On This Date: Former College Hoopers Providing MLB Headlines on June 3

June 3rd, 2023 - 8:55

Extra! Extra! Instead of wondering how liberal poster boys Mario Cuomo and Dr. Fraudci sleep at night profiting from misery books, 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 college hoopers Cameron Drew (New Haven) and Dennis Rasmussen (Creighton) were MLB first-round draft selections on this date before eventually reaching the bigs. Ex-juco hoopers Darrell Evans (Pasadena City CA), Jim Thome (Illinois Central) and Larry Wolfe (Sacramento City CA) each homered twice in an American League game on this date. Unless you habitually pore over the content at baseballlibrary.com, baseballreference.com and nationalpastime.com, following is a June 3 calendar focusing on such versatile MLB athletes:

JUNE 3

  • Chicago Cubs 2B Glenn Beckert (three-year basketball letterman for Allegeny PA) drove in P Ken Holtzman with the only run of the game in Holtzman's no-hitter against the Cincinnati Reds in 1971. The next year, Beckert banged out four hits against the San Diego Padres in a 1972 contest.

  • New York Giants SS Alvin Dark (hoops letterman for Louisiana State and Southwestern Louisiana during World War II) went 4-for-4 and scored five runs in a 13-8 victory against the St. Louis Cardinals in 1954.

  • New York Yankees LHP Al Downing (attended Muhlenberg PA on hoops scholarship but left before ever playing) won his sixth straight start in 1966.

  • OF Cameron Drew (NECC first-team selection in 1984-85 when leading New Haven CT in scoring and rebounding) selected by Houston Astros in first round (12th pick overall) in 1985 amateur draft. Drew was chosen ahead of fellow first-rounders Joey Cora, Gregg Jefferies, Joe Magrane, Brian McRae and Rafael Palmeiro.

  • 1B Walt Dropo (Connecticut's first hooper averaging 20 points in single season with 21.7 ppg in 1942-43) traded by the Boston Red Sox to the Detroit Tigers in a nine-player swap in 1952.

  • Overweight RHP George Earnshaw (Swarthmore PA hooper in 1922) fined by Philadelphia Athletics owner/manager Connie Mack in 1933.

  • Detroit Tigers 1B Darrell Evans (member of Jerry Tarkanian-coached Pasadena City CA club winning 1967 state community college crown) homered twice in a 1985 game against the Seattle Mariners.

  • OF Hoot Evers (hoops starter for Illinois in 1939-40) traded by the Detroit Tigers to the Boston Red Sox in a nine-player swap in 1952.

  • Chicago White Sox RHP Eddie Fisher (hooper for Oklahoma's 1954-55 freshman squad) tossed a four-hit shutout against the Los Angeles Angels in 1963.

  • New York Giants rookie C Paul Florence (Georgetown's leading scorer with 11.3 ppg in 1921-22) furnished a career-high three hits in a 10-5 win against the Philadelphia Phillies in 1926.

  • In 1983, George Bamberger stepped down as manager of the New York Mets and was succeeded by 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).

  • In 1978, Philadelphia Phillies 2B Davey Johnson (averaged 1.7 ppg with Texas A&M in 1961-62) became the first MLB player to smack two pinch-hit grand slams in a single season.

  • Chicago Cubs 3B Vance Law (averaged 6.8 ppg for Brigham Young from 1974-75 through 1976-77) logged four hits against the New York Mets in a 1988 outing. Law added three more safeties the next day.

  • San Francisco Giants RF Rick Leach (averaged 15.5 ppg for Michigan's JV hoops squad in 1975-76) registered four hits against the Houston Astros in a 1990 game.

  • RHP Dave Lemanczyk (hooper in NCAA Division II Tournament in 1970 and 1971 with Hartwick NY) traded by the Toronto Blue Jays to the California Angels in 1980.

  • LHP Dennis Rasmussen (sixth-man for Creighton averaged 5.1 ppg in three seasons from 1977-78 through 1979-80) selected in first round (17th pick overall) by the California Angels in 1980 amateur draft. Rasmussen was compensation for signing of free-agent P Nolan Ryan.

  • Chicago White Sox CF Carl Reynolds (Southwestern TX hoops MVP and captain in mid-1920s) contributed four hits and five RBI in a 1930 game against the New York Yankees. Output was among four of first five contests of month where he provided at least three safeties.

  • Cleveland Indians 3B Jim Thome (played junior-college hoops for Illinois Central in 1988-89) hit two taters in a 1997 game against the Chicago White Sox. He also homered in four of his next five outings.

  • Boston Red Sox RF Sammy Vick (three-sport athlete for Millsaps MS) supplied a game-winning, pinch-hit single in bottom of the ninth inning for 7-6 success against the Cleveland Indians in 1921.

  • New York Yankees RF Dave Winfield (starting forward for Minnesota's first NCAA playoff team in 1972) went 4-for-4 against the Oakland Athletics in a 1985 contest.

  • Minnesota Twins 3B Larry Wolfe (scored career-high 33 points for Sacramento City College in juco game against Santa Rosa on 12-17-71) collected two homers and five RBI in 9-2 win against the Detroit Tigers in 1978.

  • Washington Senators 3B Eddie Yost (NYU freshman hooper in 1943-44 under coach Howard Cann) homered in his third consecutive contest against the St. Louis Browns in 1949.