On This Date: Former College Hoopers Providing MLB Headlines on June 9

June 9th, 2023 - 8:30

Extra! Extra! Instead of wondering why deviant Hunter Biledumb's laptop language and photos resemble out-of-work porn actor dubbed "smartest person I know" as closest adviser for his hair-sniffing father, 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.

New York colleges Fordham (Frankie Frisch), Siena (Gary Holle), NYU (Sam Mele), Hofstra (Ken Singleton) and Columbia (Art Smith) had former hoopers supply significant MLB performances on this date. Unless you habitually pore over the content at baseballlibrary.com, baseballreference.com and nationalpastime.com, following is a June 9 calendar focusing on such versatile MLB athletes:

JUNE 9

  • Chicago Cubs rookie CF George Altman (appeared in 1953 and 1954 NAIA Basketball Tournament with Tennessee State) went 4-for-4 in an 8-4 win against the Cincinnati Reds in 1959.

  • RHP Joe Black (Morgan State hooper in mid-1940s) traded by the Brooklyn Dodgers to Cincinnati Reds for cash and a player to be designated in 1955.

  • New York Giants SS Alvin Dark (hoops letterman for Louisiana State and Southwestern Louisiana in mid-1940s) whacked two homers in a 1951 outing against the Chicago Cubs, delivering a multiple-hit outing for the first of six times in a seven-game stretch. Three years later, Dark delivered his fourth four-hit performance in the first eight contests of the month in 1954.

  • Detroit Tigers LF Hoot Evers (Illinois hoops starter in 1939-40) went 5-for-5 against the New York Yankees in a 1949 game.

  • Baltimore Orioles LHP Mike Flanagan (averaged 13.9 ppg for UMass' 15-1 freshman basketball squad in 1971-72) shut out the Detroit Tigers in 1984, beating them for the second time in a week.

  • New York Giants 2B Frankie Frisch (Fordham hoops captain) supplied four hits against the Chicago Cubs in a 1922 contest. Nine years later with the St. Louis Cardinals, Frisch furnished four safeties against the Brooklyn Dodgers in a 1931 outing.

  • St. Louis Cardinals SS Charlie Gelbert (scored at least 125 points each of last three seasons in late 1920s for Lebanon Valley PA) contributed four hits against the Chicago Cubs in a 1935 game.

  • In 2008, Florida Marlins LHP Mark Hendrickson (two-time All-Pacific-10 Conference selection paced Washington State in rebounding four straight seasons from 1992-93 through 1995-96) yielded the 600th home run of the career of Ken Griffey Jr.

  • The lone MLB safety for 1B Gary Holle (led Siena in scoring and rebounding in 1974-75)) was a pinch-hit double with the Texas Rangers against the Baltimore Orioles in 1979.

  • Atlanta Braves RF David Justice (Thomas More KY assists leader in 1984-85 while averaging 9.3 ppg and 3.5 rpg) smacked two homers against the Montreal Expos in a 1991 game. Nine years later with the Cleveland Indians, Justice jacked two round-trippers against the Cincinnati Reds in a 2000 contest.

  • Nine-year MLB INF Jerry Kindall (averaged 6.9 ppg for Minnesota as junior in 1955-56) coached Arizona to his third of three College World Series championships with the Wildcats by overwhelming Florida State, 10-2, in 1986.

  • RHP Clyde King (started two basketball games for North Carolina in December 1944 under coach Ben Carnevale before ruled ineligible) awarded off waivers from the Brooklyn Dodgers to the Philadelphia Phillies in 1948.

  • LF Danny Litwhiler (member of JV hoops squad with Bloomsburg PA in mid-1930s) purchased from the St. Louis Cardinals by the Boston Braves in 1946.

  • Sam Mele (NYU's leading scorer in 1943 NCAA playoffs) replaced as manager of the Minnesota Twins by Cal Ermer in 1967.

  • Los Angeles Dodgers LF Wally Moon (averaged 4.3 ppg with Texas A&M in 1948-49 and 1949-50) homered in his fourth outing of a five-game span in 1960.

  • New York Yankees 2B Ray Morehart (Austin College TX hoops letterman in early 1920s) ripped his lone MLB homer in a 1927 game against his original club (Chicago White Sox). Hall of Famer Lou Gehrig went 0-for-4 with the Yanks.

  • Chicago Cubs rookie C Cal Neeman (Illinois Wesleyan's leading scorer in 1947-48 and 1948-49) ripped a two-run homer off Harvey Haddix in 4-4 tie with Pittsburgh Pirates in nightcap of 1957 twinbill.

  • Montreal Expos RHP Steve Renko (averaged 9.9 ppg and 5.8 rpg as Kansas sophomore in 1963-64) hurled the first of his two one-hitters in a month in 1971 (against San Francisco Giants and Philadelphia Phillies).

  • In 1955, Philadelphia Phillies RHP Robin Roberts (Michigan State's second-leading scorer in 1945-46 and 1946-47) fired a three-hit shutout against the St. Louis Cardinals en route to leading the N.L. in wins for the fourth consecutive campaign.

  • Montreal Expos RF Ken Singleton (Hofstra freshman hoops squad in mid-1960s) went 4-for-4 against the Atlanta Braves in the opener of a 1974 doubleheader.

  • Chicago White Sox RHP Art Smith (Columbia two-year hoops letterman graduated in 1931) lost his lone MLB decision when dropping debut as a starter against the Washington Senators in 1932.

  • Chicago White Sox 3B Billy Sullivan Jr. (Portland hoops letterman in 1927-28) went 4-for-4 against the Washington Senators in a 1932 outing.

  • St. Louis Cardinals 1B Bill White (two-year hooper for Hiram OH in early 1950s) provided three extra-base hits against the Milwaukee Braves in a 1959 game.

  • Chicago White Sox RHP Jim Wilson (letterman for San Diego State's 1942 NAIA Tournament participant) hurled his first of three shutouts in less than a month in 1956.

  • Tampa Bay Devil Rays CF Randy Winn (Santa Clara backcourtmate of eventual two-time NBA Most Valuable Player Steve Nash in 1993-94) registered four extra-base hits in a 2002 game against the San Diego Padres. In his next two contests against the Los Angeles Dodgers, Winn also manufactured multiple extra-base safeties.

  • Washington Senators LHP Tom Zachary (hoops letterman for Guilford NC in 1916) capped off a six-game hitting streak with three safeties in 4-2 win against the Chicago White Sox in 1928.