On This Date: Former College Hoopsters Make Mark on June 6 MLB Games

June 6th, 2015 - 7:55

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 6 calendar focusing on such versatile MLB athletes:

JUNE 6

  • Philadelphia Phillies RHP Mike Adams (played basketball for Texas A&M-Kingsville in 1996-97) notched 14 straight relief appearances without allowing an earned run before going on the disabled list in 2014.

  • RHP Mike Barlow (Syracuse substitute from 1967-68 through 1969-70) traded by the Houston Astros to the California Angels in 1976.

  • Cleveland Indians RF Beau Bell (two-year letterman for Texas A&M in early 1930s) went 4-for-4 in a 5-4 win against the Washington Senators in 1940.

  • RHP Jim Bibby (Fayetteville State NC backup player and brother of UCLA All-American Henry Bibby) traded by the St. Louis Cardinals to the Texas Rangers in 1973.

  • Detroit Tigers 1B Tony Clark (San Diego State's leading scorer in WAC games in 1991-92) provided three extra-base hits against the Milwaukee Brewers in 1998.

  • San Diego Padres RF Tony Gwynn (All-WAC second-team selection with San Diego State in 1979-80 and 1980-81) stroked a ninth-inning single on a 3-0 delivery to end Tom Browning's bid for a perfect game with the Cincinnati Reds in 1988.

  • Brooklyn Dodgers 1B Gil Hodges (played for St. Joseph's IN in 1943 and Oakland City IN in 1947 and 1948) hammered two homers against the St. Louis Cardinals in 1953.

  • LF Danny Litwhiler (member of JV squad with Bloomsburg PA three years in mid-1930s) notched the only for the Philadelphia Phillies off Johnny Vander Meer of the Cincinnati Reds in a 1941 outing three years to the month after Vander Meer became the only MLB hurler to toss back-to-back no-hitters.

  • In 1963, Chicago Cubs RHP Lindy McDaniel (played for Oklahoma's 1954-55 freshman squad), entering a contest against the San Francisco Giants as a reliever with the bases loaded and one out in the top of the 10th inning, promptly picked Hall of Fame CF Willie Mays off second base an then fanned C Ed Bailey before leading off the bottom of the frame with a game-winning homer.

  • New York Yankees 3B Graig Nettles (shot 87.8% from free-throw line for San Diego State in 1963-64) smacked two homers against the Seattle Mariners in 1983.

  • Chicago Cubs RF Bill Nicholson (Washington College MD guard for two years in mid-1930s) blasted two homers against the Philadelphia Phillies in 1940.

  • RHP Joe Niekro (averaged 8.9 ppg and 3.8 rpg for West Liberty WV from 1963-64 through 1965-66) traded by the New York Yankees to the Minnesota Twins in 1987.

  • RHP Robin Roberts (Michigan State's second-leading scorer in 1945-46 and 1946-47) registered his only victory in 1961 (3-2 at San Francisco). He finished with the worst-ever season record (1-10 in final year with Philadelphia Phillies) for a Hall of Fame hurler.

  • Brooklyn Dodgers LF Jackie Robinson (highest scoring average in Pacific Coast Conference both of his seasons with UCLA in 1939-40 and 1940-41) accounted for four hits in back-to-back games against the Chicago Cubs in 1954.