On This Date: Former College Hoopers Providing MLB Headlines on May 4

May 4th, 2023 - 8:40

Extra! Extra! Rather than putting any stock into what sue-happy Mary Poppins karaoke reject Ms. Misinformation says, you can read news about memorable major league baseball achievements, moments and transactions involving former college basketball players. Numerous ex-college hoopers had front-row seats to many of the most notable games and dates in MLB history.

Former Notre Dame hoopers Ron Reed and Cy Williams made National League news in games involving the Philadelphia Phillies on this date. Baseball is portrayed as a thinking man's game but only 4% of active MLB players earned college diplomas. Unless you habitually pore over the content at baseballlibrary.com, baseballreference.com and nationalpastime.com, following is a May 4 calendar focusing on such versatile MLB athletes:

MAY 4

  • Milwaukee Braves 1B Joe Adcock (Louisiana State's leading basketball scorer in 1945-46) cracked a grand slam in the bottom of the 10th inning of a 10-6 triumph against the Los Angeles Dodgers in 1961.

  • RHP Ray Benge (multi-year hoops letterman for Sam Houston State first half of 1920s) won his first four appearances with the Boston Bees in 1936.

  • Chicago Cubs 1B Larry Biittner (runner-up in scoring and rebounding for Buena Vista IA in 1966-67) banged out four hits against the Cincinnati Reds in the nightcap of a 1980 doubleheader.

  • Boston Red Sox 2B Denny Doyle (averaged 2.7 ppg for Morehead State in 1962-63) delivered four hits against the Kansas City Royals in a 1976 game.

  • Oakland Athletics 3B Wayne Gross (led Cal Poly Pomona in assists in 1974-75) contributed two homers and five RBI in an 11-5 win against the New York Yankees in 1979.

  • In the midst of a career-high 23-game hitting streak in 1980, Cleveland Indians 1B Mike Hargrove (Northwestern Oklahoma State hoops letterman) supplied at least one RBI in his eighth consecutive contest.

  • LHP Bill Henry (hoops letterman for Houston's 1947 NAIA Tournament team featuring co-captain Guy Lewis) traded by the Cincinnati Reds to San Francisco Giants in 1965.

  • Los Angeles Dodgers 1B Gil Hodges (hooper for St. Joseph's IN in 1943 plus Oakland City IN in 1947 and 1948) went 4-for-4, including two homers and two doubles, against the Milwaukee Braves in a 1959 game.

  • In 1927, New York Giants RHP Mul Holland (Virginia hoops letterman from 1923-24 through 1926-27 was All-Southern Conference Tournament selection as sophomore) posted his lone MLB victory.

  • Chicago White Sox 3B Irv Jeffries (posted team-high scoring average of 11.5 ppg for Kentucky in 1927-28) hit safely in his first five starts in 1931.

  • San Francisco Giants RHP Frank Linzy (listed on Oklahoma State's freshman hoops roster in 1959-60) notched his third save in a week en route to not allowing an earned run in his first 12 relief appearances of 1967 season.

  • Milwaukee Braves SS Johnny Logan (Binghamton hooper in 1948-49) logged three doubles in a 9-4 win against the Brooklyn Dodgers in 1953.

  • San Diego Padres 3B Graig Nettles (shot 87.8% from free-throw line for San Diego State in 1963-64) whacked two homers against the Chicago Cubs in a 1985 contest.

  • Kansas City Royals rookie CF Bob Oliver (All-Valley Conference basketball choice for American River Community College CA in 1962) went 6-for-6 against the California Angels in 1969. Four years later as an Angels 1B, Oliver provided the contest's lone RBI against the Baltimore Orioles while supplying three hits for second time in a three-game span.

  • St. Louis Browns LHP Joe Ostrowski (leading scorer in 1942-43 for Scranton PA) tossed his second complete-game victory in as many starts in 1950.

  • Atlanta Braves RHP Ron Reed (Notre Dame's leading rebounder in 1963-64 and 1964-65) incurred the defeat in a 20-inning marathon against the Philadelphia Phillies in 1973.

  • In 1966, Houston Astros RHP Robin Roberts (Michigan State's second-leading scorer in 1945-46 and 1946-47) tossed the last of 45 MLB shutouts in his 19-year Hall of Fame career.

  • RHP Sonny Siebert (team-high 16.7 ppg for Missouri in 1957-58 as All-Big Eight Conference second-team selection) shipped by the Boston Red Sox to the Texas Rangers as part of a conditional deal in 1973.

  • RHP Lee Smith (averaged 3.4 ppg and 1.9 rpg with Northwestern State in 1976-77) traded by the Boston Red Sox to the St. Louis Cardinals for OF Tom Brunansky in 1990.

  • Cleveland Indians 2B Freddy Spurgeon (Kalamazoo MI hooper in 1921-22) supplied four hits and four RBI against the St. Louis Browns in a 1926 outing.

  • Detroit Tigers 2B Gary Sutherland (averaged 7.4 ppg with Southern California in 1963-64) stroked four hits against the Minnesota Twins in a 1976 contest.

  • Philadelphia Phillies CF Cy Williams (Notre Dame forward in 1909-10) collected three extra-base hits against the New York Giants in a 1923 game.