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

June 27th, 2022 - 10:16

Extra! Extra! Instead of still trying to figure out why #MessMedia failed to adequately push back on demigod Dr. Fraudci wannabe junk-science protocol declaring North Carolina State out of last year's College World Series because of COVID-19 testing including already-vaccinated players (new version of "political" science), you can read news about memorable major league baseball achievements and moments involving former college basketball players. Baseball is portrayed as a thinking man's game but only 4% of active MLB players earned college diplomas. Nonetheless, numerous ex-college hoopers had front-row seats to many of the most notable games, transactions and dates in MLB history.

Former San Diego State hoopers Tony Gwynn and Graig Nettles supplied significant MLB hitting performances on this date. Ditto ex-juco hoopers Darrell Evans (Pasadena City CA), Jerry Martin (Spartanburg SC) and Jim Thome (Illinois Central) in outstanding American League offensive outings plus ex-Washington State freshman team hoopers Rick Austin and Jack Spring in pristine MLB pitching performances. Unless you habitually pore over the content at baseballlibrary.com, baseballreference.com and nationalpastime.com, following is a June 27 calendar focusing on such versatile MLB athletes:

JUNE 27

  • In first starting assignment, Cleveland Indians rookie LHP Rick Austin (member of Washington State's freshman basketball team in 1965-66) hurled his lone MLB complete game and shutout (3-0 win against Detroit Tigers in 1970).

  • INF Jack Barry (basketball letterman for Holy Cross in 1908) traded by the Boston Red Sox to the Philadelphia Athletics in 1919.

  • San Diego Padres RHP Andy Benes (joined Evansville's shorthanded basketball squad in 1985-86 under coach Jim Crews) fanned 10 batters and allowed only one hit in seven innings in a 1993 game against the Cincinnati Reds.

  • Seattle Mariners 1B Bruce Bochte (starting forward for Santa Clara's NCAA playoff team in 1969-70) supplied his ninth multiple-hit outing during an 11-game hitting streak in 1979.

  • 2B Marv Breeding (hooper for Samford in mid-1950s) traded by the Houston Astros to the Chicago Cubs in 1967.

  • Oakland Athletics RHP Ben Callahan (two-time All-Carolinas Conference selection for Catawba NC averaged 16.7 ppg from 1976-77 through 1978-79) bagged his lone MLB victory, 7-1, by restricting the Kansas City Royals to three hits and one run over six innings in 1983.

  • Detroit Tigers 1B Darrell Evans (member of Jerry Tarkanian-coached Pasadena City CA club winning 1967 state community college crown) registered his 2,000th career hit with a first-inning, two-run homer against the Baltimore Orioles in 1987.

  • St. Louis Cardinals 2B Frankie Frisch (Fordham hoops captain) stroked three doubles against the Brooklyn Dodgers in nightcap of a 1931 doubleheader.

  • San Diego Padres RF Tony Gwynn (All-WAC second-team selection with San Diego State in 1979-80 and 1980-81) went 3-for-4 against the Atlanta Braves, raising his batting average in 1987 to .387 en route to finishing at .370.

  • LHP Mark Hendrickson (two-time All-Pacific-10 Conference selection paced Washington State four straight seasons in rebounding from 1992-93 through 1995-96) traded by the Tampa Devil Rays to the Los Angeles Dodgers in a five-player swap in 2006.

  • LHP Bill Henry (hoops letterman for Houston's 1947 NAIA Tournament team featuring co-captain Guy Lewis) purchased from the San Francisco Giants by Pittsburgh Pirates in 1968.

  • Brooklyn Dodgers 1B Gil Hodges (hooper for St. Joseph's IN in 1943 and Oakland City IN in 1947 and 1948) smacked two homers against the St. Louis Cardinals in a 1954 game.

  • New York Mets C Jay Kleven (averaged 2.4 ppg for California State-Hayward in 1968-69) stroked a two-run, pinch-hit single off Chicago Cubs reliever Bruce Sutter in a 1976 game. It was Kleven's lone MLB safety.

  • St. Louis Cardinals LF Danny Litwhiler (member of JV hoops squad with Bloomsburg PA in mid-1930s) cracked two homers in a 3-2 win against the Chicago Cubs in opener of a 1943 twinbill.

  • Chicago White Sox RHP Ted Lyons (two-time All-SWC first-team selection for Baylor in early 1920s) notched his eighth consecutive complete-game victory in 1939.

  • In the midst of a career-high 14-game hitting streak, Chicago Cubs CF Jerry Martin (1971 Southern Conference MVP after finishing as Furman's scoring runner-up in previous season) smashed a homer in fourth consecutive contest in 1979.

  • Cleveland Indians 2B Dutch Meyer (Texas Christian hoops letterman in 1934-35 and 1935-36) collected four hits against the Philadelphia Athletics in a 1945 contest.

  • 3B Graig Nettles (shot 87.8% from free-throw line for San Diego State in 1963-64) belted a 14th-inning, two-run homer to give the New York Yankees a 6-4 victory against the Boston Red Sox in 1978. Two years earlier, Nettles went 4-for-4 with two homers and five RBI against the Milwaukee Brewers in a 1976 game.

  • Chicago Cubs RF Bill Nicholson (Washington College MD hoops guard for two years in mid-1930s) provided his seventh straight two-hit game in 1942.

  • LHP Garry Roggenburk (Dayton scoring leader from 1959-60 through 1961-62 grabbed school-record 32 rebounds in his third varsity game en route to pacing Flyers in rebounding first two years) won his Seattle Pilots debut in 1969 by yielding only four hits and one run in 5 2/3 innings of relief against the California Angels.

  • Montreal Expos RHP Bill Sampen (MacMurray IL MVP in 1984-85 when averaging team-high 14.9 ppg) supplied his seventh straight scoreless relief appearance covering 11 1/3 innings in 1992.

  • Cleveland Indians LHP Jack Spring (freshman hooper for Washington State in 1951-52) earned a victory by hurling five innings of scoreless relief against the Kansas City Athletics in opener of 1965 doubleheader.

  • Cleveland Indians 1B Jim Thome (played junior-college hoops for Illinois Central in 1988-89) went 4-for-4 with two doubles, two homers and four RBI in a 2000 game against the Kansas City Royals.

  • LHP Matt Thornton (averaged 5.8 ppg and 2.4 rpg for Grand Valley State MI from 1995-96 through 1997-98) made his MLB debut in 2004, toiling four scoreless innings of relief with the Seattle Mariners against the San Diego Padres.

  • Philadelphia Phillies CF Cy Williams (Notre Dame forward in 1909-10) went 4-for-4 against the New York Giants in a 1921 contest.