On This Date: Former College Hoopers Generating MLB Headlines on April 28

Extra! Extra! As season shifts into high gear, you can read news about memorable major league baseball achievements, moments and transactions involving former college basketball players. Numerous ex-college hoopers had front-row seats to many of the most notable games and dates in MLB history.

Former Texas A&M hoopers Davey Johnson and Wally Moon delivered significant MLB offensive performances on this date. Baseball is portrayed as a thinking man's game but only 4% of active MLB players earned college diplomas. Unless you habitually pore over the content at baseballlibrary.com, baseballreference.com and nationalpastime.com, following is an April 28 calendar focusing on such versatile MLB athletes:

APRIL 28

  • Oakland Athletics RHP Ray Burris (baseball-basketball standout in Southwestern Oklahoma State Hall of Fame) hurled a four-hit shutout against the Minnesota Twins in 1984.

  • In 1966, CF Billy Cowan (co-captain of Utah's 1960 NCAA playoff team) traded by the Atlanta Braves to the Chicago Cubs for cash and 3B Bobby Cox, who went on to become one of MLB's all-time winningest managers with the Braves.

  • Cincinnati Reds 1B George Crowe (four-year letterman from 1939-40 through 1942-43 for Indiana Central after becoming first high school player named state's Mr. Basketball) collected two homers and five RBI against the Chicago Cubs in a 1956 game.

  • In 1928, St. Louis Cardinals CF Taylor Douthit (California hoops letterman from 1922 through 1924) collected four hits against the Chicago Cubs, giving him 13 safeties over a four-game span.

  • California Angels RHP Dave Frost (averaged 10.5 ppg and 4 rpg for Stanford from 1971-72 through 1973-74) fired a six-hit shutout against the Boston Red Sox in 1979.

  • San Diego Padres RF Tony Gwynn (All-WAC second-team selection with San Diego State in 1979-80 and 1980-81) collected five hits in a 7-3 victory over the Chicago Cubs in 1998, registering the ninth game of at least five hits in his career.

  • Chicago Cubs 1B Jim Hickman (freshman hooper for Ole Miss in 1955-56) hammered a three-run homer in each of his first two plate appearances in 10-8 win against World Series-bound Cincinnati Reds in 1972.

  • Baltimore Orioles 2B Davey Johnson (averaged 1.7 ppg with Texas A&M in 1961-62) hit safely in first 17 games of the 1971 campaign (career-high).

  • RF Jerry Martin (1971 Southern Conference MVP after he was Furman's runner-up in scoring the previous season) accounted for all of the Philadelphia Phillies' offense with a three-run homer in a 3-2 victory against the San Diego Padres in 1978.

  • In 1960, Los Angeles Dodgers OF Wally Moon (averaged 4.3 ppg with Texas A&M in 1948-49 and 1949-50) manufactured three hits in his third consecutive contest.

  • INF Tim Nordbrook (hoops letterman in 1968-69 for Loyola LA) traded by the Toronto Blue Jays to the Milwaukee Brewers in 1978.

  • 1B-OF Bud Sharpe (Penn State hoops letterman in 1902) traded by the Pittsburgh Pirates to Boston Doves in 1910.

  • RHP Sonny Siebert (team-high 16.7 ppg for Mizzou in 1957-58 as All-Big Eight Conference second-team selection) defeated the Angels, 2-1, as the Cleveland Indians tied a MLB record by winning their first 10 contests of the 1966 season.

  • Baltimore Orioles RF Ken Singleton (Hofstra freshman hoops team in mid-1960s) grounded into a double play against the Chicago White Sox to snap his streak of 10 consecutive safeties in 1981.

  • Utilityman Roe Skidmore (scored 41 points for Millikin IL in game against Illinois College on 1-28-66) shipped by Chicago White Sox to Cincinnati Reds in 1972 to complete a deal made the previous month.

  • Washington Senators RHP Dick Such (averaged 8.9 ppg and 7.4 rpg in 1964-65 and 10.5 ppg and 6.9 rpg in 1965-66 for Elon) posted his lone MLB victory (against Milwaukee Brewers in 1970).

  • Pittsburgh Pirates LHP Bob Veale (scored 1,160 points for Benedictine KS from 1955-56 through 1957-58) fired his second three-hit shutout of the month in 1965.

  • New York Yankees rookie RF Sammy Vick (three-sport athlete for Millsaps MS) scored game-winning run in the bottom of 12th inning after his second triple in a 3-2 triumph against the Philadelphia Athletics in 1919.

  • Toronto Blue Jays DH Dave Winfield (starting forward for Minnesota's first NCAA playoff team in 1972) smacked two homers against the California Angels in a 1992 outing.

Road Well-Traveled: Mississippi State is 12th Pitstop For Nomadic Chris Jans

Seems as if it took a vagabond to know one. When Tim Jankovich joined Larry Brown at Southern Methodist as coach-in-waiting before moving over one chair to become bench boss, it paired two wanderlust mentors. Now that Jankovich has retired, Florida A&M pilot Bobby McCullum is the only active coach to pack his suitcase as often for so many moves.

It is a battle of nomads when SEC head coaches Eric Musselman (Arkansas) and Buzz Williams (Texas A&M) oppose each other. Louisiana Tech's Talvin Hester (eight) and Texas' Chris Beard) (seven) have toiled for numerous different universities in the state. New Evansville bench boss David Ragland is at his ninth college despite tender age of 40. But Ragland didn't join Hester (total of 11 different schools) among the following list of active head coaches working for a total of at least 10 different junior colleges, four-year universities and NBA franchises in a coaching capacity (listed chronologically):

Bobby McCullum (13) - South Alabama, Samford, Southern Illinois, Kansas State, Florida, Illinois, *Western Michigan, *South Florida, San Francisco, UCF, Georgia Tech, Oregon and *Florida A&M.

Chris Jans (12) - Elmhurst College (Ill.), Grand View College (Iowa), *Kirkwood (Iowa), *Independence (Kan.), Idaho, *Howard (Tex.), *Chipola (Fla.), Illinois State, Wichita State, *Bowling Green, *New Mexico State and *Mississippi State.

Talvin Hester (11) - North Lake College (Tex.), Texas Wesleyan, Texas College, Prairie View A&M, San Jose State, Stephen F. Austin, Texas State, Houston, Oral Roberts, *Louisiana Tech and Texas Tech.

Chris Beard (10) - *Texas, Incarnate Word (Tex.), Abilene Christian (Tex.), North Texas, *Fort Scott (Kan.), *Seminole State (Fla.), *Texas Tech, *McMurry (Tex.), *Angelo State (Tex.) and *UALR.

Lance Irvin (10) - Idaho, DePaul, Loyola of Chicago, Iowa State, Illinois State, Texas A&M, Missouri, SMU, Southern Illinois and *Chicago State.

Ritchie McKay (10) - Washington, Queens College (N.C.), Seattle Pacific, Bradley, *Portland State, *Colorado State, *Oregon State, *New Mexico, *Liberty and Virginia.

Eric Musselman** (10) - Minnesota Timberwolves, Orlando Magic, Atlanta Hawks, *Golden State Warriors, Memphis Grizzlies, *Sacramento Kings, Arizona State, Louisiana State, *Nevada and *Arkansas.

Desmond Oliver (10) - Niagara, Texas A&M, Cornell, St. Bonaventure, Rhode Island, Georgia, Canisius, Charlotte, Tennessee and *East Tennessee State.

Pat Skerry (10) - Tufts (Mass.), Stonehill (Mass.), *Curry (Mass.), Northeastern, William & Mary, College of Charleston, Rhode Island, Providence, Pittsburgh and *Towson.

Buzz Williams (10) - Navarro (Tex.), Oklahoma City, Texas-Arlington, Texas A&M-Kingsville, Northwestern State, Colorado State, *Texas A&M, *New Orleans, *Marquette and *Virginia Tech.

*Worked for team as head coach.
**Musselman also coached five different minor-league professional franchises.

On This Date: Former College Hoopers Generating MLB Headlines on April 27

Extra! Extra! As a new season shifted into high gear, you can read news all about memorable major league baseball achievements, moments and transactions involving former college basketball players! Numerous ex-college hoopers had front-row seats to many of the most notable games and dates in MLB history.

Former college hoopers Bill Almon (Brown), Lou Boudreau (Illinois), Walt Dropo (Connecticut), Tony Gwynn (San Diego State), Gil Hodges (St. Joseph's IN/Oakland City IN), David Justice (Thomas More KY), Vance Law (Brigham Young), Ken Singleton (Hofstra) and Roy Smalley Jr. (Drury MO) supplied multiple extra-base hits in MLB games on this date. Baseball is portrayed as a thinking man's game but only 4% of active MLB players earned college diplomas. Unless you habitually pore over the content at baseballlibrary.com, baseballreference.com and nationalpastime.com, following is an April 27 calendar focusing on such versatile MLB athletes:

APRIL 27

  • Pittsburgh Pirates SS Bill Almon (averaged 2.5 ppg in half a season for Brown's 1972-73 basketball team ending school's streak of 12 straight losing records) supplied three extra-base hits in a 13-5 victory against the Philadelphia Phillies in 1986.

  • Cleveland Indians SS Lou Boudreau (leading scorer for Illinois' 1937 Big Ten Conference co-champion) blasted two homers in a 4-2 victory against the Detroit Tigers in 1940 game.

  • Minnesota Twins 3B John Castino (medical redshirt for Rollins FL in 1973-74 under coach Ed Jucker) contributed four hits and four RBI in 20-11 victory against the Oakland Athletics in 1980.

  • Two NBA players - Gene Conley of the Boston Celtics and Dave DeBusschere of the New York Knicks - opposed each other as RHPs in 1963. Conley (All-PCC first-team selection led North Division in scoring in 1949-50 as Washington State sophomore) hurled 4-plus innings as starter for the Boston Red Sox while DeBusschere (three-time All-American for Detroit from 1959-60 through 1961-62) relieved for 2/3 of the fourth inning with the Chicago White Sox.

  • First MLB hit for INF Pat Crawford (Davidson hoops captain in early 1920s) was a pinch homer for the New York Giants in a 1929 game against the Boston Braves.

  • Chicago White Sox 1B Walt Dropo (first player in Connecticut history to average 20 ppg in single season with 21.7 in 1942-43) homered twice and scored four runs in a 1955 outing against the New York Yankees.

  • San Diego Padres RF Tony Gwynn (All-WAC second-team selection with San Diego State in 1979-80 and 1980-81) smacked two homers in a 6-4 victory against the San Francisco Giants in 1986.

  • Baltimore Orioles RHP Dick Hall (averaged 13.5 ppg from 1948-49 through 1950-51 for Swarthmore PA Middle Atlantic States Conference Southern Division champions) hurled a two-hit shutout against the Washington Senators in 1961.

  • 1B Mike Hargrove (Northwestern Oklahoma State hoops letterman) stroked a bases-loaded double in the top of the 19th inning to spark the Cleveland Indians to an 8-4 win over the Detroit Tigers in 1984. Six years earlier with the Texas Rangers, Hargrove homered in his third consecutive contest in 1978.

  • Minnesota Twins 2B Tommy Herr (hooper with Delaware's freshman team in 1974-75) stroked four singles in a 7-6 win against the Baltimore Orioles in 1988.

  • 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 a 1951 outing.

  • Cleveland Indians DH David Justice (Thomas More KY leader in assists in 1984-85 while averaging 9.3 ppg and 3.5 rpg) delivered three extra-base hits against the Chicago White Sox in a 1998 contest.

  • Minnesota Twins LHP Bill Krueger (led WCAC in free-throw percentage as freshman en route to averaging 5.1 ppg for Portland from 1975-76 through 1979-80) won for the fourth time in as many starts this month in 1992, compiling an 0.84 ERA in first 32 innings.

  • Montreal Expos 2B Vance Law (averaged 6.8 ppg for Brigham Young from 1974-75 through 1976-77) banged out three extra-base hits against the Chicago Cubs in a 1986 game.

  • Detroit Tigers LF-2B Tony Phillips (New Mexico Military juco hooper in 1977-78 as teammate of eventual Drake All-American Lewis Lloyd) was hitting .403 through first 19 contests in 1993 after extending his hitting streak to 12 games in a row.

  • C Hugh Poland (Western Kentucky hoops letterman from 1931-32 through 1933-34) traded by the New York Giants to the Boston Braves in 1943.

  • In 1981, Baltimore Orioles RF Ken Singleton (Hofstra freshman hoops squad in mid-1960s) went 4-for-4, including a pair of doubles for the second straight game.

  • Chicago Cubs SS Roy Smalley Jr. (one of top scorers for Drury MO in 1942-43 and 1943-44) tripled twice and scored three runs against the Cincinnati Reds in a 1949 game.

  • Cleveland Indians 2B Riggs Stephenson (Alabama hoops letterman in 1920) assembled three straight three-hit games against the Chicago White Sox in 1922.

  • RHP John Stuper (two-time all-conference junior college hooper in mid-1970s with Butler County PA) tossed his lone complete game with the Cincinnati Reds (two-hit, 2-1 win against San Francisco Giants in 1985).

  • St. Louis Cardinals RHP Ray Washburn (Whitworth WA scoring leader in 1958-59 and 1959-60 when named All-Evergreen Conference) notched his second shutout and fourth complete-game win in as many starts at the beginning of the 1963 campaign.

  • Boston Braves rookie RF Chuck Workman (two-time All-MIAA first-five selection was leading scorer in 1937 when Central Missouri won inaugural NAIA Tournament) went 8-for-11 against the New York Giants in his first three games of the 1943 campaign.

Hard-Hitting Influence of Ex-College Hoopers on Opening Round of NFL Draft

Did you know that Arizona Cardinals WR DeAndre Hopkins, a first-round draft selection in 2013, played basketball for Clemson in 2010-11? Hopkins led the NFL in touchdown catches with 13 in 2017 and supplied at least 96 receptions in five of the previous seven seasons with the Houston Texans and Cardinals. Historically, the first 15 NFL drafts from 1936 through 1950 had a former college basketball regular selected among the top 10 picks. Four of the top six choices and five of the top 11 in the 1957 draft were ex-college hoopers. To our knowledge, none of them featured the excess baggage of Jameis "Crab Legs" Winston, the #1 selection several years ago who was also a versatile athlete but in baseball.

Back in 1963 when men were men before social scholar kneeling knuckleheads, commissioner hugging plus all of the ESPC-contrived Sam Who I Am draft-day crying/kissing and diversity sensitivity training (#BringBackOurMen), six of the top 22 picks, including five from schools that have always been or subsequently became members of the Big Ten Conference, were in the same category. Ex-hoopers for Notre Dame provided five top seven NFL draft choices in 23-year span from 1946 through 1968. Baylor, Michigan and Ohio State have had four former hoopers chosen in the opening round of NFL draft.

In the average NFL draft, nearly half of the athletes selected also competed in basketball in high school. There might not be a former college hooper selected in opening round of this year's NFL draft, but following is an alphabetical list of first-round draft choices who played varsity college basketball for a current NCAA Division I university:

Hooper/1st-Round Choice Pos. College Selected in Draft By NFL Pick Overall
Neill Armstrong OE-DB Oklahoma A&M Philadelphia Eagles 8th in 1947
Doug Atkins DE Tennessee Cleveland Browns 11th in 1953
Terry Baker QB-RB Oregon State Los Angeles Rams 1st in 1963
Sammy Baugh QB Texas Christian Boston Redskins 6th in 1937
*Hub Bechtol E Texas Tech/Texas Pittsburgh Steelers 5th in 1947
Johnny Bright RB Drake Philadelphia Eagles 5th in 1952
Jim Brown RB Syracuse Cleveland Browns 6th in 1957
Ray Buivid QB Marquette Chicago Cardinals 3rd in 1937
Bob Carey WR Michigan State Los Angeles Rams 13th in 1952
Fred Carr LB Texas Western Green Bay Packers 5th in 1968
Shante Carver DE Arizona State Dallas Cowboys 23rd in 1994
Lynn Chandnois HB Michigan State Pittsburgh Steelers 8th in 1950
George Connor OL-DT-LB Notre Dame New York Giants 5th in 1946
Olie Cordill HB Rice Cleveland Browns 5th in 1940
Ernie Davis HB Syracuse Washington Redskins 1st in 1962
Glenn Davis HB Army Detroit Lions 2nd in 1947
Len Dawson QB Purdue Pittsburgh Steelers 5th in 1957
Mike Ditka TE Pittsburgh Chicago Bears 5th in 1961
Rickey Dudley TE Ohio State Oakland Raiders 9th in 1996
Ray Evans TB-DB Kansas Chicago Bears 9th in 1944
James Francis LB Baylor Cincinnati Bengals 12th in 1990
Reuben Gant TE Oklahoma State Buffalo Bills 18th in 1974
Tony Gonzalez TE California Kansas City Chiefs 13th in 1996
Otto Graham QB Northwestern Detroit Lions 4th in 1944
Harry "Bud" Grant E Minnesota Philadelphia Eagles 14th in 1950
Bob Griese QB Purdue Miami Dolphins 4th in 1967
Kevin Hardy DL Notre Dame New Orleans Saints 7th in 1968
Tom Harmon HB-DB Michigan Chicago Bears 1st in 1941
Napoleon Harris LB Northwestern Oakland Raiders 23rd in 2002
Todd Heap TE Arizona State Baltimore Ravens 31st in 2001
King Hill QB Rice Chicago Cardinals 1st as bonus pick in 1958
Elroy "Crazy Legs" Hirsch OE Michigan Cleveland Rams 5th in 1945
DeAndre Hopkins WR Clemson Houston Texans 27th in 2013
Paul Hornung RB Notre Dame Green Bay Packers 1st as bonus pick in 1957
Jack Jenkins FB-LB Vanderbilt Washington Redskins 10th in 1943
Ed "Too Tall" Jones DL Tennessee State Dallas Cowboys 1st in 1974
Matt Jones E Arkansas Jacksonville Jaquars 21st in 2005
Billy Kilmer QB UCLA San Francisco 49ers 11th in 1961
Ron Kramer WR Michigan Green Bay Packers 4th in 1957
Johnny Lattner HB Notre Dame Pittsburgh Steelers 7th in 1954
Bobby Layne QB Texas Chicago Bears 3rd in 1948
Marcedes Lewis TE UCLA Jacksonville Jaguars 28th in 2006
Ronnie Lott DB Southern California San Francisco 49ers 8th in 1981
Johnny Lujack QB Notre Dame Chicago Bears 4th in 1946
Don Lund FB-LB Michigan Chicago Bears 7th in 1945
Bob MacLeod B Dartmouth Brooklyn Dodgers 5th in 1939
Jim McDonald B Ohio State Philadelphia Eagles 2nd in 1938
Banks McFadden HB Clemson Brooklyn Dodgers 3rd in 1940
Rich McGeorge TE Elon Green Bay Packers 16th in 1970
Donovan McNabb QB Syracuse Philadelphia Eagles 2nd in 1999
R.W. McQuarters CB Oklahoma State San Francisco 49ers 28th in 1998
Leonard Mitchell DE Houston Philadelphia Eagles 27th in 1981
Mack Mitchell DE Houston Cleveland Browns 5th in 1975
Julius Peppers DE North Carolina Carolina Panthers 2nd in 2002
Pat Richter TE Wisconsin Washington Redskins 7th in 1962
Andre Rison WR Michigan State Indianapolis Colts 22nd in 1989
Jack Robbins QB Arkansas Chicago Cardinals 5th in 1938
Dave Robinson LB Penn State Green Bay Packers 14th in 1963
Reggie Rogers DL Washington Detroit Lions 7th in 1987
Art Schlichter QB Ohio State Baltimore Colts 4th in 1982
Don Scott HB Ohio State Chicago Bears 9th in 1941
Del Shofner E Baylor Los Angeles Rams 11th in 1957
Norm Snead QB Wake Forest Washington Redskins 2nd in 1961
Joe Stydahar T West Virginia Chicago Bears 6th in 1936
David Verser WR-KR Kansas Cincinnati Bengals 10th in 1981
Doak Walker HB-DB Southern Methodist New York Bulldogs 3rd in 1949
Byron "Whizzer" White B Colorado Pittsburgh Steelers 4th in 1938
Alfred Williams DE Colorado Cincinnati Bengals 18th in 1991
Jack Wilson HB Baylor Cleveland Browns 2nd in 1942
Kendall Wright WR Baylor Tennessee Titans 20th in 2012

*Bechtol played in the AAFC, where he was a second-round pick (9th overall).

On This Date: Former College Hoopers Generating MLB Headlines on April 26

Extra! Extra! As season shifts into high gear, you can read news about memorable major league baseball achievements, moments and transactions involving former college basketball players! Numerous ex-college hoopers had front-row seats to many of the most notable games and dates in MLB history.

Former college hoopers Joe Adcock (Louisiana State), Lou Boudreau (Illinois), Gil Hodges (St. Joseph's IN/Oakland City IN) and Harvey Kuenn (Wisconsin) supplied significant MLB offensive performances on this date prior to becoming full-time MLB managers. Baseball is portrayed as a thinking man's game but only 4% of active MLB players earned college diplomas. Unless you habitually pore over the content at baseballlibrary.com, baseballreference.com and nationalpastime.com, following is an April 26 calendar focusing on such versatile MLB athletes:

APRIL 26

  • Milwaukee Braves 1B Joe Adcock (Louisiana State's leading basketball scorer in 1945-46) collected two homers and five RBI against the Cincinnati Reds in a 1957 game.

  • Philadelphia Phillies LF Harry Anderson (averaged 7.7 ppg and 8.9 rpg for West Chester PA in 1951-52) went 4-for-4 against the Pittsburgh Pirates in the nightcap of a 1959 twinbill.

  • 1B Zeke Bonura (best basketball forward for Loyola LA in late 1920s and early 1930s) purchased from the New York Giants by the Washington Senators in 1940.

  • Cleveland Indians player-manager Lou Boudreau (leading scorer for Illinois' 1937 Big Ten Conference co-champion) banged out five hits, including a pair of doubles and pair of triples, in a 12-11, 14-inning victory against the Chicago White Sox in 1948.

  • Arizona Diamondbacks 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 2007.

  • 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) amassed four hits and five RBI in a 9-2 triumph against the Philadelphia Phillies in the opener of a 1959 doubleheader.

  • Cleveland Indians rookie RHP Wynn Hawkins (Little All-American was all-time leading scorer for Baldwin-Wallace OH upon graduation in 1957) toiled 11 innings in outdueling Jim Bunning in a 2-1 win against the Detroit Tigers in 1960.

  • Cleveland Indians RHP Oral Hildebrand (Butler hoops All-American in 1928-29 and 1929-30) fired a one-hitter against the St. Louis Browns in 1933, giving him back-to-back shutouts.

  • Los Angeles Dodgers 1B Gil Hodges (hooper for St. Joseph's IN in 1943 and Oakland City IN in 1947 and 1948) contributed five RBI against the St. Louis Cardinals in a 1959 game.

  • Detroit Tigers CF Harvey Kuenn (briefly played hoops for Wisconsin in 1951-52 after competing on JV squad previous season) collected four hits against the Kansas City Athletics in a 1959 contest.

  • First start of 1947 season for Chicago White Sox LHP Thornton Lee (Cal Poly hooper in 1925-26) was a two-hit shutout against the St. Louis Browns.

  • Chicago Cubs LF Bill Nicholson (Washington College MD hoops guard for two years in mid-1930s) provided five RBI against the Cincinnati Reds in a 1940 game. Two years later in a 1942 outing, Nicholson amassed two triples and five RBI against the Reds.

  • First appearance of the 1933 campaign for New York Giants RHP Roy Parmelee (Eastern Michigan hoops letterman in 1924-25 and 1925-26) resulted in a one-hitter against the Philadelphia Phillies.

  • OF Curtis Pride (led William & Mary in steals three times and assists twice from 1986-87 through 1989-90) shipped by the New York Mets to the Boston Red Sox as part of a conditional deal in 2000.

  • Baltimore Orioles DH Ken Singleton (Hofstra freshman hoops squad in mid-1960s) supplied three extra-base hits in a 1981 game against the Boston Red Sox.

  • Texas Rangers 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 his second complete-game victory in a week.

  • Montreal Expos 2B Gary Sutherland (averaged 7.4 ppg with Southern California in 1963-64) went 4-for-4 against the Pittsburgh Pirates in a 1969 outing.

  • RHP Cecil Upshaw (led Centenary in scoring as junior while averaging 13.7 ppg and 6 rpg from 1961-62 through 1963-64) traded by the Cleveland Indians to the New York Yankees in 1974.

  • Detroit Tigers 3B Eddie Yost (NYU freshman hooper in 1943-44 under coach Howard Cann) drew four walks in a 1960 game against the Cleveland Indians en route to A.L.-leading 125 bases on balls.

  • New York Giants rookie 1B Babe Young (Fordham hoops letterman in 1935-36) manufactured multiple hits in his fifth consecutive contest in 1940.

Humble Backgrounds: Small-College Grads Piloting Power-League Members

In a caste-like era separating the haves from the have-nots, imperial universities are seeking mega-conferences and, perhaps in the near future, a restrictive upper division. But the socially elite won't ever be able to exclude small schools from making a big impact among power-conference members, including two mentors in Pac-12 from Eastern New Mexico.

Smaller colleges, many of them in the hinterlands, have supplied a striking number of the biggest names in coaching including three new power-league pilots (Mississippi State's Chris Jans, South Carolina's Lamont Paris and Kansas State's Jerome Tang). From 1995 through 2000, five of the six NCAA Tournament championship coaches (Jim Calhoun, Jim Harrick, Tom Izzo, Lute Olson and Tubby Smith) graduated from obscure colleges with smaller enrollments. In fact, it is a rarity for a Final Four not to feature at least one coach who graduated from a non-NCAA Division I school.

John Calipari, a graduate of Clarion (Pa.) State, guided Kentucky to the 2012 national championship before Michigan's John Beilein (Wheeling Jesuit NY) and Wichita State's Gregg Marshall (Randolph-Macon VA) directed teams to the Final Four the second half of the previous decade. After nine such bench bosses were hired in the last two years, following is an alphabetical list of fraternity of active power-league mentors working their way up the ladder after graduating from a small school:

Current Head Coach Power-League Member Small-College Alma Mater
Dana Altman Oregon Eastern New Mexico '80
Rick Barnes Tennessee Lenoir-Rhyne (N.C.) '76
Brad Brownell Clemson DePauw (Ind.) '91
John Calipari Kentucky Clarion (Pa.) State '82
Ed Cooley Providence Stonehill (Mass.) '94
Andy Enfield Southern California Johns Hopkins (Md.) '91
Steve Forbes Wake Forest Southern Arkansas '88
Mark Fox California Eastern New Mexico '91
Greg Gard Wisconsin Wisconsin-Platteville '95
Earl Grant Boston College Georgia College '00
Leonard Hamilton Florida State Tennessee-Martin '71
Chris Holtmann Ohio State Taylor (Ind.) '94
Tom Izzo Michigan State Northern Michigan '77
Chris Jans Mississippi State Loras College (Iowa) '91
Kevin Keatts North Carolina State Ferrum (Va.) '95
Tommy Lloyd Arizona Whitman College (Wash.) '98
Nate Oats Alabama Maranatha Baptist (Wis.) '97
T.J. Otzelberger Iowa State Wisconsin-Whitewater '01
Lamont Paris South Carolina College of Wooster (Ohio) '96
Micah Shrewsberry Penn State Hanover College (Ind.) '99
Shaka Smart Marquette Kenyon (Ohio) '99
Craig Smith Utah North Dakota '96
Kyle Smith Washington State Hamilton (N.Y.) College '92
Tony Stubblefield DePaul Nebraska-Omaha '93
Jerome Tang Kansas State North Central Bible College (Minn.)
Brent "Buzz" Williams Texas A&M Oklahoma City '94
Mike Young Virginia Tech Emory & Henry (Va.) '86

NOTE: Nebraska-Omaha, North Dakota and Tennessee-Martin subsequently were classified as NCAA DI universities. OCU previously was designated as a major college.

On This Date: Former College Hoopers Generating MLB Headlines on April 25

Extra! Extra! As a new season shifts into high gear, you can read news all about memorable major league baseball achievements, moments and transactions involving former college basketball players! Numerous ex-college hoopers had front-row seats to many of the most notable games and dates in MLB history.

Small colleges from seven different Southern states - Centenary LA, Fayetteville State NC, Guilford NC, Morehouse GA, Spring Hill AL, Thomas More KY, Virginia Union and West Liberty WV - supplied former hoopers making MLB news on this date. Baseball is portrayed as a thinking man's game but only 4% of active MLB players earned college diplomas. Unless you habitually pore over the content at baseballlibrary.com, baseballreference.com and nationalpastime.com, following is an April 25 calendar focusing on such versatile MLB athletes:

APRIL 25

  • New York Yankees P Jim Beattie (Dartmouth's top rebounder in 1974-75 when selected basketball team MVP and honorable mention All-Ivy League) won his MLB debut in 1978 (4-3 against Baltimore Orioles).

  • Chicago Cubs 2B Glenn Beckert (three-year hoops letterman for Allegheny PA) banged out four hits against the Houston Astros in a 1970 game.

  • Texas Rangers RHP Jim Bibby (Fayetteville State NC backup player and brother of UCLA All-American Henry Bibby) tossed a four-hit shutout against the Boston Red Sox in 1974.

  • Detroit Tigers 2B Frank Bolling (averaged 7.3 ppg for Spring Hill AL in 1950-51) collected four hits and four RBI against the Cleveland Indians in a 1954 contest.

  • In a 1969 game, Montreal Expos 1B Donn Clendenon (four-sport letterman with Morehouse GA) contributed four hits against his original team (Pittsburgh Pirates).

  • Two weeks after helping the Boston Celtics capture the 1961 NBA title, RHP Gene Conley (All-PCC first-team selection led North Division in scoring in 1949-50 as Washington State sophomore) earned his first A.L. victory (6-1 for Boston Red Sox over Washington Senators).

  • Cleveland Indians RF Larry Doby (reserve guard for Virginia Union team winning 1943 CIAA title) tied MLB record by striking out five times in a single game (at Detroit in 1948).

  • St. Louis Cardinals 2B Tommy Herr (hooper with Delaware's freshman team in 1974-75) stroked a triple in his fourth consecutive contest in 1981.

  • LF David Justice (led Thomas More KY in assists in 1984-85 while averaging 9.3 ppg and 3.5 rpg) twice went deep for the Cleveland Indians as they hit a team-record eight homers in an 11-4 triumph over the Milwaukee Brewers in 1997.

  • Los Angeles Dodgers LHP Fred Kipp (two-time all-league selection as four-year hoops letterman for Emporia State KS from 1950 through 1953) won his first MLB start (5-3 against St. Louis Cardinals in 1958).

  • New York Giants CF Hank Leiber (Arizona hooper in 1931) supplied five RBI against the Boston Braves in a 1936 contest.

  • Only 14 games into the 1982 season, New York Yankees owner George Steinbrenner fired manager Bob Lemon and replaced him with Gene Michael (Kent State's leading scorer with 14 ppg in 1957-58), the man Lemon succeeded the previous September.

  • 3B Graig Nettles (shot 87.8% from free-throw line for San Diego State in 1963-64) put the Minnesota Twins ahead with a three-run pinch homer in the eighth inning but they wound up losing at Chicago, 6-5, in 1969.

  • RHP Joe Niekro (averaged 8.9 ppg and 3.8 rpg for West Liberty WV from 1963-64 through 1965-66) traded by the Chicago Cubs to the San Diego Padres in 1969.

  • RHP Dick Radatz (center on Michigan State's freshman hoops squad in 1955-56) traded by the Cleveland Indians to the Chicago Cubs for a player to be designated in 1967.

  • En route to hitting safely in seven of his first nine pinch-hit appearances with the San Diego Padres, utilityman Gary Sutherland (averaged 7.4 ppg with USC in 1963-64) socked a homer against the Los Angeles Dodgers in 1977.

  • Atlanta Braves RHP Cecil Upshaw (Centenary's leading scorer as junior in 1962-63) secured his fifth relief victory in the first month of 1971 campaign.

  • St. Louis Browns LHP Tom Zachary (hoops letterman for Guilford NC in 1916) went 3-for-3 at the plate in 1926 game against the Cleveland Indians.

Fran Dunphy Will Be Coaching Third Different School in City of Brotherly Love

Fran Dunphy will be bench boss for his third different school in Philadelphia after accepting job at La Salle following long stints with Penn (1989-90 through 2005-06) and Temple (2006-07 through 2018-19). Billy Gillispie (Tarleton) is coaching his fourth different university in Texas. He previously was mentor at Texas-El Paso (2002-03 and 2003-04), Texas A&M (2004-05 through 2006-07) and Texas Tech (2011-12). But Dunphy and Gillispie aren't the only individuals in multiple-schools-in-same-state category. They are joined by the following alphabetical list of other active NCAA DI coaches presently serving as bench boss in same state (five in Texas) where they previously piloted another DI school:

Head Coach State Current DI School Previous DI School in Same State
Casey Alexander TN Belmont (since 2019-20) Lipscomb (2013-14 through 2018-19)
Chris Beard TX Texas (since 2021-22) Texas Tech (2016-17 through 2020-21)
Tad Boyle CO Colorado (since 2010-11) Northern Colorado (2006-07 through 2009-10)
Alvin Brooks Jr. TX Lamar (since 2021-22) Houston (1993-94 through 1997-98)
Cliff Ellis* SC Coastal Carolina (since 2007-08) Clemson (1984-85 through 1993-94)
Joe Golding TX Texas-El Paso (since 2021-22) Abilene Christian (2011-12 through 2020-21)
John Groce OH Akron (since 2017-18) Ohio University (2008-09 through 2011-12)
Leonard Hamilton FL Florida State (since 2002-03) Miami FL (1990-91 through 1999-00)
Shaheen Holloway NJ Seton Hall (since 2022-23) Saint Peter's (2018-19 through 2021-22)
Darrin Horn KY Northern Kentucky (since 2019-20) Western Kentucky (2003-04 through 2007-08)
Donnie Jones FL Stetson (since 2019-20) UCF (2010-11 through 2015-16)
Jeff Jones VA Old Dominion (since 2013-14) Virginia (1990-91 through 1997-98)
Johnny Jones TX Texas Southern (since 2018-19) North Texas (2001-02 through 2011-12)
Kevin Keatts NC North Carolina State (since 2017-18) UNC Wilmington (2014-15 through 2016-17)
Pat Kelsey SC College of Charleston (since 2021-22) Winthrop (2012-13 through 2020-21)
Steve Lavin CA San Diego (since 2022-23) UCLA (1996-97 through 2002-03)
Bobby McCullum FL Florida A&M (since 2017-18) South Florida (2003-04 through 2006-07)
Mark Pope UT Brigham Young (since 2019-20) Utah Valley (2015-16 through 2018-19)
Keith Richard LA Louisiana-Monroe (since 2010-11) Louisiana Tech (1998-99 through 2006-07)
Joe Scott CO Air Force (2000-01 through 2003-04 and since 2020-21) Denver (2007-08 through 2015-16)
Marty Simmons IL Eastern Illinois (since 2021-22) SIU-Edwardsville (2002-03 through 2006-07)
Craig Smith UT Utah (since 2021-22) Utah State (2018-19 through 2020-21)
Travis Steele OH Miami of Ohio (since 2022-23) Xavier (2018-19 through 2021-22)
Reggie Witherspoon NY Canisius (since 2016-17) Buffalo (1999-00 through 2012-13)

*Ellis also coached two DI schools in Alabama (South Alabama and Auburn).

On This Date: Former College Hoopers Generating MLB Headlines on April 24

Extra! Extra! As a new season shifts into high gear, you can read news all about memorable major league baseball achievements, moments and transactions involving former college basketball players. Numerous ex-college hoopers had front-row seats to many of the most notable games and dates in MLB history.

Former Alabama hoops lettermen Riggs Stephenson and Jim Tabor supplied significant MLB games with their bats on this date. Former in-state hooper Marv Breeding (Samford) also made "offensive" news. Baseball is portrayed as a thinking man's game but only 4% of active MLB players earned college diplomas. Unless you habitually pore over the content at baseballlibrary.com, baseballreference.com and nationalpastime.com, following is an April 24 calendar focusing on such versatile MLB athletes:

APRIL 24

  • San Diego Padres SS Bill Almon (averaged 2.5 ppg in half a season for Brown's 1972-73 basketball team ending school's streak of 12 straight losing records) contributed four hits for the second time in four days in 1978.

  • Philadelphia Phillies LF Morrie Arnovich (Wisconsin-Superior hooper in early 1930s) went 4-for-4, including three doubles, in a 7-3 win against Brooklyn in 1937.

  • Cleveland Indians LHP Rick Austin (member of Washington State's freshman basketball team in 1965-66) held opposition scoreless in his first six relief appearances in 1971.

  • Chicago White Sox 1B Zeke Bonura (best basketball forward for Loyola LA in late 1920s and early 1930s) belted two homers in a 10-4 win against the Detroit Tigers in 1935.

  • Baltimore Orioles rookie 2B Marv Breeding (Samford hooper in mid-1950s) went hitless for the only time in his first 12 MLB games.

  • Boston Braves SS Dick Culler (#9 jersey retired by High Point for Little All-American in 1935 and 1936) went 4-for-4 in an 8-6 win against the Brooklyn Dodgers in 1945.

  • Brooklyn Dodgers rookie SS Ben Geraghty (Villanova hoops letterman from 1933-34 through 1935-36) supplied his fourth straight multiple-hit game in 1936.

  • Oakland Athletics rookie 3B Wayne Gross (led Cal Poly Pomona in assists in 1974-75) went 4-for-4 with four RBI against the Chicago White Sox in the nightcap of a 1977 doubleheader.

  • Los Angeles Dodgers LHP Sandy Koufax (Cincinnati's freshman hoops squad in 1953-54) tied a MLB record by striking out 18 batters in a nine-inning game at Chicago in 1962.

  • Toronto Blue Jays RHP Dave Lemanczyk (averaged 4.5 ppg and 3.5 rpg for Hartwick NY teams compiling 51-21 record from 1969-70 through 1971-72) tossed a one-hitter against the Texas Rangers. It was one of three shutouts for him in 1979.

  • LF Danny Litwhiler (member of hoops JV team with Bloomsburg PA in mid-1930s) collected four of 22 hits by the Boston Braves and chipped in with four RBI in a 14-5 victory over the New York Giants in 1947. Johnny Mize, who later had a basketball arena named after him at Piedmont College GA, socked three successive homers for the Giants. Five years earlier with the Philadelphia Phillies, Litwhiler went 4-for-4 against the Brooklyn Dodgers in 1942.

  • Kansas City Athletics 2B Jerry Lumpe (member of Southwest Missouri State's 1952 NAIA Tournament hoops championship team) provided his fifth multiple-hit game in as many outings to start the 1960 campaign en route to compiling a .471 average while hitting safely in his first 13 contests of the season.

  • San Diego Padres RHP Roger Mason (multiple-year hoops letterman in late 1970s for Saginaw Valley State MI) didn't allow an earned run through his first nine relief appearances in 1993.

  • New York Yankees SS Gene Michael (led Kent State in scoring with 14 ppg in 1957-58) contributed a career-high four RBI against the Minnesota Twins in 1971.

  • Washington Senators rookie CF Irv Noren (player of year for California community college hoops state champion Pasadena City in 1945) went hitless for the only time in his first 13 MLB starts in 1950.

  • Oakland Athletics CF Billy North (played hoops briefly for Central Washington in 1967-68) stole three bases against the Chicago White Sox in the nightcap of a 1977 twinbill.

  • Kansas City Royals 3B Bob Oliver (All-Valley Conference basketball choice for American River Community College CA in 1962) belted two homers for the second time in a four-game span in 1970.

  • RHP John Pyecha (led Appalachian State in scoring, rebounding and field-goal shooting in 1951-52 and 1954-55) lost his only MLB pitching appearance with the Chicago Cubs in 1954.

  • New York Yankees 3B Red Rolfe (played hoops briefly with Dartmouth in 1927-28 and 1929-30) ripped two homers against the Philadelphia Athletics in a 1940 game.

  • New York Giants RHP Hal Schumacher (multiple-sport athlete for St. Lawrence NY in early 1930s) and Hall of Fame teammate Mel Ott each socked two homers against the Philadelphia Phillies in a 1934 game. Schumacher, who contributed five RBI in the contest, socked six round-trippers during the season.

  • Baltimore Orioles RF Ken Singleton (Hofstra freshman hoops squad in mid-1960s) smacked two homers against the California Angels in 1979 in the midst of seven multiple-hit outings in an eight-game span.

  • 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 four-hit shutout against the Seattle Mariners in 1985.

  • Chicago Cubs LF Riggs Stephenson (Alabama hoops letterman in 1920) clubbed three doubles for the second time in a six-game span in 1932.

  • Boston Red Sox rookie 3B Jim Tabor (Alabama hoops letterman in 1936-37) tallied four hits for the first of four times in a 30-game span to early June in 1939.

  • Chicago White Sox LHP Matt Thornton (averaged 5.8 ppg and 2.4 rpg for Grand Valley State MI from 1995-96 through 1997-98) yielded his only run in 12 relief appearances during the month in 2012.

  • Pittsburgh Pirates CF Bill Virdon (Drury MO hooper in 1949) went 4-for-4 against the New York Mets in a 1964 game.

  • Boston Red Sox SS Billy Werber (first Duke hoops All-American in 1929-30) went 4-for-4 against the Washington Senators in a 1934 contest.

  • San Diego Padres RF Dave Winfield (starting forward for Minnesota's first NCAA playoff team in 1972) collected four hits and five RBI against the Los Angeles Dodgers in a 1975 outing.

Lost in Shuffle: All-Time Winningest Mentors Obscure Their Predecessors

More than 40 current NCAA Division I schools feature all-time winningest coaches, including Villanova's Jay Wright, boasting in excess of 400 triumphs. The length of tenure necessary to win so many games makes it almost impossible to remember their predecessors. Anyone who can name 1/4 of the mentors they succeeded goes straight to the Trivia Hall of Fame and is exempt from being forced to be accepted by nursing home in #Dimorat-run state during pandemic plus pardoned from any FBI probe led by anyone affiliated with James Comey's cabal. Do you remember CBS analyst Steve Lappas preceded Wright? By any measure, Wright didn't hang around too long similar to other prominent pilots.

A question lingers as to what other individuals are completely overshadowed as successor to a coaching legend. Record holders Phog Allen, Dale Brown, Gale Catlett, Denny Crum, Ed Diddle, Hec Edmundson, Jack Friel, Don Haskins, Lou Henson, Hank Iba, Frank Keaney, Bob Knight, Bob McKillop, Ray Meyer, Lute Olson, Alex Severance, Norm Stewart, Bob Thomason, John Thompson Jr., Gary Williams, John Wooden and Ned Wulk for more than 12,500 victories at their respective schools where they established new standards. Who would have thought such achievements were in store after their predecessors collaborated to go more than 300 games below .500 over a collective 100-plus seasons?

One of the predecessor names in particular should surprise you. Incredibly, the only one of Kansas' 10 head coaches with a career losing record is the inventor of the sport (Dr. James Naismith). Naismith is among the following coaches who were succeeded by individuals posting more than 400 wins to become the all-time winningest mentor at the same institution:

School All-Time Winningest Coach Predecessor (W-L Record During Tenure)
Arizona Lute Olson (590 victories) Ben Lindsey (4-25 mark in 1982-83)
Arizona State Ned Wulk (405) Bill Kajikawa (88-137 from 1948-49 through 1956-57)
Austin Peay Dave Loos (402) Howard Jackson (19-35 in 1983-84 and 1984-85
Butler Tony Hinkle (549) Harlan O. "Pat" Page (94-29 from 1920-21 through 1925-26)
California Clarence "Nibs" Price (449) Earl Wright (60-20 from 1920-21 through 1923-24)
Connecticut Jim Calhoun (626) Dom Perno (139-114 from 1977-78 through 1985-86)
Davidson Bob McKillop (634) Bobby Hussey (107-126 from 1981-82 through 1988-89)
Dayton Don Donoher (437) Tom Blackburn (352-141 from 1947-48 through 1963-64)
DePaul Ray Meyer (724) Bill Wendt (23-20 in 1940-41 and 1941-42)
Duke Mike Krzyzewski (1,129) Bill E. Foster (113-64 from 1974-75 through 1979-80)
Florida Billy Donovan (467) Lon Kruger (104-80 from 1990-91 through 1995-96)
Georgetown John Thompson Jr. (596) Jack Magee (69-80 from 1966-67 through 1971-72)
Houston Guy Lewis (592) Alden Pasche (135-116 from 1945-46 through 1955-56)
Illinois Lou Henson (421) Gene Bartow (8-18 in 1974-75)
Indiana Bob Knight (659) Lou Watson (62-60 from 1965-66 through 1968-69 and 1970-71)
Kansas Phog Allen (590) Dr. James Naismith (55-60 from 1899 through 1907)
Kentucky Adolph Rupp (875) John Mauer (40-14 from 1927-28 through 1929-30)
Louisiana State Dale Brown (448) Press Maravich (76-86 from 1966-67 through 1971-72)
Louisville Denny Crum (675) Howard Stacey (12-8 in 1970-71)
Maryland Gary Williams (461) Bob Wade (36-50 from 1986-87 through 1988-89)
Missouri Norm Stewart (634) Bob Vanatta (42-80 from 1962-63 through 1966-67)
Niagara Taps Gallagher (465) Bill McCarthy (44-35 from 1927-28 through 1930-31)
North Carolina Dean Smith (879) Frank McGuire (164-58 from 1952-53 through 1960-61)
Oklahoma State Hank Iba (655) Harold James (13-41 from 1931-32 through 1933-34)
Oregon State Slats Gill (599) Robert Hager (115-53 from 1922-23 through 1927-28)
Pacific Bob Thomason (414) Tom O'Neill (51-110 from 1982-83 through 1987-88)
Princeton Pete Carril (514) Butch van Breda Kolff (103-31 from 1962-63 through 1966-67)
Purdue Gene Keady (512) Lee Rose (50-18 in 1978-79 and 1979-80)
Rhode Island Frank Keaney (403) Fred Murray (9-8 in 1920-21)
St. John's Lou Carnesecca* (526) Frank Mulzoff (56-27 from 1970-71 through 1972-73)
Syracuse Jim Boeheim (1,099) Roy Danforth (148-71 from 1968-69 through 1975-76)
Temple John Chaney (516) Don Casey (151-94 from 1973-74 through 1981-82)
Texas A&M Shelby Metcalf (438) Bobby Rogers (92-52 from 1957-58 through 1962-63)
Texas-El Paso Don Haskins (719) Harold Davis (18-30 in 1959-60 and 1960-61)
UCLA John Wooden (620) Wilbur Johns (93-120 from 1939-40 through 1947-48)
UNLV Jerry Tarkanian (509) John Bayer (44-36 from 1970-71 through 1972-73)
Villanova Jay Wright (520) Steve Lappas (174-110 from 1992-93 through 2000-01)
Washington Hec Edmundson (488) Stub Allison (7-8 in 1919-20)
Washington State Jack Friel (495) Karl Schlademan (18-27 in 1926-27 and 1927-28)
West Virginia Gale Catlett (439) Joedy Gardner (59-53 from 1974-75 through 1977-78)
Western Kentucky Ed Diddle (759) L.T. Smith (3-1 in 1922)

*Carnesecca succeeded Joe Lapchick when he served his first stint with St. John's from 1965-66 through 1969-70

On This Date: Former College Hoopers Generating MLB Headlines on April 23

Extra! Extra! As a new season shifts into high gear, you can read news all about memorable major league baseball achievements, moments and transactions involving former college basketball players! Numerous ex-college hoopers had front-row seats to many of the most notable games and dates in MLB history.

Former Illinois Wesleyan hoopers Bill Conroy and Cal Neeman contributed significant performances as MLB catchers on this date. Ex-Wisconsin hoopers John DeMerit and Harvey Kuenn plus ex-Mississippi hoopers Joe Gibbon and Jim Hickman also made MLB news on this date. Baseball is portrayed as a thinking man's game but only 4% of active MLB players earned college diplomas. Unless you habitually pore over the content at baseballlibrary.com, baseballreference.com and nationalpastime.com, following is an April 23 calendar focusing on such versatile MLB athletes:

APRIL 23

  • New York Giants LF Ethan Allen (Cincinnati basketball letterman in 1924-25 and 1925-26) went 4-for-4 in a 7-2 loss against the Philadelphia Phillies in 1932.

  • Milwaukee Braves rookie LF Howie Bedell (averaged 3.5 ppg and 3.5 rpg for West Chester PA in 1955-56) banged out a career-high three safeties against the Los Angeles Dodgers in 1962. Bedell hit safely in his first eight MLB games earlier in the month.

  • Seattle Mariners LF Bruce Bochte (starting forward for Santa Clara's NCAA playoff team in 1969-70) went 4-for-4 against the Minnesota Twins in a 1982 contest.

  • Boston Red Sox C Bill Conroy (Illinois Wesleyan hooper in early 1930s) collected a career-high three hits in a 1942 game against the Washington Senators.

  • In a celebrated fracas, New York Giants SS Alvin Dark (letterman for LSU and USL during World War II) confronted Jackie Robinson (Pacific Coast Conference leading scorer both seasons with UCLA in 1939-40 and 1940-41) after the Brooklyn Dodgers' INF bowled over a Giants pitcher covering first base on a bunt in 1955. The previous year, Robinson swiped second, third and home in the sixth inning before doubling in the winning run in the 13th in a 6-5 decision over the Pittsburgh Pirates. Two years earlier, Dark delivered three extra-base hits against the Pirates in 1953.

  • Philadelphia Athletics LHP Chubby Dean (reserve guard for Duke in 1936) hurled a four-hit shutout against the New York Yankees in 1940.

  • Milwaukee Braves RF John DeMerit (Wisconsin letterman in 1956-57 when averaging 2.2 ppg and 2.1 rpg) contributed a career-high three hits in a 3-1 win against the Pittsburgh Pirates in 1961.

  • A pinch-hit homer in the bottom of the 10th inning by Dick Gernert (Temple letterman in 1948-49 when averaging 2.7 ppg) tied the score for the Detroit Tigers in an eventual 3-2 victory against the Los Angeles Angels in 1961.

  • In 1960, Pittsburgh Pirates rookie LHP Joe Gibbon (two-time All-SEC forward for Ole Miss was nation's second-leading scorer as senior in 1956-57) won his first two MLB appearances.

  • San Diego Padres RF Tony Gwynn (All-WAC second-team selection with San Diego State in 1979-80 and 1980-81) went 5-for-5 and scored four runs against the Philadelphia Phillies in a 1994 outing.

  • In 1983, San Francisco Giants P Atlee Hammaker (averaged 5.3 ppg as freshman in 1976-77 and 4.9 ppg as sophomore in 1977-78 under East Tennessee State coach Sonny Smith) hurled his second of back-to-back shutouts en route to pacing the N.L. in ERA (2.25).

  • RHP Jay Hook (Northwestern's third-leading scorer as a sophomore with 10.7 ppg in 1955-56) posted the expansion New York Mets' first-ever victory (9-1 at Pittsburgh in 1962) after they dropped their initial nine contests.

  • Detroit Tigers rookie SS Harvey Kuenn (played briefly for Wisconsin in 1951-52 after competing on JV squad previous season) supplied his fourth three-hit game in first nine outings of the 1953 campaign.

  • St. Louis Cardinals SS Doc Lavan (Hope MI hooper from 1908 through 1910) delivered four hits against the Cincinnati Reds in a 1922 contest.

  • 3B Vance Law (averaged 6.8 ppg for Brigham Young from 1974-75 through 1976-77) hit safely in his first 16 games with the Chicago Cubs in 1988.

  • St. Louis Cardinals rookie CF Wally Moon (averaged 4.3 ppg with Texas A&M in 1948-49 and 1949-50) went 5-for-5 but the Milwaukee Braves won, 7-5, in 14 innings in 1954 when Hank Aaron hammered his first of 755 MLB homers.

  • First MLB homer for rookie C Cal Neeman (Illinois Wesleyan's leading scorer in 1947-48 and 1948-49), a 10th-inning blast off the Milwaukee Braves' Lew Burdette, was the difference in a 3-2 win for the Chicago Cubs in 1957.

  • OF Ted Savage (led Lincoln MO in scoring average in 1955-56) involved in four-player swap going from the Chicago Cubs to the Los Angeles Dodgers in 1968 in exchange for OF-1B Jim Hickman (freshman hooper for Ole Miss in 1955-56).

  • Los Angeles Angels RHP Jack Spring (freshman hooper for Washington State in 1951-52) earned victory on his way to going unscored upon in six relief appearance during the month.

  • Chicago Cubs LF Riggs Stephenson (Alabama hoops letterman in 1920) went 4-for-4 against the St. Louis Cardinals in a 1929 contest.

  • LHP Matt Thornton (averaged 5.8 ppg and 2.4 rpg for Grand Valley State MI from 1995-96 through 1997-98) held opponents scoreless in his first 25 relief appearances with the Washington Nationals until yielding a run against the St. Louis Cardinals in 2015.

  • St. Louis Cardinals 1B Bill White (two-year hooper with Hiram OH in early 1950s) went 4-for-4 against the Houston Colt .45's in a 1963 game.

  • New York Yankees RF Dave Winfield (starting forward for Minnesota's first NCAA playoff team in 1972) smacked two homers against the Cleveland Indians in a 1987 contest.

On This Date: Former College Hoopers Generating MLB Headlines on April 22

Extra! Extra! As a new season shifts into high gear, you can read news all about memorable major league baseball achievements, moments and transactions involving former college basketball players. Numerous ex-college hoopers had front-row seats to many of the most notable games and dates in MLB history.

Former San Diego State hoopers Tony Gwynn and Graig Nettles each went 4-for-4 in a MLB game on this date. Ex-hoopers from three Louisiana colleges - Zeke Bonura (Loyola New Orleans), Lyle Mouton (Louisiana State) and Cecil Upshaw (Centenary) - also made MLB news on this date. Baseball is portrayed as a thinking man's game but only 4% of active MLB players earned college diplomas. Unless you habitually pore over the content at baseballlibrary.com, baseballreference.com and nationalpastime.com, following is an April 22 calendar focusing on such versatile MLB athletes:

APRIL 22

  • Cincinnati Reds OF Ethan Allen (Cincinnati basketball letterman in 1924-25 and 1925-26) provided four hits in a 9-4 triumph against the Pittsburgh Pirates in 1929.

  • Seattle Mariners 1B Bruce Bochte (starting forward for Santa Clara's NCAA playoff team in 1969-70) hit safely in first 14 games of 1979 campaign until his streak was snapped by the Minnesota Twins.

  • 1B Zeke Bonura (best basketball forward for Loyola LA in late 1920s and early 1930s) belted two homers and drove in all five runs for the Chicago White Sox in a 6-5 setback against the St. Louis Browns in 1935.

  • Chicago Cubs SS Leon Brinkopf (Southeast Missouri State basketball letterman in 1944-45) scored his lone MLB run in a 1952 game against the Pittsburgh Pirates.

  • Kansas City Athletics LF Bob Cerv (ranked fourth on Nebraska's career scoring list in 1949-50 when finishing college career) clubbed two homers against the Cleveland Indians in a 1958 game.

  • Milwaukee Braves 2B Jack Dittmer (Iowa hooper in 1949-50) jacked a homer in his third consecutive contest in 1953.

  • New York Giants 2B Frankie Frisch (Fordham hoops captain) furnished four hits against the Brooklyn Dodgers in a 1923 outing.

  • Houston Astros RHP Dave Giusti (Syracuse hooper in 1959-60) went 3-for-3 at the plate while hurling a shutout against the San Francisco Giants in 1966. A little over seven weeks later, he also went 3-for-3 against the Chicago Cubs.

  • San Diego Padres RF Tony Gwynn (All-WAC second-team selection with San Diego State in 1979-80 and 1980-81) went 4-for-4 against the San Francisco Giants in a 1991 game.

  • In 1953, New York Giants RHP Jim Hearn (Georgia Tech hoops letterman in 1941-42) posted his 12th consecutive win over the Pittsburgh Pirates.

  • 2B Tommy Herr (hooper with Delaware's freshman team in 1974-75) traded by the St. Louis Cardinals to Minnesota Twins in 1988.

  • Kansas City Athletics SS Billy Hunter (multi-sport athlete for Indiana PA post-WWII) hammered a three-run homer for the second time in three games in 1958.

  • Chicago Cubs SS Don Kessinger (three-time All-SEC selection for Mississippi from 1961-62 through 1963-64 while finishing among nation's top 45 scorers each year) contributed three hits, including an inside-the-park homer, in a 7-5 victory over the St. Louis Cardinals in 1970, snapping P Mike Torrez's 11-game winning streak dating back to previous season.

  • Chicago Cubs CF Jerry Martin (1971 Southern Conference MVP after he was Furman's runner-up in scoring the previous season) scored four runs in a 16-12 triumph against the St. Louis Cardinals in 1980.

  • OF Lyle Mouton (starter in Louisiana State's backcourt with All-American Chris Jackson for 1989 NCAA playoff team) shipped by the New York Yankees to the Chicago White Sox in 1995 to complete an earlier deal involving P Jack McDowell.

  • New York Yankees 3B Graig Nettles (shot 87.8% from free-throw line for San Diego State in 1963-64) went 4-for-4 against the Texas Rangers in a 1979 contest.

  • Reliever Cecil Upshaw (led Centenary in scoring as junior while averaging 13.7 ppg and 6 rpg from 1961-62 through 1963-64) traded by the Atlanta Braves to the Houston Astros in 1973.

  • Brooklyn Dodgers rookie 1B Preston Ward (second-leading scorer for Southwest Missouri State in 1946-47 and 1948-49) went 2-for-5 against the New York Giants in each of his first three MLB games in 1948.

  • Kansas City Royals C John Wathan (averaged 3.7 ppg in 11 games for San Diego in 1968-69) went 4-for-4 with three RBI in 7-2 win against the Toronto Blue Jays in 1980.

Burn Out: Coaching NCAA Championship Club Took Toll on More Than Wright

Much of media was abuzz about Jay Wright stepping down as Villanova's coach at the age of 60 after capturing NCAA Tournament crowns with the Wildcats in 2016 and 2018. But a total of 13 title bench bosses bowed out of coaching when they were younger than Wright. Following is a list of NCAA DI championship coaches who departed profession as college head coach by the age of 60 (including five of the first six titlists from 1939 through 1944):

Championship Coach Age Title Team Year(s)
Pete Newell 44 California 1959
Jim Valvano 44 North Carolina State 1983
Kevin Ollie 47 Connecticut 2014
Al McGuire 48 Marquette 1977
Fred Taylor 51 Ohio State 1960
Harold "Bud" Foster 52 Wisconsin 1941
Howard Hobson 52 Oregon 1939
Everett Dean 53 Stanford 1942
Phil Woolpert 53 San Francisco 1955 and 1956
Ken Loeffler 54 La Salle 1954
Joe B. Hall 56 Kentucky 1978
E. "Branch" McCracken 56 Indiana 1940 and 1953
John Thompson Jr. 57 Georgetown 1984
Vadal Peterson 60 Utah 1944
Ed Jucker 60 Cincinnati 1961 and 1962
Nolan Richardson Jr. 60 Arkansas 1994
Jay Wright 60 Villanova 2016 and 2018

NOTE: Billy Donovan was 49 when he left Florida (2006 and 2007) for the NBA.

On This Date: Former College Hoopers Generating MLB Headlines on April 21

Extra! Extra! As a new seasons shifts into high gear, you can read news all about memorable major league baseball achievements, moments and transactions involving former college basketball players. Numerous ex-college hoopers had front-row seats to many of the most notable games and dates in MLB history.

Former hoops All-Americans Ernie Andres (Indiana) and Billy Werber (Duke) made news as infielders for the Boston Red Sox on this date. Baseball is portrayed as a thinking man's game but only 4% of active MLB players earned college diplomas. Unless you habitually pore over the content at baseballlibrary.com, baseballreference.com and nationalpastime.com, following is an April 21 calendar focusing on such versatile MLB athletes:

APRIL 21

  • Lone MLB RBI for 3B Ernie Andres (NCAA consensus first-team basketball All-American with Indiana in 1939) helped the Boston Red Sox outlast the Philadelphia Athletics, 12-11, in the opener of a 1946 doubleheader.

  • St. Louis Browns rookie RF Beau Bell (two-year hoops letterman for Texas A&M in early 1930s) contributed four hits and four RBI against the Chicago White Sox in a 1935 game.

  • Chicago White Sox RF Ken Berry (freshman hooper for Wichita in 1959-60) contributed multiple hits in his sixth straight game in 1967. He assembled a career-long 20-game hitting streak later in the campaign.

  • Chicago White Sox 1B Zeke Bonura (best basketball forward for Loyola LA in late 1920s and early 1930s) banged out four hits against the St. Louis Browns in 1937 season opener.

  • Baltimore Orioles CF Al Bumbry (Virginia State's runner-up in scoring with 16.7 ppg as freshman in 1964-65) supplied four hits against the Boston Red Sox in a 1982 contest.

  • Pittsburgh Pirates INF Gene Freese (West Liberty WV hoops captain of 1952 NAIA Tournament team) pinch-hitting for Willie Stargell, delivered a decisive three-run homer in the top of the ninth inning for an 8-5 win against the Chicago Cubs in 1964.

  • In his MLB debut, Philadelphia Phillies RHP Bob Greenwood (St. Mary's hoops letterman second half of 1940s) tossed 4 2/3 innings of scoreless relief against the Brooklyn Dodgers in 1954. His first strikeout victim was All-Star CF Duke Snider.

  • LHP Steve Hamilton (All-Ohio Valley Conference selection was Morehead State's leading scorer and rebounder in 1956-57 and 1957-58) traded by the Washington Senators to the New York Yankees for P Jim Coates in 1963.

  • New York Mets CF Jim Hickman (freshman hooper for Ole Miss in 1955-56) homered in both ends of a 1963 twinbill against the Milwaukee Braves. A grand slam helped him secure five RBI in the opener.

  • Chicago White Sox RHP Howie Judson (Illinois' third-leading scorer with 8.5 ppg as sophomore in 1944-45) won his 1949 season debut (5-2 against Detroit Tigers) before dropping next 14 decisions through August.

  • California Angels C Art Kusnyer (led Kent State in field-goal percentage in 1965-66 as team's third-leading scorer and rebounder) contributed a career-high three hits against the Texas Rangers in a 1972 outing.

  • Cleveland Indians CF Kenny Lofton (Arizona's hoops leader in steals for 1988 Final Four team compiling 35-3 record) collected three hits and three stolen bases against the Minnesota Twins in a 1994 contest.

  • St. Louis Cardinals LF Wally Moon (averaged 4.3 ppg with Texas A&M in 1948-49 and 1949-50) went 4-for-4 against the Chicago Cubs in the nightcap of a 1957 doubleheader.

  • Oakland Athletics CF Billy North (played hoops briefly for Central Washington in 1967-68) went 4-for-4 against the Detroit Tigers in a 1976 game.

  • Boston Red Sox SS Billy Werber (first Duke hoops All-American in 1929-30) registered multiple extra-base hits in his third consecutive contest in 1934.

  • St. Louis Cardinals 1B Bill White (two-year hooper with Hiram OH in early 1950s) supplied multiple hits in five of his first seven games in 1962.

  • Chicago White Sox RHP Jim Wilson (hoops letterman for San Diego State's 1942 NAIA Tournament participant) opened the 1957 campaign with a 10-inning shutout against the Kansas City Athletics.

  • New York Yankees DH Dave Winfield (starting forward for Minnesota's first NCAA playoff team in 1972) smacked two homers against the Texas Rangers in a 1990 game.

Dynamic Debuts: Newcomer Lloyd Earns 3 of 4 Major Coach of Year Awards

Arizona's Tommy Lloyd, honored by three of the four current major awards, became the ninth individual named national coach of the year in his debut season for a school. Lloyd joined the following chronological list of coaches earning one of the major awards in their initial season with a school:

First-Year Coach (Award) Debut Head Coaching Season With School Predecessor Previous Position
Eddie Hickey (USBWA) 23-6 (Marquette in 1958-59) Jack Nagle St. Louis
Bill Hodges (AP/UPI) 33-1 (Indiana State in 1978-79) Bob King assistant at Indiana State
Eddie Sutton (AP/NABC) 32-4 (Kentucky in 1985-86) Joe B. Hall Arkansas
Tom Davis (AP) 30-5 (Iowa in 1986-87) George Raveling Stanford
Kelvin Sampson (AP/USBWA) 23-9 (Oklahoma in 1994-95) Billy Tubbs Washington State
Matt Doherty (AP) 26-7 (North Carolina in 2000-01) Bill Guthridge Notre Dame
Frank Haith (AP/USBWA) 30-5 (Missouri in 2011-12) Mike Anderson Miami (Fla.)
Jim Crews (NABC) 28-7 (Saint Louis in 2012-13) Rick Majerus assistant at Saint Louis
Tommy Lloyd (AP/NABC/USBWA) 33-4 (Arizona in 2021-22) Sean Miller assistant at Gonzaga

On This Date: Former College Hoopers Generating MLB Headlines on April 20

Extra! Extra! As a new season shifts into high gear, you can read news all about memorable major league baseball achievements, moments and transactions involving former college basketball players! Numerous ex-college hoopers had front-row seats to many of the most notable games and dates in MLB history.

Former college hoopers Joe Adcock (Louisiana State), Dick Gernert (Temple) and Bill Nicholson (Washington College MD) belted multiple homers in MLB games on this date. Baseball is portrayed as a thinking man's game but only 4% of active MLB players earned college diplomas. Unless you habitually pore over the content at baseballlibrary.com, baseballreference.com and nationalpastime.com, following is an April 20 calendar focusing on such versatile MLB athletes:

APRIL 20

  • Cincinnati Reds LF Joe Adcock (Louisiana State's leading basketball scorer in 1945-46) jacked two homers against the Pittsburgh Pirates in the nightcap of a 1952 twinbill.

  • Cincinnati Reds RF Frankie Baumholtz (MVP in 1941 NIT and first player in Ohio University history to score 1,000 career points) contributed four hits against the St. Louis Cardinals in a 1948 game.

  • Philadelphia Phillies rookie 1B Ed Bouchee (freshman hooper for Washington State in 1951-52) went 4-for-4 with three runs scored in a 6-5 win against the New York Giants in 1957 contest. His seventh-inning homer provided decisive tally.

  • In his first appearance in 1956, Brooklyn Dodgers RHP Roger Craig (forward with North Carolina State's 1949-50 freshman hoops team) fired a four-hit shutout against the Pittsburgh Pirates.

  • Boston Red Sox 1B Dick Gernert (Temple hoops letterman in 1948-49) smashed three homers in a doubleheader sweep of the Washington Senators in 1953.

  • In his MLB debut in 1923, pinch-runner Hinky Haines (Penn State hoops letterman in 1919-20 and 1920-21) scored the tying tally on Babe Ruth's ninth-inning, game-winning two-run double in the New York Yankees' 4-3 win against the Boston Red Sox.

  • St. Louis Cardinals 2B Tommy Herr (hooper with Delaware's freshman team in 1974-75) went 4-for-4 and scored three runs in a 7-4 win against the Pittsburgh Pirates in 1982.

  • Washington Senators RF Chuck Hinton (played multiple sports for Shaw NC before serving two years in U.S. Army in mid-1950s) went 4-for-4 against the New York Yankees in a 1963 contest.

  • New York Giants RHP Walt Huntzinger (All-Ivy League forward with Penn in 1921-22) didn't allow an earned run in 8 1/3 innings en route to registering his first MLB victory (2-1 against the Boston Braves in 1924).

  • 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 where he became an All-CIC choice for 1968 NAIA Tournament team) went 5-for-5 and walked twice in a 17-inning game against the Pittsburgh Pirates in 1986.

  • A single by Kansas City Royals RF Jerry Martin (Furman's second-leading scorer in 1969-70 and third-leading scorer in 1970-71) was the only hit Detroit Tigers P Milt Wilcox surrendered in an 8-0 shutout in 1982.

  • In 1981, Philadelphia Phillies RF Bake McBride (averaged 12.7 ppg and 8.1 rpg in 21 games for Westminster MO in 1968-69 and 1969-70) provided his third two-double outing in a six-game span.

  • Chicago Cubs RF Bill Nicholson (Washington College MD hooper in mid-1930s) blasted two homers, including a grand slam, and supplied six RBI in a 7-4 win at St. Louis in 1947.

  • In 1961, 2B Mel Roach (averaged 9.3 ppg for Virginia in 1952-53) tied the score with the Philadelphia Phillies by ripping a two-out, three-run pinch-hit homer in the ninth inning and the Milwaukee Braves went on to prevail, 7-6, in 11 frames.

  • 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) won his first three starts in 1987.

  • Cleveland Indians rookie 2B Riggs Stephenson (Alabama hoops letterman in 1920) accounted for multiple hits in each of first six MLB outings in 1921.

  • RHP Kent Tekulve (freshman hooper for Marietta OH in mid-1960s) traded by the Pittsburgh Pirates to the Philadelphia Phillies in 1985. Two years earlier, Tekulve permitted his only earned run in first 17 relief appearances of the 1983 campaign.

  • 2B Wayne Terwilliger (two-year letterman for Western Michigan averaged 5.6 ppg in his final season in 1947-48) collected an eighth-inning single for the Washington Senators' lone safety in a 7-0 loss against the Philadelphia Athletics in 1954.

  • Boston Red Sox C Sammy White (All-PCC Northern Division first-five selection for Washington in 1947-48 and 1948-49) stroked three doubles against the Washington Senators in the nightcap of a 1953 doubleheader.

  • New York Yankees RF Dave Winfield (starting forward for Minnesota's first NCAA playoff team in 1972) doubled in his fifth straight game in 1986.

  • Tampa Bay Devil Rays CF Randy Winn (Santa Clara backcourtmate of eventual two-time NBA Most Valuable Player Steve Nash in 1993-94) supplied an extra-base safety in his sixth consecutive contest in the midst of eight multiple-hit outings in a 10-game span in 2002.

On This Date: Former College Hoopers Generating MLB Headlines on April 19

Extra! Extra! As a new season shifts into high gear, you can read news all about memorable major league baseball achievements, moments and transactions involving former college basketball players! Numerous ex-college hoopers had front-row seats to many of the most notable games and dates in MLB history.

Former hoops All-Americans Danny Ainge (Brigham Young) and Bosey Berger (Maryland) made MLB news on this date. Ditto ex-CA juco hoopers Steve Barber (Riverside City), Garth Iorg (Redwoods) and Jackie Robinson (Pasadena City) plus other J.C. hoopers Tony Phillips (New Mexico Military) and Carl Reynolds (Lon Morris TX). Baseball is portrayed as a thinking man's game but only 4% of active MLB players earned college diplomas. Unless you habitually pore over the content at baseballlibrary.com, baseballreference.com and nationalpastime.com, following is an April 19 calendar focusing on such versatile MLB athletes:

APRIL 19

  • Toronto Blue Jays LF Danny Ainge (three-time Brigham Young basketball All-American and national player of year as senior in 1980-81) went 3-for-3 in an 8-1 setback against the Cleveland Indians in 1980.

  • Only MLB decision for RHP Steve Barber (J.C. starter under coach Jerry Tarkanian before attending La Verne CA) was a 9-8 victory for the Minnesota Twins against the Kansas City Royals in 1971.

  • San Diego Padres RHP Andy Benes (joined Evansville's shorthanded basketball squad in 1985-86 under coach Jim Crews) allowed only one earned run in his first three starts in 1992 covering 23 1/3 innings.

  • 3B Bosey Berger (Maryland's first hoops All-American in 1931-32) awarded on waivers from the Cleveland Indians to the Chicago White Sox in 1937.

  • Pittsburgh Pirates 1B Donn Clendenon (four-sport letterman with Morehouse GA) provided four hits against the Cincinnati Reds in a 1966 game.

  • Washington Senators RHP Mark Filley (Williams MA hooper in early 1930s) made his lone MLB appearance, hurling one-third of an inning in relief against the Boston Red Sox in 1934.

  • In 2017 in his third MLB start, Amir Garrett (averaged 7.4 ppg and 4 rpg for St. John's under coach Steve Lavin in 2011-12 and 2012-13 before RS transfer year at Cal State Northridge) tied a Cincinnati Reds record for a rookie LHP by fanning 12 Baltimore Orioles batters.

  • Cincinnati Reds RHP Ken Hunt (freshman hooper for Brigham Young in 1957-58) won his first MLB start (4-2 against the San Francisco Giants in 1961), fanning Felipe Alou and Willie McCovey.

  • St. Louis Cardinals RHP Walt Huntzinger (All-Ivy League forward with Penn in 1921-22) toiled 14 innings but lost, 5-4, against the Chicago Cubs in 1926. He was waived to the Cubbies two months later.

  • Toronto Blue Jays 3B Garth Iorg (juco hooper with College of the Redwoods CA in mid-1970s) went 4-for-4, including a game-winning triple in bottom of the ninth inning, in 2-1 win against the Baltimore Orioles in 1984.

  • New York Giants 1B Monte Irvin (Lincoln PA hooper 1 1/2 years in late 1930s) collected six RBI against the Boston Braves in the nightcap of a 1951 doubleheader.

  • St. Louis Cardinals 1B George Kernek (Oklahoma hoops letterman in 1959-60 and 1960-61) contributed three hits for the second time in four games in 1966.

  • Five hits by CF Bake McBride (averaged 12.7 ppg and 8.1 rpg in 21 games for Westminster MO in 1968-69 and 1969-70) were in vain as the St. Louis Cardinals incurred a 17-inning, 4-3 loss against the New York Mets in 1976.

  • In a 1961 contest, Los Angeles Dodgers LF Wally Moon (averaged 4.3 ppg with Texas A&M in 1948-49 and 1949-50) supplied two homers and five RBI against his original team (St. Louis Cardinals).

  • In 1942, Chicago Cubs RHP Claude Passeau (Millsaps MS hooper in late 1920s and early 1930s) didn't yield a hit until there was one out in the eighth inning when CF Harry Craft (Mississippi College hooper first half of 1930s) singled for the Cincinnati Reds.

  • Chicago White Sox LHP Gary Peters (Grove City PA hooper from 1955-57) drilled two doubles good for four RBI in first three innings of a 1964 contest against the Boston Red Sox.

  • Oakland Athletics INF 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 1986 game against the Seattle Mariners. The next day, he collected three safeties and scored three runs against Seattle.

  • Boston Red Sox CF Carl Reynolds (Southwestern TX hoops MVP and captain in mid-1920s) went 4-for-4 (including two triples) in the nightcap of a 1934 twinbill against the Washington Senators.

  • Brooklyn Dodgers LF Jackie Robinson (highest scoring average in Pacific Coast Conference both of his seasons with UCLA in 1939-40 and 1940-41) went 4-for-4 against the Philadelphia Phillies in 1954.

  • RHP Sonny Siebert (team-high 16.7 ppg for Missouri in 1957-58 as All-Big Eight Conference second-team selection) traded by the Cleveland Indians to the Boston Red Sox in a six-player swap in 1969.

On This Date: Former College Hoopers Generating MLB Headlines on April 18

Extra! Extra! As new season shifts into high gear, you can read news about memorable major league baseball achievements, moments and transactions involving former college basketball players. Numerous ex-college hoopers had front-row seats to many of the most notable games and dates in MLB history.

Arizona, Cincinnati, Duke, Kansas, Michigan State, Syracuse and UCLA - NCAA playoff kingpins at some point in their respective histories - had former hoopers make MLB news on this date. Ditto four ex-hoopers from Pennsylvania small colleges - Albright, Grove City, Mansfield and Wilkes - before they became MLB pitchers. Baseball is portrayed as a thinking man's game but only 4% of active MLB players earned college diplomas. Unless you habitually pore over the content at baseballlibrary.com, baseballreference.com and nationalpastime.com, following is an April 18 calendar focusing on such versatile MLB athletes:

APRIL 18

  • Chicago White Sox rookie 1B Zeke Bonura (best basketball forward for Loyola LA in late 1920s and early 1930s) belted two homers against the Detroit Tigers in 1934 in his second MLB game. Four years later with the Washington Senators, Bonura contributed three hits and four RBI in a 12-8 win against the Philadelphia Athletics in 1938 season opener.

  • Philadelphia Phillies INF Gene Freese (West Liberty WV basketball captain of 1952 NAIA Tournament team) smacked a pinch grand slam against the Cincinnati Reds in a 1959 game.

  • Atlanta Braves RHP Kevin Gryboski (backup hooper for Wilkes PA in 1991-92 and 1992-93) surrendered his only run in first 17 relief appearances of 2004 campaign.

  • San Diego Padres RF Tony Gwynn (All-WAC second-team selection with San Diego State in 1979-80 and 1980-81) went 5-for-5 against the St. Louis Cardinals in a 1993 contest.

  • Texas Rangers 1B Mike Hargrove (Northwestern Oklahoma State hoops letterman) collected four hits and five RBI against the Milwaukee Brewers in the opener of a 1976 doubleheader.

  • RHP Jim Konstanty (Syracuse hooper in late 1930s) traded by the Cincinnati Reds with cash to the Boston Braves in 1946.

  • Los Angeles Dodgers LHP Sandy Koufax (Cincinnati's freshman hoops squad in 1953-54) threw the second of two immaculate innings in his career when he struck out the side on nine pitches against the Cincinnati Reds in third frame in 1964.

  • Atlanta Braves CF Kenny Lofton (Arizona's leader in steals for 1988 Final Four team compiling 35-3 record) provided a homer among his five hits in a 14-0 romp over the Colorado Rockies in 1997. Five years later with the Chicago White Sox, Lofton delivered multiple safeties seven times in a span of eight games while raising his batting average from .250 to .426 in 2002.

  • Davey Lopes (NAIA All-District 15 selection for Iowa Wesleyan averaged 16.9 ppg and 3.4 rpg 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) fired as manager of the Milwaukee Brewers in 2002.

  • San Francisco Giants CF Billy North (played hoops briefly for Central Washington in 1967-68) stole three bases against the Atlanta Braves in a 1981 contest.

  • Chicago White Sox LHP Gary Peters (Grove City PA hooper from 1955-57) knocked in four runs with a pair of doubles in 1964 game against the Boston Red Sox.

  • Montreal Expos RHP Steve Renko (averaged 9.9 ppg and 5.8 rpg as Kansas sophomore in 1963-64) won his first start of season against the New York Mets before dropping last 10 decisions of the 1972 campaign.

  • St. Louis Cardinals LF Rip Repulski (occasional hoops starter for St. Cloud State MN in 1946-47) went 4-for-4 in a 1955 outing against the Cincinnati Redlegs.

  • Hall of Fame RHP Robin Roberts (one of Michigan State's top three scorers each season from 1944-45 through 1946-47) surrendered the first hit on artificial turf in 1966 when Los Angeles Dodgers SS Maury Wills singled to center at Houston's Astrodome.

  • 1B Jackie Robinson (highest scoring average in Pacific Coast Conference both of his seasons with UCLA in 1939-40 and 1940-41) ripped his first homer for the Brooklyn Dodgers in 1947 (against New York Giants). The blast was Robinson's lone round-tripper in his first 30 MLB games.

  • Cleveland Indians LHP Joe Shaute (hooper for Mansfield PA in early 1920s) allowed only one earned run in tossing complete-game victories in his first two appearances of 1928 campaign.

  • New York Yankees RHP Roy Sherid (Albright PA hoops center in 1926-27 and 1927-28) toiled 15 innings but lost, 5-4, against the Boston Red Sox in 1931.

  • Chicago White Sox DH Jim Thome (played junior-college hoops for Illinois Central in 1988-89) swatted two homers in 2007 game against the Texas Rangers.

  • RHP Cecil Upshaw (led Centenary in scoring as junior while averaging 13.7 ppg and 6 rpg from 1961-62 through 1963-64) registered his fourth victory hurling at least three innings of relief in the Atlanta Braves' first 11 games of the 1971 season.

  • Philadelphia Athletics 3B Billy Werber (first Duke hoops All-American in 1929-30) provided four safeties in season opener en route to seven multiple-hit games in his first 11 outings of the 1938 campaign.

Familiar Ring: New Lafayette Coach Michael Jordan Tries Living Up to Name

How would you like to try to live up to the pressure associated with the name of your boyhood idol? A versatile player similar to his namesake, Michael Jordan became a three-time All-Ivy League first-team selection with Penn late in the 20th Century. Also nicknamed MJ, Lafayette's new coach Michael Hakim-Jordan, weary of constant comparisons to GOAT, eventually included hyphenated second name.

Upon scouring college basketball guides, you can discover a bevy of individuals who make you think of someone else more prominent with the same name inside the world of basketball. To what extent can one take this name game? Following is an alphabetical list including Jordan and other former all-league first-team selections whose names have a more familiar ring for someone else connected to hoopdom:

All-League Player Pos. School Year(s) All-Conference First-Team Choice
Eric Anderson F-C Rhode Island 1955-56 in New England/Yankee
Larry Anderson G Long Beach State 2010-11 and 2011-12 in Big West
Sam Bowie F Southeastern Louisiana 1995-96 in Trans America Athletic
Michael Brooks G Tennessee 1984-85 in SEC
Jamonda "Joe" Bryant Jr. G Norfolk State 2020-21 and 2021-22 in MEAC
Mike Cooper F Fordham 1982-83 in Metro Atlantic Athletic
Walter Davis C Texas A&M 1950-51 and 1951-52 in SWC
Jerry Dunn F Western Kentucky 1970-71 and 1971-72 in Ohio Valley
Kevin Johnson G Texas-Pan American 1987-88 in American South
Jeff Jones F UNC Asheville 1985-86 in Big South
Michael Jordan G Penn 1997-98 through 1999-00 in Ivy League
Bob Leonard G Wake Forest 1964-65 and 1965-66 in ACC
Dean Smith G Maine 1989-90 in North Atlantic
Steve Smith G-F Marist 1982-83 in Northeast
Isaiah Thomas G Washington 2009-10 and 2010-11 in Pacific-10
Jimmy Walker F Alabama 1933-34 and 1934-35 in SEC
Bill Walton G Eastern Kentucky 1965-66 in Ohio Valley
Jerry West C-F St. Mary's 1967-68 in WCAC
Jason Williams F Radford 1999-00 and 2000-01 in Big South
Ben Wilson F Mercer 1987-88 in Trans America Athletic

On This Date: Former College Hoopers Generating MLB Headlines on April 17

Extra! Extra! As new season swings into high gear on Easter Weekend, you can read news about memorable major league baseball achievements, moments and transactions involving former college basketball players! Numerous ex-college hoopers had front-row seats to many of the most notable games and dates in MLB history.

Former college hoopers Joe Adcock (Louisiana State), Frank Bolling (Spring Hill AL) and Johnny Logan (Binghamton) supplied significant offensive performances for the Milwaukee Braves on this date while ex-Oklahoma hoopers Eddie Fisher and Elmer Ponder provided sterling pitching performances. Baseball is portrayed as a thinking man's game but only 4% of active MLB players earned college diplomas. Unless you habitually pore over the content at baseballlibrary.com, baseballreference.com and nationalpastime.com, following is an April 17 calendar focusing on such versatile MLB athletes:

APRIL 17

  • Milwaukee Braves 1B Joe Adcock (Louisiana State's leading basketball scorer in 1945-46) contributed four hits against the Cincinnati Reds in the nightcap of a 1955 twinbill.

  • Philadelphia Phillies LF Harry Anderson (averaged 7.7 ppg and 8.9 rpg for West Chester PA in 1951-52) hammered two homers against the Milwaukee Braves in a 1960 game.

  • Milwaukee Braves 2B Frank Bolling (averaged 7.3 ppg for Spring Hill AL in 1950-51) smacked two homers in a 5-2 win against the Houston Colt .45s in 1964.

  • Baltimore Orioles CF Al Bumbry (Virginia State's runner-up in scoring with 16.7 ppg as freshman in 1964-65) stroked four hits against the Kansas City Royals in 1981.

  • Detroit Tigers 1B Tony Clark (San Diego State's leading scorer in Western Athletic Conference games in 1991-92) homered in his third consecutive contest in 1997.

  • Arizona Diamondbacks LHP Patrick Corbin (hooper for Mohawk Valley Community College NY in 2007-08) tossed a one-hit shutout against the San Francisco Giants in 2018.

  • Cincinnati Reds CF Harry Craft (four-sport hoops letterman with Mississippi College in early 1930s) accumulated four hits and five RBI in a 7-6 setback against the St. Louis Cardinals in 1941.

  • Chicago White Sox RHP Eddie Fisher (hooper for Oklahoma's 1954-55 freshman squad) hurled his first complete game in 10 years. Fisher also won his next three starts by yielding only one earned run covering 18 innings.

  • Kansas City Royals RHP Dave Frost (averaged 10.5 ppg and 4 rpg for Stanford from 1971-72 through 1973-74) registered his third relief victory in four games early in 1982.

  • Pittsburgh Pirates LHP Joe Gibbon (two-time All-SEC forward for Ole Miss was the nation's second-leading scorer as a senior in 1956-57), making his MLB debut in the nightcap of a doubleheader against the Cincinnati Reds in 1960, threw two scoreless innings of relief and emerged as the winner when the Bucs erupted for six runs in the ninth.

  • Utilityman Chuck Harmon (freshman starter was Toledo's second-leading scorer for 1943 NIT runner-up) became the second black player for the Cincinnati Reds when pinch-hitting against the Milwaukee Braves in a 1954 contest.

  • Boston Red Sox LHP Bill Henry (hoops letterman for Houston's 1947 NAIA Tournament team featuring co-captain Guy Lewis) won his MLB debut, yielding only five hits in eight innings of 9-2 triumph against the Washington Senators in 1952.

  • Baltimore Orioles 2B Davey Johnson (averaged 1.7 ppg with Texas A&M in 1961-62) provided back-to-back four-hit games against the Boston Red Sox in 1969.

  • Chicago White Sox RHP Bob Keegan (Bucknell hoops letterman in 1941-42 and 1942-43) toiled at least eight innings for the first of 10 straight starts in 1954, including a pair of shutouts.

  • Detroit Tigers SS Harvey Kuenn (played briefly for Wisconsin in 1951-52 after competing on JV hoops squad previous season) stroked three doubles among his four hits against the Kansas City Athletics in a 1955 game.

  • Milwaukee Braves SS Johnny Logan (Binghamton hooper in 1948-49) jacked two homers in a 5-1 win against the Cincinnati Reds in 1954.

  • Chicago White Sox RHP Ted Lyons (two-time All-SWC first-team selection for Baylor in early 1920s) hurled a shutout against the Cleveland Indians in his season debut. The 41-year-old Lyons went the distance in all 20 starts during the 1942 campaign en route to posting an A.L.-best 2.10 ERA.

  • Philadelphia Phillies RF Bake McBride (averaged 12.7 ppg and 8.1 rpg in 21 games for Westminster MO in 1968-69 and 1969-70) collected two homers and five RBI against the Pittsburgh Pirates in a 1979 contest.

  • California Angels 3B Bob Oliver (All-Valley Conference basketball choice for American River Community College CA in 1962) smacked two homers in a 5-3 win against the Minnesota Twins in 1974.

  • Pittsburgh Pirates RHP Elmer Ponder (Oklahoma hoops letterman in 1913-14 and 1915-16) tossed a 13-inning shutout against the St. Louis Cardinals in 1920.

  • New York Giants RF Dave Robertson (one of two reserves on North Carolina State's first basketball team in 1911) contributed three hits and five RBI in an 8-3 triumph against the Brooklyn Robins in 1917.

  • Jackie Robinson (highest scoring average in Pacific Coast Conference both of his seasons with UCLA in 1939-40 and 1940-41) secured his first safety with the Brooklyn Dodgers in 1947. It was one of his 19 bunt hits as a rookie.

  • Cleveland Indians LHP Joe Shaute (hooper for Mansfield PA in early 1920s) twirled a four-hit shutout against the St. Louis Browns in 1925.

  • Chicago Cubs LF Riggs Stephenson (Alabama hoops letterman in 1920) supplied three extra-base hits, including a homer, in a six-inning, 3-0 victory against the St. Louis Cardinals in 1930.

  • Detroit Tigers RF Champ Summers (led SIU-Edwardsville in scoring in 1969-70 after doing same with Nicholls State in 1964-65) collected four hits against the Boston Red Sox, igniting a career-high 17-game hitting streak in 1980.

  • In 1989, Cincinnati Reds RHP Kent Tekulve (freshman hooper in mid-1960s for Marietta OH) passed Hoyt Wilhelm as MLB's all-time leader in relief appearances.

  • Kansas City Royals 1B John Wathan (averaged 3.7 ppg in 11 games for San Diego in 1968-69) hit safely in his first eight games of the 1983 campaign.

American Idle: Easter Reminds Us of NCAA DI Head-Coaching Resurrections

Forget three days. It was significantly more than three years for their head-coaching resurrection. Mark Adams (Texas Tech) Alvin Brooks (Lamar) and Leonard Perry (Pacific) each were in NCAA Division I head-coaching mothballs at least 15 seasons until hired last year. Adams and Brooks returned to their alma maters. The trio of returnees are atop the following list of six active head coaches serving in non-college head coaching capacities at least 10 seasons before returning to the DI level as a bench boss:

Active Coach Current School (Years Away) Previous DI Position (Seasons)
Mark Adams Texas Tech (24) Texas-Pan American (1992-93 through 1996-97)
Alvin Brooks Jr. Lamar (23) Houston (1993-94 through 1997-98)
Leonard Perry Pacific (15) Idaho (2001-02 through 2005-06)
Rob Lanier Southern Methodist (14) Siena (2001-02 through 2004-05) before hiring by Georgia State
Keith Dambrot Duquesne (11) Central Michigan (1990-91 and 1991-92) before hiring by Akron
Bobby McCullum Florida A&M (10) South Florida (2003-04 through 2006-07)

On This Date: Former College Hoopers Generating MLB Headlines on April 16

Extra! Extra! As a new season gains steam, you can read news about memorable major league baseball achievements, moments and transactions involving former college basketball players. Numerous ex-college hoopers had front-row seats to many of the most notable games and dates in MLB history.

Former San Diego State hoopers Tony Gwynn and Graig Nettles supplied significant National League hitting performances as lefthanded batters on this date. Several ex-hoopers from Illinois colleges - Cal Neeman (Illinois Wesleyan), Wally Roettger (Illinois) and Jim Thome (Illinois Central) - also made N.L. news on this date. Baseball is portrayed as a thinking man's game but only 4% of active MLB players earned college diplomas. Unless you habitually pore over the content at baseballlibrary.com, baseballreference.com and nationalpastime.com, following is an April 16 calendar focusing on such versatile MLB athletes:

APRIL 16

  • Detroit Tigers 2B Frank Bolling (averaged 7.3 ppg for Spring Hill AL basketball team in 1950-51), en route to hitting .632 through first five games of the 1958 campaign, banged out four hits in a 5-4 win against the Chicago White Sox.

  • Kansas City Athletics LF Bob Cerv (ranked fourth on Nebraska's career scoring list in 1949-50 when finishing college career) collected three extra-base hits and five RBI in a 9-4 triumph against the Cleveland Indians in 1958.

  • Philadelphia Athletics starting LHP Chubby Dean (reserve guard for Duke in 1936) did not allow an earned run in 10 innings in a 2-1 win against the New York Yankees in 1940.

  • Detroit Tigers 1B Walt Dropo (first player in Connecticut history to average 20 ppg in single season with 21.7 in 1942-43) knocked in five runs with two extra-base hits in a 1953 game against the Cleveland Indians.

  • 1B Kerby Farrell (key hooper for couple of strong Freed-Hardeman TN squads in mid-1930s) purchased from the Boston Braves by the Chicago White Sox in 1945.

  • Houston Astros C Joe Ferguson (played in 1967 NCAA playoffs with Pacific) furnished three extra-base hits against the Atlanta Braves in a 1977 game.

  • Philadelphia Athletics RF Walt French (hoops letterman for Rutgers and Army) furnished four hits against the Washington Senators in a 1926 contest.

  • Debut with San Francisco Giants for RHP Rich Gale (led New Hampshire with 7.2 rpg in 1975-76) was a success, hurling a three-hit, 6-1 victory against the Cincinnati Reds in 1982.

  • St. Louis Cardinals RHP Bob Gibson (Creighton's leading scorer and rebounder in 1955-56 and 1956-57) and Philadelphia Phillies P Cal McLish both failed to finish first inning when each starter allowed six runs in the Cards' 12-6 win at Philly in 1962.

  • Chicago White Sox C Frank Grube (Lafayette starting hoops guard as senior in 1926-27) went 4-for-4 against the Cleveland Indians in a 1932 game.

  • San Diego Padres RF Tony Gwynn (All-WAC second-team selection with San Diego State in 1979-80 and 1980-81) went 5-for-5 against the Los Angeles Dodgers in a 1987 contest en route to N.L.-high 218 hits.

  • Cleveland Indians CF Kenny Lofton (Arizona's leader in steals for 1988 Final Four team compiling 35-3 record) delivered three extra-base hits against the Toronto Blue Jays in a 1993 contest.

  • Milwaukee Braves SS Johnny Logan (Binghamton hooper in 1948-49) went 5-for-5 against the Cincinnati Reds in a 1955 game.

  • Rookie C Cal Neeman (Illinois Wesleyan's leading scorer in 1947-48 and 1948-49) scored the Chicago Cubs' only run of 1957 season opener after notching his initial big-league hit (single to right-center off Warren Spahn in bottom of fifth inning of 4-1 setback).

  • Final blast of 390 MLB career homers by 3B Graig Nettles (shot 87.8% from free-throw line for San Diego State in 1963-64) was a pinch-hit, game-tying round-tripper for the Montreal Expos against the Philadelphia Phillies in 1988.

  • RHP Roy Parmelee (hoops letterman for Eastern Michigan in 1924-25 and 1925-26) purchased from the Chicago Cubs by the Boston Red Sox in 1938.

  • In a 1931 contest, Cincinnati Reds RF Wally Roettger (Illinois hoops letterman in 1921-22 and 1922-23) went 5-for-5 against his original team (St. Louis Cardinals).

  • Texas Rangers 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) won his first three starts in 1984.

  • Philadelphia Phillies 1B Jim Thome (played junior-college hoops for Illinois Central in 1988-89) went 4-for-4 in 2004 game against the Montreal Expos.

Poisoning Ivy: All-Ivy League Selections Transferring to Power Conferences

Well-endowed Harvard, which should have been more concerned about school ties to sexual predator Jeffrey Epstein, accepted admonition about rejecting millions of dollars from Small Business Administration's PPP. Meanwhile, it isn't business as usual for the Crimson and fellow Ivy League members as well-endowed PPPs (Productive Premium Players) leave their programs; especially after conference intellectuals cowered in fetal position in ivory tower corner because of coronavirus.

The Ivy League is recognized as the nation's most academically prestigious NCAA Division I conference. But as the previously-idealistic Ivy League accepted more athletic exemptions, including transfers from other institutions, the alliance also exponentially increased the number of prominent players leaving the Ivy to learn about playing at the highest athletic level. Jaelin Llewellyn (Princeton to Clemson) joined a trend featuring All-Ivy players in the past seven years transferring to a power conference. Following is an alphabetical list of players who left the Ivy League for a power-league member:

Transfer Player Position Ivy League School Power-League Member
Quinton Adlesh G Columbia 16-19 Southern California 20
Bryce Aiken G Harvard 17-20 Seton Hall 21
Paul Atkinson F Yale 18-20 Notre Dame 22
Joe Beaulieu C Harvard 77 Boston College 79-81
Ryan Betley G Penn 17-20 California 21
Jimmy Boeheim F Cornell 18-20 Syracuse 22
Evan Boudreaux F Dartmouth 16-17 Purdue 19-20
Jordan Bruner F Yale 17-20 Alabama 21
Brian Buckelew G Harvard 81 Connecticut 82
Jaron Faulds F Columbia 18 Michigan 20
Danny Feldmann F Columbia 11 Missouri 13-14
Stone Gettings F Cornell 16-18 Arizona 20
Christian Gore G Brown 12 Texas Christian 14-15
Tony Hicks G Penn 13-15 Louisville 17
Max Hooper G Harvard 12 St. John's 14
Jeremiah Kreisberg C Yale 11-13 Northwestern 15
Jaelin Llewellyn G Princeton 19-22 Clemson 23
Makai Mason G Yale 15-18 Baylor 19
Shonn Miller F Cornell 12-15 Connecticut 16
Grant Mullins G Columbia 13-16 California 17
David Onuorah F-C Cornell 14-16 Connecticut 18
Will Scott G Cornell 05 Louisville 07-09
Mike Smith G Columbia 17-20 Michigan 21
Ben Spiva C-F Penn 88 Memphis State 90-91
John Stovall F Penn 86-87 Boston College 89
Patrick Tape F Columbia 17-19 Duke 21
Seth Towns F Harvard 17-18 Ohio State 21
Pax Whitehead G-F Cornell 93 Vanderbilt 95-97

On This Date: Former College Hoopers Generating MLB Headlines on April 15

Extra! Extra! As a new season gains traction, you can read news all about memorable major league baseball achievements, moments and transactions involving former college basketball players! Numerous ex-college hoopers had front-row seats to many of the most notable games and dates in MLB history.

Baseball is portrayed as a thinking man's game but only 4% of active MLB players earned college diplomas. In a historical milestone, Jackie Robinson (highest scoring average in Pacific Coast Conference both of his seasons with UCLA in 1939-40 and 1940-41) debuted for the Brooklyn Dodgers as a first baseman in 1947, becoming the first black player to appear in a MLB game. Robinson's historic appearance completely dwarfed four-year Army veteran Fuzz White serving as leadoff batter for crosstown rival (New York Giants), which was 14 years before fellow ex-Drury MO hooper Bill Virdon homered twice in another National League contest. Unless you habitually pore over the content at baseballlibrary.com, baseballreference.com and nationalpastime.com, following is a taxing April 15 calendar focusing on such versatile MLB athletes:

APRIL 15

  • New York Giants 2B Andy Cohen (Alabama basketball letterman in 1924 and 1925) went 3-for-4 for the second time in first three games of 1928 campaign.

  • LHP Chubby Dean (reserve guard for Duke in 1936) hurled a complete game in the Philadelphia Athletics' season opener to give them a 3-1 win against the New York Yankees in 1941.

  • Brooklyn Dodgers RF Ox Eckhart (Texas hoops letterman in 1923) smacked his lone MLB homer (against New York Giants in 1936).

  • New York Yankees 3B Mike Gazella (premier hooper for undefeated Mansfield PA hoops squad in 1918) contributed a pair of triples in 6-3 victory against the Philadelphia Athletics in 1927.

  • RHP Bob Gibson (Creighton's leading scorer and rebounder in 1955-56 and 1956-57) made his St. Louis Cardinals debut at Los Angeles in 1959, hurling the final two innings in a 5-0 setback against the Dodgers. He became the first future Hall of Famer to yield a homer to first batter he faced in the majors (3B Jim Baxes went downtown in seventh inning).

  • First appearance and start in 1961 for Philadelphia Phillies RHP Dallas Green (Delaware's second-leading scorer and rebounder in 1954-55) wound up becoming a five-hit shutout against the San Francisco Giants.

  • INF Gene Handley (Bradley hoops letterman in 1932-33 and 1933-34) purchased from the Pittsburgh Pirates by the St. Louis Cardinals in 1940.

  • Boston Red Sox LHP Bill Henry (hoops letterman for Houston's 1947 NAIA Tournament team featuring co-captain Guy Lewis) restricted the Washington Senators to three hits in a complete-game victory in 1954.

  • C Cal Neeman (Illinois Wesleyan's leading scorer in 1947-48 and 1948-49), not Ernie Banks, collected the Chicago Cubs' first homer of 1958 (at St. Louis in season opener).

  • Kansas City Royals RF Bob Oliver (All-Valley Conference basketball choice for American River Community College CA in 1962) whacked a two-out, game-tying homer in the bottom of the ninth inning en route to an 11-inning, 2-1 win against the Chicago White Sox in 1972 season opener.

  • In 1952, Boston Braves 2B Billy Reed (Ripon WI hooper in 1942-43) banged out two singles in his MLB debut off Brooklyn Dodgers LHP Preacher Roe (Harding AR hooper in late 1930s).

  • 1B Jackie Robinson (highest scoring average in Pacific Coast Conference both of his seasons with UCLA in 1939-40 and 1940-41) debuted for the Brooklyn Dodgers in 1947, becoming the first black player to appear in a MLB game. Before Robinson was replaced by Howie Schultz (Hamline MN hooper in early 1940s), he went hitless in three at-bats against the visiting Boston Braves a year before President Truman desegregated the military.

  • Pittsburgh Pirates CF Bill Virdon (Drury MO hooper in 1949) belted two homers in a 4-1 triumph against the Los Angeles Dodgers in 1961.

  • Washington Senators rookie RHP Monte Weaver (hoops center for Emory & Henry VA in mid-1920s) won his season debut in 1932 with a four-hit shutout against the Boston Red Sox.

  • CF Fuzz White (Drury MO hoops letterman during second half of 1930s) was leadoff batter for the New York Giants in their 1947 season opener.

  • Boston Red Sox C Sammy White (All-PCC Northern Division first-five selection for Washington in 1947-48 and 1948-49) went 4-for-4 against the Washington Senators in a 1954 contest.

  • Philadelphia Phillies CF Cy Williams (Notre Dame forward in 1909-10) homered twice against the Boston Braves in a 1922 game.

  • San Diego Padres RHP Chris Young (All-Ivy League first-team selection as Princeton's leading scorer and rebounder in 1999-00) tied a MLB record with 25 straight starts on the road without a defeat before bowing at Los Angeles against the Dodgers in 2007.

MLB Celebrates Jackie Robinson Anniversary By Emphasizing Uniform #42

"A life is not important except in the impact it has on other lives." - Jackie Robinson

The entirety of SportsNation accepts the cultural significance of Jackie Robinson Day, an annual event commemorating and honoring the groundbreaking day he made his debut 75 years ago on April 15 with the Brooklyn Dodgers as MLB's first African-American player. It doesn't appear as if BLM (Buy Large Mansions) hucksters claiming systemic racism and police brutality will diminish his justifiable accolades.

Observers might not know about Robinson also impacted basketball. UCLA's initial all-conference hooper in the 1940s was a forward who compiled the highest scoring average in the Pacific Coast Conference both of his seasons with the Bruins (12.3 points per league game in 1939-40 and 11.1 ppg in 1940-41) after transferring from Pasadena (Calif.) City College. Continuing his scoring exploits, the six-time National League All-Star also materialized as the leading scorer for the Los Angeles Red Devils' barnstorming team in 1946-47. He certainly brought a massive load of more credibility to thought-provoking table than opportunistic romance novelist Stacey Abrams (a/k/a Selena Montgomery).

In 1949, Jackie triggered a streak of eight different African-Americans winning a total of 11 N.L. MVPs in 14-year span through 1962. In deference to Robinson's uniform number, following is an alphabetical list of 42 more of the best African-American basketball players for four-year colleges who subsequently competed at the MLB level:

College Hooper Four-Year College Summary of College Basketball Career Summary of MLB Career
Ron Allen Youngstown State Averaged 14.7 ppg from 1961-62 through 1963-64, leading Penguins in scoring and rebounding as sophomore. Only hit in 11 MLB at-bats for 1B and brother of Dick Allen and Hank Allen was homer with St. Louis Cardinals at San Diego in 1972.
George Altman Tennessee State Four-year letterman was forward on teams compiling 88-17 record from 1951-52 through 1954-55 (including two NAIA Tournament appearances). Two-time All-Star 1B hit .269 with 102 home runs in nine seasons from 1959 through 1967 with Chicago Cubs, St. Louis Cardinals and New York Mets before playing eight years in Japan.
Jim Bibby Fayetteville State (N.C.) Backup hooper's brother, Fred, set Fayetteville State single-season record with 18.1 rpg in 1963-64. Their younger brother, Henry, was consensus first-team All-American guard with UCLA in 1971-72. RHP compiled 111-101 record and 3.76 ERA with St. Louis Cardinals, Texas Rangers, Cleveland Indians and Pittsburgh Pirates in 12 seasons from 1972 through 1984. Hurled first no-hitter in Rangers history in 1973 and started two games for victorious Pirates in 1979 World Series.
Dorian "Doe" Boyland Wisconsin-Oshkosh Averaged 5.6 ppg and 3.4 rpg in half a season in 1974-75. 1B had two hits in 19 at-bats with Pittsburgh Pirates in three years from 1978 to 1981. Traded to San Francisco Giants but never played for them.
Al Bumbry Virginia State Averaged 16.7 ppg (team runner-up) as freshman in 1964-65 and 12.4 ppg plus 4.6 rpg as junior in 1966-67. Lefthanded-swinging OF hit .281 with Baltimore Orioles and San Diego Padres in 14 years from 1972 through 1985. Hit .337 as A.L. Rookie of the Year in 1973 when tying MLB single-game record with three triples. Finished among top nine in stolen bases five times in first nine years. Participated in World Series in 1979 and 1983.
Ray Burris Southwestern Oklahoma State Two-sport standout is in school's Hall of Fame. RHP compiled 108-134 record and 4.17 ERA with Chicago Cubs, New York Yankees, New York Mets, Montreal Expos, Oakland A's, Milwaukee Brewers and St. Louis Cardinals in 15 years from 1973 through 1987. Started three postseason games for Expos in 1981 after averaging 227 innings pitched last four full seasons with Cubs.
Tony Clark Arizona/San Diego State Swingman averaged 11.6 ppg and 4.6 rpg for Aztecs as sophomore in 1991-92, leading them in scoring in WAC games. 1B averaged 31 HRs annually in four-year span from 1996 through 1999 with Detroit Tigers. Tallest switch-hitter (6-7) in MLB history hit .262 with 251 homers and 824 RBI in 15 seasons from 1995 through 2009 with Tigers, Red Sox, New York Mets, New York Yankees, Arizona Diamondbacks and San Diego Padres.
Donn Clendenon Morehouse (Ga.) Earned letters in four collegiate sports before leading Army base at Fort Jackson (Columbia, S.C.) to hoop title before discharge in time for spring training in 1959. 1B hit .274 with 159 home runs and 682 RBI with Pittsburgh Pirates, Montreal Expos, New York Mets and St. Louis Cardinals in 12 years from 1961 through 1972. World Series MVP with "Miracle Mets" in 1969 when hitting three home runs (Games 2, 4 and 5).
Vince Colbert East Carolina ECU's first African-American hooper averaged 14.3 ppg and 7.3 rpg in 1966-67 and 1967-68. J.C. transfer led Pirates in rebounding as junior. RHP compiled 9-14 record and 4.57 ERA with Cleveland Indians in three years from 1970 through 1972. He was their only winning pitcher (7-6) with 10 or more starts in 1971.
George Crowe Indiana Central Four-year hoops letterman from 1939-40 through 1942-43 for college now known as University of Indianapolis after becoming first Indiana H.S. player named state's "Mr. Basketball." 1B hit .270 in nine years (1952, 1953 and 1955 through 1961) with Boston/Milwaukee Braves, Cincinnati Reds and St. Louis Cardinals. One year after named All-Star, led N.L. in pinch-hits (17) in first season with Cards in 1959 before slugging MLB-record 11th pinch-hit HR in 1960.
Arthur "Bill" Davis Minnesota Averaged 6.4 ppg and 5 rpg from 1961-62 through 1963-64 under coach John Kundla. Forward contributed 12.5 ppg as senior for team including eventual NBA standouts Archie Clark and Lou Hudson. 1B hit .181 with Cleveland Indians and San Diego Padres in three seasons (1965, 1966 and 1969).
Larry Doby Virginia Union Attended LIU on hoops scholarship but transferred to VU after Uncle Sam summoned him for World War II service. Reserve guard on team winning 1943 CIAA title. Seven-time All-Star OF hit .283 with 253 HRs and 969 RBI in 13 years from 1947 through 1959 with Cleveland Indians and Chicago White Sox. First black player in A.L. twice led league in homers (1952 and 1954). Smacked 20 or more HRs eight seasons in row from 1949 through 1956.
Don Eaddy Michigan One of first two African-Americans to play hoops for Wolverines averaged 11.4 ppg in four seasons from 1951-52 through 1954-55. Led team in scoring in Big Ten Conference competition as sophomore. INF played briefly with Chicago Cubs in 1959.
Amir Garrett St. John's Averaged 7.4 ppg and 4 rpg in 2011-12 and 2012-13 under coach Steve Lavin prior to transferring to Northridge State, where he had RS year before focusing only on baseball. After representing Cincinnati Reds at 2016 All-Star Futures Game, LHP won his first two MLB decisions in April 2017 with six shutout innings in each start. In his third start, he tied Reds record for rookie LHP by fanning 12 Baltimore Orioles batters. In 2018, Garrett didn't allow a run in his first eight relief appearances and had a 1.35 ERA after 21 outings.
Bob Gibson Creighton First Bluejays player to average 20 ppg for his career (20.2). Led school in scoring in 1955-56 (40th in country with 22 ppg) and 1956-57 after being second-leading scorer in 1954-55. Hall of Famer compiled 251-174 pitching record with 3,117 strikeouts and 2.91 ERA in 17 seasons from 1959 through 1975 with St. Louis Cardinals. In 1968, RHP tossed 13 shutouts en route to a 1.12 ERA. Ranked among N.L. top six in strikeouts 11 times from 1961 through 1972. He hit 24 home runs and won nine consecutive Gold Gloves (1965 through 1973). Notched 7-2 mark and 1.89 ERA in nine World Series games, including strikeout record of 17 Tigers in 1968 contest.
Tony Gwynn San Diego State Averaged 8.6 ppg and 5.5 apg from 1977-78 through 1980-81. Second-team All-WAC selection as junior and senior set school DI single-game mark with 18 assists vs. UNLV. San Diego Padres OF hit .338 in 20 seasons (1982 through 2001), winning eight N.L. batting titles - 1984, 1987, 1988, 1989, 1994, 1995, 1996 and 1997. Played in 15th All-Star Game in 1999 before topping 3,000-hit plateau later in year.
Chuck Harmon Toledo Second-leading scorer as sophomore in 1946-47 (13.6 ppg) and as junior in 1947-48 (8.8). As freshman starter in 1942-43, swingman was second-leading scorer for 22-4 team finishing NIT runner-up. Utilityman hit .238 in four seasons from 1954 through 1957 with Cincinnati Reds, St. Louis Cardinals and Philadelphia Phillies.
Billy Harrell Siena When school's first African-American player finished career, he held school records for most points in season (396 in 1951-52), career and game (28 against Arizona State in 1951) plus most rebounds in season (387 in 1949-50). INF hit .231 in 173 games with Cleveland Indians (1955, 1957, 1958) and Boston Red Sox (1961).
Chuck Hinton Shaw (N.C.) Played multiple sports before serving two years in U.S. Army in mid-1950s. His brother, Checo, was lineman with him on football squad and power forward for hoops team. OF-INF played every defensive position while hitting .264 with Washington Senators, Cleveland Indians and California Angels in 11 A.L. seasons from 1961 through 1971. In 1962, he was runner-up in stolen bases in A.L. and finished fourth in batting average. First expansion Senator to be named to All-Star team was final Senator to hit .300.
Monte Irvin Lincoln (Pa.) Athletic career was nearly prematurely ended when infection from scratched hand in hoops game kept him close to death for seven weeks. Hall of Fame OF-1B hit .293 with 99 HRs and 443 RBI in eight years from 1949 through 1956 with New York Giants and Chicago Cubs. Irvin led N.L. in RBI with 121 in 1951 (same year led World Series in hitting with .458 mark vs. crosstown Yankees).
Anthony "Tony" Johnson LeMoyne-Owen (Tenn.) J.C. transfer forward was All-VSAC selection in 1976-77 and 1979-80 as team's top scorer. LF hit .232 with Montreal Expos and Toronto Blue Jays in two years in 1981 and 1982.
"Sweet" Lou Johnson Kentucky State Teammate of legendary Alcorn State coach Davey Whitney averaged 5.7 ppg and 2 rpg in 1951-52. OF hit .258 with Chicago Cubs, Los Angeles/California Angels, Milwaukee Braves, Los Angeles Dodgers and Cleveland Indians in eight seasons from 1960 through 1969. Contributed two homers and two doubles for Dodgers in 1965 World Series against Minnesota Twins.
Lynn Jones Thiel (Pa.) Averaged 10.4 ppg from 1970-71 through 1973-74. OF hit .252 with Detroit Tigers and Kansas City Royals in eight seasons from 1979 through 1986. Doubled and tripled as pinch-hitter for Royals in 1985 World Series against St. Louis Cardinals.
David Justice Thomas More (Ky.) Led team in assists in 1984-85 while averaging 9.3 ppg and 3.5 rpg. Three-time All-Star OF hit .279 in 14 seasons from 1989 through 2002 with Atlanta Braves, Cleveland Indians, New York Yankees and Oakland A's. Jacked 40 homers (N.L. runner-up) with 120 RBI (also runner-up) in 1993 with Braves and total of 41 homers (fourth in A.L.) with 118 RBI in 2000 with Indians and Yanks.
Kenny Lofton Arizona Averaged 4.8 ppg and 2.6 apg in four seasons from 1985-86 through 1988-89 under coach Lute Olson. Leader in steals for 1988 Final Four team compiling 35-3 record. Lefthanded CF hit .299 and stole 622 bases in 17 seasons from 1991 through 2007 with Houston Astros, Cleveland Indians, Atlanta Braves, Chicago White Sox, San Francisco Giants, Pittsburgh Pirates, Chicago Cubs, New York Yankees, Philadelphia Phillies, Los Angeles Dodgers and Texas Rangers. Four-time Gold Glover led Indians with .325 batting mark (fourth in A.L.) and paced majors with 70 stolen bases in 1993. After trade to Cleveland, hit .285 for Indians in 1992 and led the A.L. in stolen bases with 66 (record for A.L. rookie). Six-time All-Star led A.L. in stolen bases five consecutive years from 1992 through 1996, hitting career-high .349 in 1994.
Davey Lopes Iowa Wesleyan/Washburn (Kan.) NAIA All-District 15 selection averaged 16.9 ppg and 3.4 rpg as All-IIAC first-team choice freshman in 1964-65 and 12.1 ppg as sophomore in 1965-66 before transferring with his coach. All-CIC selection in 1967-68 when averaging 7.6 ppg for NAIA Tournament team. Four-time All-Star 2B hit .263 with Los Angeles Dodgers, Oakland A's, Chicago Cubs and Houston Astros in 16 seasons from 1972 through 1987. Led N.L. in stolen bases in back-to-back campaigns in 1975 (77) and 1976 (63) after finishing runner-up in 1974 (59). Swiped five bases in game in 1974, tying 70-year-old N.L. record before establishing since-broken N.L. mark with 38 consecutive successful thefts in 1975.
Terrell Lowery Loyola Marymount Two-time All-WCC first-team selection and league-leading scorer. Tallied career-high 48 points against Idaho State as junior in 1990-91 when finishing among top five nationally in scoring (28.5 ppg) and assists (9.1 apg). OF hit .282 with Chicago Cubs, Tampa Bay Devil Rays and San Francisco Giants from 1997 through 2000. Stroked five hits for Giants in single game against Milwaukee Brewers in 2000.
Arnold "Bake" McBride Westminster (Mo.) Averaged 12.7 ppg and 8.1 rpg in 21 games in 1968-69 and 1969-70. Lefthanded-swinging OF hit .299 with St. Louis Cardinals, Philadelphia Phillies and Cleveland Indians in 11 seasons from 1973 through 1983. N.L. Rookie of the Year in 1974 when hitting .309 with Cardinals was named to N.L. All-Star team two years later.
Lyle Mouton Louisiana State Averaged 8.2 ppg and 3.2 rpg as sophomore in 1988-89 under coach Dale Brown. Started in backcourt with All-American Chris Jackson when Tigers lost to UTEP in West Regional of NCAA playoffs. OF hit .280 for Chicago White Sox, Baltimore Orioles, Milwaukee Brewers and Florida Marlins in seven years from 1995 through 2001.
Billy North Central Washington Collected two points and two rebounds in four games in 1967-68. Switch-hitting CF posted .261 batting average with Chicago Cubs, Oakland Athletics, Los Angeles Dodgers and San Francisco Giants in 11 years from 1971 through 1981. Paced A.L. in stolen bases in 1974 (54) and 1976 (75).
Curtis Pride William & Mary Averaged 5.6 ppg and 3.1 apg from 1986-87 through 1989-90. Led team in steals three times and assists twice. Named to CAA All-Rookie team pick as freshman and All-Defensive team selection next two seasons. Born with 95% hearing disability, lefthanded-swinging OF hit .250 in 11 seasons from 1993 to 2006 with seven franchises (Montreal Expos, Detroit Tigers, Boston Red Sox, Atlanta Braves, Montreal Expos, New York Yankees and Anaheim/California Angels).
Dave Ricketts Duquesne Three-year starter led Dukes in scoring as senior with 17.9-point average in 1956-57, finishing fourth in nation in free-throw percentage (86.2%). Converted school-record 42 FTAs in row. Catcher hit .249 in six seasons (1962, 1965 and 1967 through 1970) with St. Louis Cardinals and Pittsburgh Pirates. Switch-hitter played with Cards in 1967 and 1968 World Series.
Dick Ricketts Duquesne Second-team consensus All-American choice as junior in 1953-54 and first five consensus All-American selection as senior in 1954-55. Converted all 19 FTAs in game against Dayton. School's all-time leading scorer averaged 17.7 ppg and 12.2 rpg in starting all 111 games during four-year career. Compiled 1-6 pitching record in only season with St. Louis Cardinals in 1959.
Earl Robinson California Three-time All-PCC second-team selection averaged at least 10 ppg each season from 1955-56 through 1957-58 under coach Pete Newell. Averaged 15.5 points in four NCAA Tournament games his last two years, leading Bears in scoring in two of four playoff contests. OF hit .268 in four seasons from 1958 to 1964 with Los Angeles Dodgers and Baltimore Orioles.
Ted Savage Lincoln (Mo.) Led in scoring average with 13.5 ppg in 1955-56 before averaging 14.5 ppg and 5.6 rpg in 1956-57. OF hit .233 in nine seasons (1962, 1963 and 1965 through 1971) with Philadelphia Phillies, Pittsburgh Pirates, St. Louis Cardinals, Chicago Cubs, Los Angeles Dodgers, Cincinnati Reds, Milwaukee Brewers and Kansas City Royals.
Ken Singleton Hofstra Freshman hooper in mid-1960s. Three-time All-Star OF hit .282 with 246 HRs and 1,065 RBI with New York Mets, Montreal Expos and Baltimore Orioles in 15 years from 1970 through 1984. Switch-hitter exceeded 20 HRs in five seasons, including high of 35 (fifth in A.L.) in 1979 with Orioles.
Lee Smith Northwestern State Forward averaged 3.4 ppg and 1.9 rpg in 1976-77 as teammate of Billy Reynolds, the nation's ninth-leading scorer that season. Seven-time All-Star was all-time saves leader when he retired, notching 478 in 18 seasons from 1980 through 1997 with Chicago Cubs, Boston Red Sox, St. Louis Cardinals, New York Yankees, Baltimore Orioles, California Angels, Cincinnati Reds and Montreal Expos until Trevor Hoffman broke his mark in 2006. Set N.L. record in 1991 (subsequently broken) for most saves in season with 47 for Cardinals. RHP led N.L. in saves three times (1983-91-92) and A.L. once (1994).
Nate Smith Tennessee State Letterman in 1953-54 and 1954-55. Catcher went 2 for 9 in five games with Baltimore Orioles in 1962.
Bob Veale Benedictine (Kan.) Scored 1,160 points from 1955-56 through 1957-58 as center for school previously called St. Benedict's. LHP compiled 120-95 record and 3.08 ERA in 13 seasons from 1962 through 1974 with Pittsburgh Pirates and Boston Red Sox. Led N.L. in strikeouts with 250 in 1964 (first of four consecutive years he won at least 16 games and ranked among top seven in strikeouts).
Will Venable Princeton All-Ivy League first-team selection as junior and second-team choice as senior averaged 9.3 ppg under coach John Thompson III from 2001-02 through 2004-05. Lefthanded OF hit .249 with San Diego Padres, Texas Rangers and Los Angeles Dodgers in nine seasons from 2008 through 2016. Finished among N.L. top 10 in triples (8th with 7) and stolen bases (9th with 29) in 2010.
Bill White Hiram (Ohio) Three-sport letterman played two years of hoops. Five-time All-Star 1B hit .286 with New York/San Francisco Giants, St. Louis Cardinals and Philadelphia Phillies in 13 N.L. seasons in 1956 and from 1958 through 1969. Lefthander ranked among N.L. top 10 in RBI five times (1961-62-63-64-66). Placed among N.L. top eight in both doubles and triples three straight campaigns from 1959 through 1961. Gold Glover seven consecutive years from 1960 through 1966.
Desi Wilson Fairleigh Dickinson FDU's all-time leading scorer (1,902 points) was NEC player of year in 1989-90. Leading scorer (23.8 ppg) and rebounder (9.2 rpg) for 1990-91 league co-champion. Lefthanded-swinging 1B hit .271 with San Francisco Giants in 1996.
Dave Winfield Minnesota Averaged 6.9 ppg and 5.4 rpg as junior in 1971-72 and 10.5 ppg and 6.1 rpg as senior in 1972-73 under coach Bill Musselman. Played entire playoff game in 1972, collecting eight points and eight rebounds against eventual Final Four participant Florida State, in Gophers' first NCAA Tournament appearance. Hall of Fame OF hit .283 with 465 home runs, 1,833 RBI and 3,110 hits in 22 seasons (1973 through 1988 and 1990 through 1995) with San Diego Padres, New York Yankees, California Angels, Toronto Blue Jays, Minnesota Twins and Cleveland Indians. Led N.L. in total bases in 1979 with 333 before ranking among A.L. top four in batting average in 1984 (.340) and 1988 (.322). Seven-time Gold Glover appeared in 12 All-Star Games after never playing in minors. Participated in World Series with Yankees (1981) and Blue Jays (1992).

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