On This Date: Former College Hoopsters Make Mark on June 2 MLB Games

June 2nd, 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 2 calendar focusing on such versatile MLB athletes:

JUNE 2

  • 2B Jerry Adair (one of Oklahoma State's top three basketball scorers in 1956-57 and 1957-58 while ranking among the nation's top 12 free-throw shooters each season) traded by the Chicago White Sox to the Boston Red Sox for reliever Don McMahon in 1967 and wound up playing in the World Series later that year against the St. Louis Cardinals.

  • Cleveland Indians SS Lou Boudreau (leading scorer for Illinois' 1937 Big Ten Conference co-champion) scored six runs in a 1940 doubleheader split against the Philadelphia Athletics.

  • Philadelphia Athletics rookie C Mickey Cochrane (Boston University player in early 1920s) collected five RBI against the Boston Red Sox in 1925.

  • In 1951, 1B Walt Dropo (Connecticut's first player ever to average 20 points for a single season with 21.7 ppg in 1942-43) demoted by the Boston Red Sox to the minors to regain his form after he was A.L. Rookie of the Year the previous campaign.

  • Pittsburgh Pirates 3B Lee Handley (Bradley letterman from 1932-33 through 1934-35) banged out four hits against the Philadelphia Phillies in 1945.

  • Kansas City Royals DH Gail Hopkins (averaged 2.5 ppg with Pepperdine in 1963-64) went 4-for-4 against the Cleveland Indians in 1973.

  • Washington Senators LF 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) hammered two homers against the California Angels in the opener of a 1965 twinbill.

  • New York Yankees DH David Justice (led Thomas More KY in assists in 1984-85) jacked two homers against the Cleveland Indians in 2001.

  • Philadelphia Phillies LF Danny Litwhiler (member of JV squad with Bloomsburg PA three years in mid-1930s) launched two homers against the Chicago Cubs in 1941.

  • Los Angeles Dodgers 2B Davey Lopes (NAIA All-District 15 selection for Iowa Wesleyan averaged 16.9 ppg as freshman in 1964-65 and 12.1 ppg as sophomore in 1965-66) tied a MLB mark by committing three errors in the first inning of a 6-3 setback against the Montreal Expos in 1973.

  • Chicago White Sox RHP Ted Lyons (two-time All-SWC first-team selection for Baylor in early 1920s) tossed a shutout against the Boston Red Sox in the opener of a 1940 doubleheader, notching his 225th career victory.

  • Chicago Cubs CF Jerry Martin (1971 Southern Conference MVP after he was Furman's runner-up in scoring the previous season) whacked two homers against the San Francisco Giants in 1979. Two years later as a member of the Giants, Martin capped off a nine-run, fourth-inning outburst with a grand slam against the Houston Astros in 1981.

  • C Cal Neeman (Illinois Wesleyan's leading scorer in 1947-48 and 1948-49) purchased from the St. Louis Cardinals by the Cleveland Indians in 1963.

  • Cleveland Indians 3B Graig Nettles (shot 87.8% from free-throw line for San Diego State in 1963-64) launched two homers against the Milwaukee Brewers in the nightcap of a 1970 twinbill.

  • San Francisco Giants CF Billy North (played briefly for Central Washington in 1967-68) went 3-for-3 with three steals in an 8-6 win against the Chicago Cubs in 1979.

  • Pittsburgh Pirates LF Wally Roettger (Illinois letterman in 1921-22 and 1922-23) knocked in five runs in the nightcap of a 1934 doubleheader against his original team (St. Louis Cardinals).

  • Baltimore Orioles LF Larry Sheets (All-ODAC selection in 1981-82 and 1982-83 with Eastern Mennonite VA) homered in his third consecutive contest in 1987.

  • Atlanta Braves LHP George Stone (averaged 14.7 ppg and 6.5 rpg for Louisiana Tech in 1964-65 and 1965-66) won his first six decisions in 1969.

  • LHP Matt Thornton (averaged 5.8 ppg and 2.4 rpg for Grand Valley State MI from 1995-96 through 1997-98) selected by Seattle Mariners in first round (22nd pick overall) in 1998 amateur draft.