU-New Orleans | 25 |
| 13. | at Texas-Arlington | 9 |
| 14. | Virginia Commonwealth | 12 |
| 15. | at Indiana State | 16 |
| 16. | Southern Mississippi | 33 |
| 17. | at Houston | 22 |
| 18. | Arkansas State | 20 |
| 19. | Texas-Arlington | 29 |
| 20. | Lamar | 27 |
| 21. | at Arizona State | 20 |
| 22. | at Hawaii | 23 |
| 23. | at Hawaii | 14 |
| 24. | at Arkansas State | 23 |
| 25. | at LSU-New Orleans | 17 |
| 26. | Northwestern State | 14 |
| 27. | Houston | 17 |
*Sports Foundation Tournament.
1973-74 (Sophomore/15.3 rpg)
| Game | Opponent | Reb. |
|---|---|---|
| 1. | McNeese State | 17 |
| 2. | Louisiana Tech | 8 |
| 3. | Dallas Baptist TX | 10 |
| 4. | Henderson State AR | 21 |
| 5. | Northwestern State | 23 |
| 6. | at Texas | 14 |
| 7. | at Arkansas | 16 |
| 8. | at Southern Mississippi | 23 |
| 9. | Northeast Louisiana | 8 |
| 10. | at Northwestern State | 16 |
| 11. | Houston | 26 |
| 12. | at Lamar | 11 |
| 13. | at Virginia Commonwealth | 12 |
| 14. | Southern Mississippi | 16 |
| 15. | at Hardin-Simmons TX | 14 |
| 16. | at Arizona | 14 |
| 17. | at Indiana State | 18 |
| 18. | at Southern Illinois | 10 |
| 19. | Portland | 15 |
| 20. | at Loyola of Chicago | 13 |
| 21. | Houston Baptist | 13 |
| 22. | Lamar | 13 |
| 23. | at Houston | 13 |
| 24. | at Houston Baptist | 18 |
| 25. | Hardin-Simmons TX | 20 |
1974-75 (Junior/15.4 rpg)
| Game | Opponent | Reb. |
|---|---|---|
| 1. | *UNC Charlotte | 16 |
| 2. | *Dartmouth | 18 |
| 3. | at Lamar | 17 |
| 4. | Texas | 10 |
| 5. | Northwestern State | 27 |
| 6. | McNeese State | 19 |
| 7. | at Virginia Commonwealth | 15 |
| 8. | &Pacific | 21 |
| 9. | &North Texas State | 15 |
| 10. | &Oklahoma City | 10 |
| 11. | Wabash College IN | 9 |
| 12. | East Texas Baptist | 13 |
| 13. | Arkansas | 17 |
| 14. | Hawaii | 19 |
| 15. | Lamar | 14 |
| 16. | at Southern Mississippi | 8 |
| 17. | at Indiana State | 16 |
| 18. | at Houston Baptist | 16 |
| 19. | Virginia Commonwealth | 16 |
| 20. | Southern Mississippi | 17 |
| 21. | at Northwestern State | 21 |
| 22. | Houston Baptist | 18 |
| 23. | at Hardin-Simmons TX | 9 |
| 24. | Indiana State | 15 |
| 25. | Southern Illinois | 20 |
| 26. | at Hawaii-Hilo | 16 |
| 27. | at Hawaii | 15 |
| 28. | at Hawaii | 11 |
| 29. | Hardin-Simmons TX | 9 |
*Hall of Fame Tournament.
&All-College Tournament.
1975-76 (Senior/18.0 rpg)
| Game | Opponent | Reb. |
|---|---|---|
| 1. | at South Alabama | 19 |
| 2. | Northwestern State | 21 |
| 3. | at McNeese State | 23 |
| 4. | at Southwestern Louisiana | 14 |
| 5. | South Alabama | 12 |
| 6. | Texas | 19 |
| 7. | Virginia Commonwealth | 19 |
| 8. | at Northern Illinois | 24 |
| 9. | at Illinois State | 15 |
| 10. | *Bowling Green State | 14 |
| 11. | *Utah State | 14 |
| 12. | *Long Island | 21 |
| 13. | at Texas | 14 |
| 14. | UNC Charlotte | 19 |
| 15. | Hawaii | 19 |
| 16. | Louisiana Tech | 23 |
| 17. | at Northeast Louisiana | 27 |
| 18. | at Northwestern State | 14 |
| 19. | East Texas Baptist | 23 |
| 20. | at Houston Baptist | 6 |
| 21. | Hardin-Simmons TX | 19 |
| 22. | Southern Mississippi | 20 |
| 23. | at Nevada-Las Vegas | 11 |
| 24. | at Hardin-Simmons TX | 22 |
| 25. | Houston Baptist | 17 |
| 26. | at UNC Charlotte | 17 |
| 27. | at Virginia Commonwealth | 20 |
*All-College Tournament.
10. Bill Chambers' 51 rebounds in a single game (for William & Mary vs. Virginia on Feb. 14, 1953).
On This Date: Former College Hoopers Generating MLB Headlines on July 4
July 4th, 2022 - 9:34
Extra! Extra! Instead of wondering if feeble ceremonial-pitch hurler Dr. Anthony Fraudci still flip-flop feels double- or triple-masking hits best while hair-on-fire publicity hound funds gain-of-function 4th of July celebration outdoors with Plagiarist Bidumb if hair-sniffer can stay awake, 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.
Former Maryland hoopers Bosey Berger and Charlie Keller provided the fireworks by manufacturing significant American League performances on this date. Ex-juco hoopers Darrell Evans (Pasadena City CA), Bob Oliver (American River CA), Tony Phillips (New Mexico Military) and Carl Reynolds (Lon Morris TX) also had outstanding offensive outings. Unless you habitually pore over the content at baseballlibrary.com, baseballreference.com and nationalpastime.com, following is a July 4 calendar focusing on such versatile MLB athletes:
JULY 4
Cleveland Indians 2B Bosey Berger (Maryland's first basketball All-American led Southern Conference in scoring in league competition in 1930-31) banged out four hits against the Detroit Tigers in the opener of a 1935 doubleheader.
Chicago White Sox CF Ken Berry (freshman hooper for Wichita in 1959-60) accounted for game's lone run with a fifth-inning homer against the California Angels in 1965.
1B-OF Larry Biittner (runner-up in scoring and rebounding for Buena Vista IA in 1966-67) hurled the final 1 1/3 innings for the Chicago Cubs in the opener of a 1977 doubleheader against the Montreal Expos.
Cleveland Indians SS Lou Boudreau (leading scorer for Illinois' 1937 Big Ten Conference co-champion) contributed four hits against the Detroit Tigers in nightcap of a 1946 twinbill.
Pittsburgh Pirates 1B Donn Clendenon (four-sport letterman with Morehouse GA) cracked two homers against the Chicago Cubs in nightcap of a 1966 doubleheader. Clendenon also homered each of next two days against the Cubs.
Philadelphia Athletics C Mickey Cochrane (Boston University hooper in early 1920s) went 4-for-4, including three doubles and a homer, against the Boston Red Sox in the opener of a 1929 doubleheader. Six years later with the Detroit Tigers, Cochrane stroked four hits for the second time in a four-game span in 1935.
RHP Jack Coombs (captain and starting hoops center for Colby ME) overcame seven Brooklyn Dodgers errors to nip the New York Giants, 4-3, in the nightcap of a 1918 twinbill. Coombs scored the winning run after drilling a 10th-inning triple (his third hit of contest). Seven years earlier with the Philadelphia Athletics, Coombs went 3-for-3 in a 7-4 win against the New York Yankees in opener of 1911 doubleheader en route to switch-hitter posting A.L.-leading 28 victories.
In 1957, Cincinnati Reds 1B George Crowe (four-year letterman from 1939-40 through 1942-43 for Indiana Central after becoming first high schooler named state's "Mr. Basketball") went 5-for-5, driving in six runs, but it wasn't enough to prevent a 10-7 loss against his original team (Milwaukee Braves).
New York Giants SS Alvin Dark (hoops letterman for LSU and USL during World War II) homered in each end of a 1950 doubleheader split with the Brooklyn Dodgers, extending his streak of games with a round-tripper to four in a row.
St. Louis Cardinals CF Taylor Douthit (California hoops letterman from 1922 through 1924) went 5-for-7 and scored five runs in a 1928 twinbill split against the Chicago Cubs.
Baltimore Orioles 1B Walt Dropo (first player in Connecticut history to average 20 ppg in single season with 21.7 in 1942-43) homered twice in a 1959 game against the Boston Red Sox.
Washington Senators LHP Joe Engel (hooper for Mount St. Mary's in 1910-11 and 1911-12) hurled a complete game but lost, 1-0, against the Boston Red Sox on an unearned run in the opener of a 1914 doubleheader.
Detroit Tigers 1B Darrell Evans (member of Jerry Tarkanian-coached Pasadena City CA club winning 1967 state community college hoops crown) homered in his third consecutive contest for the second time in less than two weeks in 1987.
Chicago Cubs LHP Darcy Fast (all-conference hooper for Warner Pacific OR in 1965-66 and 1966-67) lost his lone MLB decision (7-4 against Philadelphia Phillies in nightcap of 1968 twinbill).
Boston Red Sox C Rick Ferrell (hoops forward for Guilford NC before graduating in 1928) went 4-for-4 against the Philadelphia Athletics in the nightcap of a 1933 doubleheader.
St. Louis Browns rookie LF Joe Gallagher (Manhattan varsity hooper in 1934-35) went 4-for-4 in the nightcap of a 1939 twinbill against the Chicago White Sox.
RHP Bob Garibaldi (starting forward for Santa Clara in 1961-62 when averaging 10.6 ppg and 5.6 rpg) signed with the San Francisco Giants for a $150,000 bonus in 1962 after receiving award as College World Series Most Outstanding Player.
Pittsburgh Pirates SS Dick Groat (two-time All-American with Duke in 1950-51 and 1951-52 when finishing among nation's top five scorers each season) provided three hits in each game of a 1956 twinbill split against the Philadelphia Phillies.
Cincinnati Reds RHP Jay Hook (Northwestern's third-leading scorer as sophomore in 1955-56) hurled a four-hit shutout against the Philadelphia Phillies in 1960.
Los Angeles Dodgers RF Frank Howard (two-time All-Big Ten Conference first-team selection in 1956-57 and 1957-58) furnished five RBI against the Philadelphia Phillies in the opener of a 1962 twinbill.
Atlanta Braves 2B Davey Johnson (averaged 1.7 ppg with Texas A&M in 1961-62) laced two homers against the Houston Astros in the nightcap of a 1973 doubleheader.
New York Yankees RF Charlie Keller (Maryland three-year hoops letterman from 1934-35 through 1936-37) clobbered two homers against the Boston Red Sox in the opener of a 1940 twinbill.
Cleveland Indians SS Jerry Kindall (averaged 6.9 ppg for Minnesota as junior in 1955-56) cracked a homer in both ends of a 1963 doubleheader sweep against the Boston Red Sox. Kindall collected a walk-off round-tripper in the bottom of the 14th inning in the opener.
Chicago Cubs OF Hank Leiber (Arizona hooper in 1931) hammered three homers against the St. Louis Cardinals in the opener of a 1939 twinbill.
Cleveland Indians RHP Dutch Levsen (Iowa State hoops letterman in 1918-19) tossed a two-hit shutout against the Chicago White Sox in the opener of a 1927 doubleheader.
Chicago White Sox 1B Tony Lupien (Harvard hoops captain in 1938-39) went 7-for-10 in a 1948 doubleheader split against the Detroit Tigers.
Cleveland Indians rookie CF Ed Morgan (Tulane hoops letterman from 1923-24 through 1925-26), raising his batting average to .378, manufactured four hits against the Detroit Tigers in the opener of a 1928 twinbill.
Chicago Cubs RF Bill Nicholson (Washington College MD hoops guard for two years in mid-1930s) whacked two homers against the Boston Braves in the nightcap of a 1945 doubleheader.
Oakland Athletics CF Billy North (played hoops briefly for Central Washington in 1967-68) stole three bases against the California Angels in a 1973 game.
Detroit Tigers RF Jim Northrup (second-leading scorer and third-leading rebounder for Alma MI in 1958-59) collected two homers, a triple and five RBI in a 13-10 victory over the California Angels in 1968.
Rookie 3B Bob Oliver (All-Valley Conference basketball choice for American River Community College CA in 1962) supplied the expansion Kansas City Royals' first grand slam in franchise history in the opener of a 1969 twinbill (off Jim Bouton of Seattle Pilots).
Cleveland Indians RHP Jim Perry (averaged more than 20 ppg in late 1950s for former juco Campbell) fired a 10-inning shutout against the Detroit Tigers in 1962.
A two-out, pinch-hit, three-run homer by LF Lou Piniella (averaged 2.5 ppg and 1.4 rpg for Tampa as freshman in 1961-62) in top of ninth inning propelled the Kansas City Royals to an 8-6 win against the Milwaukee Brewers in 1970.
St. Louis Cardinals LF Rip Repulski (occasional hoops starter for St. Cloud State MN in 1946-47) ripped a home run in both ends of 1955 twinbill against the Milwaukee Braves.
Chicago White Sox RF Carl Reynolds (Southwestern TX hoops MVP and captain in mid-1920s) went 5-for-5 in the opener of a 1929 doubleheader against the Cleveland Indians. It was the second straight contest for Reynolds with three doubles.
LHP Preacher Roe (Harding AR hooper in late 1930s) and RHP Ralph Branca (sixth-leading scorer for NYU in 1943-44) are the winning hurlers as the Brooklyn Dodgers sweep a 1951 twinbill against the New York Giants.
Cleveland Indians LHP Joe Shaute (hooper for Mansfield PA in early 1920s) hurled his seventh complete-game victory in less than a month in 1924.
RHP Jeff Shaw (freshman guard for 31-5 Rio Grande OH team participating in 1985 NAIA Tournament) traded by the Cincinnati Reds to the Los Angeles Dodgers in 1968. He became the first reliever in MLB history to lead two different clubs in saves in the same season (23 with Reds and 25 with Dodgers).
New York Yankees LF Norm Siebern (member of Southwest Missouri State squads capturing back-to-back NAIA Tournament hoops titles in 1952 and 1953) went 5-for-5 against the Washington Senators in the nightcap of a 1958 doubleheader.
Boston Red Sox rookie 3B Jim Tabor (Alabama hoops letterman in 1936-37) socked four homers in a 1939 twinbill against the Philadelphia Athletics, collecting 19 total bases and 11 RBI. Three of Tabor's round-trippers came in the nightcap, including a record-tying two grand slams in back-to-back innings.
Pittsburgh Pirates CF Bill Virdon (Drury MO hooper in 1949) doubled and homered in both ends of a 1958 doubleheader against the Cincinnati Reds.
New York Yankees LHP Ed Wells (multi-sport athlete graduated in 1924 from Bethany WV) incurred his lone defeat in the midst of 10 victories from the end of May to early August in 1930.
Philadelphia Phillies 1B Bill White (two-year Hiram OH hooper in early 1950s) stroked two triples in the opener of a 1966 twinbill against the New York Mets.
Boston Braves LF Ab Wright (Oklahoma A&M hoops letterman in 1928-29) went hitless for the only time in a 14-game span in 1944.
Washington Senators 3B Eddie Yost (NYU freshman hooper in 1943-44 under coach Howard Cann) homered in both ends of a 1953 doubleheader split against the Boston Red Sox.
Shatterproof: Loud and Proud NCAA Records Never to Be Duplicated (#9)
July 4th, 2022 - 9:30
What are the school and individual records that will never come close to being matched, let along exceeded? In ensuing blogs, CollegeHoopedia.com will designate the ultimate team and individual standards of excellence. Records were made to be broken, but perhaps not always in our lifetime. Following is #9 in the countdown of most illustrious NCAA achievements:
9. Kentucky's 129-game homecourt winning streak (under coach Adolph Rupp from January 4, 1943, to January 8, 1955).
Kentucky, two nights after losing to Ohio State, 45-40, in its first game in calendar year 1943, started a streak that went 11 years without dropping a homecourt game until bowing to Georgia Tech, 59-58, on January 8, 1954. Tech had dropped its previous 10 outings at UK during the streak by an average margin of 35.2 points. The setback also snapped a 70-game winning streak in SEC competition. The first 84 of the Wildcats' 129 consecutive homecourt victories were in Alumni Gym. The remainder were in Memorial Coliseum.
UK's average margin of victory during the streak was 31 points. Vanderbilt was involved in two of the three closest games - one-point loss in '43 and four-point setback in '50. The only other contest settled by fewer than five points during the streak was a 38-35 verdict against DePauw (Ind.) in 1944.
| Date/Home Game | UK | Visiting Team | Pts. |
|---|---|---|---|
| Jan. 4, 1943 | 64 | Ft. Knox | 43 |
| Jan. 26, 1943 | 39 | Vanderbilt | 38 |
| Feb. 6, 1943 | 67 | Alabama | 41 |
| Feb. 8, 1943 | 48 | Xavier | 36 |
| Feb. 13, 1943 | 53 | Tennessee | 29 |
| Feb. 15, 1943 | 58 | Georgia Tech | 31 |
| Dec. 1, 1943 | 51 | Ft. Knox | 18 |
| Dec. 4, 1943 | 54 | Berea (Naval V-12) | 40 |
| Dec. 18, 1943 | 58 | Cincinnati | 30 |
| Jan. 15, 1944 | 61 | Wright Field | 28 |
| Jan. 31, 1944 | 76 | Ft. Knox A.R.C. | 48 |
| Feb. 5, 1944 | 38 | DePauw (Ind.) | 35 |
| Feb. 7, 1944 | 51 | Illinois | 40 |
| Feb. 26, 1944 | 51 | Ohio University | 35 |
| Dec. 2, 1944 | 56 | Ft. Knox | 23 |
| Dec. 4, 1944 | 56 | Berea (Ky.) | 32 |
| Dec. 9, 1944 | 66 | Cincinnati | 24 |
| Dec. 23, 1944 | 53 | Ohio State | 48 |
| Jan. 6, 1945 | 59 | Ohio University | 46 |
| Jan. 8, 1945 | 75 | Arkansas State | 6 |
| Jan. 13, 1945 | 66 | Michigan State | 35 |
| Jan. 29, 1945 | 73 | Georgia | 37 |
| Feb. 3, 1945 | 51 | Georgia Tech | 32 |
| Feb. 17, 1945 | 40 | Tennessee | 34 |
| Dec. 1, 1945 | 59 | Ft. Knox | 36 |
| Dec. 7, 1945 | 51 | Western Ontario | 42 |
| Dec. 8, 1945 | 71 | Western Ontario | 28 |
| Dec. 15, 1945 | 67 | Cincinnati | 31 |
| Dec. 18, 1945 | 67 | Arkansas | 42 |
| Dec. 21, 1945 | 43 | Oklahoma | 33 |
| Jan. 5, 1946 | 57 | Ohio University | 48 |
| Jan. 7, 1946 | 81 | Ft. Benning | 25 |
| Jan. 28, 1946 | 54 | Georgia Tech | 26 |
| Feb. 5, 1946 | 59 | Michigan State | 51 |
| Feb. 16, 1946 | 54 | Tennessee | 34 |
| Feb. 23, 1946 | 83 | Xavier | 40 |
| Nov. 28, 1946 | 78 | Indiana Central | 36 |
| Nov. 30, 1946 | 64 | Tulane | 35 |
| Dec. 2, 1946 | 68 | Ft. Knox | 31 |
| Dec. 9, 1946 | 65 | Idaho | 35 |
| Dec. 14, 1946 | 83 | Texas A&M | 18 |
| Dec. 16, 1946 | 62 | Miami (Ohio) | 49 |
| Dec. 23, 1946 | 75 | Baylor | 34 |
| Dec. 28, 1946 | 96 | Wabash (Ohio) | 24 |
| Jan. 4, 1947 | 46 | Ohio University | 36 |
| Jan. 11, 1947 | 70 | Dayton | 29 |
| Jan. 25, 1947 | 71 | Xavier | 34 |
| Jan. 27, 1947 | 86 | Michigan State | 36 |
| Feb. 10, 1947 | 81 | Georgia | 40 |
| Feb. 15, 1947 | 61 | Tennessee | 46 |
| Feb. 17, 1947 | 63 | Alabama | 33 |
| Feb. 22, 1947 | 83 | Georgia Tech | 46 |
| Nov. 9, 1947 | 80 | Indiana Central | 41 |
| Dec. 1, 1947 | 80 | Ft. Knox | 41 |
| Dec. 5, 1947 | 72 | Tulsa | 18 |
| Dec. 6, 1947 | 71 | Tulsa | 22 |
| Dec. 17, 1947 | 79 | Xavier | 37 |
| Jan. 3, 1948 | 98 | Western Ontario | 41 |
| Jan. 24, 1948 | 70 | Cincinnati | 43 |
| Feb. 14, 1948 | 69 | Tennessee | 42 |
| Feb. 16, 1948 | 63 | Alabama | 33 |
| Feb. 20, 1948 | 79 | Vanderbilt | 43 |
| Feb. 21, 1948 | 78 | Georgia Tech | 54 |
| Nov. 29, 1948 | 74 | Indiana Central | 38 |
| Dec. 10, 1948 | 81 | Tulsa | 27 |
| Dec. 13, 1948 | 76 | Arkansas | 39 |
| Feb. 8, 1949 | 71 | Tennessee | 56 |
| Feb. 12, 1949 | 96 | Xavier | 50 |
| Feb. 14, 1949 | 74 | Alabama | 32 |
| Feb. 16, 1949 | 85 | Mississippi | 31 |
| Feb. 19, 1949 | 78 | Georgia Tech | 32 |
| Feb. 21, 1949 | 95 | Georgia | 40 |
| Feb. 26, 1949 | 70 | Vanderbilt | 37 |
| Dec. 3, 1949 | 84 | Indiana Central | 61 |
| Dec. 10, 1949 | 90 | Western Ontario | 18 |
| Jan. 9, 1950 | 83 | North Carolina | 44 |
| Jan. 28, 1950 | 88 | Georgia | 56 |
| Feb. 11, 1950 | 79 | Tennessee | 52 |
| Feb. 13, 1950 | 77 | Alabama | 57 |
| Feb. 15, 1950 | 90 | Mississippi | 50 |
| Feb. 18, 1950 | 97 | Georgia Tech | 62 |
| Feb. 23, 1950 | 58 | Xavier | 53 |
| Feb. 25, 1950 | 70 | Vanderbilt | 66 |
| Dec. 1, 1950 | 73 | West Texas State | 43 |
| Dec. 9, 1950 | 70 | Purdue | 52 |
| Dec. 14, 1950 | 85 | Florida | 37 |
| Dec. 16, 1950 | 68 | Kansas | 39 |
| Jan. 5, 1951 | 79 | Auburn | 35 |
| Jan. 8, 1951 | 63 | DePaul | 55 |
| Jan. 13, 1951 | 65 | Alabama | 48 |
| Jan. 15, 1951 | 69 | Notre Dame | 44 |
| Feb. 9, 1951 | 75 | Georgia Tech | 42 |
| Feb. 13, 1951 | 78 | Xavier | 51 |
| Feb. 17, 1951 | 86 | Tennessee | 61 |
| Feb. 23, 1951 | 88 | Georgia | 41 |
| Feb. 24, 1951 | 89 | Vanderbilt | 57 |
| Mar. 13, 1951 | 97 | Loyola of Chicago | 61 |
| Dec. 8, 1951 | 96 | Washington & Lee (Va.) | 46 |
| Dec. 17, 1951 | 81 | St. John's | 40 |
| Dec. 20, 1951 | 98 | DePaul | 60 |
| Dec. 26, 1951 | 84 | UCLA | 53 |
| Jan. 5, 1952 | 57 | Louisiana State | 47 |
| Jan. 7, 1952 | 83 | Xavier | 50 |
| Jan. 12, 1952 | 99 | Florida | 52 |
| Feb. 4, 1952 | 103 | Tulane | 54 |
| Feb. 6, 1952 | 81 | Mississippi | 61 |
| Feb. 9, 1952 | 93 | Georgia Tech | 42 |
| Feb. 11, 1952 | 110 | Mississippi State | 66 |
| Feb. 16, 1952 | 95 | Tennessee | 40 |
| Feb. 21, 1952 | 75 | Vanderbilt | 45 |
| Dec. 5, 1952 | 86 | Temple | 59 |
| Dec. 14, 1952 | 101 | Wake Forest | 69 |
| Dec. 21, 1952 | 85 | Duke | 69 |
| Dec. 22, 1952 | 73 | La Salle | 60 |
| Dec. 28, 1952 | 74 | Minnesota | 59 |
| Jan. 4, 1953 | 77 | Xavier | 71 |
| Jan. 9, 1953 | 105 | Georgia Tech | 53 |
| Jan. 11, 1953 | 81 | DePaul | 63 |
| Jan. 16, 1953 | 94 | Tulane | 43 |
| Feb. 4, 1953 | 106 | Georgia | 55 |
| Feb. 13, 1953 | 88 | Mississippi | 62 |
| Feb. 15, 1953 | 81 | Mississippi State | 49 |
| Feb. 18, 1953 | 90 | Tennessee | 63 |
| Feb. 22, 1953 | 100 | Vanderbilt | 64 |
| Dec. 4, 1953 | 74 | Louisiana State | 58 |
| Dec. 18, 1953 | 79 | Temple | 61 |
| Dec. 21, 1953 | 70 | Utah | 65 |
| Dec. 22, 1953 | 63 | La Salle | 54 |
| Dec. 30, 1953 | 82 | St. Louis | 65 |
NOTE: Kentucky was barred from playing competitive basketball during the 1952-53 season because of NCAA probation.
10. Bill Chambers' 51 rebounds in a single game (for William & Mary vs. Virginia on Feb. 14, 1953).
On This Date: Former College Hoopers Generating MLB Headlines on July 3
July 3rd, 2022 - 9:44
Extra! Extra! Instead of assessing how stupid former Show-Me State Senator "Air" Claire McCaskill and Odd Squad Congressional clown Cori Bush (security for me but not for thee) are to #MSLSD focus on January 6 U.S. Capitol confiscation of National Guard-rejecting Speaker #NannyPathetic's office ("prayer closet" owned by the people) rather than celebrating traditional Fourth of July, 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 couple of small-college players from Michigan - Roger Mason (Saginaw Valley State) and Jim Northrup (Alma) - made MLB news on this date. Ditto ex-SEC hoopers Ray Blemker (Georgia Tech), Harvey Hendrick (Vanderbilt), Mike Smithson (Tennessee) and Riggs Stephenson (Alabama). Unless you habitually pore over the content at baseballlibrary.com, baseballreference.com and nationalpastime.com, following is a July 3 calendar focusing on such versatile MLB athletes:
JULY 3
In 1960, LHP Ray Blemker (two-time All-SEC second-team guard led Georgia Tech in scoring each basketball season from 1956-57 through 1958-59) made his lone MLB appearance with the Kansas City Athletics.
Kansas City Athletics LF Bob Cerv (ranked fourth on Nebraska's career scoring list in 1949-50 when finishing his career) cracked a grand slam before P Herb Score settled down and fanned 14 in the Cleveland Indians' 8-4 triumph in 1959.
In 1994, the Cleveland Indians retired the uniform number of OF Larry Doby (reserve guard for Virginia Union's 1943 CIAA hoops titlist). Doby broke the A.L. color barrier in 1947.
Detroit Tigers 1B Darrell Evans (member of Jerry Tarkanian-coached Pasadena City CA club winning 1967 state community college crown) homered in third consecutive contest in 1986.
California Angels RHP Dave Frost (averaged 10.5 ppg and 4 rpg for Stanford from 1971-72 through 1973-74) tossed a four-hit shutout against the Oakland Athletics in 1979.
Cincinnati Reds 1B Harvey Hendrick (Vanderbilt hoops letterman in 1918) went 4-for-4 in a 4-2 win against the St. Louis Cardinals in 1932.
Cleveland Indians CF Kenny Lofton (Arizona's leader in steals for 1988 Final Four team compiling 35-3 record) went 4-for-4 against the Minnesota Twins in a 1994 game.
Boston Braves rookie CF Les Mann (Springfield MA hooper in 1913 and 1914) went 5-for-5 against the Brooklyn Superbas in a 1913 game.
RHP Roger Mason (multiple-year hoops letterman for Saginaw Valley State MI in late 1970s) traded by the San Diego Padres to the Philadelphia Phillies in 1993.
In the midst of smacking six homers in a six-game span in 1974, Detroit Tigers RF Jim Northrup (second-leading scorer and third-leading rebounder for Alma MI in 1958-59) deposited two balls over the outfield fence against the New York Yankees.
In 1956, Pittsburgh Pirates 2B Johnny O'Brien (two-time All-American with Seattle was first college player to crack 1,000-point plateau in single season by scoring 1,051 in 37 games in 1951-52) became the last N.L. position player in the 20th Century to earn a victory on the mound.
Philadelphia Phillies RHP Ron Reed (Notre Dame's leading rebounder in 1963-64 and 1964-65) permitted an earned run for the only time in a span of 14 relief appearances in 1976.
In 1949, Philadelphia Phillies RHP Robin Roberts (Michigan State's second-leading scorer in 1945-46 and 1946-47) tossed his third shutout in less than a month.
Montreal Expos RF Ken Singleton (Hofstra freshman hoops squad in mid-1960s) knocked in five runs in a 1973 game against his original team (New York Mets).
Minnesota Twins RHP Mike Smithson (teammate of Tennessee All-American Ernie Grunfeld averaged 1.9 ppg and 1.6 rpg under coach Ray Mears in 1974-75 and 1975-76) hurled a five-hit shutout against the Cleveland Indians in 1985. It was the first of five victories in as many decisions for him in July of this year.
Chicago Cubs LF Riggs Stephenson (Alabama hoops letterman in 1920) contributed five RBI against the St. Louis Cardinals in a 1928 contest. The next day, Stephenson supplied five hits against the Cards in the nightcap of a doubleheader.
Cleveland Indians 1B Jim Thome (played junior-college hoops for Illinois Central in 1988-89) clobbered a homer in his seventh consecutive contest in 2002. Eight years later as DH for the Minnesota Twins, he smacked two round-trippers in 2010 game against the Tampa Bay Rays.
Boston Red Sox rookie RHP Jim Wilson (hoops letterman for San Diego State's 1942 NAIA Tournament participant) tossed a five-hit shutout against the Detroit Tigers. The whitewash was first of four complete games for him during the month in 1945 when yielding fewer than two earned runs.
Tampa Devil Rays rookie OF Randy Winn (Santa Clara backcourtmate of eventual two-time NBA Most Valuable Player Steve Nash in 1993-94) went 4-for-4 against the Toronto Blue Jays in 1998. Eleven years later with the San Francisco Giants, Winn registered his sixth two-hit outing in a seven-game span in 2009.
Shatterproof: Loud and Proud NCAA Records Never to Be Duplicated (#10)
July 3rd, 2022 - 9:40
The NCAA Tournament commenced in 1939, which was one year after the NIT triggered national postseason competition. An overlooked "versatile athlete" feat occurring in 1938 that never will be duplicated took place at Arkansas, where the quarterback for the football squad (Jack Robbins) repeated as an All-SWC first-team basketball selection, leading the Razorbacks (19-3) to the SWC title. After the season, Robbins became an NFL first-round draft choice by the Chicago Cardinals (5th pick overall) and senior football/basketball teammates Jim Benton (11th pick) and Ray Hamilton (41st pick) went on to become wide receivers for at least six years in the NFL. Yes, three members of a league championship basketball squad promptly were among the top 41 selections in the NFL draft.
What are other school and individual records that never will come close to being matched, let along exceeded? CollegeHoopedia.com is acknowledging an "Untouchables" list regarding the ultimate team and individual standards of excellence. Records were made to be broken, but perhaps not always in our lifetime. Following is #10 in the celebration countdown of most illustrious NCAA achievements:
10. Bill Chambers' 51 rebounds in a single game (for William & Mary vs. Virginia on February 14, 1953).
Chambers, standing a mere 6-4, grabbed an NCAA-record 51 rebounds for William & Mary in a 105-84 victory against Virginia on Valentine's Day. He finished third in the nation as a senior in 1952-53 in retrieving missed shots with 21.8 rpg, finishing behind Fordham's Ed Conlin (23.5 rpg) and Seton Hall's Walter Dukes (22.2 rpg). Chambers, who passed away in 2017, later became his alma mater's all-time winningest coach in a nine-year coaching career with the Tribe from 1957-58 through 1965-66 (modest win total could be surpassed in 2012-13).
No individual has grabbed more than 35 rebounds in a single NCAA Division I game since Pacific's Keith Swagerty (39 vs. UC Santa Barbara) and East Tennessee State's Tommy Woods (38 vs. Middle Tennessee State) in 1964-65. None of the last 44 teams leading the nation in rebounding margin, averaging 42 rebounds per contest, posted as many as 51 caroms per outing. Following is the line score of Chambers' performance:
WILLIAM & MARY (105): Johnny Mahoney 5 6-11 16, Dick Savage 0 0-4 0, Dave Berry 1 1-2 3, Jerry Harris 10 0-1 20, Bill Chambers 16 5-6 37 51, Joe Hume 6 4-7 16, Lennie Drake 0 0-0 0, Bobby Hoitsma 4 5-6 13. Team 42 21-37 (.568) 105.
VIRGINIA (84): Mel Roach 2 2-5 6, Jerry Burlage 1 3-4 5, Dave Cooke 2 1-1 5, Lee Eschilson 6 1-5 13, Charlie Gamble 2 5-6 9, Buzzy Wilkinson 10 8-8 28, John Dohner 7 2-2 16, William Casey 1 0-0 2. Team 31 22-31 (.710) 84.
On This Date: Former College Hoopers Generating MLB Headlines on July 2
July 2nd, 2022 - 7:24
Extra! Extra! Instead of wondering how in hell Plagiarist Bidumb's America doesn't have baby formula but has COVID shots for infants (although FDA admits vaccines don't prevent virus and children stand statistical zero chance of serious illness from it), 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.
Former college hoopers Dale Alexander (Milligan TN), Carl Reynolds (Southwestern TX) and Dave Winfield (Minnesota) each hit multiple homers in a single American League game on this date. Ex-juco hoopers Tony Phillips (New Mexico Military), Gary Redus (Athens AL) joined Reynolds (Lon Morris TX) in also supplying outstanding offensive outputs in MLB outings. Unless you habitually pore over the content at baseballlibrary.com, baseballreference.com and nationalpastime.com, following is a July 2 calendar focusing on such versatile MLB athletes:
JULY 2
Milwaukee Braves 1B Joe Adcock (Louisiana State's leading basketball scorer in 1945-46) homered in his fourth consecutive contest in 1955.
Detroit Tigers rookie 1B Dale Alexander (starting hoops center in mid-1920s for Milligan TN) collected two homers and six RBI in a 10-4 win against the St. Louis Browns in 1929.
St. Louis Browns rookie RF Red Badgro (first-five hoops pick on All-Pacific Coast Conference team in 1926-27 as USC's MVP) went hitless for the only time in an 18-game game span from mid-June to mid-July in 1929.
INF Jack Barry (hoops letterman for Holy Cross in 1908) purchased from the Philadelphia Athletics by the Boston Red Sox in 1915.
Brooklyn Dodgers RHP Ray Benge (multi-year hoops letterman for Sam Houston State first half of 1920s) hurled a three-hit shutout against the Boston Braves in 1935.
CF Ken Berry (freshman hooper for Wichita in 1959-60) knocked in all of the California Angels' runs against 20-game winner Vida Blue in a 4-2 verdict over eventual World Series champion Oakland Athletics in 1973.
Pittsburgh Pirates 1B Donn Clendenon (four-sport letterman with Morehouse GA) went 4-for-4 against the San Francisco Giants in a 1964 game.
OF Larry Doby (reserve guard for Virginia Union's 1943 CIAA hoops titlist) signed with the Cleveland Indians in 1947, becoming the first black player in the A.L. and second in MLB history.
New York Yankees rookie LHP Al Downing (attended Muhlenberg PA on hoops scholarship but left before ever playing) hurled a one-hit shutout against the Chicago White Sox in 1963. Downing won his first four starts of the month, fanning at least 10 batters in each contest.
Montreal Expos rookie SS Rich Hacker (member of Southern Illinois' freshman basketball squad in 1965-66) stroked his lone MLB extra-base hit (double off Woodie Fryman) in nightcap of a 1971 doubleheader against the Philadelphia Phillies.
Texas Rangers rookie 1B Mike Hargrove (Northwestern Oklahoma State hoops letterman) went 4-for-4 against the Minnesota Twins in a 1974 contest.
LF Frank Howard (two-time All-Big Ten Conference first-team selection when he led Ohio State in scoring and rebounding in 1956-57 and 1957-58), CF Don Lock (led Wichita State in field-goal percentage in 1956-57 and 1957-58) and teammate Ken McMullen hit back-to-back-to-back homers in the sixth inning to power the Washington Senators to a 10-4 victory over the New York Yankees in 1966. Lock went 5-for-5.
SS Keith Kessinger (averaged 2.7 ppg for Mississippi in 1985-86 and 1986-87) purchased from the Baltimore Orioles by Cincinnati Reds in 1991.
Chicago Cubs 3B Davey Lopes (NAIA All-District 15 selection for Iowa Wesleyan averaged 16.9 ppg as freshman in 1964-65 and 12.1 ppg as sophomore in 1965-66 before transferring with his coach to Washburn KS and becoming All-CIC choice for 1968 NAIA Tournament team) delivered a game-winning homer in the bottom of the ninth inning against the Montreal Expos in 1986.
Los Angeles Dodgers LF Wally Moon (averaged 4.3 ppg with Texas A&M in 1948-49 and 1949-50) went 4-for-4 against the Pittsburgh Pirates in a 1960 game.
A two-run pinch homer by RF Bill Nicholson (Washington College MD hoops guard for two years in mid-1930s) propelled the Philadelphia Phillies to a 2-1 win against the Brooklyn Dodgers in 1952.
Detroit Tigers RHP Joe Niekro (averaged 8.9 ppg and 3.8 rpg for West Liberty WV from 1963-64 through 1965-66) had his no-hit bid ended in the ninth inning in a 5-0 triumph against the New York Yankees in 1970. Fifteen years later, Niekro posted his 200th career victory when the Houston Astros edged the San Diego Padres.
New York Giants RHP Roy Parmelee (hoops letterman for Eastern Michigan in 1924-25 and 1925-26) tossed a 1-0 shutout to beat the St. Louis Cardinals' Dizzy Dean in nightcap of 1933 doubleheader. Teammate Carl Hubbell hurled an 18-inning whitewash for the Giants in the opener.
Boston Red Sox LHP Gary Peters (Grove City PA hooper in mid-1950s) fired the second of back-to-back shutouts in 1970.
Anaheim Angels LF Tony Phillips (New Mexico Military juco hooper in 1977-78 as teammate of eventual Drake All-American Lewis Lloyd) banged out four hits in a 1997 contest against the Los Angeles Dodgers.
In 1983, OF Gary Redus (J.C. hooper for Athens AL and father of Centenary/South Alabama guard) ripped a leadoff homer for the second consecutive game against the Atlanta Braves. Seven years later as a Pittsburgh Pirates 1B, Redus extended his career-high hitting streak to 12 straight outings in 1990.
Chicago White Sox LF Carl Reynolds (Southwestern TX hoops MVP and captain in mid-1920s) manufactured five hits (including three homers), eight RBI and four runs scored in the nightcap of a 1930 twinbill against the New York Yankees.
Chicago White Sox C Leo Tankersley (Texas Christian hoops letterman in 1922-23 and 1923-24) appeared in his lone MLB game (against St. Louis Browns in 1925).
San Diego Padres OF Will Venable (All-Ivy League first-team selection as junior and second-team choice as senior averaged 9.3 ppg under Princeton coach John Thompson III from 2001-02 through 2004-05) whacked a decisive two-run pinch homer against the St. Louis Cardinals in the top of the 11th inning in 2015.
Fourth safety for LF John Wathan (averaged 3.7 ppg in 11 games for San Diego in 1968-69) knocked in the game-winning run in the bottom of the 10th inning of a 4-3 win against the Minnesota Twins in 1980.
San Diego Padres RF Dave Winfield (starting forward for Minnesota's first NCAA playoff team in 1972) went 5-for-5 with four RBI against the Los Angeles Dodgers in a 1980 contest. Two years later as a New York Yankees LF, Winfield smacked two homers against the Cleveland Indians, igniting a streak of six round-trippers in a six-game span in 1982.
Happy Birthday! Ex-College All-Americans & HOF Coaches Celebrating in July
July 1st, 2022 - 10:12
July 11 is the day to celebrate the most birthdays this month for former All-Americans including new LIU coach Rod Strickland. Two Indiana All-Americans were born on the same day this month (17th) but Oklahoma and UCLA have the most A-As born in July with four apiece. Harry Boykoff (St. John's) is celebrating #100 among the following birthdates in July for All-American players and Hall of Fame coaches:
JULY
1: All-Americans George Bon Salle (born in 1935/Illinois), Lee Guttero (1913/Southern California) and Art Quimby (1933/Connecticut).
2: All-Americans Bob Dille (1917/Valparaiso), Clark Kellogg (1961/Ohio State), Curtis Rowe (1949/UCLA) and Jon Sundvold (1961/Missouri).
3: All-Americans Derrick Chievous (1967/Missouri) and Charlie Sitton (1962/Oregon State) plus Hall of Fame coach John Kundla (1916/Minnesota).
4: All-Americans Harvey Grant (1965/Oklahoma), Horace Grant (1965/Clemson), Tony Guy (1959/Kansas) and Ed Koffenberger (1926/Duke) plus Hall of Fame coaches Henry "Doc" Carlson (1894/Pittsburgh), Howard Hobson (1903/Oregon and Yale) and Arad McCutchan (1912/Evansville).
5: All-American Eddie Miles (1940/Seattle).
6: All-Americans Jae Crowder (1990/Marquette) and Zion Williamson (2000/Duke).
7: All-Americans Myles Powell (1997/Seton Hall), Brandon Rush (1985/Kansas) and Ralph Sampson (1960/Virginia).
8: All-Americans Dave Sorenson (1948/Ohio State) and Hakim Warrick (1982/Syracuse).
9: All-Americans Jim Paxson (1957/Dayton) and Urgel "Slim" Wintermute (1917/Oregon).
10: All-Americans Chuck Chuckovits (1912/Toledo), Jared Dudley (1985/Boston College), Cliff Meely (1947/Colorado) and Kevin O'Shea (1925/Notre Dame) plus Hall of Fame coach Pete Carril (1930/Lehigh and Princeton).
11: All-Americans Lou Hudson (1944/Minnesota), Wesley Johnson (1987/Syracuse), Tony Lavelli (1926/Yale), Eduardo Najera (1976/Oklahoma), John Pilch (1925/Wyoming) and Rod Strickland (1966/DePaul).
12: All-American Paul Silas (1943/Creighton).
13: All-Americans Bob Kauffman (1946/Guilford NC), Frank Ramsey (1931/Kentucky) and David Thompson (1954/North Carolina State).
14: All-Americans Wallace "Wah Wah" Jones (1926/Kentucky), Shabazz Napier (1991/Connecticut), Lou Roe (1972/Massachusetts) and Bernard Toone (1956/Marquette).
15: All-Americans Damian Lillard (1990/Weber State), Allen Murphy (1952/Louisville), Khalid Reeves (1972/Arizona) and Richard Washington (1955/UCLA).
16: All-American Chris Mihm (1979/Texas).
17: All-Americans Calbert Cheaney (1971/Indiana), Johnny "Red" Kerr (1932/Illinois), Bob "Slick" Leonard (1932/Indiana) and Nick Werkman (1942/Seton Hall).
18: All-Americans Jerry Chambers (1943/Utah), Donnie Freeman (1944/Illinois), Anfernee "Penny" Hardaway (1971/Memphis State), York Larese (1938/North Carolina) and Wally Walker (1954/Virginia).
19: All-Americans Alvan Adams (1954/Oklahoma), LaMarcus Aldridge (1985/Texas), Alfredrick Hughes (1962/Loyola of Chicago) and Adam Morrison (1984/Gonzaga).
20: All-Americans Ray Allen (1975/Connecticut), Mel Daniels (1944/New Mexico), Roy Hamilton (1957/UCLA), Ron Johnson (1938/Minnesota) and Ben Simmons (1996/Louisiana State) plus Hall of Fame coach Chuck Daly (1930/Boston College and Penn).
21: All-American Fred Hetzel (1942/Davidson).
22: All-Americans Alva "Allie" Paine (1919/Oklahoma), Bobby Rascoe (1940/Western Kentucky), Alvin Robertson (1962/Arkansas) and Bryan Warrick (1959/St. Joseph's).
23: All-Americans Deandre Ayton (1998/Arizona), Antoine Carr (1961/Wichita State), Chris Clemons (1997/Campbell), Gary Payton (1968/Oregon State) and Brandon Roy (1984/Washington).
24: All-Americans Walt Bellamy (1939/Indiana), Harry Boykoff (1922/St. John's), Joe Barry Carroll (1958/Purdue), Karl Malone (1963/Louisiana Tech) and Charles "Cotton" Nash (1942/Kentucky).
25: All-Americans Nolan Smith (1988/Duke), Kenny Thomas (1977/New Mexico) and Nate Thurmond (1941/Bowling Green State).
26: All-Americans Gary Bradds (1942/Ohio State), Walker Kessler (2001/Auburn), Todd Mitchell (1966/Purdue), Joe Smith (1975/Maryland), Earl Tatum (1953/Marquette) and Delonte West (1983/St. Joseph's).
27: All-Americans Marvin Barnes (1952/Providence) and James Ray (1957/Jacksonville).
28: All-Americans Bill Bradley (1943/Princeton) and Doug Collins (1951/Illinois State).
29: All-Americans Dick Boushka (1934/St. Louis), Arnie Ferrin (1925/Utah), Mike McGee (1959/Michigan), Ansu Sesay (1976/Mississippi) and Neal Walk (1948/Florida).
30: All-Americans Bill Cartwright (1957/San Francisco), John Green (1940/UCLA), Chris Mullin (1963/St. John's) and Kevin Pittsnogle (1984/West Virginia).
31: All-American Walt Torrence (1937/UCLA).
Birthdays in January for All-Americans and Hall of Fame Coaches
Birthdays in February for All-Americans and Hall of Fame Coaches
Birthdays in March for All-Americans and Hall of Fame Coaches
Birthdays in April for All-Americans and Hall of Fame Coaches
Birthdays in May for All-Americans and Hall of Fame Coaches
Birthdays in June for All-Americans and Hall of Fame Coaches
Birthdays in July for All-Americans and Hall of Fame Coaches
Birthdays in August for All-Americans and Hall of Fame Coaches
Birthdays in September for All-Americans and Hall of Fame Coaches
Birthdays in October for All-Americans and Hall of Fame Coaches
Birthdays in November for All-Americans and Hall of Fame Coaches
Birthdays in December for All-Americans and Hall of Fame Coaches
On This Date: Former College Hoopers Generating MLB Headlines on July 1
July 1st, 2022 - 10:03
Extra! Extra! Instead of dwelling on Plagiarist Bidumb/Cacklin' Kamala gang that can't shoot straight as useless as menstrual product dispenser in boys' bathrooms in Oregon, 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.
Former college hoopers Frank Howard (Ohio State), Buddy Myer (Mississippi State) and Irv Noren (Pasadena City Community College) each supplied multiple extra-base hits in a single game for the Washington Senators on this date. Unless you habitually pore over the content at baseballlibrary.com, baseballreference.com and nationalpastime.com, following is a July 1 calendar focusing on such versatile MLB athletes:
JULY 1
Chicago Cubs rookie 2B Glenn Beckert (three-year basketball letterman for Allegheny PA) belted two homers against the Los Angeles Dodgers in a 1965 game.
Pittsburgh Pirates LF Carson "Skeeter" Bigbee (Oregon hoops letterman in 1915) collected four hits against the St. Louis Cardinals in a 1919 contest.
Brooklyn Dodgers RHP Roger Craig (forward with North Carolina State's 1949-50 freshman hoops team) collected his sixth straight win in 1956 (4-1 nod over Philadelphia Phillies).
In 1943, Chicago White Sox LF Guy Curtright (two-time All-MIAA selection led Northeast Missouri State in scoring each of four seasons in early 1930s) set a MLB rookie record (subsequently broken) with a 26-game hitting streak as a 30-year-old newcomer in his only season as a regular.
Boston Red Sox C Gene Desautels (Holy Cross hoops letterman in 1929 and 1930) contributed three hits and four runs against the Philadelphia Athletics in a 1938 game.
Cleveland Indians CF Larry Doby (reserve guard for Virginia Union's 1943 CIAA hoops titlist) walked five times in a 19-inning, 4-3 victory against the St. Louis Browns in 1952.
C-OF Joe Ferguson (hooper for Pacific's 1967 NCAA playoff team) traded by the Houston Astros with cash to the Los Angeles Dodgers in 1978.
St. Louis Cardinals 2B Frankie Frisch (Fordham hoops captain) scored four runs for the first of two times in a three-game span in 1930.
In his first game back following four years serving in the U.S. military during WWII, Detroit Tigers LF Hank Greenberg (enrolled at NYU on hoops scholarship in 1929 but attended college only one semester) pounded a homer against the Philadelphia Athletics in a 1945 contest.
2B Howdy Groskloss (five-sport participant voted most outstanding Amherst MA athlete of first half of 20th Century) scored the Pittsburgh Pirates' first run in a 4-1 win against the Boston Braves in 1931 but had his only hitless outing in a 12-game span from June 27 to July 11.
Washington Senators LF Frank Howard (two-time All-Big Ten Conference first-team selection in 1956-57 and 1957-58 when leading Ohio State in scoring and rebounding) homered in both ends of a 1969 doubleheader sweep of the Detroit Tigers.
Cleveland Indians LF "Sweet" Lou Johnson (Kentucky State hoops teammate of legendary coach Davey Whitney averaged 5.7 ppg and 2 rpg in 1951-52) whacked back-to-back homers against the Minnesota Twins in 1968.
Cleveland Indians CF Kenny Lofton (Arizona's leader in steals for 1988 Final Four team compiling 35-3 record) provided three hits and three stolen bases against the Milwaukee Brewers in a 1998 game.
Boston Red Sox 3B Buddy Myer (Mississippi State hoops letterman in 1923-24) supplied multiple hits in seventh consecutive contest, including three extra-base safeties in the opener of a 1928 twinbill against the Washington Senators. Eleven years later as a 2B with the Senators, Myer went 4-for-4 against the Philadelphia Athletics in a 1939 contest.
Atlanta Braves rookie RHP Gary Neibauer (collected 13 points and 9 rebounds in 16 games for Nebraska in 1964-65 under coach Joe Cipriano) won his first MLB decision after hurling a 1-2-3 top of the 10th inning against the Cincinnati Reds in 1969.
Washington Senators CF Irv Noren (hooper of year for California community college state champion Pasadena City in 1945) collected a homer and two doubles but his output wasn't enough to prevent a 1951 doubleheader loss against the Philadelphia Athletics. The extra-base hits triggered a streak of four games in a row with three safeties.
RHP Elmer Ponder (Oklahoma hoops letterman in 1914 and 1916) traded by the Pittsburgh Pirates to the Chicago Cubs in 1921.
St. Louis Cardinals LF Rip Repulski (occasional hoops starter for St. Cloud State MN in 1946-47) ripped a pair of homers in 1955 contest against the Chicago Cubs.
St. Louis Cardinals rookie C Dave Ricketts (three-year starter led Duquesne in scoring senior season with 17.9 ppg in 1956-57) contributed a career-high three hits against the New York Mets in a 1967 game.
OF Dave Robertson (one of two reserves on North Carolina State's first basketball team in 1911) traded by the Chicago Cubs to Pittsburgh Pirates in 1921.
Brooklyn Dodgers LHP Joe Shaute (hooper for Mansfield PA in early 1920s) posted his seventh victory in a two-month span in 1931.
Montreal Expos RF Ken Singleton (Hofstra freshman hoops squad in mid-1960s) homered in both ends of a 1973 doubleheader against the Pittsburgh Pirates.
LHP Paul Splittorff (runner-up in scoring and rebounding for Morningside IA in 1967-68) retired in 1984. His 166 victories in 13 seasons are the most in Kansas City Royals history.
Against All-American Odds: Winners as Players Become Losers as DI Mentors
June 30th, 2022 - 18:16
Beyond possibly paying blow-a-hole-in-your-budget buyout, it shouldn't have been a surprise Danny Manning departed Wake Forest two years ago minus manufacturing a miracle. He compiled an anemic 30-80 ACC record in six seasons as head coach of the Demon Deacons. History is demonic for numerous former All-Americans showing they rarely measure up as bench bosses. For instance, Patrick Ewing, who won more than 84% of his games as celebrated center with Georgetown the first half of the 1980s (121-23 record) assumed control of coaching position at his alma mater five years ago with an impressive player pedigree as four-time All-American. But the odds are staggering against Ewing compiling a higher winning percentage as a bench boss than he did as premium player after the Hoyas went winless in Big East Conference competition last season. He would need to supplant UCLA's John Wooden (.808) atop the coaching list in this category. Coincidentally, Wooden assembled the same winning percentage as an A-A player with Purdue as Ewing did for the Hoyas.
The odds of succeeding on Long Island's sideline are also remote for former DePaul A-A Rod Strickland, who has zero experience as a college head coach when hired by LIU. It's the same amount of experience Penny Hardaway had when hired by his alma mater four seasons ago. But commercial comrade Lil' Penny could lounge in a Memphis Mafia sideline chair and assemble a better differential at Big Penny's alma mater than St. John's luminary Chris Mullin regarding winning percentage as a A-A player compared to coaching acumen. Mullin's winning percentage in his four seasons as coach of alma mater was 31.9% lower than as a player (comparable to Ewing's -39.3% and Manning's -31.6%). Other All-Americans who posted significantly worst winning percentages as a DI coach than as a player include Sidney Moncrief (69.3% lower), Bo Ellis (-67.1%), Corliss Williamson (-52.2%), Tony Yates (-50.9%), Juan Dixon (-50%), Jim Jarvis (-48.3%), Mark Macon (-48.2%), Clyde Drexler (-46.6%), Butch Beard (-45.7%), Isiah Thomas (-44.8%), Monte Towe (-44.6%), Henry Bibby (-44.1%), Donyell Marshall (-41.8%), Jerry Stackhouse (-39.3%) and Jason Gardner (-37.9%).
Strickland faces an uphill battle as a bench boss resembling Hardaway's 31-point defeat with Tigers against Cincinnati in 1992 regional final. Indiana's Branch McCracken, who directed the Hoosiers to NCAA tourney titles in 1940 and 1953, is the only one of the first 66 All-Americans who became major-college mentors to finish his coaching career compiling a higher winning percentage as coach. Fifty-three of the 66 A-As won in excess of 2/3 of their college games, but more than half of them compiled losing marks as bench boss. Dave Schellhase is the only A-A to compile a losing record as a player (Purdue) and coach (Indiana State). Hardaway has the best chance by far of any current coach to eventually join McCracken in rare-air category among the following alphabetical list of All-American players posting winning career records as a DI mentor:
All-American (School; Winning % as Player) Coaching Career Summary (Winning % at DI Level) *Steve Alford (Indiana 84-87; .724) Southwest Missouri State 96-99/Iowa 00-07/New Mexico 08-13/UCLA 14-19/Nevada 20-22 (.653) *Tommy Amaker (Duke 84-87; .783) Seton Hall 98-01/Michigan 02-07 /Harvard 08-22 (.603) Forrest "Whitey" Baccus (SMU 33-35; .580) Southern Methodist 39-42, 46 & 47 (.437) Alfred "Butch" Beard (Louisville 67-69; .783) Howard 91-94/Morgan State 02-06 (.326) Henry Bibby (UCLA 70-72; .967) Southern California 96-05 (.526) Charles "Tub" Bradley (Wyoming 78-81; .616) Loyola Marymount 98-00 (.244) Gary Brokaw (Notre Dame 73 & 74; .746) Iona 87-91 (.493) Bob Calihan (Detroit 38-40; .714) Detroit 49-69 (.559) Ernie Calverley (Rhode Island State 43-46; .807) Rhode Island 58-68 (.552) Tom Churchill (Oklahoma 28-30; .725) New Mexico 31-33 (.627) Jimmy Collins (New Mexico State 68-70; .841) Illinois-Chicago 97-10 (.512) Bob Cousy (Holy Cross 47-50; .839) Boston College 64-69 (.750) Howie Dallmar (Stanford 42 & 43/Penn 45; .714) Penn 49-54/Stanford 55-75 (.534) *Johnny Dawkins (Duke 83-86; .714) Stanford 09-16/UCF 17-22 (.589) *Juan Dixon (Maryland 99-02; .780) Coppin State 18-22 (.280) Clyde Drexler (Houston 81-83; .794) Houston 99 & 00 (.328) Maurice "Bo" Ellis (Marquette 74-77; .849) Chicago State 99-03 (.178) *Patrick Ewing (Georgetown 82-85; .840) Georgetown 18-22 (.447) Larry Finch (Memphis State 71-73; .750) Memphis State 87-97 (.629) Jason Gardner (Arizona 00-03; .787) IUPUI 15-19 (.408) Tom Gola (La Salle 52-55; .856) La Salle 69 & 70 (.740) Jack Gray (Texas 33-35; .765) Texas 37-42 & 46-51 (.667) Sidney Green (UNLV 80-83; .719) Florida Atlantic 00-05 (.309) *Anfernee "Penny" Hardaway (Memphis State 92 & 93; .652) Memphis 19-22 (.664) Clem Haskins (Western Kentucky 65-67; .851) Western Kentucky 81-86/Minnesota 87-99 (.585) Walt Hazzard (UCLA 62-64; .773) UCLA 85-88 (.621) *Juwan Howard (Michigan 92-94; .784) Michigan 20-22 (.656) *Bobby Hurley Jr. (Duke 90-93; .821) Buffalo 14 & 15/Arizona State 16-22 (.571) Jim Jarvis (Oregon State 63-65; .733) Idaho 75-78 (.250) Ed "Moose" Krause (Notre Dame 32-34; .818) Holy Cross 40-42/Notre Dame 43, 44 & 47-51 (.637) Mark Macon (Temple 88-91; .729) Binghamton 10-12 (.247) Kyle Macy (Kentucky 76 & 78-80; .752) Morehead State 98-06 (.424) *Mark Madsen (Stanford 97-00; .814) Utah Valley 20-22 (.500) Danny Manning (Kansas 85-88; .769) Tulsa 13 & 14/Wake Forest 15-20 (.453) Donyell Marshall (Connecticut 92-94; .696) Central Connecticut State 17-21 (.278) Willie McCarter (Drake 67-69; .646) Detroit 80-82 (.407) John McCarthy (Canisius 54-56; .622) Canisius 75-77 (.364) E. "Branch" McCracken (Indiana 28-30; .588) Indiana 39-43 & 47-65 (.677) Banks McFadden (Clemson 38-40; .603) Clemson 47-56 (.394) Sidney Moncrief (Arkansas 76-79; .836) UALR 00 (.143) Chris Mullin (St. John's 82-85; .766) St. John's 16-19 (.447) Jeff Mullins (Duke 62-64; .849) UNC Charlotte 86-96 (.562) Jim O'Brien (Boston College 69-71; .641) St. Bonaventure 83-86/Boston College 87-97/Ohio State 98-04 (.547) John Oldham (Western Kentucky 43 & 47-49; .887) Tennessee Tech 56-64/Western Kentucky 65-71 (.679) Barry Parkhill (Virginia 71-73; .620) William & Mary 84-87 (.387) Mark Price (Georgia Tech 83-86; .675) Charlotte 16-18 (.417) Jeff Ruland (Iona 78-80; .773) Iona 99-07 (.507) Tom "Satch" Sanders (NYU 58-60; .662) Harvard 74-77 (.430) Dave Schellhase (Purdue 64-66; .444) Indiana State 83-85 (.435) Harv Schmidt (Illinois 55-57; .742) Illinois 68-74 (.536) Frank Selvy (Furman 52-54; .738) Furman 67-70 (.427) John Shumate (Notre Dame 73 & 74; .746) Southern Methodist 89-95 (.398) Bob Spessard (Washington & Lee VA 36-38; .762) Washington & Lee VA 49 (.455) *Jerry Stackhouse (North Carolina 94 & 95; .812) Vanderbilt 20-22 (.419) *Damon Stoudamire (Arizona 92-95; .800) Pacific 17-21 (.479) Rod Strickland (DePaul 86-88; .739) Long Island 23 (TBD) Isiah Thomas (Indiana 80 & 81; .734) Florida International 10-12 (.286) John Thompson Jr. (Providence 62-64; .800) Georgetown 73-99 (.714) Monte Towe (North Carolina State 73-75; .919) New Orleans 02-06 (.473) *Darrell Walker (Arkansas 81-83; .802) UALR 19-22 (.443) Lou Watson (Indiana 47-50; .607) Indiana 66-69 & 71 (.508) Paul Westphal (Southern California 70-72; .744) Pepperdine 02-06 (.517) Corliss Williamson (Arkansas 93-95; .817) Central Arkansas 11-13 (.295) John Wooden (Purdue 30-32; .840) UCLA 49-75 (.808) *Mike Woodson (Indiana 77-80; .655) Indiana 22 (.600) Tony Yates (Cincinnati 61-63; .921) Cincinnati 84-89 (.412) *Active coaches.
Men For All Seasons: College Hoopers Flourishing in Formative Years of CWS
June 30th, 2022 - 9:49
Long before cancel-culture mob and the ping was the electronic thing, college cagers brought their electrifying Hoop Dreams to the eclectic Field of Dreams in Omaha. For instance, Lowell "Lefty" Davis averaged 19.3 ppg as an All-ACC basketball selection for the second of three times before the lefthander hurled a shutout in the NCAA College World Series for 1955 baseball champion Wake Forest. The next year, hoops regular Jerry Kindall hit for the cycle with eventual kingpin Minnesota against Ole Miss before eventually coaching Arizona to three CWS titles in an 11-year span (1976-80-86). In 1959, CF Doug Hoffman became an All-CWS choice as Clemson's leader in triples (5), homers (4) and walks (33) after finishing runner-up for the Tigers' basketball squad in scoring for the second straight season. In 1973, Southern California hoops backup Jeff Reinke retired the final 11 Arizona State batters as lefthanded reliever earned a save in 4-3 title-tilt win.
Among the eventual big leaguers selected to an All-CWS Team (started in 1958) after also competing as college hoopers were Sonny Siebert (Missouri in 1958), Bob Garibaldi (Santa Clara in 1962), Gary Holman (Southern California in 1963), Bill Davis (Minnesota in 1964), Gary Sutherland (Southern California in 1964), Steve Arlin (Ohio State in 1965 and 1966), Dave Winfield (Minnesota in 1973), Lyle Mouton (Louisiana State in 1990 and 1991) and Ryan Minor (Oklahoma in 1994). Siebert, a 12-year MLB pitcher, also played 1B for Mizzou, hitting three triples in six postseason games for CWS runner-up. Holman hammered homer in title tilt against Arizona and Mouton smacked two round-trippers for eventual champion LSU in 1991 CWS opener against Florida.
Siebert (16.7 ppg) and 1B Minor (23.6 ppg in 1995) were team-leading scorers for basketball squad before reaching CWS the same year. A striking number of individuals on CWS rosters joined them in this exclusive category from non-titlist teams - 11 in a 10-year span from 1949 through 1958 - including Arizona State P Chris Beasley (18.3 in 1984), Washington State P Gene Conley (13.3 in 1950), Lafayette P Preston Denby (16.9 in 1965), Northern Colorado's Fred Diehl (16.2 in 1957), Massachusetts INF Ray Ellerbrook (18 in 1969), Ole Miss P Joe Gibbon (22.1 in 1956), Maine 1B Gordon "John" Gillette (18.6 in 1964), Duke SS Dick Groat (26 in 1952), Texas 1B Tom Hamilton (15.1 in 1950), Oklahoma 1B Bobby Jack (16.5 in 1972), Princeton's Michael Kearns (13.7 in 1951), Ole Miss SS Don Kessinger (23.5 in 1964), Rollins (Fla.) 1B Bob MacHardy (14 in 1954), New Hampshire INF Frances "Frank" McLaughlin (19.9 in 1956), Missouri INF Bob Price (19.6 in 1964), Arizona 1B Hadie Redd (13.6 in 1955), Southern California OF-3B Bill Sharman (15.9 in 1949), Iowa State SS Gary Thompson (20.7 in 1957) and Southern California INF John Werhas (14.8 in 1960).
Hamilton is among three of the first four individuals earning the NCAA College World Series Most Outstanding Player award who were also basketball players for the school. Following are athletic achievement summaries during the school year in question for this trio plus versatile performers Garibaldi and Winfield in the ultimate hoops regular/CWS MOP category:
| Year | CWS MOP | College | Pos. | School Year Summary for Multi-Sport Athlete |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1949 | Tom Hamilton | Texas | 1B | #2 scorer for 17-7 hoops team before contributing home run and four RBI in CWS title-game victory against Wake Forest |
| 1950 | Ray Van Cleef | Rutgers | OF | averaged 2.8 ppg for 13-15 hoops team before going 7-for-9 in first two CWS outings for eventual 3rd-place finisher |
| 1952 | Jim O'Neill | Holy Cross | P | averaged 6.2 ppg for 24-4 NIT participant before 6-5 righthander tossed three CWS complete-game wins, striking out nine in championship contest |
| 1962 | Bob Garibaldi | Santa Clara | P | #2 scorer/rebounder for 19-6 hoops team before workhorse fanned 38 batters while appearing in five of six CWS games (27 2/3 innings after hurling eight frames in relief in 15-inning final-game loss against Michigan) |
| 1973 | Dave Winfield | Minnesota | OF-P | averaged 10.5 ppg and 6.1 rpg for 21-5 hoops team before eventual HOF outfielder fanned 29 batters in two pitching starts (14 vs. Oklahoma and 15 vs. USC) with club tying for third-place finish; in perhaps the most amazing game in CWS history, Winfield allowed only an infield single through eight innings before defending champion Trojans erased 7-0 deficit with eight runs in ninth frame |
Lefthander Cal Emery, MOP for Penn State's 1957 runner-up, played in three basketball games with the Nittany Lions in 1957-58. Arlin, described as the "greatest one-man show ever seen in the CWS," was MOP in 1966 but didn't play basketball that year. Joining him, B. Davis, L. Davis, Hamilton, Holman, Kindall, Minor, Mouton, O'Neill, Reinke and Sutherland among former major-college hooper members of CWS champions were INF Brett Casey (Oregon State '06/RS and '07), CF Archie Clark (Minnesota '64), SS Roger Detter (Arizona '67 and '69), OF Alan Druskin (Minnesota '64), INF Don Eaddy (Michigan '53), C Lloyd Elmore (Missouri '54), P Brian Heublein (Southern California '73), P Pete Hillman (Southern California '63), P Phil Mendelson (Wichita State '89), 1B Ray Pavichevich (Michigan '53), P Ron Perry Sr. (Holy Cross '52), CF Charley Pugsley (Oklahoma '51), P Kendall Rhine Jr. (Georgia '90), SS Earl Robinson (California '57), INF Bob Schoonmaker (Missouri '54), OF Bernie Simpson (California '57), P Dick Soergel (Oklahoma State '59), P George Sterling (California '57), P Norm Stewart (Missouri '54), C Lew Wade (Oklahoma State '59), Werhas (Southern California '58) and LF Frank Womack (Texas '49 and '50).
Minor, a third baseman with the Baltimore Orioles when replacing Cal Ripken Jr. in lineup on September 20, 1998, ending Hall of Famer's MLB record of 2,632 consecutive contests, isn't the last hooper of significance to also be on roster of a College World Series team in the same school year. That individual is Rice's Derek Michaelis, a backup 1B who went 4-for-11 in six games in 1999 after the 6-7 lefthander averaged 6.7 ppg and 5.4 rpg as a sophomore for the Owls' basketball squad. Michaelis became a 15th-round MLB draft pick in 2000 prior to hitting .249 with 51 homers and 237 RBI as a Los Angeles Dodgers' farmhand in six minor-league seasons, playing briefly at Triple A level with Las Vegas in 2004 and 2005.
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