On This Date: Former College Hoopers Make News on May 27 MLB Games

May 27th, 2020 - 10:08

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 Santa Clara basketball guards Tim Cullen and Randy Winn each supplied MLB-career defining games on this date. Unless you habitually pore over the content at baseballlibrary.com, baseballreference.com and nationalpastime.com, following is a May 27 calendar focusing on such versatile MLB athletes:

MAY 27

  • CF Ethan Allen (Cincinnati basketball letterman in 1924-25 and 1925-26) traded by the Cincinnati Reds to the New York Giants in 1930. Five years later, Allen was with the Philadelphia Phillies when he stroked four hits in a 4-2 win against the Pittsburgh Pirates.

  • Philadelphia Athletics C Mickey Cochrane (Boston University hooper in early 1920s) whacked two homers against the Detroit Tigers in a 1933 game.

  • INF Pat Crawford (Davidson hoops captain in early 1920s) traded by the New York Giants to Cincinnati Reds in 1930.

  • Washington Senators 2B Tim Cullen (starting guard for Santa Clara in 1962-63 when averaging 10 ppg and 3.4 rpg) contributed four hits in an 8-1 victory against the Detroit Tigers in 1967.

  • Boston Red Sox rookie RHP Boo Ferriss (Mississippi State hoops letterman in 1941) tossed his fourth shutout in first six starts in 1945.

  • Baltimore Orioles 3B Wayne Gross (led Cal Poly Pomona in assists in 1974-75) cracked a grand slam against the California Angels in a 1984 outing.

  • Cleveland Indians 1B Mike Hargrove (Northwestern Oklahoma State hoops letterman) provided at least three hits in fourth consecutive contest in 1981.

  • Los Angeles Dodgers RF Frank Howard (two-time All-Big Ten Conference first-team selection when leading Ohio State in scoring and rebounding in 1956-57 and 1957-58) went 4-for-4 against the Philadelphia Phillies in the opener of a 1962 doubleheader.

  • RHP Andy Karl (Manhattan hoops letterman in mid-1930s) traded by the Philadelphia Phillies to the Boston Braves in 1947.

  • Cleveland Indians CF Kenny Lofton (Arizona's leader in steals for 1988 Final Four team compiling 35-3 record) went 3-for-3 with three stolen bases against the Oakland Athletics in a 1994 game.

  • Chicago Cubs LF Les Mann (Springfield MA hooper in 1913 and 1914) went 4-for-4 against the New York Giants in a 1918 game.

  • Brooklyn Dodgers LHP Preacher Roe (Harding AR hooper in late 1930s) fired the second of back-to-back shutouts in 1949.

  • Closer Lee Smith (averaged 3.4 ppg and 1.9 rpg with Northwestern State in 1976-77) traded by the California Angels to the Cincinnati Reds in 1996.

  • Chicago Cubs LF Riggs Stephenson (Alabama hoops letterman in 1920) provided three straight three-hit games in 1927. Four years later in 1931, Stephenson went 4-for-4, including three extra-base hits, against the Cincinnati Reds. In a 1932 contest, he went 4-for-4 again against the Reds.

  • In 1975, Oakland Athletics RHP Jim Todd (averaged 16 ppg for Millersville PA in 1968-69 after transferring from Parsons IA) didn't allow an earned run in nine straight relief appearances in the month until doing so against the Baltimore Orioles.

  • Seattle Mariners LF Randy Winn (Santa Clara backcourtmate of eventual two-time NBA Most Valuable Player Steve Nash in 1993-94) went 5-for-5 in a 15-7 triumph against the Kansas City Royals in 2003.