On This Date: Former College Hoopsters Make Mark on June 11 MLB Games

June 11th, 2015 - 7:28

Extra! Extra! Read 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 hoopsters had front-row seats to many of the most notable games, transactions and dates in MLB history.

Unless you habitually pore over the content at baseballlibrary.com, baseballreference.com and nationalpastime.com, following is a June 11 calendar focusing on such versatile MLB athletes:

JUNE 11

  • In 1927, Pittsburgh Pirates LF Clyde Barnhart (played basketball for Shippensburg PA predecessor Cumberland Valley State Normal School prior to World War I) supplied three extra-base hits against the Brooklyn Robins for his 10th consecutive multiple-hit contest.

  • In his final game with the Montreal Expos, 1B Donn Clendenon (four-sport letterman with Morehouse GA) stroked three extra-base hits against the San Diego Padres in 1969.

  • Hall of Fame C Rick Ferrell (played for Guilford NC in mid-1920s) traded with his brother (P Wes Ferrell) from the Boston Red Sox to the Washington Senators in 1937.

  • In the midst of a career-high 12-game hitting streak in 1961, Cincinnati Reds 3B Gene Freese (West Liberty WV captain of 1952 NAIA Tournament team) contributed four RBI for the second time in a five-outing span.

  • St. Louis Cardinals 2B Frankie Frisch (Fordham captain) furnished four hits for the first of two times in a four-game span in 1929.

  • INF Jerry Kindall (averaged 6.9 ppg for Minnesota in 1955-56) traded by the Cleveland Indians to the Minnesota Twins in a three-team swap including the Los Angeles Angels in 1964.

  • Boston Red Sox RF Joe Lahoud (New Haven CT letterman in mid-1960s) smacked three homers against the Minnesota Twins in 1969.

  • LF Danny Litwhiler (member of JV squad with Bloomsburg PA three years in mid-1930s) among three St. Louis Cardinals who lashed back-to-back-to-back sixth-inning homers in the nightcaqp of a 1944 doubleheader.

  • Washington Senators 3B Buddy Myer (Mississippi State letterman in 1923-24) manufactured two hits in his sixth successive game in 1929.

  • In 1972, 3B Graig Nettles (shot 87.8% from free-throw line for San Diego State in 1963-64) homered for the Cleveland Indians and brother Jim Nettles homered for the Minnesota Twins in the same game. Four years later with the New York Yankees, Graig Nettles collected two homers and five RBI against the Texas Rangers in 1976.

  • INF Paul Popovich (averaged 3.3 ppg for West Virginia's 1960 NCAA playoff team) wound up with the Chicago Cubs in 1969 after he was traded twice on the same day (by Los Angeles Dodgers and Montreal Expos). Two years earlier as a Cubs rookie, Popovich went 5-for-9 in a 1967 twinbill sweep of the New York Mets.

  • Brooklyn Dodgers rookie 1B Jackie Robinson (highest scoring average in Pacific Coast Conference both of his seasons with UCLA in 1939-40 and 1940-41) went 4-for-4 against the Cincinnati Reds in 1947. Three days later, Robinson started a 21-game hitting streak.

  • New York Yankees 3B Red Rolfe (played briefly with Dartmouth in 1927-28 and 1929-30) supplied four extra-base hits against the Detroit Tigers in 1936.

  • In 1961, Boston Red Sox RHP Don Schwall (All-Big Seven Conference second-team selection led Oklahoma in rebounding in 1956-57) won his first five MLB starts, compiling a 1.31 ERA in that span.

  • In his first game with the Milwaukee Brewers, 2B Gary Sutherland (averaged 7.4 ppg with USC in 1963-64) knocked in the go-ahead run against Oakland Athletics P Vida Blue in a 4-2 win in 1976.

  • Boston Red Sox C Sammy White (All-PCC Northern Division first-five selection for Washington in 1947-48 and 1948-49) clobbered a ninth-inning grand slam off Satchel Paige to defeat the St. Louis Browns, 11-9, in 1952. White completed his HR trot by rounding third base and crawling from half-way home and kissing the plate.