On This Date: Ex-College Hoopers Make Their Mark on April 3 MLB Games

April 3rd, 2017 - 7:23

Extra! Extra! With a new season commencing today, read all about memorable major league baseball achievements, moments and transactions involving former college basketball players! Numerous ex-college hoopsters had front-row seats to many of the most notable games and dates in MLB history. 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 3 calendar focusing on such versatile MLB athletes:

APRIL 3

  • 1B Donn Clendenon (played basketball for Morehouse GA) ended his retirement and reported to the Montreal Expos in 1969.

  • 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 Chicago Cubs in 1996.

  • 1B Bill White (played two years of hoops with Hiram OH in early 1950s) traded by the Philadelphia Phillies to the St. Louis Cardinals in 1969.

  • RHP Chris Young (All-Ivy League first-team selection as Princeton's leading scorer and rebounder in 1999-00) traded by the Montreal Expos to the Texas Rangers in 2004.