On This Date: Former College Hoopsters Make Mark on June 19 MLB Games

June 19th, 2015 - 6:41

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 19 calendar focusing on such versatile MLB athletes:

JUNE 19

  • Detroit Tigers 1B Dale Alexander (starting basketball center in mid-1920s for Milligan TN) had a 29-game hitting streak snapped by the New York Yankees in 1932. Two years later, Alexander was with the Boston Red Sox when he went 4-for-4 against the Cleveland Indians in the opener of a doubleheader.

  • Cleveland Indians RHP Jim Bibby (Fayetteville State NC backup player and brother of UCLA All-American Henry Bibby) tossed a four-hit shutout against the Detroit Tigers in the nightcap of a 1977 twinbill.

  • Chicago Cubs 1B Larry Biittner (runner-up in scoring and rebounding for Buena Vista IA in 1966-67) went 4-for-4 in the nightcap of a 1976 doubleheader against the Atlanta Braves.

  • New York Mets 1B Donn Clendenon (four-sport letterman with Morehouse GA) contributed three extra-base hits against the Philadelphia Phillies in 1971.

  • New York Giants OF Hoot Evers (starter for Illinois in 1939-40) climaxed a four-run, ninth-inning rally with a pinch-hit homer against the St. Louis Cardinals in 1954.

  • Los Angeles Dodgers C Joe Ferguson (played in 1967 NCAA playoffs with Pacific) provided a game-winning, pinch homer in the bottom of the 10th inning in a 5-3 win against the Montreal Expos in 1980.

  • 3B Gene Freese (captain of 1952 NAIA Tournament team for West Liberty WV) went 7-for-8, sparking the Cincinnati Reds to a 1961 twinbill sweep of the Philadelphia Phillies.

  • Washington Senators 2B Buddy Myer (Mississippi State letterman in 1923-24) notched at least three hits for the fourth time in six-game span in 1935.

  • San Diego Padres 3B Graig Nettles (shot 87.8% from free-throw line for San Diego State in 1963-64) smacked two homers against the San Francisco Giants in 1986.

  • Brooklyn Dodgers LF Jackie Robinson (highest scoring average in Pacific Coast Conference both of his seasons with UCLA in 1939-40 and 1940-41) ripped two homers against the Chicago Cubs in 1954.

  • Baltimore Orioles RHP Tim Stoddard (starting forward opposite All-American David Thompson for North Carolina State's 1974 NCAA champion) yielded his only run in an 11-game stretch of relief appearances in 1979.