On This Date: Former College Hoopsters Make Mark on April 29 MLB Games

April 29th, 2015 - 6:41

Extra! Extra! Read all about memorable major league baseball achievements, moments and transactions involving former college basketball players! Numerous ex-college hoopsters had front-row seats to many of the most notable games and dates in MLB history.

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 an April 29 calendar focusing on such versatile MLB athletes:

APRIL 29

  • In 1953, Milwaukee Braves 1B Joe Adcock (LSU's leading basketball scorer in 1945-46) hit a homer into the center-field bleachers against the New York Giants at the Polo Grounds, a feat that had never been done before and would only be achieved twice more (by Hank Aaron and Lou Brock).

  • Detroit Tigers rookie 1B Dale Alexander (starting center for Milligan TN in mid-1920s) hit safely in his first 12 MLB games in 1929 before he was held hitless by the St. Louis Browns.

  • Cleveland Indians SS Lou Boudreau (leading scorer for Illinois' 1937 Big Ten Conference co-champion) banged out four hits against the St. Louis Browns in 1948.

  • CF Taylor Douthit (California letterman from 1922 through 1924) awarded on waivers from the Cincinnati Reds to the Chicago Cubs in 1933.

  • In 1930, Pittsburgh Pirates LHP Ralph Erickson (played for Idaho State in mid-1920s) won his lone MLB decision.

  • Houston Astros C Joe Ferguson (played in 1967 NCAA playoffs with Pacific) pounded two homers against the Pittsburgh Pirates in 1977.

  • Brooklyn Robins 2B Jake Flowers (member of 1923 "Flying Pentagon" championship squad for Washington College MD) provided four hits, including three doubles, in a 19-15 win against the New York Giants in 1930. It was one of five games that month where he had at least three safeties.

  • Oakland Athletics rookie 3B Wayne Gross (led Cal Poly Pomona in assists in 1974-75) whacked two homers against the Boston Red Sox in 1977.

  • Los Angeles Dodgers 1B Frank Howard (two-time All-Big Ten Conference first-team selection in 1956-57 and 1957-58 when leading Ohio State in scoring and rebounding) collected two homers and six RBI against the Chicago Cubs in 1961.

  • Detroit Tigers rookie CF Lynn Jones (averaged 10.4 ppg for Thiel PA from 1970-71 through 1973-74) finished his first month with a .389 batting average after notching fourth straight two-hit game in 1979.

  • Toronto Blue Jays P Dave Lemanczyk (averaged 4.5 ppg and 3.5 rpg for Hartwick NY teams compiling 51-21 record from 1969-70 through 1971-72) sustained his fifth setback of the month in as many starts in 1978.

  • RHP Roger Mason (multiple-year letterman for Saginaw Valley State MI in late 1970s) purchased from the Philadelphia Phillies by the New York Mets in 1994.

  • 2B Dutch Meyer (letterman for TCU in 1934-35 and 1935-36) traded by the Detroit Tigers to the Cleveland Indians in 1945.

  • In a 17-inning marathon where both starting pitchers went the distance, St. Louis Cardinals RHP Roy Parmelee (Eastern Michigan letterman in 1924-25 and 1925-26) outdueled New York Giants Hall of Famer Carl Hubbell, 2-1, in 1936.

  • Washington Senators C Les Peden (Texas A&M letterman in 1941-42 and 1942-43) provided his lone MLB homer (against the Chicago White Sox in 1953).

  • Cleveland tied a MLB record by winning its first 10 games of the 1966 campaign before the Indians lost, 4-1, to Chicago White Sox LHP Gary Peters (played for Grove City PA in mid-1950s).

  • In the midst of 11 straight scoreless appearances in 1979, Philadelphia Phillies RHP Ron Reed (Notre Dame's leading rebounder in 1963-64 and 1964-65) won his third successive relief outing.

  • In 1975, LF Champ Summers (team-high scoring averages of 15.7 ppg for Nicholls State in 1964-65 and 22.5 ppg for SIUE in 1969-70) shipped by the Oakland Athletics to the Chicago Cubs to complete a deal made earlier in the month.