Men For All Seasons: College Hoopers Dominated Formative Years of CWS

June 19th, 2019 - 7:24

Long before the ping was the electronic thing, college cagers brought their electrifying Hoop Dreams to the eclectic Field of Dreams. For instance, Lowell "Lefty" Davis averaged 19.3 ppg as an All-ACC second-team selection before the lefthander hurled a shutout in the NCAA College World Series for 1955 baseball champion Wake Forest. The next year, hoops regular Jerry Kindall hit for the cycle with eventual kingpin Minnesota against Ole Miss before eventually coaching Arizona to three CWS titles in an 11-year span (1976-80-86).

Among the eventual big leaguers selected to an All-CWS Team after also competing as college hoopers were Sonny Siebert (Missouri in 1958), Bob Garibaldi (Santa Clara in 1962), Gary Holman (Southern California in 1963), Bill Davis (Minnesota in 1964), Gary Sutherland (Southern California in 1964), Dave Winfield (Minnesota in 1973), Lyle Mouton (Louisiana State in 1990 and 1991) and Ryan Minor (Oklahoma in 1994). Siebert, a 12-year MLB pitcher, also played 1B for Mizzou, hitting three triples in six postseason games for CWS runner-up. Mouton smacked two homers for eventual champion LSU in 1991 CWS opener against Florida.

Three of the first four individuals earning the NCAA College World Series Most Outstanding Player award were also basketball players for the school. Following are athletic achievement summaries during the school year in question for this trio plus versatile performers Garibaldi and Winfield in the ultimate hoops regular/CWS MOP category:

Year CWS MOP College Pos. School Year Summary for Multi-Sport Athlete
1949 Tom Hamilton Texas 1B #2 scorer for 17-7 hoops team before contributing home run and four RBI in CWS title-game victory against Wake Forest
1950 Ray Van Cleef Rutgers OF averaged 2.8 ppg for 13-15 hoops team before going 7-for-9 in first two CWS outings for eventual 3rd-place finisher
1952 Jim O'Neill Holy Cross P averaged 6.2 ppg for 24-4 NIT participant before 6-5 righthander tossed three CWS complete-game wins, striking out nine in championship contest
1962 Bob Garibaldi Santa Clara P #2 scorer/rebounder for 19-6 hoops team before workhorse fanned 38 batters while appearing in five of six CWS games (27 2/3 innings after hurling eight frames in relief in 15-inning final-game loss against Michigan)
1973 Dave Winfield Minnesota OF-P averaged 10.5 ppg and 6.1 rpg for 21-5 hoops team before eventual HOF outfielder fanned 29 batters in two pitching starts (14 vs. Oklahoma and 15 vs. USC) with club tying for third-place finish; in perhaps the most amazing game in CWS history, Winfield allowed only an infield single through eight innings before defending champion Trojans erased 7-0 deficit with eight runs in ninth frame