On This Date: Former College Hoopers Made News in May 10 MLB Contests

May 10th, 2021 - 8:49

Extra! Extra! Amid excessive number of strikeouts, you have time to read news all 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.

Two former hoopers from Minnesota small colleges - Rip Repulski (St. Cloud State) and Howie Schultz (Hamline) - made MLB news on this date. Unless you habitually pore over the content at baseballlibrary.com, baseballreference.com and nationalpastime.com, following is a May 10 calendar focusing on such versatile MLB athletes:

MAY 10

  • Baltimore Orioles 2B Jerry Adair (one of Oklahoma State's top three basketball scorers in 1956-57 and 1957-58 under coach Hank Iba while ranking among nation's top 12 free-throw shooters each season) jacked two homers against the Minnesota Twins in a 1961 game.

  • Philadelphia Phillies RHP Ray Benge (multi-year hoops letterman for Sam Houston State first half of 1920s) tossed a five-hit shutout against the Cincinnati Reds in 1932.

  • Cleveland Indians RHP Jim Bibby (Fayetteville State NC backup player and brother of UCLA All-American Henry Bibby) hurled a 1-0 shutout against the Milwaukee Brewers in the opener of a 1977 doubleheader.

  • Cleveland Indians SS Lou Boudreau (leading scorer for Illinois' 1937 Big Ten Conference co-champion) banged out two hits in six straight games in 1942.

  • 1B Donn Clendenon (four-sport letterman with Morehouse GA) went hitless in his first 18 at-bats with the St. Louis Cardinals until stroking two safeties against the Houston Astros in 1972.

  • Philadelphia Athletics C Mickey Cochrane (five-sport athlete with Boston University) collected four hits against the St. Louis Browns in a 1928 contest.

  • St. Louis Cardinals RF Grant Dunlap (Pacific hoops letterman in 1942-43 and 1946-47) hammered a pinch-hit homer against the Cincinnati Reds in 1953. The circuit clout was Dunlap's lone MLB round-tripper.

  • Brooklyn Robins 2B Jake Flowers (member of 1923 "Flying Pentagon" championship squad for Washington College MD) contributed four hits against the Pittsburgh Pirates in a 1930 outing.

  • 1B-OF Dick Gernert (hoops letterman with Temple in 1948-49 when he averaged 2.7 ppg) traded by the Detroit Tigers to the Cincinnati Reds in 1961.

  • The first MLB shutout supplied by Kansas City Athletics RHP Dick Hall (averaged 13.5 ppg from 1948-49 through 1950-51 with Swarthmore PA Southern Division champions in Middle Atlantic States Conference), 10-0 against the Baltimore Orioles, was one of three complete-game triumphs for him this month in 1960.

  • Utilityman Chuck Harmon (freshman starter was Toledo's second-leading scorer for 1943 NIT runner-up) traded by the St. Louis Cardinals to the Philadelphia Phillies in 1957.

  • Cincinnati Reds LHP Bill Henry (hoops letterman for Houston's 1947 NAIA Tournament team featuring co-captain Guy Lewis) fanned three St. Louis Cardinals batters in one inning of relief in his seventh scoreless outing in first seven relief appearances of 1961.

  • Milwaukee Braves SS Johnny Logan (Binghamton hooper in 1948-49) went 4-for-4 with five RBI in a 10-5 win against the St. Louis Cardinals in 1957.

  • Boston Red Sox OF Rip Repulski (started several basketball games for St. Cloud State MN) ripped a grand slam against the Chicago White Sox in 1960.

  • 1B Howie Schultz (Hamline MN product played and coached professional basketball) purchased from the Brooklyn Dodgers by the Philadelphia Phillies for $50,000 in 1947.

  • Minnesota Twins 3B Jay Ward (McKendree IL hooper in 1956-57 before forgoing hoops to concentrate solely on pro baseball) accounted for both of game's tallies with a two-run double in 2-0 decision over the Kansas City Athletics in 1963.

  • 3B John Werhas (led Southern California in scoring average in 1958-59 and 1959-60) traded by the Los Angeles Dodgers to the California Angels for fellow USC product Len Gabrielson in 1967.

  • San Francisco Giants OF Randy Winn (Santa Clara backcourtmate of eventual two-time NBA Most Valuable Player Steve Nash in 1993-94) collected four hits and scored four runs in a 7-5 win against the Los Angeles Dodgers in a 2009 game. The next day, Winn chipped in with three hits and three runs against the Washington Nationals.