Men For All Seasons: College Hoopers Flourished in Formative Years of CWS
Long before cancel-culture mob and the ping was the electronic thing, college cagers brought their electrifying Hoop Dreams to the eclectic Field of Dreams in Omaha. For instance, Lowell "Lefty" Davis averaged 19.3 ppg as an All-ACC basketball selection for the second of three times 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). In 1959, CF Doug Hoffman became an All-CWS choice as Clemson's leader in triples (5), homers (4) and walks (33) after finishing runner-up for the Tigers' basketball squad in scoring for the second straight season. In 1973, Southern California hoops backup Jeff Reinke retired the final 11 Arizona State batters as lefthanded reliever earned a save in 4-3 title-tilt win.
Among the eventual big leaguers selected to an All-CWS Team (started in 1958) 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), Steve Arlin (Ohio State in 1965 and 1966), 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. Holman hammered homer in title tilt against Arizona and Mouton smacked two round-trippers for eventual champion LSU in 1991 CWS opener against Florida.
Siebert (16.7 ppg) and 1B Minor (23.6 ppg in 1995) were team-leading scorers for basketball squad before reaching CWS the same year. A striking number of individuals on CWS rosters joined them in this exclusive category from non-titlist teams - 11 in a 10-year span from 1949 through 1958 - including Arizona State P Chris Beasley (18.3 in 1984), Washington State P Gene Conley (13.3 in 1950), Lafayette P Preston Denby (16.9 in 1965), Northern Colorado's Fred Diehl (16.2 in 1957), Massachusetts INF Ray Ellerbrook (18 in 1969), Ole Miss P Joe Gibbon (22.1 in 1956), Maine 1B Gordon "John" Gillette (18.6 in 1964), Duke SS Dick Groat (26 in 1952), Texas 1B Tom Hamilton (15.1 in 1950), Oklahoma 1B Bobby Jack (16.5 in 1972), Princeton's Michael Kearns (13.7 in 1951), Ole Miss SS Don Kessinger (23.5 in 1964), Rollins (Fla.) 1B Bob MacHardy (14 in 1954), New Hampshire INF Frances "Frank" McLaughlin (19.9 in 1956), Missouri INF Bob Price (19.6 in 1964), Arizona 1B Hadie Redd (13.6 in 1955), Southern California OF-3B Bill Sharman (15.9 in 1949), Iowa State SS Gary Thompson (20.7 in 1957) and Southern California INF John Werhas (14.8 in 1960).
Hamilton is among three of the first four individuals earning the NCAA College World Series Most Outstanding Player award who 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 |
Lefthander Cal Emery, MOP for Penn State's 1957 runner-up, played in three basketball games with the Nittany Lions in 1957-58. Arlin, described as the "greatest one-man show ever seen in the CWS," was MOP in 1966 but didn't play basketball that year. Joining him, B. Davis, L. Davis, Hamilton, Holman, Kindall, Minor, Mouton, O'Neill, Reinke and Sutherland among former major-college hooper members of CWS champions were INF Brett Casey (Oregon State '06/RS and '07), CF Archie Clark (Minnesota '64), SS Roger Detter (Arizona '67 and '69), OF Alan Druskin (Minnesota '64), INF Don Eaddy (Michigan '53), C Lloyd Elmore (Missouri '54), P Brian Heublein (Southern California '73), P Pete Hillman (Southern California '63), P Phil Mendelson (Wichita State '89), 1B Ray Pavichevich (Michigan '53), P Ron Perry Sr. (Holy Cross '52), CF Charley Pugsley (Oklahoma '51), P Kendall Rhine Jr. (Georgia '90), SS Earl Robinson (California '57), INF Bob Schoonmaker (Missouri '54), OF Bernie Simpson (California '57), P Dick Soergel (Oklahoma State '59), P George Sterling (California '57), P Norm Stewart (Missouri '54), C Lew Wade (Oklahoma State '59), Werhas (Southern California '58) and LF Frank Womack (Texas '49 and '50).
Minor, a third baseman with the Baltimore Orioles when replacing Cal Ripken Jr. in lineup on September 20, 1998, ending Hall of Famer's MLB record of 2,632 consecutive contests, isn't the last hooper of significance to also be on roster of a College World Series team in the same school year. That individual is Rice's Derek Michaelis, a backup 1B who went 4-for-11 in six games in 1999 after the 6-7 lefthander averaged 6.7 ppg and 5.4 rpg as a sophomore for the Owls' basketball squad. Michaelis became a 15th-round MLB draft pick in 2000 prior to hitting .249 with 51 homers and 237 RBI as a Los Angeles Dodgers' farmhand in six minor-league seasons, playing briefly at Triple A level with Las Vegas in 2004 and 2005.