On This Date: Former College Hoopers Make News on May 18 MLB Games

May 18th, 2020 - 9:40

Extra! Extra! If spittin' mad about COVID-19 season postponement, 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.

Former college hoopers Joe Adcock (LSU), George Altman (Tennessee State), Dick Gernert (Temple), Don Lock (Wichita State) and Dave Winfield (Minnesota) each hit two homers in a MLB game on this date. Unless you habitually pore over the content at baseballlibrary.com, baseballreference.com and nationalpastime.com, following is a May 18 calendar focusing on such versatile MLB athletes:

MAY 18

  • In a 1958 game, Milwaukee Braves 1B Joe Adcock (Louisiana State's leading basketball scorer in 1945-46) smacked two homers against his original team (Cincinnati Reds).

  • Cincinnati Reds CF Ethan Allen (Cincinnati hoops letterman in 1924-25 and 1925-26) went 4-for-4 in a 7-6 win against the Brooklyn Robins in 1928.

  • Chicago Cubs RF George Altman (hooper appeared in 1953 and 1954 NAIA Tournament with Tennessee State) provided two homers for the second time in three contests in 1962.

  • OF Brant Alyea (Hofstra's leading scorer and rebounder in 1960-61 after being runner-up in both categories the previous season) traded by the Oakland Athletics to the St. Louis Cardinals in 1972.

  • New York Yankees RHP Jim Beattie (Dartmouth's top rebounder in 1974-75 when selected team MVP and honorable mention All-Ivy League) hurled a four-hit shutout against the Boston Red Sox in 1979.

  • Detroit Tigers 2B Frank Bolling (averaged 7.3 ppg for Spring Hill AL in 1950-51) scored five runs in a 14-2 victory against the Boston Red Sox in 1959.

  • Detroit Tigers 1B Tony Clark (San Diego State's leading scorer in WAC games in 1991-92) stroked four hits against the Kansas City Royals in a 1997 outing.

  • Boston Red Sox RHP Gene Conley (All-Pacific Coast Conference first-team selection led the North Division in scoring as Washington State sophomore in 1949-50) tossed a four-hit shutout against the Detroit Tigers in 1961.

  • Philadelphia Athletics 1B Chubby Dean (reserve guard for Duke in 1936) ripped a game-winning, three-run homer in bottom of the eighth inning in 8-7 win against the Detroit Tigers in 1937. Five years later as a LHP, Dean won his first three appearances of the 1942 season with the Cleveland Indians.

  • In 1985, Detroit Tigers 1B Darrell Evans (member of Jerry Tarkanian-coached Pasadena City CA club winning 1967 state community college crown) homered in his fourth consecutive contest, going 4-for-4 for the second time in that span.

  • OF Hoot Evers (hoops starter for Illinois in 1939-40) awarded on waivers from the Boston Red Sox to the New York Giants in 1954.

  • Chicago White Sox RHP Eddie Fisher (played for Oklahoma's 1954-55 freshman squad) posted his sixth save in as many relief appearances in a seven-day span in 1965.

  • Boston Red Sox 1B Dick Gernert (Temple letterman in 1948-49 swatted two homers in an 8-4 win against the Baltimore Orioles in 1958.

  • Philadelphia Phillies 1B Harvey Hendrick (Vanderbilt hoops letterman in 1918) went 4-for-4 for the second time in a five-game span in 1934. Five years earlier in the midst of a career-high 25-game hitting streak for the Brooklyn Robins, Hendrick homered in back-to-back contests against the Phillies in 1929.

  • San Francisco Giants LHP Bill Henry (hoops letterman for Houston's 1947 NAIA Tournament team featuring co-captain Guy Lewis) allowed his only earned run in first 17 relief appearances of 1966 season.

  • Washington Senators LF Frank Howard (two-time All-Big Ten Conference first-team selection when All-American led Ohio State in scoring and rebounding in 1956-57 and 1957-58) tied an A.L. record with a homer in six consecutive contests in 1968.

  • New York Giants OF Monte Irvin (Lincoln PA hooper for 1 1/2 years in late 1930s) clobbered a grand slam in a rain-shortened, 10-4 triumph over the Chicago Cubs in 1950.

  • Chicago White Sox RHP Bart Johnson (averaged 30.5 ppg for Brigham Young's freshman squad in 1967-68) hurled a three-hit shutout against the California Angels in 1976.

  • New York Yankees LF Charlie Keller (three-year hoops letterman with Maryland from 1934-35 through 1936-37) contributed three extra-base hits against the St. Louis Browns in a 1948 outing.

  • Chicago Cubs SS Don Kessinger (three-time All-SEC selection for Mississippi from 1961-62 through 1963-64 collected four hits and scored four runs in a 1970 game against the Cincinnati Reds.

  • Washington Senators CF Don Lock (led Wichita State in field-goal percentage in 1956-57 and 1957-58 under coach Ralph Miller) smashed back-to-back homers against the Detroit Tigers in a 1964 contest.

  • LF Jerry Martin (1971 Southern Conference MVP after he was Furman's runner-up in scoring the previous season), pinch-hitting for Richie Hebner, slapped a game-winning, three-run homer for the Philadelphia Phillies in 8-5 victory against the Houston Astros in 1978.

  • Chicago Cubs RF Bill Nicholson (Washington College MD hoops guard for two years in mid-1930s) amassed five RBI against the Brooklyn Dodgers in a 1945 game.

  • New York Yankees RF Dave Winfield (starting forward for Minnesota's first NCAA playoff team in 1972) whacked two homers against the Oakland Athletics in a 2-1 win in 1987.

  • Washington Senators 3B Eddie Yost (NYU freshman hooper in 1943-44 under coach Howard Cann) reached base eight times in nine plate appearances (five singles and three walks) in a 1952 doubleheader split against the Chicago White Sox.