On This Date: Former College Hoopers Make News on April 24 MLB Games
Extra! Extra! Amid COVID-19 season postponement, you have time to read news all about memorable major league baseball achievements, moments and transactions involving former college basketball players. Numerous ex-college hoopers had front-row seats to many of the most notable games and dates in MLB history.
Former Alabama hoops lettermen Riggs Stephenson and Jim Tabor supplied significant MLB games with their bats on this date. Former in-state hooper Marv Breeding (Samford) also made "offensive" news. Baseball is portrayed as a thinking man's game but only 4% of active MLB players earned college diplomas. Unless you habitually pore over the content at baseballlibrary.com, baseballreference.com and nationalpastime.com, following is an April 24 calendar focusing on such versatile MLB athletes:
APRIL 24
San Diego Padres SS Bill Almon (averaged 2.5 ppg in half a season for Brown's 1972-73 basketball team ending school's streak of 12 straight losing records) contributed four hits for the second time in four days in 1978.
Philadelphia Phillies LF Morrie Arnovich (Wisconsin-Superior hooper in early 1930s) went 4-for-4, including three doubles, in a 7-3 win against Brooklyn in 1937.
Cleveland Indians LHP Rick Austin (member of Washington State's freshman basketball team in 1965-66) held opposition scoreless in his first six relief appearances in 1971.
Chicago White Sox 1B Zeke Bonura (best basketball forward for Loyola LA in late 1920s and early 1930s) belted two homers in a 10-4 win against the Detroit Tigers in 1935.
Baltimore Orioles rookie 2B Marv Breeding (Samford hooper in mid-1950s) went hitless for the only time in his first 12 MLB games.
Boston Braves SS Dick Culler (#9 jersey retired by High Point for Little All-American in 1935 and 1936) went 4-for-4 in an 8-6 win against the Brooklyn Dodgers in 1945.
Brooklyn Dodgers rookie SS Ben Geraghty (Villanova hoops letterman from 1933-34 through 1935-36) supplied his fourth straight multiple-hit game in 1936.
Oakland Athletics rookie 3B Wayne Gross (led Cal Poly Pomona in assists in 1974-75) went 4-for-4 with four RBI against the Chicago White Sox in the nightcap of a 1977 doubleheader.
Los Angeles Dodgers LHP Sandy Koufax (Cincinnati's freshman hoops squad in 1953-54) tied a MLB record by striking out 18 batters in a nine-inning game at Chicago in 1962.
Toronto Blue Jays RHP Dave Lemanczyk (averaged 4.5 ppg and 3.5 rpg for Hartwick NY teams compiling 51-21 record from 1969-70 through 1971-72) tossed a one-hitter against the Texas Rangers. It was one of three shutouts for him in 1979.
LF Danny Litwhiler (member of hoops JV team with Bloomsburg PA in mid-1930s) collected four of 22 hits by the Boston Braves and chipped in with four RBI in a 14-5 victory over the New York Giants in 1947. Johnny Mize, who later had a basketball arena named after him at Piedmont College GA, socked three successive homers for the Giants. Five years earlier with the Philadelphia Phillies, Litwhiler went 4-for-4 against the Brooklyn Dodgers in 1942.
Kansas City Athletics 2B Jerry Lumpe (member of Southwest Missouri State's 1952 NAIA Tournament hoops championship team) provided his fifth multiple-hit game in as many outings to start the 1960 campaign en route to compiling a .471 average while hitting safely in his first 13 contests of the season.
San Diego Padres RHP Roger Mason (multiple-year hoops letterman in late 1970s for Saginaw Valley State MI) didn't allow an earned run through his first nine relief appearances in 1993.
New York Yankees SS Gene Michael (led Kent State in scoring with 14 ppg in 1957-58) contributed a career-high four RBI against the Minnesota Twins in 1971.
Washington Senators rookie CF Irv Noren (player of year for California community college hoops state champion Pasadena City in 1945) went hitless for the only time in his first 13 MLB starts in 1950.
Oakland Athletics CF Billy North (played hoops briefly for Central Washington in 1967-68) stole three bases against the Chicago White Sox in the nightcap of a 1977 twinbill.
Kansas City Royals 3B Bob Oliver (All-Valley Conference basketball choice for American River Community College CA in 1962) belted two homers for the second time in a four-game span in 1970.
RHP John Pyecha (led Appalachian State in scoring, rebounding and field-goal shooting in 1951-52 and 1954-55) lost his only MLB pitching appearance with the Chicago Cubs in 1954.
New York Yankees 3B Red Rolfe (played hoops briefly with Dartmouth in 1927-28 and 1929-30) ripped two homers against the Philadelphia Athletics in a 1940 game.
New York Giants RHP Hal Schumacher (multiple-sport athlete for St. Lawrence NY in early 1930s) and Hall of Fame teammate Mel Ott each socked two homers against the Philadelphia Phillies in a 1934 game.
Baltimore Orioles RF Ken Singleton (Hofstra freshman hoops squad in mid-1960s) smacked two homers against the California Angels in 1979 in the midst of seven multiple-hit outings in an eight-game span.
Minnesota Twins RHP Mike Smithson (teammate of Tennessee All-American Ernie Grunfeld averaged 1.9 ppg and 1.6 rpg under coach Ray Mears in 1974-75 and 1975-76) hurled a four-hit shutout against the Seattle Mariners in 1985.
Chicago Cubs LF Riggs Stephenson (Alabama hoops letterman in 1920) clubbed three doubles for the second time in a six-game span in 1932.
Boston Red Sox rookie 3B Jim Tabor (Alabama hoops letterman in 1936-37) tallied four hits for the first of four times in a 30-game span to early June in 1939.
Chicago White Sox LHP Matt Thornton (averaged 5.8 ppg and 2.4 rpg for Grand Valley State MI from 1995-96 through 1997-98) yielded his only run in 12 relief appearances during the month in 2012.
Pittsburgh Pirates CF Bill Virdon (Drury MO hooper in 1949) went 4-for-4 against the New York Mets in a 1964 game.
Boston Red Sox SS Billy Werber (first Duke hoops All-American in 1929-30) went 4-for-4 against the Washington Senators in a 1934 contest.
San Diego Padres RF Dave Winfield (starting forward for Minnesota's first NCAA playoff team in 1972) collected four hits and five RBI against the Los Angeles Dodgers in a 1975 outing.
College Hoopdom's Hard-Hitting Impact on Opening Round of NFL Draft
Recently-acquired Arizona Cardinals WR DeAndre Hopkins, a first-round selection in 2013, played basketball for Clemson in 2010-11. Hopkins led the NFL in touchdown catches with 13 in 2017 and supplied more than 95 receptions in four of the previous five seasons with the Houston Texans. Historically, the first 15 NFL drafts from 1936 through 1950 had a former college basketball regular selected among the top 10 picks. Four of the top six choices and five of the top 11 in the 1957 draft were ex-college hoopers. To our knowledge, none of them featured the excess baggage of Jameis "Crab Legs" Winston, the #1 selection several years ago who was also a versatile athlete but in baseball.
Back in 1963 when men were men before all of the ESPC-contrived Sam Who I Am draft-day crying/kissing and diversity sensitivity training (#BringBackOurMen), six of the top 22 picks, including five from schools that have always been or subsequently became members of the Big Ten Conference, were in the same category. Ex-hoopers for Notre Dame provided five top seven NFL draft choices in 23-year span from 1946 through 1968. Baylor, Michigan and Ohio State have had four former hoopers chosen in the opening round of NFL draft.
In the average NFL draft, nearly half of the athletes selected also competed in basketball in high school. There might not be a former college hooper selected in opening round of first virtual NFL draft, but following is an alphabetical list of first-round draft choices who played varsity college basketball for a current NCAA Division I university:
Hooper/1st-Round Choice | Pos. | College | Selected in Draft By | NFL Pick Overall |
---|---|---|---|---|
Neill Armstrong | OE-DB | Oklahoma A&M | Philadelphia Eagles | 8th in 1947 |
Doug Atkins | DE | Tennessee | Cleveland Browns | 11th in 1953 |
Terry Baker | QB-RB | Oregon State | Los Angeles Rams | 1st in 1963 |
Sammy Baugh | QB | Texas Christian | Boston Redskins | 6th in 1937 |
*Hub Bechtol | E | Texas Tech/Texas | Pittsburgh Steelers | 5th in 1947 |
Johnny Bright | RB | Drake | Philadelphia Eagles | 5th in 1952 |
Jim Brown | RB | Syracuse | Cleveland Browns | 6th in 1957 |
Ray Buivid | QB | Marquette | Chicago Cardinals | 3rd in 1937 |
Bob Carey | WR | Michigan State | Los Angeles Rams | 13th in 1952 |
Fred Carr | LB | Texas Western | Green Bay Packers | 5th in 1968 |
Shante Carver | DE | Arizona State | Dallas Cowboys | 23rd in 1994 |
Lynn Chandnois | HB | Michigan State | Pittsburgh Steelers | 8th in 1950 |
George Connor | OL-DT-LB | Notre Dame | New York Giants | 5th in 1946 |
Olie Cordill | HB | Rice | Cleveland Browns | 5th in 1940 |
Ernie Davis | HB | Syracuse | Washington Redskins | 1st in 1962 |
Glenn Davis | HB | Army | Detroit Lions | 2nd in 1947 |
Len Dawson | QB | Purdue | Pittsburgh Steelers | 5th in 1957 |
Mike Ditka | TE | Pittsburgh | Chicago Bears | 5th in 1961 |
Rickey Dudley | TE | Ohio State | Oakland Raiders | 9th in 1996 |
Ray Evans | TB-DB | Kansas | Chicago Bears | 9th in 1944 |
James Francis | LB | Baylor | Cincinnati Bengals | 12th in 1990 |
Reuben Gant | TE | Oklahoma State | Buffalo Bills | 18th in 1974 |
Tony Gonzalez | TE | California | Kansas City Chiefs | 13th in 1996 |
Otto Graham | QB | Northwestern | Detroit Lions | 4th in 1944 |
Harry "Bud" Grant | E | Minnesota | Philadelphia Eagles | 14th in 1950 |
Bob Griese | QB | Purdue | Miami Dolphins | 4th in 1967 |
Kevin Hardy | DL | Notre Dame | New Orleans Saints | 7th in 1968 |
Tom Harmon | HB-DB | Michigan | Chicago Bears | 1st in 1941 |
Todd Heap | TE | Arizona State | Baltimore Ravens | 31st in 2001 |
King Hill | QB | Rice | Chicago Cardinals | 1st as bonus pick in 1958 |
Elroy "Crazy Legs" Hirsch | OE | Michigan | Cleveland Rams | 5th in 1945 |
DeAndre Hopkins | WR | Clemson | Houston Texans | 27th in 2013 |
Paul Hornung | RB | Notre Dame | Green Bay Packers | 1st as bonus pick in 1957 |
Jack Jenkins | FB-LB | Vanderbilt | Washington Redskins | 10th in 1943 |
Ed "Too Tall" Jones | DL | Tennessee State | Dallas Cowboys | 1st in 1974 |
Matt Jones | E | Arkansas | Jacksonville Jaquars | 21st in 2005 |
Billy Kilmer | QB | UCLA | San Francisco 49ers | 11th in 1961 |
Ron Kramer | WR | Michigan | Green Bay Packers | 4th in 1957 |
Johnny Lattner | HB | Notre Dame | Pittsburgh Steelers | 7th in 1954 |
Bobby Layne | QB | Texas | Chicago Bears | 3rd in 1948 |
Marcedes Lewis | TE | UCLA | Jacksonville Jaguars | 28th in 2006 |
Ronnie Lott | DB | Southern California | San Francisco 49ers | 8th in 1981 |
Johnny Lujack | QB | Notre Dame | Chicago Bears | 4th in 1946 |
Don Lund | FB-LB | Michigan | Chicago Bears | 7th in 1945 |
Bob MacLeod | B | Dartmouth | Brooklyn Dodgers | 5th in 1939 |
Jim McDonald | B | Ohio State | Philadelphia Eagles | 2nd in 1938 |
Banks McFadden | HB | Clemson | Brooklyn Dodgers | 3rd in 1940 |
Rich McGeorge | TE | Elon | Green Bay Packers | 16th in 1970 |
Donovan McNabb | QB | Syracuse | Philadelphia Eagles | 2nd in 1999 |
R.W. McQuarters | CB | Oklahoma State | San Francisco 49ers | 28th in 1998 |
Leonard Mitchell | DE | Houston | Philadelphia Eagles | 27th in 1981 |
Mack Mitchell | DE | Houston | Cleveland Browns | 5th in 1975 |
Julius Peppers | DE | North Carolina | Carolina Panthers | 2nd in 2002 |
Pat Richter | TE | Wisconsin | Washington Redskins | 7th in 1962 |
Andre Rison | WR | Michigan State | Indianapolis Colts | 22nd in 1989 |
Jack Robbins | QB | Arkansas | Chicago Cardinals | 5th in 1938 |
Dave Robinson | LB | Penn State | Green Bay Packers | 14th in 1963 |
Reggie Rogers | DL | Washington | Detroit Lions | 7th in 1987 |
Art Schlichter | QB | Ohio State | Baltimore Colts | 4th in 1982 |
Don Scott | HB | Ohio State | Chicago Bears | 9th in 1941 |
Del Shofner | E | Baylor | Los Angeles Rams | 11th in 1957 |
Norm Snead | QB | Wake Forest | Washington Redskins | 2nd in 1961 |
Joe Stydahar | T | West Virginia | Chicago Bears | 6th in 1936 |
David Verser | WR-KR | Kansas | Cincinnati Bengals | 10th in 1981 |
Doak Walker | HB-DB | Southern Methodist | New York Bulldogs | 3rd in 1949 |
Byron "Whizzer" White | B | Colorado | Pittsburgh Steelers | 4th in 1938 |
Alfred Williams | DE | Colorado | Cincinnati Bengals | 18th in 1991 |
Jack Wilson | HB | Baylor | Cleveland Browns | 2nd in 1942 |
Kendall Wright | WR | Baylor | Tennessee Titans | 20th in 2012 |
*Bechtol played in the AAFC, where he was a second-round pick (9th overall).
On This Date: Former College Hoopers Make News on April 23 MLB Games
Extra! Extra! Amid coronavirus postponement of season, you have time to read news all about memorable major league baseball achievements, moments and transactions involving former college basketball players! Numerous ex-college hoopers had front-row seats to many of the most notable games and dates in MLB history.
Former Illinois Wesleyan hoopers Bill Conroy and Cal Neeman contributed significant performances as MLB catchers on this date. Baseball is portrayed as a thinking man's game but only 4% of active MLB players earned college diplomas. Unless you habitually pore over the content at baseballlibrary.com, baseballreference.com and nationalpastime.com, following is an April 23 calendar focusing on such versatile MLB athletes:
APRIL 23
New York Giants LF Ethan Allen (Cincinnati basketball letterman in 1924-25 and 1925-26) went 4-for-4 in a 7-2 loss against the Philadelphia Phillies in 1932.
Milwaukee Braves rookie LF Howie Bedell (averaged 3.5 ppg and 3.5 rpg for West Chester PA in 1955-56) banged out a career-high three safeties against the Los Angeles Dodgers in 1962. Bedell hit safely in his first eight MLB games earlier in the month.
Seattle Mariners LF Bruce Bochte (starting forward for Santa Clara's NCAA playoff team in 1969-70) went 4-for-4 against the Minnesota Twins in a 1982 contest.
Boston Red Sox C Bill Conroy (Illinois Wesleyan hooper in early 1930s) collected a career-high three hits in a 1942 game against the Washington Senators.
In a celebrated fracas, New York Giants SS Alvin Dark (letterman for LSU and USL during World War II) confronted Jackie Robinson (Pacific Coast Conference leading scorer both seasons with UCLA in 1939-40 and 1940-41) after the Brooklyn Dodgers' INF bowled over a Giants pitcher covering first base on a bunt in 1955. The previous year, Robinson swiped second, third and home in the sixth inning before doubling in the winning run in the 13th in a 6-5 decision over the Pittsburgh Pirates. Two years earlier, Dark delivered three extra-base hits against the Pirates in 1953.
Philadelphia Athletics LHP Chubby Dean (reserve guard for Duke in 1936) hurled a four-hit shutout against the New York Yankees in 1940.
Milwaukee Braves RF John DeMerit (Wisconsin letterman in 1956-57 when averaging 2.2 ppg and 2.1 rpg) contributed a career-high three hits in a 3-1 win against the Pittsburgh Pirates in 1961.
A pinch-hit homer in the bottom of the 10th inning by Dick Gernert (Temple letterman in 1948-49 when averaging 2.7 ppg) tied the score for the Detroit Tigers in an eventual 3-2 victory against the Los Angeles Angels in 1961.
In 1960, Pittsburgh Pirates rookie LHP Joe Gibbon (two-time All-SEC forward for Ole Miss was nation's second-leading scorer as senior in 1956-57) won his first two MLB appearances.
San Diego Padres RF Tony Gwynn (All-WAC second-team selection with San Diego State in 1979-80 and 1980-81) went 5-for-5 and scored four runs against the Philadelphia Phillies in a 1994 outing.
In 1983, San Francisco Giants P Atlee Hammaker (averaged 5.3 ppg as freshman in 1976-77 and 4.9 ppg as sophomore in 1977-78 under East Tennessee State coach Sonny Smith) hurled his second of back-to-back shutouts en route to pacing the N.L. in ERA (2.25).
RHP Jay Hook (Northwestern's third-leading scorer as a sophomore with 10.7 ppg in 1955-56) posted the expansion New York Mets' first-ever victory (9-1 at Pittsburgh in 1962) after they dropped their initial nine contests.
Detroit Tigers rookie SS Harvey Kuenn (played briefly for Wisconsin in 1951-52 after competing on JV squad previous season) supplied his fourth three-hit game in first nine outings of the 1953 campaign.
St. Louis Cardinals SS Doc Lavan (Hope MI hooper from 1908 through 1910) delivered four hits against the Cincinnati Reds in a 1922 contest.
3B Vance Law (averaged 6.8 ppg for Brigham Young from 1974-75 through 1976-77) hit safely in his first 16 games with the Chicago Cubs in 1988.
St. Louis Cardinals rookie CF Wally Moon (averaged 4.3 ppg with Texas A&M in 1948-49 and 1949-50) went 5-for-5 but the Milwaukee Braves won, 7-5, in 14 innings in 1954 when Hank Aaron hammered his first of 755 MLB homers.
First MLB homer for rookie C Cal Neeman (Illinois Wesleyan's leading scorer in 1947-48 and 1948-49), a 10th-inning blast off the Milwaukee Braves' Lew Burdette, was the difference in a 3-2 win for the Chicago Cubs in 1957.
OF Ted Savage (led Lincoln MO in scoring average in 1955-56) involved in four-player swap going from the Chicago Cubs to the Los Angeles Dodgers in 1968.
Los Angeles Angels RHP Jack Spring (freshman hooper for Washington State in 1951-52) earned victory on his way to going unscored upon in six relief appearance during the month.
Chicago Cubs LF Riggs Stephenson (Alabama hoops letterman in 1920) went 4-for-4 against the St. Louis Cardinals in a 1929 contest.
LHP Matt Thornton (averaged 5.8 ppg and 2.4 rpg for Grand Valley State MI from 1995-96 through 1997-98) held opponents scoreless in his first 25 relief appearances with the Washington Nationals until yielding a run against the St. Louis Cardinals in 2015.
St. Louis Cardinals 1B Bill White (two-year hooper with Hiram OH in early 1950s) went 4-for-4 against the Houston Colt .45's in a 1963 game.
New York Yankees RF Dave Winfield (starting forward for Minnesota's first NCAA playoff team in 1972) smacked two homers against the Cleveland Indians in a 1987 contest.
I'll Be Back! UConn Went Full Circle Returning to BE Old Stomping Grounds
Dominoes seem to fall every time a school seeks greener pastures. The Ivy League is only Division I conference to remain intact since the late 1980s.
They didn't stay at "home," but did return there. Connecticut, despite slapped with NCAA probation, went full circle and will return to league (Big East) where the Huskies previously dominated as member. UConn joins the following institutions re-enlisting with a conference after leaving for various durations:
School | DI Conference (Membership Tenure) | School Status During Interim |
---|---|---|
Abilene Christian | Southland (1969-73 and since 2014) | Lone Star |
Boise State | Big West (1997-2001 and since 2014) | WAC (2002-11) and Mountain West (2012 and 2013) |
Campbell | Big South (1986-94 and since 2012) | TAAC/Atlantic Sun (1995-2011) |
Charlotte | Conference USA (1996-2005 and since 2014) | Atlantic 10 (2006-13) |
Connecticut | Big East (1980-2013 and since 2021) | American Athletic (2014-20) |
Creighton | Missouri Valley (1929-48 and 1977-2013) | Independent |
Davidson | Southern (1937-88 and since 1993) | Big South (1991 and 1992) |
Drake | Missouri Valley (1908-51 and since 1957) | Independent |
Duquesne | Eastern 8/Atlantic 10 (since 1977 except for 1993) | Midwestern Collegiate (1993) |
Georgia State | Sun Belt (1977-81 and since 2014) | TAAC/Atlantic Sun (1985-2005) and CAA (2006-13) |
Harvard | EIBL/Ivy League (1902-09 and since 1934) | Independent |
Lamar | Southland (1969-87 and since 1999) | American South (1988-91) and Sun Belt (1992-98) |
Murray State | Ohio Valley (since 1949 except for 1962) | Independent |
New Orleans | Sun Belt (1977-80 and 1992-2010) | Independent and American South (1988-91) |
Northern Illinois | Mid-American (1976-86 and since 1998) | Mid-Continent (1991-94) and Midwestern Collegiate (1995-97) |
Oregon | Pacific Coast (1916-59 and since 1965) | Independent |
Oregon State | Pacific Coast (1916-59 and since 1965) | Independent |
Pacific | WCAC/West Coast (1953-71 and since 2014) | PCAA/Big West (1972-2013) |
Penn State | Eastern 8/Atlantic 10 (1977-79 and 1983-91) | Independent |
Prairie View A&M | SWAC (since 1921 except for 1991) | Discontinued program one season |
Virginia Military | Southern (1926-2003 and since 2015) | Big South (2004-14) |
Washington State | Pacific Coast/Pac-12 (1917-59 and since 1964) | Independent |
On This Date: Former College Hoopers Make News on April 22 MLB Games
Extra! Extra! Amid coronavirus postponement of season, you have time to read news all about memorable major league baseball achievements, moments and transactions involving former college basketball players. Numerous ex-college hoopers had front-row seats to many of the most notable games and dates in MLB history.
Former San Diego State hoopers Tony Gwynn and Graig Nettles each went 4-for-4 in a MLB game on this date. Baseball is portrayed as a thinking man's game but only 4% of active MLB players earned college diplomas. Unless you habitually pore over the content at baseballlibrary.com, baseballreference.com and nationalpastime.com, following is an April 22 calendar focusing on such versatile MLB athletes:
APRIL 22
Cincinnati Reds OF Ethan Allen (Cincinnati basketball letterman in 1924-25 and 1925-26) provided four hits in a 9-4 triumph against the Pittsburgh Pirates in 1929.
Seattle Mariners 1B Bruce Bochte (starting forward for Santa Clara's NCAA playoff team in 1969-70) hit safely in first 14 games of 1979 campaign until his streak was snapped by the Minnesota Twins.
1B Zeke Bonura (best basketball forward for Loyola LA in late 1920s and early 1930s) belted two homers and drove in all five runs for the Chicago White Sox in a 6-5 setback against the St. Louis Browns in 1935.
Kansas City Athletics LF Bob Cerv (ranked fourth on Nebraska's career scoring list in 1949-50 when finishing college career) clubbed two homers against the Cleveland Indians in a 1958 game.
Milwaukee Braves 2B Jack Dittmer (Iowa hooper in 1949-50) jacked a homer in his third consecutive contest in 1953.
New York Giants 2B Frankie Frisch (Fordham hoops captain) furnished four hits against the Brooklyn Dodgers in a 1923 outing.
San Diego Padres RF Tony Gwynn (All-WAC second-team selection with San Diego State in 1979-80 and 1980-81) went 4-for-4 against the San Francisco Giants in a 1991 game.
In 1953, New York Giants RHP Jim Hearn (Georgia Tech hoops letterman in 1941-42) posted his 12th consecutive win over the Pittsburgh Pirates.
Kansas City Athletics SS Billy Hunter (multi-sport athlete for Indiana PA post-WWII) hammered a three-run homer for the second time in three games in 1958.
Chicago Cubs SS Don Kessinger (three-time All-SEC selection for Mississippi from 1961-62 through 1963-64 while finishing among nation's top 45 scorers each year) contributed three hits, including an inside-the-park homer, in a 7-5 victory over the St. Louis Cardinals in 1970, snapping P Mike Torrez's 11-game winning streak dating back to previous season.
Chicago Cubs CF Jerry Martin (1971 Southern Conference MVP after he was Furman's runner-up in scoring the previous season) scored four runs in a 16-12 triumph against the St. Louis Cardinals in 1980.
OF Lyle Mouton (starter in LSU's backcourt with All-American Chris Jackson for 1989 NCAA playoff team) shipped by the New York Yankees to the Chicago White Sox in 1995 to complete an earlier deal involving P Jack McDowell.
New York Yankees 3B Graig Nettles (shot 87.8% from free-throw line for San Diego State in 1963-64) went 4-for-4 against the Texas Rangers in a 1979 contest.
Reliever Cecil Upshaw (led Centenary in scoring as junior while averaging 13.7 ppg and 6 rpg from 1961-62 through 1963-64) traded by the Atlanta Braves to the Houston Astros in 1973.
Brooklyn Dodgers rookie 1B Preston Ward (second-leading scorer for Southwest Missouri State in 1946-47 and 1948-49) went 2-for-5 against the New York Giants in each of his first three MLB games in 1948.
Kansas City Royals C John Wathan (averaged 3.7 ppg in 11 games for San Diego in 1968-69) went 4-for-4 with three RBI in 7-2 win against the Toronto Blue Jays in 1980.
Big Blunders: Tourney Brings Generous Dose of Gloom-and-Doom Humility
If looking at tournament glass as half empty, the coronavirus outbreak was culprit bringing postseason competition to a screeching halt. If gazing at glass as half full, the shutdown possibly averted additional tourney stigma.
Remember Northern Iowa's 2016 complete collapse in squandering a 12-point lead in the last 35 seconds of regulation against Texas A&M en route to a 92-88 setback in double overtime. The Panthers' cataclysmic cave-in almost makes you forget about Arizona's fiasco flop when the Wildcats frittered away a 15-point advantage with four minutes remaining in regulation against Illinois in 2005 playoffs.
If you think about gaffes from a human perspective for a moment, having their playoff balloon pop by dull pin is terrible thing to happen to a team. On the other hand, a scorned squad can share the blame-game burden while an individual player could be branded for lifetime. Truth be told, some players probably will live with major miscue in front of God and country for the remainder of their Earthly existence. No one deserves a humiliating label, even after bad blunder on the biggest stage, but spit happens where temperatures rise and afflicted seek a stay-at-home order. Punctuated by fable-like failure, the following chronological list details 10 fatal stumbles at the wrong time since the tourney field expanded to at least 32 teams in 1975:
1975: Louisville reserve guard Terry Howard, after converting all 28 of his previous foul shots during season, missed the front end of a one-and-one free-throw opportunity with 20 seconds remaining in overtime and the Cardinals leading by one point. UCLA prevailed in national semifinal, 75-74, when Richard Washington sank short jumper from right baseline in closing seconds.
1982: Georgetown sophomore guard Fred Brown's errant pass, ostensibly seeing a teammate out of the corner of his right eye, went directly to North Carolina forward James Worthy and prevented the Hoyas from attempting a potential game-winning shot in the closing seconds of 63-62 setback against the Tar Heels.
1993: Michigan rallied to trim deficit to 73-71 before two North Carolina players trapped Chris Webber on the right sideline with only 11 seconds remaining after he dribbled downcourt when referees failed to call him for walking after grabbing rebound of missed free-throw attempt. The Wolverines' consensus first-team All-American called a fateful timeout his team did not have. Donald Williams wrapped up the game with four consecutive free throws to give Carolina a 77-71 triumph. "Sometimes winning a basketball game is just plain luck," UNC coach Dean Smith said. Meanwhile, Webber's family took mental lapse in stride and showed time heals all wounds when his father, Mayce, acquired a vanity license plate proclaiming "Timeout," a reference to his son's excruciating blunder.
1994: The score was tied when Connecticut All-American Donyell Marshall, who hit 77% of his foul shots during three-year college career, missed two free throws with 3.4 seconds remaining in regulation in East Regional semifinals. UConn wound up losing to Florida, 69-60, in overtime.
1995: Upon making splendid steal off baseline in-bounds pass by Arkansas, Lucious Jackson called an unnecessary timeout while prone in right corner with 4.3 seconds remaining in regulation although Syracuse was out of them and had possession arrow pointing in direction of the Orange. The Razorbacks made one-of-two technical foul charity tosses to knot score, 82-82, and won second-round game in overtime, 96-94.
2006: In the last 20 seconds, Gonzaga's Jose Bautista committed a foul going for rebound following teammate's missed field-goal attempt and subsequently had ball stolen from him after receiving in-bounds pass triggering go-ahead basket for UCLA, giving the Bruins their first lead of game en route to 73-71 come-from-behind victory. The reversal left national player of the year Adam Morrison of the Zags weeping prostrate at mid-court.
2008: Given multiple chances to put away Kansas in national final including leading by nine points with fewer than two minutes remaining in regulation, Memphis All-Americans Derrick Rose and Chris Douglas-Roberts combined to convert only one of five foul shots in the final 1:12 of regulation (including one front end of a one-and-one). They were 1-of-4 in the last 16 seconds. Rose and Douglas-Roberts had collaborated to sink 20-of-23 in a semifinal rout of UCLA. The Tigers hit only 59% from the line for the season after losing to KU, 75-68.
2014: Virginia Commonwealth's JeQuan Lewis ran into Stephen F. Austin player (Desmond Haymon) as lefthander made three-point field goal with 3.6 seconds remaining in regulation in second round of South Regional. After Haymon converted free throw to complete four-point play, VCU went on to lose in overtime, 77-75.
2019: New Mexico State's Terrell Brown missed two of three free throws with 1.1 seconds remaining in a 78-77 opening-round setback against Auburn after getting fouled by Bryce Brown beyond the three-point arc.Terrell Brown made a team-leading 77.6% of his charity tosses during the entire season.
2019: Auburn's Samir Doughty fouled Virginia's Kyle Guy at buzzer when sharpshooter launched a three-point attempt from the left corner. Guy sank all three free throws to give the Cavaliers a 63-62 win in national semifinals.
On This Date: Former College Hoopers Make News on April 21 MLB Games
Extra! Extra! Amid coronavirus postponement, you have time to read news all about memorable major league baseball achievements, moments and transactions involving former college basketball players! Numerous ex-college hoopers had front-row seats to many of the most notable games and dates in MLB history.
Former hoops All-Americans Ernie Andres (Indiana) and Billy Werber (Duke) made news as infielders for the Boston Red Sox on this date. Baseball is portrayed as a thinking man's game but only 4% of active MLB players earned college diplomas. Unless you habitually pore over the content at baseballlibrary.com, baseballreference.com and nationalpastime.com, following is an April 21 calendar focusing on such versatile MLB athletes:
APRIL 21
Lone MLB RBI for 3B Ernie Andres (NCAA consensus first-team basketball All-American with Indiana in 1939) helped the Boston Red Sox outlast the Philadelphia Athletics, 12-11, in the opener of a 1946 doubleheader.
St. Louis Browns rookie RF Beau Bell (two-year hoops letterman for Texas A&M in early 1930s) contributed four hits and four RBI against the Chicago White Sox in a 1935 game.
Chicago White Sox 1B Zeke Bonura (best basketball forward for Loyola LA in late 1920s and early 1930s) banged out four hits against the St. Louis Browns in 1937 season opener.
Baltimore Orioles CF Al Bumbry (Virginia State's runner-up in scoring with 16.7 ppg as freshman in 1964-65) supplied four hits against the Boston Red Sox in a 1982 contest.
Pittsburgh Pirates INF Gene Freese (West Liberty WV hoops captain of 1952 NAIA Tournament team) pinch-hitting for Willie Stargell, delivered a decisive three-run homer in the top of the ninth inning for an 8-5 win against the Chicago Cubs in 1964.
In his MLB debut, Philadelphia Phillies RHP Bob Greenwood (St. Mary's hoops letterman second half of 1940s) tossed 4 2/3 innings of scoreless relief against the Brooklyn Dodgers in 1954. His first strikeout victim was All-Star CF Duke Snider.
LHP Steve Hamilton (All-OVC selection was Morehead State's leading scorer and rebounder in 1956-57 and 1957-58) traded by the Washington Senators to the New York Yankees for P Jim Coates in 1963.
Chicago White Sox RHP Howie Judson (Illinois' third-leading scorer with 8.5 ppg as sophomore in 1944-45) won his 1949 season debut (5-2 against Detroit Tigers) before dropping next 14 decisions through August.
California Angels C Art Kusnyer (led Kent State in field-goal percentage in 1965-66 as team's third-leading scorer and rebounder) contributed a career-high three hits against the Texas Rangers in a 1972 outing.
Cleveland Indians CF Kenny Lofton (Arizona's hoops leader in steals for 1988 Final Four team compiling 35-3 record) collected three hits and three stolen bases against the Minnesota Twins in a 1994 contest.
St. Louis Cardinals LF Wally Moon (averaged 4.3 ppg with Texas A&M in 1948-49 and 1949-50) went 4-for-4 against the Chicago Cubs in the nightcap of a 1957 doubleheader.
Oakland Athletics CF Billy North (played hoops briefly for Central Washington in 1967-68) went 4-for-4 against the Detroit Tigers in a 1976 game.
Boston Red Sox SS Billy Werber (first Duke hoops All-American in 1929-30) registered multiple extra-base hits in his third consecutive contest in 1934.
St. Louis Cardinals 1B Bill White (two-year hooper with Hiram OH in early 1950s) supplied multiple hits in five of his first seven games in 1962.
Chicago White Sox RHP Jim Wilson (hoops letterman for San Diego State's 1942 NAIA Tournament participant) opened the 1957 campaign with a 10-inning shutout against the Kansas City Athletics.
New York Yankees DH Dave Winfield (starting forward for Minnesota's first NCAA playoff team in 1972) smacked two homers against the Texas Rangers in a 1990 game.
Lost That Finger Feeling: Transfer Players Missing Out on Championship Ring
At least the NCAA Tournament cancellation means a player didn't miss out on some championship bling because he transferred before playoff title run. A striking number of original Duke recruits are on the following alphabetical list of transfer players denied receiving an NCAA championship ring because they left a school subsequently capturing a national crown:
*Played for a junior college between four-year schools
NOTES: McCaffrey and Palmer played for an NCAA champion with Duke in 1991 and Huertas did with Florida in 2006. . . . King played only one season for Villanova in 2009-10. . . . E. Williams left Memphis after 2009-10 campaign when he declared early for the NBA draft. Likewise for Smith at UNLV following 2013-14 season.
On This Date: Former College Hoopers Make News on April 20 MLB Games
Extra! Extra! Amid coronavirus outbreak postponement of season, you have time to read news all about memorable major league baseball achievements, moments and transactions involving former college basketball players! Numerous ex-college hoopers had front-row seats to many of the most notable games and dates in MLB history.
Former college hoopers Joe Adcock (LSU), Dick Gernert (Temple) and Bill Nicholson (Washington College MD) belted multiple homers in MLB games on this date. Baseball is portrayed as a thinking man's game but only 4% of active MLB players earned college diplomas. Unless you habitually pore over the content at baseballlibrary.com, baseballreference.com and nationalpastime.com, following is an April 20 calendar focusing on such versatile MLB athletes:
APRIL 20
Cincinnati Reds LF Joe Adcock (Louisiana State's leading basketball scorer in 1945-46) jacked two homers against the Pittsburgh Pirates in the nightcap of a 1952 twinbill.
Cincinnati Reds RF Frankie Baumholtz (MVP in 1941 NIT and first player in Ohio University history to score 1,000 career points) contributed four hits against the St. Louis Cardinals in a 1948 game.
Philadelphia Phillies rookie 1B Ed Bouchee (freshman hooper for Washington State in 1951-52) went 4-for-4 with three runs scored in a 6-5 win against the New York Giants in 1957 contest. His seventh-inning homer provided decisive tally.
In his first appearance in 1956, Brooklyn Dodgers RHP Roger Craig (forward with North Carolina State's 1949-50 freshman hoops team) fired a four-hit shutout against the Pittsburgh Pirates.
Boston Red Sox 1B Dick Gernert (Temple hoops letterman in 1948-49) smashed three homers in a doubleheader sweep of the Washington Senators in 1953.
In his MLB debut in 1923, pinch-runner Hinky Haines (Penn State hoops letterman in 1919-20 and 1920-21) scored the tying tally on Babe Ruth's ninth-inning, game-winning two-run double in the New York Yankees' 4-3 win against the Boston Red Sox.
Washington Senators RF Chuck Hinton (played multiple sports for Shaw NC before serving two years in U.S. Army in mid-1950s) went 4-for-4 against the New York Yankees in a 1963 contest.
New York Giants RHP Walt Huntzinger (All-Ivy League forward with Penn in 1921-22) didn't allow an earned run in 8 1/3 innings en route to registering his first MLB victory (2-1 against the Boston Braves in 1924).
Chicago Cubs 3B 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 before transferring with his coach to Washburn KS) went 5-for-5 and walked twice in a 17-inning game against the Pittsburgh Pirates in 1986.
A single by Kansas City Royals RF Jerry Martin (Furman's second-leading scorer in 1969-70 and third-leading scorer in 1970-71) was the only hit Detroit Tigers P Milt Wilcox surrendered in an 8-0 shutout in 1982.
In 1981, Philadelphia Phillies RF Bake McBride (averaged 12.7 ppg and 8.1 rpg in 21 games for Westminster MO in 1968-69 and 1969-70) provided his third two-double outing in a six-game span.
Chicago Cubs RF Bill Nicholson (Washington College MD hooper in mid-1930s) blasted two homers, including a grand slam, and supplied six RBI in a 7-4 win at St. Louis in 1947.
In 1961, 2B Mel Roach (averaged 9.3 ppg for Virginia in 1952-53) tied the score with the Philadelphia Phillies by ripping a two-out, three-run pinch-hit homer in the ninth inning and the Milwaukee Braves went on to prevail, 7-6, in 11 frames.
Minnesota Twins RHP Mike Smithson (teammate of Tennessee All-American Ernie Grunfeld averaged 1.9 ppg and 1.6 rpg under coach Ray Mears in 1974-75 and 1975-76) won his first three starts in 1987.
Cleveland Indians rookie 2B Riggs Stephenson (Alabama hoops letterman in 1920) accounted for multiple hits in each of first six MLB outings in 1921.
RHP Kent Tekulve (freshman hooper for Marietta OH in mid-1960s) traded by the Pittsburgh Pirates to the Philadelphia Phillies in 1985. Two years earlier, Tekulve permitted his only earned run in first 17 relief appearances of the 1983 campaign.
2B Wayne Terwilliger (two-year letterman for Western Michigan averaged 5.6 ppg in his final season in 1947-48) collected an eighth-inning single for the Washington Senators' lone safety in a 7-0 loss against the Philadelphia Athletics in 1954.
Boston Red Sox C Sammy White (All-PCC Northern Division first-five selection for Washington in 1947-48 and 1948-49) stroked three doubles against the Washington Senators in the nightcap of a 1953 doubleheader.
New York Yankees RF Dave Winfield (starting forward for Minnesota's first NCAA playoff team in 1972) doubled in his fifth straight game in 1986.
Tampa Bay Devil Rays CF Randy Winn (Santa Clara backcourtmate of eventual two-time NBA Most Valuable Player Steve Nash in 1993-94) supplied an extra-base safety in his sixth consecutive contest in the midst of eight multiple-hit outings in a 10-game span in 2002.
Musical Chairs: 1/3 of Nation's Universities Switched Leagues This Century
"Man, that's messed up!" This concise summation certainly depicts higher education, which simply isn't what it used to be. Unless fear-mongering bureaucrats dictate otherwise, the changes could accelerate because of financial shortfalls stemming from coronavirus shutdown. Keeping remedial mathematics in mind, the Atlantic 10 Conference has more than that number of members; the Big Ten has more than 10 members and the Big 12 has fewer than 12 members. With respect to precise directions and logistics, the Atlantic Coast features Boston, Indiana (Notre Dame), Louisville, Pittsburgh and Syracuse, much of the Big East absorbs flyover country and the Southeast(ern) extends to the Midlands (Missouri and Texas A&M).
Amid Colon Krapernick-influenced Nike pulling "Betsy Ross" flag shoes off market plus all of the bizarre trans this and trans that, the most ardent fan probably can't come anywhere close to naming half of the schools transferring conferences the last several years. Heaven knows how future generations will explain the Big East split and UConn's leaving and returning. After Hampton abandoned the MEAC for the Big South, the resulting HBCU vindictiveness made one think the school was coercing its students to exhibit a little diversity and vote for Republicans because they were more supportive than Democrats of the Civil Rights Act. As NFL Hall of Famer Vince Lombardi, who coached freshman basketball with Fordham, would famously say: "What the hell's going on out here?"
When Appalachian State (Sun Belt), Elon (CAA) and Davidson (Atlantic 10) departed in recent years, they became the 32nd, 33rd and 34th schools to leave the Southern Conference. Following is a school-by-school look at league affiliations over the years after Hampton took off from the MEAC for the Big South:
School | Latest League | Previous DI Conference(s) |
---|---|---|
Abilene Christian | Southland (1969-73 and since 2014) | |
Air Force | Mountain West (since 2000) | WAC (1981-99) |
Akron | Mid-American (since 1993) | Ohio Valley (1981-87)/Mid-Continent (1991 and 1992) |
Alabama | SEC (since 1933) | Southern (1922-32) |
Alabama A&M | SWAC (since 2000) | |
Alabama State | SWAC (since 1983) | |
Albany | America East (since 2002) | |
American | Patriot League (since 2002) | ECC (1967-84)/CAA (1985-2001) |
Appalachian State | Sun Belt (since 2015) | Southern (1972-2014) |
Arizona | Pac-12 (since 1979) | Border (1932-61)/WAC (1963-78) |
Arizona State | Pac-12 (since 1979) | Border (1932-62)/WAC (1963-78) |
Arkansas | SEC (since 1992) | SWC (1924-91) |
Arkansas State | Sun Belt (since 1992) | Southland (1969-87)/American South (1988-91) |
Army | Patriot League (since 1991) | MAAC (1982-90) |
Auburn | SEC (since 1933) | Southern (1922-32) |
Austin Peay | Ohio Valley (since 1964) | |
Ball State | Mid-American (since 1976) | |
Baylor | Big 12 (since 1997) | SWC (1915-96) |
Bellarmine | Atlantic Sun (since 2021) | |
Belmont | Ohio Valley (since 2013) | Atlantic Sun (2002-12) |
Bethune-Cookman | MEAC (since 1981) | |
Binghamton | America East (since 2002) | |
Boise State | Big West (1997-2001 and since 2014) | Big Sky (1971-96)/WAC (2002-11)/Mountain West (2012 and 2013) |
Boston College | ACC (since 2006) | Big East (1980-2005) |
Boston University | Patriot League (since 2014) | Yankee (1973-76)/America East (1980-2013) |
Bowling Green | Mid-American (since 1954) | |
Bradley | Missouri Valley (1949-51 and since 1956) | |
Brigham Young | West Coast (since 2012) | Rocky Mountain (1925-37)/Skyline (1938-62)/WAC (1963-99)/Mountain West (2000-11) |
Brown | Ivy League (since 1954) | |
Bryant | Northeast (since 2009) | |
Bucknell | Patriot League (since 1991) | ECC (1959-80) |
Buffalo | Mid-American (since 1999) | ECC (1992 and 1994)/Mid-Continent (1995-98) |
Butler | Big East (since 2014) | Missouri Valley (1933 and 1934)/Mid-American (1947-50)/Horizon League (1980-2012)/Atlantic 10 (2013) |
California | Pac-12 (since 1916) | |
UC Davis | Big West (since 2008) | |
UC Irvine | Big West (since 1978) | |
Cal Poly | Big West (since 1997) | American West (1995 and 1996) |
UC Riverside | Big West (since 2002) | |
UC Santa Barbara | Big West (1970-74 and since 1977) | West Coast Athletic (1965-69) |
Cal State Bakersfield | WAC (since 2014) | |
Cal State Fullerton | Big West (since 1975) | |
Cal State Northridge | Big West (since 2002) | American West (1995 and 1996)/Big Sky (1997-2001) |
Campbell | Big South (1986-94 and since 2012) | Atlantic Sun (1995-2011) |
Canisius | MAAC (since 1990) | ECAC North Atlantic (1980-89) |
Central Arkansas | Southland (since 2007) | |
Central Connecticut State | Northeast (since 1998) | ECC (1991-94)/Mid-Continent (1995-97) |
Central Florida | American Athletic (since 2014) | Sun Belt (1992)/Atlantic Sun (1994-2005)/C-USA (2006-2013) |
Central Michigan | Mid-American (since 1973) | |
Charleston Southern | Big South (since 1986) | |
Charlotte | C-USA (1996-2005 and since 2014) | Sun Belt (1977-91)/Metro (1992-95)/Atlantic 10 (2006-13) |
Chattanooga | Southern (since 1978) | |
Chicago State | WAC (since 2014) | Mid-Continent (1995-2006)/Great West (2010-13) |
Cincinnati | American Athletic (since 2014) | Mid-American (1947-53)/Missouri Valley (1958-70)/Metro (1976-91)/Great Midwest (1992-95)/C-USA (1996-2005)/Big East (2006-13) |
The Citadel | Southern (since 1937) | |
Clemson | ACC (since 1954) | Southern (1922-53) |
Cleveland State | Horizon League (since 1995) | Mid-Continent (1983-94) |
Coastal Carolina | Sun Belt (since 2017) | Big South (1986-2016) |
Colgate | Patriot League (since 1991) | ECAC North Atlantic (1980-90) |
College of Charleston | CAA (since 2014) | TAAC (1994-98)/Southern (1999-2013) |
Colorado | Pac-12 (since 2012) | Rocky Mountain (1923-37)/Big Eight (1948-96)/Big 12 (1997-2011) |
Colorado State | Mountain West (since 2000) | Rocky Mountain (1924-37)/Skyline (1938-62)/WAC (1970-99) |
Columbia | EIBL/Ivy League (since 1902) | |
Connecticut | Big East (1980-2013 and since 2021) | New England/Yankee (1938-43 and 1946-76)/American Athletic (2014-20) |
Coppin State | MEAC (since 1986) | |
Cornell | EIBL/Ivy League (since 1902) | |
Creighton | Big East (since 2014) | Missouri Valley (1929-48 and 1977-2013) |
Dartmouth | EIBL/Ivy League (since 1912) | |
Davidson | Atlantic 10 (since 2015) | Southern (1937-88 and 1993-2014)/Big South (1991 and 1992) |
Dayton | Atlantic 10 (since 1996) | Midwestern Collegiate (1989-93)/Great Midwest (1994 and 1995) |
Delaware | CAA (since 2002) | ECC (1959-91)/America East (1992-2001) |
Delaware State | MEAC (since 1972) | |
Denver | Summit League (since 2014) | Rocky Mountain (1923-37)/Skyline (1938-62)/Sun Belt (2000-12)/WAC (2013) |
DePaul | Big East (since 2006) | Great Midwest (1992-95)/C-USA (1996-2005) |
Detroit | Horizon League (since 1981) | Missouri Valley (1950-57) |
Drake | Missouri Valley (1908-51 and since 1957) | |
Drexel | CAA (since 2002) | ECC (1959-91)/America East (1992-2001) |
Duke | ACC (since 1954) | Southern (1929-53) |
Duquesne | Atlantic 10 (since 1977 except for 1993) | Midwestern Collegiate (1993) |
East Carolina | American Athletic (since 2015) | Southern (1966-77)/ECAC South/CAA (1983-2001)/C-USA (2002-14) |
Eastern Illinois | Ohio Valley (since 1997) | Mid-Continent (1983-96) |
Eastern Kentucky | Ohio Valley (since 1949) | |
Eastern Michigan | Mid-American (since 1975) | |
Eastern Washington | Big Sky (since 1988) | |
East Tennessee State | Southern (1980-2005 and since 2015) | Ohio Valley (1959-78)/Southern (1980-2005)/Atlantic Sun (2006-14) |
Elon | CAA (since 2015) | Big South (1998-2003)/Southern (2004-2014) |
Evansville | Missouri Valley (since 1995) | Ohio Valley (1949-52)/Midwestern Collegiate (1980-94) |
Fairfield | MAAC (since 1982) | |
Fairleigh Dickinson | Northeast (since 1982) | Metropolitan Collegiate (1966-69) |
Florida | SEC (since 1933) | |
Florida A&M | MEAC (since 1980) | |
Florida Atlantic | C-USA (since 2014) | Atlantic Sun (1996-2004)/Sun Belt (2005-13) |
Florida Gulf Coast | Atlantic Sun (since 2008) | |
Florida International | C-USA (since 2014) | TAAC (1992-98)/Sun Belt (1999-2013) |
Florida State | ACC (since 1992) | Metro (1977-91) |
Fordham | Atlantic 10 (since 1996) | MAAC (1982-90)/Patriot League (1991-95) |
Fresno State | Mountain West (since 2013) | WCAC (1956 and 1957)/Big West (1970-92)/WAC (1993-2012) |
Furman | Southern (since 1937) | |
Gardner-Webb | Big South (since 2009) | Atlantic Sun (2003-08) |
George Mason | Atlantic 10 (since 2014) | CAA (1983-2013) |
Georgetown | Big East (since 1980) | |
George Washington | Atlantic 10 (since 1977) | Southern (1942, 1943 and 1946-70) |
Georgia | SEC (since 1933) | Southern (1922-32) |
Georgia Southern | Sun Belt (since 2015) | TAAC (1981-92)/Southern (1993-2014) |
Georgia State | Sun Belt (1977-81 and since 2014) | Atlantic Sun (1985-2005)/CAA (2006-13) |
Georgia Tech | ACC (since 1980) | Southern (1922-32)/SEC (1933-64)/Metro (1976-78) |
Gonzaga | West Coast (since 1980) | Big Sky (1964-79) |
Grambling State | SWAC (since 1959) | |
Grand Canyon | WAC (since 2014) | |
Green Bay | Horizon League (since 1995) | Mid-Continent (1983-94) |
Hampton | Big South (since 2019) | MEAC (1996-2018) |
Harvard | EIBL/Ivy League (1902-09 and since 1934) | |
Hawaii | Big West (since 2013) | WAC (1980-2012) |
High Point | Big South (since 2000) | |
Hofstra | CAA (since 2002) | ECC (1966-94)/America East (1995-2001) |
Holy Cross | Patriot League (since 1991) | ECAC North (1980-83)/MAAC (1984-90) |
Houston | American Athletic (since 2014) | Missouri Valley (1951-60)/SWC (1976-96)/C-USA (1997-2013) |
Houston Baptist | Southland (since 2014) | TAAC (1980-89)/Great West (2009-13) |
Howard University | MEAC (since 1972) | |
Idaho | Big Sky (1964-96 and since 2015) | Pacific Coast (1922-59)/Big Sky (1964-96)/Big West (1997-2005)/WAC (2006-14) |
Idaho State | Big Sky (since 1964) | Rocky Mountain (1950-60) |
Illinois | Big Ten (since 1896) | |
Illinois-Chicago | Horizon League (since 1995) | Mid-Continent (1983-94) |
Illinois State | Missouri Valley (since 1981) | |
Incarnate Word | Southland (since 2014) | |
Indiana | Big Ten (since 1899) | |
Indiana State | Missouri Valley (since 1977) | |
IUPUI | Horizon League (since 2018) | Summit League (1999-2017) |
Iona | MAAC (since 1982) | Metropolitan Collegiate (1966-69) |
Iowa | Big Ten (since 1899) | |
Iowa State | Big 12 (since 1997) | Missouri Valley (1908-28)/Big Eight (1929-96) |
Jackson State | SWAC (since 1959) | |
Jacksonville | Atlantic Sun (since 1999) | Sun Belt (1977-98) |
Jacksonville State | Ohio Valley (since 2004) | TAAC/Atlantic Sun (1996-2003) |
James Madison | CAA (since 1983) | |
Kansas | Big 12 (since 1997) | Missouri Valley (1908-28)/Big Eight (1929-96) |
Kansas State | Big 12 (since 1997) | Missouri Valley (1914-28)/Big Eight (1929-96) |
Kennesaw State | Atlantic Sun (since 2006) | |
Kent State | Mid-American (since 1952) | |
Kentucky | SEC (since 1933) | Southern (1922-32) |
Lafayette | Patriot League (since 1991) | ECC (1959-90) |
Lamar | Southland (1969-87 and since 1999) | American South (1988-91)/Sun Belt (1992-98) |
La Salle | Atlantic 10 (since 1996) | ECC (1959-83)/MAAC (1984-92)/Midwestern Collegiate (1993-95) |
Lehigh | Patriot League (since 1991) | ECC (1959-90) |
Liberty | Big South (since 1992) | |
Lipscomb | Atlantic Sun (since 2004) | |
Long Beach State | Big West (since 1970) | |
Long Island | Northeast (since 1982) | Metropolitan Collegiate (1966-69) |
Longwood | Big South (since 2013) | |
Louisiana-Lafayette | Sun Belt (since 1992) | Southland (1972-82)/American South (1988-91) |
Louisiana-Monroe | Sun Belt (since 2007) | TAAC (1980-82)/Southland (1983-2006) |
Louisiana State | SEC (since 1933) | Southern (1923-32) |
Louisiana Tech | C-USA (since 2014) | Southland (1972-87)/American South (1988-91)/Sun Belt (1992-2001)/WAC (2002-13) |
Louisville | ACC (since 2015) | Missouri Valley (1965-75)/Metro (1976-95)/C-USA (1996-2005)/Big East (2006-13)/American Athletic (2014) |
Loyola of Chicago | Missouri Valley (since 2014) | Horizon League (1980-2013) |
Loyola (Md.) | Patriot League (since 2014) | Northeast (1982-89)/MAAC (1990-2013) |
Loyola Marymount | West Coast (since 1956) | |
Maine | America East (since 1980) | New England/Yankee (1938-43 and 1946-76) |
Manhattan | MAAC (since 1982) | Metropolitan Collegiate (1966-69) |
Marist | MAAC (since 1998) | Northeast (1982-97) |
Marquette | Big East (since 2006) | Midwestern Collegiate (1990 & 1991)/Great Midwest (1992-95)/C-USA (1996-2005) |
Marshall | C-USA (since 2006) | Ohio Valley (1949-52)/Mid-American (1954-69 and 1998-2005)/Southern (1978-97) |
Maryland | Big Ten (since 2015) | Southern (1924-53)/ACC (1954-2014) |
Maryland-Baltimore County | America East (since 2004) | ECC (1991 and 1992)/Big South (1993-98)/Northeast (1999-2003) |
Maryland-Eastern Shore | MEAC (1972-79 and since 1983) | |
Massachusetts | Atlantic 10 (since 1977) | New England/Yankee (1947-76) |
Massachusetts-Lowell | America East (since 2014) | |
McNeese State | Southland (since 1973) | |
Memphis | American Athletic (since 2014) | Missouri Valley (1968-73)/Metro (1976-91)/Great Midwest (1992-95)/C-USA (1996-2013) |
Mercer | Southern (since 2015) | Atlantic Sun (1980-2014) |
Merrimack | Northeast (since 2020) | |
Miami (Fla.) | ACC (since 2005) | Big East (1992-2004) |
Miami (Ohio) | Mid-American (since 1948) | |
Michigan | Big Ten (since 1896) | |
Michigan State | Big Ten (since 1949) | |
Middle Tennessee State | C-USA (since 2014) | Ohio Valley (1953-2000)/Sun Belt (2001-13) |
Milwaukee | Horizon League (since 1995) | Mid-Continent (1993 and 1994) |
Minnesota | Big Ten (since 1896) | |
Mississippi | SEC (since 1933) | Southern (1923-32) |
Mississippi State | SEC (since 1933) | Southern (1922-32) |
Mississippi Valley State | SWAC (since 1969) | |
Missouri | SEC (since 2013) | Missouri Valley (1908-28)/Big Eight (1929-96)/Big 12 (1997-2012) |
Missouri-Kansas City | WAC (since 2014) | Summit League (1995-2013) |
Missouri State | Missouri Valley (since 1991) | Mid-Continent (1983-90) |
Monmouth | MAAC (since 2014) | Northeast (1986-2013) |
Montana | Big Sky (since 1964) | Pacific Coast (1924-29)/Skyline (1952-62) |
Montana State | Big Sky (since 1964) | Rocky Mountain (1925-57 except for 1948)/Skyline (1952-62) |
Morehead State | Ohio Valley (since 1949) | |
Morgan State | MEAC (1972-80 and since 1985) | |
Mount St. Mary's | Northeast (since 1990) | |
Murray State | Ohio Valley (since 1949 except for 1962) | |
Navy | Patriot League (since 1992) | CAA (1983-91) |
Nebraska | Big Ten (since 2012) | Missouri Valley (1908-28)/Big Eight (1929-96)/Big 12 (1997-2011) |
Nebraska-Omaha | Summit League (since 2013) | |
Nevada | Mountain West (2013) | WCAC (1970-79)/Big Sky (1980-92)/Big West (1993-2000)/WAC (2001-12) |
New Hampshire | America East (since 1980) | New England/Yankee (1938-43 and 1946-76) |
NJIT | Atlantic Sun (since 2016) | Great West (2009-13) |
New Mexico | Mountain West (since 2000) | Border (1932-42 and 1945-51)/Skyline (1952-62)/WAC (1963-99) |
New Mexico State | WAC (since 2006) | Border (1932-62)/Missouri Valley (1971-83)/Big West (1984-2000)/Sun Belt (2001-05) |
New Orleans | Southland (since 2014) | Sun Belt (1977-80 and 1992-2011)/American South (1988-91) |
Niagara | MAAC (since 1990) | ECAC North Atlantic (1980-89) |
Nicholls State | Southland (since 1992) | Gulf Star (1985-87) |
Norfolk State | MEAC (since 1998) | |
North Alabama | Atlantic Sun (since 2019) | |
North Carolina | ACC (since 1954) | Southern (1922-53) |
UNC Asheville | Big South (since 1986) | |
North Carolina A&T | MEAC (since 1972) | |
North Carolina Central | MEAC (1972-80 and since 2012) | |
UNC Greensboro | Southern (since 1998) | Big South (1993-97) |
North Carolina State | ACC (since 1954) | Southern (1922-53) |
UNC Wilmington | CAA (since 1985) | |
North Dakota | Big Sky (since 2013) | |
North Dakota State | Summit League (since 2008) | |
Northern Arizona | Big Sky (since 1971) | Border (1932-53) |
Northern Colorado | Big Sky (since 2007) | |
Northern Illinois | Mid-American (1976-86 and since 1998) | Mid-Continent (1991-94)/Midwestern Collegiate (1995-97) |
Northern Iowa | Missouri Valley (since 1992) | Mid-Continent (1983-91) |
Northern Kentucky | Horizon League (since 2016) | Atlantic Sun (2013-15) |
North Florida | Atlantic Sun (since 2006) | |
North Texas | C-USA (since 2014) | Missouri Valley (1958-75)/Southland (1983-96)/Big West (1997-2000)/Sun Belt (2001-13) |
Northwestern | Big Ten (since 1896) | |
Northwestern State | Southland (since 1988) | TAAC (1981-84)/Gulf Star (1985-87) |
Notre Dame | ACC (since 2014) | Big East (1996-2013) |
Oakland | Horizon League (since 2014) | Summit League (1999-2013) |
Ohio University | Mid-American (since 1947) | |
Ohio State | Big Ten (since 1912) | |
Oklahoma | Big 12 (since 1997) | Missouri Valley (1920-28)/Big Eight (1929-96) |
Oklahoma State | Big 12 (since 1997) | SWC (1918 and 1922-25)/Missouri Valley (1926-57)/Big Eight (1959-96) |
Old Dominion | C-USA (since 2014) | Sun Belt (1983-91)/CAA (1992-2013) |
Oral Roberts | Summit League (1998-2012 and since 2015) | Midwestern Collegiate (1980-87)/Southland (2013 and 2014) |
Oregon | Pac-12 (1916-59 and since 1965) | |
Oregon State | Pac-12 (1916-59 and since 1965) | |
Pacific | WCAC/WCC (1953-71 and since 2014) | Big West (1972-2013) |
Penn | EIBL/Ivy League (since 1904) | |
Penn State | Big Ten (since 1993) | Atlantic 10 (1977-79 and 1983-91) |
Pepperdine | West Coast (since 1956) | |
Pittsburgh | ACC (since 2014) | Eastern 8 (1977-82)/Big East (1983-2013) |
Portland | West Coast (since 1977) | |
Portland State | Big Sky (since 1997) | |
Prairie View | SWAC (since 1921 except for 1991) | |
Presbyterian | Big South (since 2010) | |
Princeton | EIBL/Ivy League (since 1902) | |
Providence | Big East (since 1980) | |
Purdue | Big Ten (since 1896) | |
Purdue Fort Wayne | Horizon League (since 2021) | Summit League (2008-20) |
Quinnipiac | MAAC (since 2014) | Northeast (1999-2013) |
Radford | Big South (since 1986) | |
Rhode Island | Atlantic 10 (since 1981) | New England/Yankee (1938-43 and 1946-76)/ECAC North (1980) |
Rice | C-USA (since 2006) | SWC (1915-96)/WAC (1997-2005) |
Richmond | Atlantic 10 (since 2002) | Southern (1937-76)/CAA (1983-2001) |
Rider | MAAC (since 1998) | ECC (1967-92)/Northeast (1993-97) |
Robert Morris | Northeast (since 1982) | |
Rutgers | Big Ten (since 2015) | Middle Atlantic (1959-62)/Atlantic 10 (1977-95)/Big East (1996-2013)/American Athletic (2014) |
Sacramento State | Big Sky (since 1997) | American West (1995 and 1996) |
Sacred Heart | Northeast (since 2000) | |
St. Bonaventure | Atlantic 10 (since 1980) | |
St. Francis (N.Y.) | Northeast (since 1982) | Metropolitan Collegiate (1966-68) |
Saint Francis (Pa.) | Northeast (since 1982) | |
St. John's | Big East (since 1980) | |
Saint Joseph's | Atlantic 10 (since 1983) | ECC (1959-82) |
Saint Louis | Atlantic 10 (since 2006) | Missouri Valley (1938-74)/Metro (1976-82)/Midwestern Collegiate (1983-91)/Great Midwest (1992-95)/C-USA (1996-2005) |
Saint Mary's | West Coast (since 1953) | |
Saint Peter's | MAAC (since 1982) | Metropolitan Collegiate (1966-69) |
Samford | Southern (since 2008) | Atlantic Sun (1980-2003)/Ohio Valley (2004-07) |
Sam Houston State | Southland (since 1988) | Gulf Star (1985-87) |
San Diego | West Coast (since 1980) | |
San Diego State | PCAA/Big West (1970-78 and since 2014) | WAC (1979-99)/Mountain West (2000-13) |
San Francisco | West Coast (since 1953) | |
San Jose State | Mountain West (since 2014) | WCAC (1953-69)/Big West (1970-96)/WAC (1997-2013) |
Santa Clara | West Coast (since 1953) | |
Savannah State | MEAC (since 2012) | |
Seattle | WAC (since 2013) | WCAC (1972-80) |
Seton Hall | Big East (since 1980) | Metropolitan Collegiate (1966-69) |
Siena | MAAC (since 1990) | Northeast (1982-84)/ECAC North Atlantic (1985-89) |
South Alabama | Sun Belt (since 1977) | |
South Carolina | SEC (since 1992) | Southern (1923-53)/ACC (1954-71)/Metro (1984-91) |
South Carolina State | MEAC (since 1972) | |
USC Upstate | Big South (since 2019) | Atlantic Sun (2008-18) |
South Dakota | Big Sky (since 2013) | Great West (2009-12) |
South Dakota State | Summit League (since 2008) | |
Southeastern Louisiana | Southland (since 1998) | Gulf Star (1985-87)/TAAC (1992-97) |
Southeast Missouri State | Ohio Valley (since 1992) | |
Southern (La.) | SWAC (since 1935) | |
Southern California | Pac-12 (since 1922) | |
Southern Illinois | Missouri Valley (since 1975) | |
SIU-Edwardsville | Ohio Valley (since 2012) | |
Southern Methodist | American Athletic (since 2014) | SWC (1919-96)/WAC (1997-2005)/C-USA (2006-13) |
Southern Mississippi | C-USA (since 1996) | Metro (1983-95) |
Southern Utah | Big Sky (since 2013) | American West (1995 and 1996)/Summit League (1998-2012) |
South Florida | American Athletic (since 2014) | Sun Belt (1977-91)/Metro (1992-95)/C-USA (1996-2005)/Big East (2006-13) |
Stanford | Pac-12 (since 1917) | |
Stephen F. Austin | Southland (since 1988) | Gulf Star (1985-87) |
Stetson | Atlantic Sun (since 1987) | |
Stony Brook | America East (since 2002) | |
Syracuse | ACC (since 2014) | Big East (1980-2013) |
Temple | American Athletic (since 2014) | ECC (1959-82)/Atlantic 10 (1983-2013) |
Tarleton State | WAC (since 2021) | |
Tennessee | SEC (since 1933) | Southern (1922-32) |
Tennessee-Martin | Ohio Valley (since 1993) | |
Tennessee State | Ohio Valley (since 1988) | |
Tennessee Tech | Ohio Valley (since 1949) | |
Texas | Big 12 (since 1997) | SWC (1915-96) |
Texas A&M | SEC (since 2013) | SWC (1915-96)/Big 12 (1997-2012) |
Texas A&M-Corpus Christi | Southland (since 2007) | |
Texas-Arlington | Sun Belt (since 2014) | Southland (1969-2012 except for 1987)/WAC (2013) |
Texas Christian | Big 12 (since 2013) | SWC (1924-96)/WAC (1997-2001)/C-USA (2002-05)/Mountain West (2006-12) |
Texas-El Paso | C-USA (since 2006) | Border (1936-62)/WAC (1970-2005) |
Texas-Pan American | WAC (since 2014) | TAAC (1980)/American South (1988-91)/Sun Belt (1992-98)/Great West (2009-13) |
Texas-San Antonio | C-USA (since 2014) | TAAC (1987-91)/Southland (1992-2012)/WAC (2013) |
Texas Southern | SWAC (since 1955) | |
Texas State | Sun Belt (since 2014) | Gulf Star (1985-87)/Southland (1988-2012)/WAC (2013) |
Texas Tech | Big 12 (since 1997) | Border (1933-56)/SWC (1958-96) |
Toledo | Mid-American (since 1952) | |
Towson | CAA (since 2002) | Northeast (1982)/ECC (1983-92)/Big South (1993-95)/America East (1996-2001) |
Troy | Sun Belt (since 2006) | ECC (1994)/Mid-Continent (1995-97)/Atlantic Sun (1998-2005) |
Tulane | American Athletic (since 2015) | Southern (1923-32)/SEC (1933-66)/Metro (1976-85 and 1990-95)/C-USA (1996-2014) |
Tulsa | American Athletic (since 2015) | Missouri Valley (1935-96)/WAC (1997-2005)/C-USA (2006-14) |
UAB | C-USA (since 1996) | Sun Belt (1980-91)/Great Midwest (1992-95) |
UALR | Sun Belt (since 1992) | TAAC (1981-91) |
UCLA | Pac-12 (since 1928) | |
UNLV | Mountain West (since 2000) | WCAC (1970-75)/Big West (1983-96)/WAC (1997-99) |
Utah | Pac-12 (since 2012) | Rocky Mountain (1925-37)/Skyline (1938-62)/WAC (1963-99)/Mountain West (2000-11) |
Utah State | Mountain West (since 2014) | Rocky Mountain (1925-37)/Skyline (1938-62)/Big West (1979-2005)/WAC (2006-13) |
Utah Valley | WAC (since 2014) | Great West (2009-13) |
Valparaiso | Missouri Valley (since 2018) | Mid-Continent (1983-2007)/Horizon League (2008-17) |
Vanderbilt | SEC (since 1933) | Southern (1923-32) |
Vermont | America East (since 1980) | New England/Yankee (1947-76) |
Villanova | Big East (since 1981) | Eastern Athletic Association (1977-80) |
Virginia | ACC (since 1954) | Southern (1922-37) |
Virginia Commonwealth | Atlantic 10 (since 2013) | Sun Belt (1980-91)/Metro (1992-95)/CAA (1996-2012) |
Virginia Military | Southern (1926-2003 and since 2015) | Big South (2004-14) |
Virginia Tech | ACC (since 2005) | Southern (1922-65)/Metro (1979-95)/Atlantic 10 (1996-2000)/Big East (2001-04) |
Wagner | Northeast (since 1982) | |
Wake Forest | ACC (since 1954) | Southern (1937-53) |
Washington | Pac-12 (since 1916) | |
Washington State | Pac-12 (1917-59 and since 1964) | |
Weber State | Big Sky (since 1964) | |
Western Carolina | Southern (since 1978) | |
Western Illinois | Summit League (since 1983) | |
Western Kentucky | C-USA (since 2015) | Ohio Valley (1949-82)/Sun Belt (1983-2014) |
Western Michigan | Mid-American (since 1948) | |
West Virginia | Big 12 (since 2013) | Southern (1951-68)/Atlantic 10 (1977-95)/Big East (1996-2012) |
Wichita State | American Athletic (since 2018) | Missouri Valley (1946-2017) |
William & Mary | CAA (since 1983) | Southern (1937-77) |
Winthrop | Big South (since 1986) | |
Wisconsin | Big Ten (since 1896) | |
Wofford | Southern (since 1998) | |
Wright State | Horizon League (since 1995) | Mid-Continent (1992-94) |
Wyoming | Mountain West (since 2000) | Rocky Mountain (1923-37)/Mountain States (1938-62)/WAC (1963-99) |
Xavier | Big East (since 2014) | Midwestern Collegiate (1980-95)/Atlantic 10 (1996-2013) |
Yale | EIBL/Ivy League (since 1902) | |
Youngstown State | Horizon League (since 2002) | Ohio Valley (1982-88)/Mid-Continent (1992-2001) |
On This Date: Former College Hoopers Make Mark on April 19 MLB Games
Extra! Extra! Amid a coronavirus postponement of season, you have time to read news all about memorable major league baseball achievements, moments and transactions involving former college basketball players! Numerous ex-college hoopers had front-row seats to many of the most notable games and dates in MLB history.
Former hoops All-Americans Danny Ainge (Brigham Young) and Bosey Berger (Maryland) made MLB news on this date. Baseball is portrayed as a thinking man's game but only 4% of active MLB players earned college diplomas. Unless you habitually pore over the content at baseballlibrary.com, baseballreference.com and nationalpastime.com, following is an April 19 calendar focusing on such versatile MLB athletes:
APRIL 19
Toronto Blue Jays LF Danny Ainge (three-time Brigham Young basketball All-American and national player of year as senior in 1980-81) went 3-for-3 in an 8-1 setback against the Cleveland Indians in 1980.
Only MLB decision for RHP Steve Barber (J.C. starter under coach Jerry Tarkanian before attending La Verne CA) was a 9-8 victory for the Minnesota Twins against the Kansas City Royals in 1971.
3B Bosey Berger (Maryland's first hoops All-American in 1931-32) awarded on waivers from the Cleveland Indians to the Chicago White Sox in 1937.
Pittsburgh Pirates 1B Donn Clendenon (four-sport letterman with Morehouse GA) provided four hits against the Cincinnati Reds in a 1966 game.
In 2017 in his third MLB start, Amir Garrett (averaged 7.4 ppg and 4 rpg for St. John's under coach Steve Lavin in 2011-12 and 2012-13 before RS transfer year at Cal State Northridge) tied a Cincinnati Reds record for a rookie LHP by fanning 12 Baltimore Orioles batters.
Cincinnati Reds RHP Ken Hunt (freshman hooper for Brigham Young in 1957-58) won his first MLB start (4-2 against the San Francisco Giants in 1961), fanning Felipe Alou and Willie McCovey.
St. Louis Cardinals RHP Walt Huntzinger (All-Ivy League forward with Penn in 1921-22) toiled 14 innings but lost, 5-4, against the Chicago Cubs in 1926. He was waived to the Cubbies two months later.
Toronto Blue Jays 3B Garth Iorg (juco hooper with College of the Redwoods CA in mid-1970s) went 4-for-4, including a game-winning triple in bottom of the ninth inning, in 2-1 win against the Baltimore Orioles in 1984.
New York Giants 1B Monte Irvin (Lincoln PA hooper 1 1/2 years in late 1930s) collected six RBI against the Boston Braves in the nightcap of a 1951 doubleheader.
St. Louis Cardinals 1B George Kernek (Oklahoma hoops letterman in 1959-60 and 1960-61) contributed three hits for the second time in four games in 1966.
Five hits by CF Bake McBride (averaged 12.7 ppg and 8.1 rpg in 21 games for Westminster MO in 1968-69 and 1969-70) were in vain as the St. Louis Cardinals incurred a 17-inning, 4-3 loss against the New York Mets in 1976.
In a 1961 contest, Los Angeles Dodgers LF Wally Moon (averaged 4.3 ppg with Texas A&M in 1948-49 and 1949-50) supplied two homers and five RBI against his original team (St. Louis Cardinals).
In 1942, Chicago Cubs RHP Claude Passeau (Millsaps MS hooper in late 1920s and early 1930s) didn't yield a hit until there was one out in the eighth inning when CF Harry Craft (Mississippi College hooper first half of 1930s) singled for the Cincinnati Reds.
Brooklyn Dodgers LF Jackie Robinson (highest scoring average in Pacific Coast Conference both of his seasons with UCLA in 1939-40 and 1940-41) went 4-for-4 against the Philadelphia Phillies in 1954.
RHP Sonny Siebert (team-high 16.7 ppg for Missouri in 1957-58 as All-Big Eight Conference second-team selection) traded by the Cleveland Indians to the Boston Red Sox in a six-player swap in 1969.
Winner From Start: Few Among Few Mentors With Nothing But Winning Marks
North Carolina's blue-blood program went from no-show classes several years ago to no-show premier players this past campaign. Carolina Coach Roy Williams suffered his first losing record in 32 seasons (14-19). Despite incurring at least 14 defeats each of last four campaigns since aligning with UNC in ACC, the most illuminating item about Jim Boeheim ranking among the nation's all-time winningest coaches is the bespectacled "Baron of Upstate New York" assembled a stunning streak of nothing but winning records in his first 44 seasons with Syracuse. En route to cracking 1,000-win plateau, Boeheim's worst worksheet was 16-13 in 1981-82 when the NIT-bound Orange dropped four of its last five outings.
Adolph Rupp never had a losing record in 41 campaigns but did post one break-even mark with Kentucky (13-13 in 1966-67). Among active coaches, Michigan State's Tom Izzo never has registered a losing record in his first 25 seasons but had one break-even mark (16-16 in inaugural campaign in 1995-96). When assessing this topic, keep in mind the following mentors among the all-time biggest winners each had multiple non-winning seasons: Phog Allen (four non-winning records), Jim Calhoun (six), Lefty Driesell (four), Lou Henson (eight), Hank Iba (eight), Bob Knight (two), Mike Krzyzewski (four), Lute Olson (three), Dean Smith (two) and Eddie Sutton (two).
Gonzaga's Mark Few, who never has finished a season without being at least 12 games above .500, joined the following list of six major-college coaches in history with winning marks every year in college careers spanning more than 20 years:
Coach Seasons Campaign Closest to Non-Winning Record Jim Boeheim 44 16-13 (Syracuse in sixth season in 1981-82) *Jerry Tarkanian 31 16-12 (UNLV in eighth of 19 seasons with Rebels in 1980-81) and 19-15 (Fresno State in seventh of seven seasons with Bulldogs in 2001-02) John Wooden 29 14-12 (UCLA in 12th of 27 seasons with Bruins in 1959-60) Lou Carnesecca 24 17-12 (St. John's in 20th season in 1987-88) Peck Hickman 23 13-12 (Louisville in 14th season in 1957-58) Mark Few 21 23-11 (Gonzaga in eighth season in 2006-07) *Tarkanian also compiled seven more winning records in as many seasons for two community colleges in California, where he won five consecutive state championships after notching a 14-13 mark in 1961-62 at Riverside City College to begin his coaching odyssey.
On This Date: Former College Hoopers Make News on April 18 MLB Games
Extra! Extra! Amid coronavirus postponement of season, you have time to read news all about memorable major league baseball achievements, moments and transactions involving former college basketball players. Numerous ex-college hoopers had front-row seats to many of the most notable games and dates in MLB history.
Arizona, Cincinnati, Duke, Kansas, Michigan State, Syracuse and UCLA - NCAA playoff kingpins at some point in their respective histories - had former hoopers make MLB news on this date. Baseball is portrayed as a thinking man's game but only 4% of active MLB players earned college diplomas. Unless you habitually pore over the content at baseballlibrary.com, baseballreference.com and nationalpastime.com, following is an April 18 calendar focusing on such versatile MLB athletes:
APRIL 18
Chicago White Sox rookie 1B Zeke Bonura (best basketball forward for Loyola LA in late 1920s and early 1930s) belted two homers against the Detroit Tigers in 1934 in his second MLB game. Four years later with the Washington Senators, Bonura contributed three hits and four RBI in a 12-8 win against the Philadelphia Athletics in 1938 season opener.
Philadelphia Phillies INF Gene Freese (West Liberty WV basketball captain of 1952 NAIA Tournament team) smacked a pinch grand slam against the Cincinnati Reds in a 1959 game.
Atlanta Braves RHP Kevin Gryboski (backup hooper for Wilkes PA in 1991-92 and 1992-93) surrendered his only run in first 17 relief appearances of 2004 campaign.
San Diego Padres RF Tony Gwynn (All-WAC second-team selection with San Diego State in 1979-80 and 1980-81) went 5-for-5 against the St. Louis Cardinals in a 1993 contest.
Texas Rangers 1B Mike Hargrove (Northwestern Oklahoma State hoops letterman) collected four hits and five RBI against the Milwaukee Brewers in the opener of a 1976 doubleheader.
RHP Jim Konstanty (Syracuse hooper in late 1930s) traded by the Cincinnati Reds with cash to the Boston Braves in 1946.
Los Angeles Dodgers LHP Sandy Koufax (Cincinnati's freshman hoops squad in 1953-54) threw the second of two immaculate innings in his career when he struck out the side on nine pitches against the Cincinnati Reds in third frame in 1964.
Atlanta Braves CF Kenny Lofton (Arizona's leader in steals for 1988 Final Four team compiling 35-3 record) provided a homer among his five hits in a 14-0 romp over the Colorado Rockies in 1997. Five years later with the Chicago White Sox, Lofton delivered multiple safeties seven times in a span of eight games while raising his batting average from .250 to .426 in 2002.
Davey Lopes (NAIA All-District 15 selection for Iowa Wesleyan averaged 16.9 ppg and 3.4 rpg as freshman in 1964-65 and 12.1 ppg as sophomore in 1965-66 before transferring with his coach to Washburn KS) fired as manager of the Milwaukee Brewers in 2002.
San Francisco Giants CF Billy North (played hoops briefly for Central Washington in 1967-68) stole three bases against the Atlanta Braves in a 1981 contest.
Montreal Expos RHP Steve Renko (averaged 9.9 ppg and 5.8 rpg as Kansas sophomore in 1963-64) won his first start of season against the New York Mets before dropping last 10 decisions of the 1972 campaign.
Hall of Fame RHP Robin Roberts (one of Michigan State's top three scorers each season from 1944-45 through 1946-47) surrendered the first hit on artificial turf in 1966 when Los Angeles Dodgers SS Maury Wills singled to center at Houston's Astrodome.
1B Jackie Robinson (highest scoring average in Pacific Coast Conference both of his seasons with UCLA in 1939-40 and 1940-41) ripped his first homer for the Brooklyn Dodgers in 1947 (against New York Giants). The blast was Robinson's lone round-tripper in his first 30 MLB games.
New York Yankees RHP Roy Sherid (Albright PA hoops center in 1926-27 and 1927-28) toiled 15 innings but lost, 5-4, against the Boston Red Sox in 1931.
Chicago White Sox DH Jim Thome (played junior-college hoops for Illinois Central in 1988-89) swatted two homers in 2007 game against the Texas Rangers.
RHP Cecil Upshaw (led Centenary in scoring as junior while averaging 13.7 ppg and 6 rpg from 1961-62 through 1963-64) registered his fourth victory hurling at least three innings of relief in the Atlanta Braves' first 11 games of the 1971 season.
Philadelphia Athletics 3B Billy Werber (first Duke hoops All-American in 1929-30) provided four safeties in season opener en route to seven multiple-hit games in his first 11 outings of the 1938 campaign.
Swallowing Your Pride: Former Power-League Coaches at Mid-Major Schools
Grand Canyon (Bryce Drew), Iona (Rick Pitino), Tarleton State (Billy Gillispie) and UAB (Andy Kennedy) feature new head coaches previously piloting at least one power-conference member. Following is an alphabetical list of former power-league mentors swallowing their pride and currently toiling in more obscurity at mid-major level:
Active Head Coach | Current Mid-Major School | Previous Power League School(s) |
---|---|---|
Steve Alford | Nevada (since 2019-20) | Iowa (1999-00 through 2006-07) and UCLA (2013-14 to 2018-19) |
Tommy Amaker | Harvard (since 2007-08) | Seton Hall (1997-98 through 2000-01) and Michigan (2001-02 through 2006-07) |
Rod Barnes | Cal State Bakersfield (since 2011-12) | Mississippi (1998-99 through 2005-06) |
Keno Davis | Central Michigan (since 2012-13) | Providence (2008-09 through 2010-11) |
Mike Davis | Detroit (since 2018-19) | Indiana (2000-01 through 2005-06) |
Johnny Dawkins | UCF (since 2016-17) | Stanford (2008-09 through 2015-16) |
Ed DeChellis | Navy (since 2011-12) | Penn State (2003-04 through 2010-11) |
Steve Donahue | Penn (since 2015-16) | Boston College (2010-11 through 2013-14) |
Bryce Drew | Grand Canyon (since 2020-21) | Vanderbilt (2016-17 through 2018-19) |
Cliff Ellis | Coastal Carolina (since 2007-08) | Clemson (1984-85 through 1993-94) and Auburn (1994-95 through 2003-04) |
Travis Ford | Saint Louis (since 2016-17) | Oklahoma State (2008-09 through 2015-16) |
Billy Gillispie | Tarleton State (since 2020-21) | Texas A&M (2004-05 through 2006-07), Kentucky (2007-08 and 2008-09) and Texas Tech (2011-12) |
Mark Gottfried | CSU Northridge (since 2018-19) | Alabama (1998-99 to 2008-09) and North Carolina State (2011-12 through 2016-17) |
Anthony Grant | Dayton (since 2017-18) | Alabama (2009-10 through 2014-15) |
Brian Gregory | South Florida (since 2017-18) | Georgia Tech (2011-12 through 2015-16) |
John Groce | Akron (since 2017-18) | Illinois (2012-13 through 2016-17) |
Frank Haith | Tulsa (since 2014-15) | Miami FL (2004-05 through 2010-11) and Missouri (2011-12 through 2013-14) |
Darrin Horn | Northern Kentucky (since 2019-20) | South Carolina (2008-09 through 2011-12) |
Jeff Jones | Old Dominion (since 2013-14) | Virginia (1990-91 through 1997-98) |
Johnny Jones | Texas Southern (since 2018-19) | Louisiana State (2012-13 through 2016-17) |
Andy Kennedy | UAB (since 2020-21) | Cincinnati (2005-06) and Mississippi (2006-07 to 2017-18) |
Todd Lickliter | Evansville (since middle of 2019-20) | Iowa (2007-08 through 2009-10) |
Bobby McCullum | Florida A&M (since 2017-18) | South Florida (2003-04 through 2006-07*) |
Ritchie McKay | Liberty (2007-08, 2008-09 and since 2015-16) | Oregon State (2000-01 and 2001-02) |
Dan Monson | Long Beach State (since 2007-08) | Minnesota (1999-00 to 2006-07) |
John Pelphrey | Tennessee Tech (since 2019-20) | Arkansas (2007-08 through 2010-11) |
Rick Pitino | Iona (since 2020-21) | Providence (1985-86 and 1986-87), Kentucky (1989-90 through 1996-97) and Louisville (2001-02 through 2016-17) |
Kelvin Sampson | Houston (since 2014-15) | Washington State (1987-88 through 1993-94), Oklahoma (1994-95 through 2005-06) and Indiana (2006-07 and 2007-08) |
Herb Sendek | Santa Clara (since 2016-17) | North Carolina State (1996-97 through 2005-06) and Arizona State (2006-07 through 2014-15) |
Tubby Smith | High Point (since 2018-19) | Georgia (1995-96 and 1996-97), Kentucky (1997-98 through 2006-07), Minnesota (2007-08 through 2012-13) and Texas Tech (2013-14 through 2015-16) |
*South Florida's inaugural season in Big East Conference was 2006-07.
On This Date: Former College Hoopers Make News on April 17 MLB Games
Extra! Extra! Amid a coronavirus postponement of season, you have time to read news all about memorable major league baseball achievements, moments and transactions involving former college basketball players! Numerous ex-college hoopers had front-row seats to many of the most notable games and dates in MLB history.
Former college hoopers Joe Adcock (LSU), Frank Bolling (Spring Hill AL) and Johnny Logan (Binghamton) supplied significant offensive performances for the Milwaukee Braves on this date while ex-Oklahoma hoopers Eddie Fisher and Elmer Ponder provided sterling pitching performances. Baseball is portrayed as a thinking man's game but only 4% of active MLB players earned college diplomas. Unless you habitually pore over the content at baseballlibrary.com, baseballreference.com and nationalpastime.com, following is an April 17 calendar focusing on such versatile MLB athletes:
APRIL 17
Milwaukee Braves 1B Joe Adcock (Louisiana State's leading basketball scorer in 1945-46) contributed four hits against the Cincinnati Reds in the nightcap of a 1955 twinbill.
Philadelphia Phillies LF Harry Anderson (averaged 7.7 ppg and 8.9 rpg for West Chester PA in 1951-52) hammered two homers against the Milwaukee Braves in a 1960 game.
Milwaukee Braves 2B Frank Bolling (averaged 7.3 ppg for Spring Hill AL in 1950-51) smacked two homers in a 5-2 win against the Houston Colt .45s in 1964.
Baltimore Orioles CF Al Bumbry (Virginia State's runner-up in scoring with 16.7 ppg as freshman in 1964-65) stroked four hits against the Kansas City Royals in 1981.
Detroit Tigers 1B Tony Clark (San Diego State's leading scorer in WAC games in 1991-92) homered in his third consecutive contest in 1997.
Cincinnati Reds CF Harry Craft (four-sport hoops letterman with Mississippi College in early 1930s) accumulated four hits and five RBI in a 7-6 setback against the St. Louis Cardinals in 1941.
Chicago White Sox RHP Eddie Fisher (hooper for Oklahoma's 1954-55 freshman squad) hurled his first complete game in 10 years. Fisher also won his next three starts by yielding only one earned run covering 18 innings.
Kansas City Royals RHP Dave Frost (averaged 10.5 ppg and 4 rpg for Stanford from 1971-72 through 1973-74) registered his third relief victory in four games early in 1982.
Pittsburgh Pirates LHP Joe Gibbon (two-time All-SEC forward for Ole Miss was the nation's second-leading scorer as a senior in 1956-57), making his MLB debut in the nightcap of a doubleheader against the Cincinnati Reds in 1960, threw two scoreless innings of relief and emerged as the winner when the Bucs erupted for six runs in the ninth.
Utilityman Chuck Harmon (freshman starter was Toledo's second-leading scorer for 1943 NIT runner-up) became the second black player for the Cincinnati Reds when pinch-hitting against the Milwaukee Braves in a 1954 contest.
Boston Red Sox LHP Bill Henry (hoops letterman for Houston's 1947 NAIA Tournament team featuring co-captain Guy Lewis) won his MLB debut, yielding only five hits in eight innings of 9-2 triumph against the Washington Senators in 1952.
Baltimore Orioles 2B Davey Johnson (averaged 1.7 ppg with Texas A&M in 1961-62) provided back-to-back four-hit games against the Boston Red Sox in 1969.
Chicago White Sox RHP Bob Keegan (Bucknell hoops letterman in 1941-42 and 1942-43) toiled at least eight innings for the first of 10 straight starts in 1954, including a pair of shutouts.
Detroit Tigers SS Harvey Kuenn (played briefly for Wisconsin in 1951-52 after competing on JV hoops squad previous season) stroked three doubles among his four hits against the Kansas City Athletics in a 1955 game.
Milwaukee Braves SS Johnny Logan (Binghamton hooper in 1948-49) jacked two homers in a 5-1 win against the Cincinnati Reds in 1954.
Chicago White Sox RHP Ted Lyons (two-time All-SWC first-team selection for Baylor in early 1920s) hurled a shutout against the Cleveland Indians in his season debut. The 41-year-old Lyons went the distance in all 20 starts during the 1942 campaign en route to posting an A.L.-best 2.10 ERA.
Philadelphia Phillies RF Bake McBride (averaged 12.7 ppg and 8.1 rpg in 21 games for Westminster MO in 1968-69 and 1969-70) collected two homers and five RBI against the Pittsburgh Pirates in a 1979 contest.
California Angels 3B Bob Oliver (All-Valley Conference basketball choice for American River Community College CA in 1962) smacked two homers in a 5-3 win against the Minnesota Twins in 1974.
Pittsburgh Pirates RHP Elmer Ponder (Oklahoma hoops letterman in 1913-14 and 1915-16) tossed a 13-inning shutout against the St. Louis Cardinals in 1920.
New York Giants RF Dave Robertson (one of two reserves on North Carolina State's first basketball team in 1911) contributed three hits and five RBI in an 8-3 triumph against the Brooklyn Robins in 1917.
Jackie Robinson (highest scoring average in Pacific Coast Conference both of his seasons with UCLA in 1939-40 and 1940-41) secured his first safety with the Brooklyn Dodgers in 1947. It was one of his 19 bunt hits as a rookie.
Chicago Cubs LF Riggs Stephenson (Alabama hoops letterman in 1920) supplied three extra-base hits, including a homer, in a six-inning, 3-0 victory against the St. Louis Cardinals in 1930.
Detroit Tigers RF Champ Summers (led SIUE in scoring in 1969-70 after doing same with Nicholls State in 1964-65) collected four hits against the Boston Red Sox, igniting a career-high 17-game hitting streak in 1980.
In 1989, Cincinnati Reds RHP Kent Tekulve (freshman hooper in mid-1960s for Marietta OH) passed Hoyt Wilhelm as MLB's all-time leader in relief appearances.
Kansas City Royals 1B John Wathan (averaged 3.7 ppg in 11 games for San Diego in 1968-69) hit safely in his first eight games of the 1983 campaign.
Retirement Planners: Coaches Sleep On It/Weep On It/Think on It/Drink to It
It's patently clear not every coach departs with pomp-and-circumstance style such as luminaries John Wooden, Al McGuire, Ray Meyer and Dean Smith when they bowed out. From 1964 to 1975 with Wooden at the helm, UCLA won an NCAA-record 10 national titles, including seven straight from 1967 through 1973. McGuire's goodbye in 1977 with an NCAA title marked Marquette's eighth straight season finishing among the Top 10 in a final wire-service poll. Meyer directed DePaul to a Top 6 finish in a final wire-service poll six times in his final seven seasons from 1978 through 1984. Smith won at least 28 games with North Carolina in four of his final five seasons from 1992-93 through 1996-97.
But fond farewells are the exception, not the rule, in coping with Father Time. Just ask Phil Martelli, who departed Saint Joseph's recently following his third consecutive non-winning campaign and fourth in five years. How many other school all-time winningest mentors rode off into the sunset donning at least a partial black rather than white hat? How much they may have tarnished their legacy is debatable but hanging around too long probably caused a few of the following celebrated coaches to lose a portion of their luster:
Dave Bike, Sacred Heart - four straight losing records from 2009-10 through 2012-13 at end of career
Dale Brown, Louisiana State - 23 games below .500 with four straight losing campaigns after 10 consecutive NCAA playoff appearances from 1984 through 1993
Howard Cann, NYU - 12 games below .500 in last six seasons after six national postseason tournament appearances from 1943 through 1952
Ben Carnevale, Navy - four non-winning seasons after three national postseason tournament appearances in a four-year span from 1959 through 1962
Everett Case, North Carolina State - only four games above .500 in final five full seasons after averaging 24.6 victories annually his first 13 campaigns from 1946-47 through 1958-59
Gale Catlett, West Virginia - 11 games below .500 in last four seasons after 15 national postseason tournament appearances in an 18-year span from 1981 to 1998
John Chaney, Temple - only 11 games above .500 in final five seasons after 17 NCAA playoff appearances in an 18-year span from 1984 through 2001
Charlie Coles, Miami (OH) - 12 games below .500 in last five seasons after appearing in 2007 NCAA playoffs
Denny Crum, Louisville - breakeven mark last four seasons while winless in national postseason play after missing national postseason competition only twice in his first 26 campaigns from 1972 through 1997
Howie Dickenman, Central Connecticut State - five consecutive losing records from 2011-12 through 2015-16
Ed Diddle, Western Kentucky - 5-16 mark each of his final two seasons after only one losing record in his previous 32 campaigns from 1930-31 through 1961-62
Don Donoher, Dayton - 12 games below .500 with three straight losing campaigns after 15 national postseason tournament appearances in first 22 seasons from 1965 through 1986
Fred Enke, Arizona - only four games above .500 in final five seasons after averaging more than 20 victories annually in nine campaigns from 1942-43 through 1950-51
Jack Friel, Washington State - 71 games below .500 in final six seasons after averaging 19 victories annually with only one losing record in 23-year span from 1929-30 through 1951-52
Taps Gallagher, Niagara - 17 games below .500 in final two seasons after only two losing records in first 29 campaigns from 1931-32 through 1962-63
Tom Green, Fairleigh Dickinson - 30 games below .500 in final three seasons after appearing in NCAA playoffs and NIT in 2005 and 2006
Jack Hartman, Kansas State - minimum of 14 defeats each of his last four seasons after 11 consecutive first-division finishes in the Big Eight Conference from 1971-72 through 1981-82
Don Haskins, Texas-El Paso - three games below .500 in final four years after 16 consecutive winning campaigns (including 12 20-win seasons) from 1979-80 through 1994-95
Nat Holman, CCNY - losing records each of final five seasons after incurring only two losing marks in first 32 campaigns from 1919-20 through 1950-51
Hank Iba, Oklahoma State - 33 games below .500 his final five campaigns after last NCAA playoff appearance of 36-year tenure with the school in 1965
George Ireland, Loyola of Chicago - 32 games below .500 his final seven campaigns after third NCAA playoff appearance in five years following 1963 NCAA title
Doggie Julian, Dartmouth - seven straight losing campaigns with fewer than eight victories after five consecutive first- or second-place finishes in the Ivy League with three NCAA playoff appearances from 1955-56 through 1959-60
Gene Keady, Purdue - eight games below .500 his final four seasons after 12 consecutive national postseason tournament appearances from 1990 through 2001
Piggy Lambert, Purdue - three games below .500 his final four seasons after 23 consecutive winning records from 1920 through 1942
Dave Loos, Austin Peay State - six consecutive non-winning seasons despite reaching NCAA tourney in 2016
Don Maestri, Troy - total of 30 games below .500 over final three campaigns from 2010-11 through 2012-13
Fang Mitchell, Coppin State - only one winning record in last 10 seasons from 2004-05 through 2013-14
Speedy Morris, La Salle - 47 games below .500 his final six campaigns from 1995-96 through 2000-01 after appearing in national postseason competition each of his first six seasons from 1987 through 1992
Gregg Nibert, Presbyterian - 10 losing records in as many seasons at NCAA Division I level through 2016-17
Jim Phelan, Mount St. Mary's - 50 games below .500 his final four campaigns after reaching the 800-win plateau with an NCAA Division I Tournament appearance in 1999
Digger Phelps, Notre Dame - five games below .500 his final two campaigns after averaging 21 victories annually in a 17-year span from 1972-73 through 1988-89
Harry Rabenhorst, Louisiana State - 35 games below .500 in final three seasons after going undefeated in SEC competition in back-to-back years in 1952-53 and 1953-54
Rick Samuels, Eastern Illinois - 21 games below .500 in final four seasons after appearing in 2001 NCAA playoffs
Fred Taylor, Ohio State - 20 games below .500 in final three seasons after 11 top three finishes in Big Ten Conference standings in a 14-year span from 1959-60 through 1972-73
M.K. Turk, Southern Mississippi - nine games below .500 in final five seasons after back-to-back NCAA playoff appearances in 1990 and 1991
Ralph Underhill, Wright State - nine games below .500 in final three seasons after NCAA playoff appearance in 1993
Mike Vining, Louisiana-Monroe - 22 games below .500 in final three seasons after sixth 20-win campaign in 2001-02
Sox Walseth, Colorado - 40 games below .500 in final seven seasons after Big Eight Conference championship in 1969
Clifford Wells, Tulane - 12 games below .500 in final six seasons after 12 non-losing campaigns from 1945-46 through 1956-57
Carroll Williams, Santa Clara - eight games below .500 in final three seasons after five 20-win campaigns in seven years from 1982-83 through 1988-89
On This Date: Former College Hoopers Make News on April 16 MLB Games
Extra! Extra! Amid conoravirus postponement of start of season, you have time to read news all about memorable major league baseball achievements, moments and transactions involving former college basketball players. Numerous ex-college hoopers had front-row seats to many of the most notable games and dates in MLB history. Former San Diego State hoopers Tony Gwynn and Graig Nettles supplied significant MLB hitting performances as lefthanded batters on this date.
Baseball is portrayed as a thinking man's game but only 4% of active MLB players earned college diplomas. Unless you habitually pore over the content at baseballlibrary.com, baseballreference.com and nationalpastime.com, following is an April 16 calendar focusing on such versatile MLB athletes:
APRIL 16
Detroit Tigers 2B Frank Bolling (averaged 7.3 ppg for Spring Hill AL basketball team in 1950-51), en route to hitting .632 through first five games of the 1958 campaign, banged out four hits in a 5-4 win against the Chicago White Sox.
Kansas City Athletics LF Bob Cerv (ranked fourth on Nebraska's career scoring list in 1949-50 when finishing college career) collected three extra-base hits and five RBI in a 9-4 triumph against the Cleveland Indians in 1958.
Philadelphia Athletics starting LHP Chubby Dean (reserve guard for Duke in 1936) did not allow an earned run in 10 innings in a 2-1 win against the New York Yankees in 1940.
1B Kerby Farrell (key hooper for couple of strong Freed-Hardeman TN squads in mid-1930s) purchased from the Boston Braves by the Chicago White Sox in 1945.
Houston Astros C Joe Ferguson (played in 1967 NCAA playoffs with Pacific) furnished three extra-base hits against the Atlanta Braves in a 1977 game.
Philadelphia Athletics RF Walt French (hoops letterman for Rutgers and Army) furnished four hits against the Washington Senators in a 1926 contest.
Debut with San Francisco Giants for RHP Rich Gale (led New Hampshire with 7.2 rpg in 1975-76) was a success, hurling a three-hit, 6-1 victory against the Cincinnati Reds in 1982.
St. Louis Cardinals RHP Bob Gibson (Creighton's leading scorer and rebounder in 1955-56 and 1956-57) and Philadelphia Phillies P Cal McLish both failed to finish first inning when each starter allowed six runs in the Cards' 12-6 win at Philly in 1962.
Chicago White Sox C Frank Grube (Lafayette starting hoops guard as senior in 1926-27) went 4-for-4 against the Cleveland Indians in a 1932 game.
San Diego Padres RF Tony Gwynn (All-WAC second-team selection with San Diego State in 1979-80 and 1980-81) went 5-for-5 against the Los Angeles Dodgers in a 1987 contest en route to N.L.-high 218 hits.
Cleveland Indians CF Kenny Lofton (Arizona's leader in steals for 1988 Final Four team compiling 35-3 record) delivered three extra-base hits against the Toronto Blue Jays in a 1993 contest.
Milwaukee Braves SS Johnny Logan (Binghamton hooper in 1948-49) went 5-for-5 against the Cincinnati Reds in a 1955 game.
Rookie C Cal Neeman (Illinois Wesleyan's leading scorer in 1947-48 and 1948-49) scored the Chicago Cubs' only run of 1957 season opener after notching his initial big-league hit (single to right-center off Warren Spahn in bottom of fifth inning of 4-1 setback).
Final blast of 390 MLB career homers by 3B Graig Nettles (shot 87.8% from free-throw line for San Diego State in 1963-64) was a pinch-hit, game-tying round-tripper for the Montreal Expos against the Philadelphia Phillies in 1988.
RHP Roy Parmelee (hoops letterman for Eastern Michigan in 1924-25 and 1925-26) purchased from the Chicago Cubs by the Boston Red Sox in 1938.
In a 1931 contest, Cincinnati Reds RF Wally Roettger (Illinois hoops letterman in 1921-22 and 1922-23) went 5-for-5 against his original team (St. Louis Cardinals).
Texas Rangers RHP Mike Smithson (teammate of Tennessee All-American Ernie Grunfeld averaged 1.9 ppg and 1.6 rpg under coach Ray Mears in 1974-75 and 1975-76) won his first three starts in 1984.
Philadelphia Phillies 1B Jim Thome (played junior-college hoops for Illinois Central in 1988-89) went 4-for-4 in 2004 game against the Montreal Expos.
MLB Celebrates Former Hooper Jackie By Wearing Uniform Number 42
"A life is not important except in the impact it has on other lives." - Jackie Robinson
Although postponed this year because of coronavirus, the entirety of SportsNation accepts the cultural significance of Jackie Robinson Day, an annual event commemorating and honoring the groundbreaking day he made his debut 73 years ago with the Brooklyn Dodgers as MLB's first African-American player.
But what many observers might not know about Robinson is the impact he also had in basketball. UCLA's initial all-conference hooper in the 1940s was a forward who compiled the highest scoring average in the Pacific Coast Conference both of his seasons with the Bruins (12.3 points per league game in 1939-40 and 11.1 ppg in 1940-41) after transferring from Pasadena (Calif.) City College. Continuing his scoring exploits, the six-time National League All-Star also materialized as the leading scorer for the Los Angeles Red Devils' barnstorming team in 1946-47.
In 1949, Jackie triggered a streak of eight different African-Americans winning a total of 11 N.L. MVPs in 14-year span through 1962. In deference to Robinson's uniform number, following is an alphabetical list of 42 more of the best African-American basketball players for four-year colleges who subsequently competed at the MLB level:
College Hooper | Four-Year College | Summary of College Basketball Career | Summary of MLB Career |
---|---|---|---|
Ron Allen | Youngstown State | Averaged 14.7 ppg from 1961-62 through 1963-64, leading Penguins in scoring and rebounding as sophomore. | Only hit in 11 MLB at-bats for 1B and brother of Dick Allen and Hank Allen was homer with St. Louis Cardinals at San Diego in 1972. |
George Altman | Tennessee State | Four-year letterman was forward on teams compiling 88-17 record from 1951-52 through 1954-55 (including two NAIA Tournament appearances). | Two-time All-Star 1B hit .269 with 102 home runs in nine seasons from 1959 through 1967 with Chicago Cubs, St. Louis Cardinals and New York Mets before playing eight years in Japan. |
Jim Bibby | Fayetteville State (N.C.) | Backup hooper's brother, Fred, set Fayetteville State single-season record with 18.1 rpg in 1963-64. Their younger brother, Henry, was consensus first-team All-American guard with UCLA in 1971-72. | RHP compiled 111-101 record and 3.76 ERA with St. Louis Cardinals, Texas Rangers, Cleveland Indians and Pittsburgh Pirates in 12 seasons from 1972 through 1984. Hurled first no-hitter in Rangers history in 1973 and started two games for victorious Pirates in 1979 World Series. |
Dorian "Doe" Boyland | Wisconsin-Oshkosh | Averaged 5.6 ppg and 3.4 rpg in half a season in 1974-75. | 1B had two hits in 19 at-bats with Pittsburgh Pirates in three years from 1978 to 1981. Traded to San Francisco Giants but never played for them. |
Al Bumbry | Virginia State | Averaged 16.7 ppg (team runner-up) as freshman in 1964-65 and 12.4 ppg plus 4.6 rpg as junior in 1966-67. | Lefthanded-swinging OF hit .281 with Baltimore Orioles and San Diego Padres in 14 years from 1972 through 1985. Hit .337 as A.L. Rookie of the Year in 1973 when tying MLB single-game record with three triples. Finished among top nine in stolen bases five times in first nine years. Participated in World Series in 1979 and 1983. |
Ray Burris | Southwestern Oklahoma State | Two-sport standout is in school's Hall of Fame. | RHP compiled 108-134 record and 4.17 ERA with Chicago Cubs, New York Yankees, New York Mets, Montreal Expos, Oakland A's, Milwaukee Brewers and St. Louis Cardinals in 15 years from 1973 through 1987. Started three postseason games for Expos in 1981 after averaging 227 innings pitched last four full seasons with Cubs. |
Tony Clark | Arizona/San Diego State | Swingman averaged 11.6 ppg and 4.6 rpg for Aztecs as sophomore in 1991-92, leading them in scoring in WAC games. | 1B averaged 31 HRs annually in four-year span from 1996 through 1999 with Detroit Tigers. Tallest switch-hitter (6-7) in MLB history hit .262 with 251 homers and 824 RBI in 15 seasons from 1995 through 2009 with Tigers, Red Sox, New York Mets, New York Yankees, Arizona Diamondbacks and San Diego Padres. |
Donn Clendenon | Morehouse (Ga.) | Earned letters in four collegiate sports before leading Army base at Fort Jackson (Columbia, S.C.) to hoop title before discharge in time for spring training in 1959. | 1B hit .274 with 159 home runs and 682 RBI with Pittsburgh Pirates, Montreal Expos, New York Mets and St. Louis Cardinals in 12 years from 1961 through 1972. World Series MVP with "Miracle Mets" in 1969 when hitting three home runs (Games 2, 4 and 5). |
Vince Colbert | East Carolina | ECU's first African-American hooper averaged 14.3 ppg and 7.3 rpg in 1966-67 and 1967-68. J.C. transfer led Pirates in rebounding as junior. | RHP compiled 9-14 record and 4.57 ERA with Cleveland Indians in three years from 1970 through 1972. He was their only winning pitcher (7-6) with 10 or more starts in 1971. |
George Crowe | Indiana Central | Four-year hoops letterman from 1939-40 through 1942-43 for college now known as University of Indianapolis after becoming first Indiana H.S. player named state's "Mr. Basketball." | 1B hit .270 in nine years (1952, 1953 and 1955 through 1961) with Boston/Milwaukee Braves, Cincinnati Reds and St. Louis Cardinals. One year after named All-Star, led N.L. in pinch-hits (17) in first season with Cards in 1959 before slugging MLB-record 11th pinch-hit HR in 1960. |
Arthur "Bill" Davis | Minnesota | Averaged 6.4 ppg and 5 rpg from 1961-62 through 1963-64 under coach John Kundla. Forward contributed 12.5 ppg as senior for team including eventual NBA standouts Archie Clark and Lou Hudson. | 1B hit .181 with Cleveland Indians and San Diego Padres in three seasons (1965, 1966 and 1969). |
Larry Doby | Virginia Union | Attended LIU on hoops scholarship but transferred to VU after Uncle Sam summoned him for World War II service. Reserve guard on team winning 1943 CIAA title. | Seven-time All-Star OF hit .283 with 253 HRs and 969 RBI in 13 years from 1947 through 1959 with Cleveland Indians and Chicago White Sox. First black player in A.L. twice led league in homers (1952 and 1954). Smacked 20 or more HRs eight seasons in row from 1949 through 1956. |
Don Eaddy | Michigan | One of first two African-Americans to play hoops for Wolverines averaged 11.4 ppg in four seasons from 1951-52 through 1954-55. Led team in scoring in Big Ten Conference competition as sophomore. | INF played briefly with Chicago Cubs in 1959. |
Amir Garrett | St. John's | Averaged 7.4 ppg and 4 rpg in 2011-12 and 2012-13 under coach Steve Lavin prior to transferring to Northridge State, where he had RS year before focusing only on baseball. | After representing Cincinnati Reds at 2016 All-Star Futures Game, LHP won his first two MLB decisions in April 2017 with six shutout innings in each start. In his third start, he tied Reds record for rookie LHP by fanning 12 Baltimore Orioles batters. In 2018, Garrett didn't allow a run in his first eight relief appearances and had a 1.35 ERA after 21 outings. |
Bob Gibson | Creighton | First Bluejays player to average 20 ppg for his career (20.2). Led school in scoring in 1955-56 (40th in country with 22 ppg) and 1956-57 after being second-leading scorer in 1954-55. | Hall of Famer compiled 251-174 pitching record with 3,117 strikeouts and 2.91 ERA in 17 seasons from 1959 through 1975 with St. Louis Cardinals. In 1968, RHP tossed 13 shutouts en route to a 1.12 ERA. Ranked among N.L. top six in strikeouts 11 times from 1961 through 1972. He hit 24 home runs and won nine consecutive Gold Gloves (1965 through 1973). Notched 7-2 mark and 1.89 ERA in nine World Series games, including strikeout record of 17 Tigers in 1968 contest. |
Tony Gwynn | San Diego State | Averaged 8.6 ppg and 5.5 apg from 1977-78 through 1980-81. Second-team All-WAC selection as junior and senior set school DI single-game mark with 18 assists vs. UNLV. | San Diego Padres OF hit .338 in 20 seasons (1982 through 2001), winning eight N.L. batting titles - 1984, 1987, 1988, 1989, 1994, 1995, 1996 and 1997. Played in 15th All-Star Game in 1999 before topping 3,000-hit plateau later in year. |
Chuck Harmon | Toledo | Second-leading scorer as sophomore in 1946-47 (13.6 ppg) and as junior in 1947-48 (8.8). As freshman starter in 1942-43, swingman was second-leading scorer for 22-4 team finishing NIT runner-up. | Utilityman hit .238 in four seasons from 1954 through 1957 with Cincinnati Reds, St. Louis Cardinals and Philadelphia Phillies. |
Billy Harrell | Siena | When school's first African-American player finished career, he held school records for most points in season (396 in 1951-52), career and game (28 against Arizona State in 1951) plus most rebounds in season (387 in 1949-50). | INF hit .231 in 173 games with Cleveland Indians (1955, 1957, 1958) and Boston Red Sox (1961). |
Chuck Hinton | Shaw (N.C.) | Played multiple sports before serving two years in U.S. Army in mid-1950s. His brother, Checo, was lineman with him on football squad and power forward for hoops team. | OF-INF played every defensive position while hitting .264 with Washington Senators, Cleveland Indians and California Angels in 11 A.L. seasons from 1961 through 1971. In 1962, he was runner-up in stolen bases in A.L. and finished fourth in batting average. First expansion Senator to be named to All-Star team was final Senator to hit .300. |
Monte Irvin | Lincoln (Pa.) | Athletic career was nearly prematurely ended when infection from scratched hand in hoops game kept him close to death for seven weeks. | Hall of Fame OF-1B hit .293 with 99 HRs and 443 RBI in eight years from 1949 through 1956 with New York Giants and Chicago Cubs. Irvin led N.L. in RBI with 121 in 1951 (same year led World Series in hitting with .458 mark vs. crosstown Yankees). |
Anthony "Tony" Johnson | LeMoyne-Owen (Tenn.) | J.C. transfer forward was All-VSAC selection in 1976-77 and 1979-80 as team's top scorer. | LF hit .232 with Montreal Expos and Toronto Blue Jays in two years in 1981 and 1982. |
"Sweet" Lou Johnson | Kentucky State | Teammate of legendary Alcorn State coach Davey Whitney averaged 5.7 ppg and 2 rpg in 1951-52. | OF hit .258 with Chicago Cubs, Los Angeles/California Angels, Milwaukee Braves, Los Angeles Dodgers and Cleveland Indians in eight seasons from 1960 through 1969. Contributed two homers and two doubles for Dodgers in 1965 World Series against Minnesota Twins. |
Lynn Jones | Thiel (Pa.) | Averaged 10.4 ppg from 1970-71 through 1973-74. | OF hit .252 with Detroit Tigers and Kansas City Royals in eight seasons from 1979 through 1986. Doubled and tripled as pinch-hitter for Royals in 1985 World Series against St. Louis Cardinals. |
David Justice | Thomas More (Ky.) | Led team in assists in 1984-85 while averaging 9.3 ppg and 3.5 rpg. | Three-time All-Star OF hit .279 in 14 seasons from 1989 through 2002 with Atlanta Braves, Cleveland Indians, New York Yankees and Oakland A's. Jacked 40 homers (N.L. runner-up) with 120 RBI (also runner-up) in 1993 with Braves and total of 41 homers (fourth in A.L.) with 118 RBI in 2000 with Indians and Yanks. |
Kenny Lofton | Arizona | Averaged 4.8 ppg and 2.6 apg in four seasons from 1985-86 through 1988-89 under coach Lute Olson. Leader in steals for 1988 Final Four team compiling 35-3 record. | Lefthanded CF hit .299 and stole 622 bases in 17 seasons from 1991 through 2007 with Houston Astros, Cleveland Indians, Atlanta Braves, Chicago White Sox, San Francisco Giants, Pittsburgh Pirates, Chicago Cubs, New York Yankees, Philadelphia Phillies, Los Angeles Dodgers and Texas Rangers. Four-time Gold Glover led Indians with .325 batting mark (fourth in A.L.) and paced majors with 70 stolen bases in 1993. After trade to Cleveland, hit .285 for Indians in 1992 and led the A.L. in stolen bases with 66 (record for A.L. rookie). Six-time All-Star led A.L. in stolen bases five consecutive years from 1992 through 1996, hitting career-high .349 in 1994. |
Davey Lopes | Iowa Wesleyan/Washburn (Kan.) | NAIA All-District 15 selection averaged 16.9 ppg and 3.4 rpg as All-IIAC first-team choice freshman in 1964-65 and 12.1 ppg as sophomore in 1965-66 before transferring with his coach. All-CIC selection in 1967-68 when averaging 7.6 ppg for NAIA Tournament team. | Four-time All-Star 2B hit .263 with Los Angeles Dodgers, Oakland A's, Chicago Cubs and Houston Astros in 16 seasons from 1972 through 1987. Led N.L. in stolen bases in back-to-back campaigns in 1975 (77) and 1976 (63) after finishing runner-up in 1974 (59). Swiped five bases in game in 1974, tying 70-year-old N.L. record before establishing since-broken N.L. mark with 38 consecutive successful thefts in 1975. |
Terrell Lowery | Loyola Marymount | Two-time All-WCC first-team selection and league-leading scorer. Tallied career-high 48 points against Idaho State as junior in 1990-91 when finishing among top five nationally in scoring (28.5 ppg) and assists (9.1 apg). | OF hit .282 with Chicago Cubs, Tampa Bay Devil Rays and San Francisco Giants from 1997 through 2000. Stroked five hits for Giants in single game against Milwaukee Brewers in 2000. |
Arnold "Bake" McBride | Westminster (Mo.) | Averaged 12.7 ppg and 8.1 rpg in 21 games in 1968-69 and 1969-70. | Lefthanded-swinging OF hit .299 with St. Louis Cardinals, Philadelphia Phillies and Cleveland Indians in 11 seasons from 1973 through 1983. N.L. Rookie of the Year in 1974 when hitting .309 with Cardinals was named to N.L. All-Star team two years later. |
Lyle Mouton | Louisiana State | Averaged 8.2 ppg and 3.2 rpg as sophomore in 1988-89 under coach Dale Brown. Started in backcourt with All-American Chris Jackson when Tigers lost to UTEP in West Regional of NCAA playoffs. | OF hit .280 for Chicago White Sox, Baltimore Orioles, Milwaukee Brewers and Florida Marlins in seven years from 1995 through 2001. |
Billy North | Central Washington | Collected two points and two rebounds in four games in 1967-68. | Switch-hitting CF posted .261 batting average with Chicago Cubs, Oakland Athletics, Los Angeles Dodgers and San Francisco Giants in 11 years from 1971 through 1981. Paced A.L. in stolen bases in 1974 (54) and 1976 (75). |
Curtis Pride | William & Mary | Averaged 5.6 ppg and 3.1 apg from 1986-87 through 1989-90. Led team in steals three times and assists twice. Named to CAA All-Rookie team pick as freshman and All-Defensive team selection next two seasons. | Born with 95% hearing disability, lefthanded-swinging OF hit .250 in 11 seasons from 1993 to 2006 with seven franchises (Montreal Expos, Detroit Tigers, Boston Red Sox, Atlanta Braves, Montreal Expos, New York Yankees and Anaheim/California Angels). |
Dave Ricketts | Duquesne | Three-year starter led Dukes in scoring as senior with 17.9-point average in 1956-57, finishing fourth in nation in free-throw percentage (86.2%). Converted school-record 42 FTAs in row. | Catcher hit .249 in six seasons (1962, 1965 and 1967 through 1970) with St. Louis Cardinals and Pittsburgh Pirates. Switch-hitter played with Cards in 1967 and 1968 World Series. |
Dick Ricketts | Duquesne | Second-team consensus All-American choice as junior in 1953-54 and first five consensus All-American selection as senior in 1954-55. Converted all 19 FTAs in game against Dayton. School's all-time leading scorer averaged 17.7 ppg and 12.2 rpg in starting all 111 games during four-year career. | Compiled 1-6 pitching record in only season with St. Louis Cardinals in 1959. |
Earl Robinson | California | Three-time All-PCC second-team selection averaged at least 10 ppg each season from 1955-56 through 1957-58 under coach Pete Newell. Averaged 15.5 points in four NCAA Tournament games his last two years, leading Bears in scoring in two of four playoff contests. | OF hit .268 in four seasons from 1958 to 1964 with Los Angeles Dodgers and Baltimore Orioles. |
Ted Savage | Lincoln (Mo.) | Led in scoring average with 13.5 ppg in 1955-56 before averaging 14.5 ppg and 5.6 rpg in 1956-57. | OF hit .233 in nine seasons (1962, 1963 and 1965 through 1971) with Philadelphia Phillies, Pittsburgh Pirates, St. Louis Cardinals, Chicago Cubs, Los Angeles Dodgers, Cincinnati Reds, Milwaukee Brewers and Kansas City Royals. |
Ken Singleton | Hofstra | Freshman hooper in mid-1960s. | Three-time All-Star OF hit .282 with 246 HRs and 1,065 RBI with New York Mets, Montreal Expos and Baltimore Orioles in 15 years from 1970 through 1984. Switch-hitter exceeded 20 HRs in five seasons, including high of 35 (fifth in A.L.) in 1979 with Orioles. |
Lee Smith | Northwestern State | Forward averaged 3.4 ppg and 1.9 rpg in 1976-77 as teammate of Billy Reynolds, the nation's ninth-leading scorer that season. | Seven-time All-Star was all-time saves leader when he retired, notching 478 in 18 seasons from 1980 through 1997 with Chicago Cubs, Boston Red Sox, St. Louis Cardinals, New York Yankees, Baltimore Orioles, California Angels, Cincinnati Reds and Montreal Expos until Trevor Hoffman broke his mark in 2006. Set N.L. record in 1991 (subsequently broken) for most saves in season with 47 for Cardinals. RHP led N.L. in saves three times (1983-91-92) and A.L. once (1994). |
Nate Smith | Tennessee State | Letterman in 1953-54 and 1954-55. | Catcher went 2 for 9 in five games with Baltimore Orioles in 1962. |
Bob Veale | Benedictine (Kan.) | Scored 1,160 points from 1955-56 through 1957-58 as center for school previously called St. Benedict's. | LHP compiled 120-95 record and 3.08 ERA in 13 seasons from 1962 through 1974 with Pittsburgh Pirates and Boston Red Sox. Led N.L. in strikeouts with 250 in 1964 (first of four consecutive years he won at least 16 games and ranked among top seven in strikeouts). |
Will Venable | Princeton | All-Ivy League first-team selection as junior and second-team choice as senior averaged 9.3 ppg under coach John Thompson III from 2001-02 through 2004-05. | Lefthanded OF hit .249 with San Diego Padres, Texas Rangers and Los Angeles Dodgers in nine seasons from 2008 through 2016. Finished among N.L. top 10 in triples (8th with 7) and stolen bases (9th with 29) in 2010. |
Bill White | Hiram (Ohio) | Three-sport letterman played two years of hoops. | Five-time All-Star 1B hit .286 with New York/San Francisco Giants, St. Louis Cardinals and Philadelphia Phillies in 13 N.L. seasons in 1956 and from 1958 through 1969. Lefthander ranked among N.L. top 10 in RBI five times (1961-62-63-64-66). Placed among N.L. top eight in both doubles and triples three straight campaigns from 1959 through 1961. Gold Glover seven consecutive years from 1960 through 1966. |
Desi Wilson | Fairleigh Dickinson | FDU's all-time leading scorer (1,902 points) was NEC player of year in 1989-90. Leading scorer (23.8 ppg) and rebounder (9.2 rpg) for 1990-91 league co-champion. | Lefthanded-swinging 1B hit .271 with San Francisco Giants in 1996. |
Dave Winfield | Minnesota | Averaged 6.9 ppg and 5.4 rpg as junior in 1971-72 and 10.5 ppg and 6.1 rpg as senior in 1972-73 under coach Bill Musselman. Played entire playoff game in 1972, collecting eight points and eight rebounds against eventual Final Four participant Florida State, in Gophers' first NCAA Tournament appearance. | Hall of Fame OF hit .283 with 465 home runs, 1,833 RBI and 3,110 hits in 22 seasons (1973 through 1988 and 1990 through 1995) with San Diego Padres, New York Yankees, California Angels, Toronto Blue Jays, Minnesota Twins and Cleveland Indians. Led N.L. in total bases in 1979 with 333 before ranking among A.L. top four in batting average in 1984 (.340) and 1988 (.322). Seven-time Gold Glover appeared in 12 All-Star Games after never playing in minors. Participated in World Series with Yankees (1981) and Blue Jays (1992). |
On This Date: Former College Hoopers Make News on April 15 MLB Games
Extra! Extra! Amid coronavirus outbreak, you have time to read news all about memorable major league baseball achievements, moments and transactions involving former college basketball players! Numerous ex-college hoopers had front-row seats to many of the most notable games and dates in MLB history.
Baseball is portrayed as a thinking man's game but only 4% of active MLB players earned college diplomas. In a historical milestone, Jackie Robinson (highest scoring average in Pacific Coast Conference both of his seasons with UCLA in 1939-40 and 1940-41) debuted for the Brooklyn Dodgers as a first baseman in 1947, becoming the first black player to appear in a MLB game. Unless you habitually pore over the content at baseballlibrary.com, baseballreference.com and nationalpastime.com, following is a taxing April 15 calendar focusing on such versatile MLB athletes:
APRIL 15
New York Giants 2B Andy Cohen (Alabama basketball letterman in 1924 and 1925) went 3-for-4 for the second time in first three games of 1928 campaign.
LHP Chubby Dean (reserve guard for Duke in 1936) hurled a complete game in the Philadelphia Athletics' season opener to give them a 3-1 win against the New York Yankees in 1941.
Brooklyn Dodgers RF Ox Eckhart (Texas hoops letterman in 1923) smacked his lone MLB homer (against New York Giants in 1936).
RHP Bob Gibson (Creighton's leading scorer and rebounder in 1955-56 and 1956-57) made his St. Louis Cardinals debut at Los Angeles in 1959, hurling the final two innings in a 5-0 setback against the Dodgers. He became the first future Hall of Famer to yield a homer to first batter he faced in the majors (3B Jim Baxes went downtown in seventh inning).
First appearance and start in 1961 for Philadelphia Phillies RHP Dallas Green (Delaware's second-leading scorer and rebounder in 1954-55) wound up becoming a five-hit shutout against the San Francisco Giants.
INF Gene Handley (Bradley hoops letterman in 1932-33 and 1933-34) purchased from the Pittsburgh Pirates by the St. Louis Cardinals in 1940.
Boston Red Sox LHP Bill Henry (hoops letterman for Houston's 1947 NAIA Tournament team featuring co-captain Guy Lewis) restricted the Washington Senators to three hits in a complete-game victory in 1954.
C Cal Neeman (Illinois Wesleyan's leading scorer in 1947-48 and 1948-49), not Ernie Banks, collected the Chicago Cubs' first homer of 1958 (at St. Louis in season opener).
Kansas City Royals RF Bob Oliver (All-Valley Conference basketball choice for American River Community College CA in 1962) whacked a two-out, game-tying homer in the bottom of the ninth inning en route to an 11-inning, 2-1 win against the Chicago White Sox in 1972 season opener.
1B Jackie Robinson (highest scoring average in Pacific Coast Conference both of his seasons with UCLA in 1939-40 and 1940-41) debuted for the Brooklyn Dodgers in 1947, becoming the first black player to appear in a MLB game. Before Robinson was replaced by Howie Schultz (Hamline MN hooper in early 1940s), he went hitless in three at-bats against the Boston Braves a year before President Truman desegregated the military.
Pittsburgh Pirates CF Bill Virdon (Drury MO hooper in 1949) belted two homers in a 4-1 triumph against the Los Angeles Dodgers in 1961.
Washington Senators rookie RHP Monte Weaver (hoops center for Emory & Henry VA in mid-1920s) won his season debut in 1932 with a four-hit shutout against the Boston Red Sox.
Boston Red Sox C Sammy White (All-PCC Northern Division first-five selection for Washington in 1947-48 and 1948-49) went 4-for-4 against the Washington Senators in a 1954 contest.
Philadelphia Phillies CF Cy Williams (Notre Dame forward in 1909-10) homered twice against the Boston Braves in a 1922 game.
San Diego Padres RHP Chris Young (All-Ivy League first-team selection as Princeton's leading scorer and rebounder in 1999-00) tied a MLB record with 25 straight starts on the road without a defeat before bowing at Los Angeles against the Dodgers in 2007.
Tiny Dancers: What Could Have Been for Mid-Majors in 2020 NCAA Playoffs?
Prior to coronavirus cancellation, the national tourney this season was expected to be a bonanza year for mid-majors with Dayton (Atlantic 10), Gonzaga (West Coast) and San Diego State (Mountain West) ranked in Top 10. When given an opportunity via an at-large invitation to the Big Dance, members from 11 different mid-major conferences have more than held their own against opponents from elite leagues. The greatest example was Virginia Commonwealth, which defeated members from five different power leagues en route to the 2011 Final Four. It was preposterous there were any questions at all about Belmont (Ohio Valley) as an at-large team this campaign.
Power-conference setback totals against mid-major at-large entrants since 1992 include: Big Eight/Big 12 (22), Big East (19), Big Ten (15), SEC (15), ACC (13) and Pac-12 (11). In the previous 28 years (all but 2009 and 2017), the following total of 39 different mid-major at-large entrants went on to win in the NCAA playoffs against a total of 53 different power-conference members (listed in reverse chronological order):
NOTE: Butler (Big East), Cincinnati (Big East), Louisville (Big East and ACC), Utah (Pac-12) and Xavier (Big East) subsequently joined a power conference.
On This Date: Former College Hoopers Make News on April 14 MLB Games
Extra! Extra! Amid postponement of start of season, you have time to read news all about memorable major league baseball achievements, moments and transactions involving former college basketball players! Numerous ex-college hoopers had front-row seats to many of the most notable games and dates in MLB history.
Former college hoopers Denny Doyle, Sandy Koufax, Rick Leach, Kenny Lofton, Graig Nettles, Paul Splittorff and Ed Wells made MLB news as lefthanded hitters or pitchers on this date. Baseball is portrayed as a thinking man's game but only 4% of active MLB players earned college diplomas. Unless you habitually pore over the content at baseballlibrary.com, baseballreference.com and nationalpastime.com, following is an April 14 calendar focusing on such versatile MLB athletes:
APRIL 14
2B Denny Doyle (averaged 2.7 ppg for Morehead State's basketball squad in 1962-63) stroked a two-run single in the bottom of the eighth inning to give the Philadelphia Phillies a 6-5 win against the Pittsburgh Pirates in 1971.
Los Angeles Dodgers LHP Sandy Koufax (Cincinnati's freshman hoops team in 1953-54) threw the ninth complete game without permitting a walk in his career by blanking the St. Louis Cardinals, 4-0, in 1964 in his only Opening Day start.
A two-run pinch single by Rick Leach (averaged 15.5 ppg for Michigan's JV squad in 1975-76) provided the margin of victory in the Texas Rangers' 4-2 verdict over the Detroit Tigers in 1989.
Atlanta Braves CF Kenny Lofton (Arizona's leader in steals for 1988 Final Four team compiling a 35-3 record) contributed five hits and five runs scored in a 14-5 rout of the Cincinnati Reds in 1997.
New York Yankees 3B Graig Nettles (shot 87.8% from free-throw line for San Diego State in 1963-64), en route to tying a MLB record with 11 homers in the month of April, collected four round-trippers - two in each game - during a 1974 doubleheader split opposing his former team (Cleveland Indians).
LF Paul Schramka (JV hooper for San Francisco in late 1940s for coach Pete Newell's program) served as a pinch-runner with the Chicago Cubs in their 1953 season-opening victory. Schramka wore uniform #14 before Hall of Famer Ernie Banks inherited it late in the season.
Kansas City Royals LHP Paul Splittorff (runner-up in scoring and rebounding for Morningside IA in 1967-68) tossed a two-hit shutout against the Chicago White Sox in 1973.
RHP Jack Spring (freshman hooper for Washington State in 1951-52) obtained from the Kansas City Athletics by Los Angeles Angels as part of a minor league working agreement.
LHP Ed Wells (multi-sport athlete graduated in 1924 from Bethany WV) purchased from the New York Yankees by the St. Louis Browns in 1933.
National Review: State-By-State Winners and Sinners in NCAA Tournament
No state has won as much as 64% of its NCAA Tournament games and none has as many as five different schools with winning playoff records. The Michigan Wolverines reaching the 2018 NCAA final instead of the Kansas Jayhawks enabled Michigan (.6284) to nudge ahead of Kansas (.6279) as the state with highest all-time winning percentage before the Michigan State Spartans padded the state's advantage with a 2019 Final Four appearance. Kansas, one of 20 states represented by four or fewer members in the U.S. House of Representatives, is represented much more in the NCAA playoffs by ranking seventh with 163 victories from only three universities. Additional stately views of national winners and sinners you might want to review include:
- Schools from the state of North Carolina have collected more NCAA Tournament triumphs (324) than a total of 22 states including those with power-conference members such as Georgia, Missouri, New Jersey and West Virginia.
- All four ACC members in Carolina have more than 25 playoff triumphs. Each of them (Duke, North Carolina, North Carolina State and Wake Forest) has more all-time wins than entire states such as Colorado, Minnesota, Mississippi, Nebraska, New Mexico, Rhode Island and South Carolina.
- California is the only state with as many as 18 schools winning at least one NCAA Tournament game. Alas, less than 1/4 of them (four) have winning marks.
- Other than Syracuse, Canisius is the only current New York Division I school to compile a winning NCAA playoff record (6-4). CCNY, the NCAA's DI champion in 1950, assembled a 4-2 mark ledger before de-emphasizing its program.
- Despite Villanova's two NCAA titles in the last four seasons, Pennsylvania is the only state with at least 140 tourney victories to compile an overall losing mark (187-206).
- Syracuse (plus 28 in NY; 68-40) and Villanova (plus 28 in PA; 65-37) are the most games above .500 in states with overall losing playoff marks. On the flip side, Miami OH (minus 13; 6-19) and Murray State KY (minus 13; 4-17) are tied for most games below .500 in states with overall winning worksheets.
- Abilene Christian enabled Texas to nudge ahead of California for most different schools participating in the tourney with 24 although Houston (29-26) is the only institution from the Lone Star State posting a winning record. Texas (147-193) has a total of 13 Final Four teams after Texas Tech's success but is more games under .500 than any state (minus 46 including 11 different universities never winning a playoff contest).
- LSU is the only one of Louisiana's 12 schools appearing in the playoffs notching a winning record. South Carolina has the most universities participate in the tourney (nine) without any of them posting a break-even or winning playoff record. Kansas has only three different colleges appear in the NCAA Tournament but boasts seven times as many victories as South Carolina and four times as many triumphs as Louisiana.
- All six Mid-American Conference members from Ohio have losing records, combining for a 19-52 mark (.268).
- Tennessee, the winningest state in NCAA playoff history (78 triumphs) despite never having a national champion, is the only state with as many as six schools at least five games below .500 in NCAA tourney competition.
- Virginia is the only one of 12 different schools from its state and Memphis is only one of 11 different Tennessee schools appearing in the tourney to post a winning record.
- Memphis (34-26) is joined by Spokane, Wash.-based Gonzaga (34-22) as the only mid-major schools leading a state with more than 60 playoff wins.
- The only states with fewer than 45 tourney triumphs to assemble overall winning records are Nevada (39-28 by 6-9 Nevada and 33-19 UNLV) plus New Hampshire (10-7 by Dartmouth).
- Utah is the only state saddled with as many as three schools posting tourney marks more than 10 games below .500 - Brigham Young (15-32), Utah State (6-23) and Weber State (6-17).
Former #VicePlagiarist Joe Biden, amid aspiring details about his soap-opera family aren't circulated, hopes his prospects of success telling truth about attending HBCU Delaware State and as a presidential candidate are a mite higher than the NCAA Tournament win total of the state he served as Senator because Delaware is 0-6. Belmont, UCF, UC Irvine, Fairleigh Dickinson, Liberty and Wofford posted their initial NCAA tourney triumph in 2019. Following are NCAA Division I playoff cumulative records listed by most state victories through 2019 and coronavirus cancellation of 2020 tourney:
STATE (# of Tourney Schools) | Overall Record | Pct. | School-By-School NCAA Playoff Marks |
---|---|---|---|
NORTH CAROLINA (16) | 324-195 | .6243 | Appalachian State (0-2), Campbell (0-1), Charlotte (7-12), Davidson (8-15), Duke (114-38), East Carolina (0-2), Gardner-Webb (0-1), North Carolina (126-47), North Carolina A&T (1-10), North Carolina Central (0-4), North Carolina State (37-26), UNC Asheville (2-4), UNC Greensboro (0-3), UNC Wilmington (1-6), Wake Forest (28-23) and Western Carolina (0-1) |
KENTUCKY (seven) | 236-156 | .602 | Eastern Kentucky (0-8), Kentucky (131-53), Louisville (76-44), Morehead State (6-8), Murray State (4-17), Northern Kentucky (0-2) and Western Kentucky (19-24) |
CALIFORNIA (23) | 235-214 | .523 | California (20-19), UC Davis (0-1), UC Irvine (1-2), Cal Poly (1-1), UC Santa Barbara (1-5), Cal State Bakersfield (0-1), Cal State Fullerton (2-3), Cal State Los Angeles (0-1), Cal State Northridge (0-2), Fresno State (2-6), Long Beach State (7-10), Loyola Marymount (5-5), Pacific (4-10), Pepperdine (5-14), Saint Mary's (5-10), San Diego (1-4), San Diego State (6-12), San Francisco (21-14), San Jose State (0-3), Santa Clara (11-13), Southern California (14-20), Stanford (23-16) and UCLA (106-42) |
PENNSYLVANIA (15) | 188-208 | .475 | Bucknell (2-8), Drexel (1-4), Duquesne (4-5), Lafayette (0-5), La Salle (14-11), Lebanon Valley (1-2), Lehigh (1-5), Penn (13-26), Penn State (9-11), Pittsburgh (24-27), Robert Morris (2-8), Saint Francis (0-1), Saint Joseph's (19-25), Temple (33-33) and Villanova (65-37) |
INDIANA (nine) | 181-147 | .552 | Ball State (3-7), Butler (24-16), Evansville (1-5), Indiana (66-34), IUPUI (0-1), Indiana State (5-4), Notre Dame (38-40), Purdue (42-31) and Valparaiso (2-9) |
OHIO (12) | 172-169 | .504 | Akron (0-4), Bowling Green (1-5), Cincinnati (46-32), Cleveland State (3-2), Dayton (19-20), Kent State (4-6), Miami (6-19), Ohio University (7-14), Ohio State (57-32), Toledo (1-4), Wright State (0-3) and Xavier (28-28) |
KANSAS (three) | 163-98 | .6245 | Kansas (108-47), Kansas State (37-35) and Wichita State (18-16) |
TEXAS (24) | 147-193 | .432 | Abilene Christian (0-1), Baylor (14-14), Hardin-Simmons (0-2), Houston (29-26), Houston Baptist (0-1), Lamar (5-6), North Texas (0-3), Prairie View A&M (0-2), Rice (2-5), Sam Houston State (0-2), Southern Methodist (10-14), Stephen F. Austin (2-5), Texas (35-37), Texas A&M (13-15), Texas A&M-Corpus Christi (0-1), Texas-Arlington (0-1), Texas Christian (5-8), Texas-El Paso (14-16), Texas-San Antonio (1-4), Texas Southern (1-8), Texas State (0-2), Texas Tech (16-18), Trinity (0-1) and West Texas A&M (0-1) |
MICHIGAN (eight) | 143-83 | .633 | Central Michigan (3-4), Detroit (3-6), Eastern Michigan (3-4), Michigan (61-28), Michigan State (69-32), Oakland (1-3), Wayne State (1-2) and Western Michigan (2-4) |
NEW YORK (22) | 140-171 | .450 | Albany (1-5), Binghamton (0-1), Buffalo (2-4), Canisius (6-4), CCNY (4-2), Colgate (0-3), Columbia (2-4), Cornell (2-6), Fordham (2-4), Hofstra (0-4), Iona (1-14), Long Island (0-7), Manhattan (3-9), Marist (0-2), NYU (9-9), Niagara (2-4), St. Bonaventure (7-9), St. John's (27-32), Siena (4-6), Stony Brook (0-1), Syracuse (68-40) and Wagner (0-1) |
OKLAHOMA (five) | 102-93 | .523 | Oklahoma (42-32), Oklahoma City (8-13), Oklahoma State (38-27), Oral Roberts (2-5) and Tulsa (12-16) |
ILLINOIS (10) | 95-95 | .500 | Bradley (11-9), DePaul (21-25), Eastern Illinois (0-2), Illinois (40-31), Illinois-Chicago (0-3), Illinois State (3-6), Loyola of Chicago (13-5), Northern Illinois (0-3), Northwestern (1-1) and Southern Illinois (6-10) |
FLORIDA (11) | 87-69 | .558 | Florida (47-20), Florida A&M (1-3), Florida Atlantic (0-1), Florida Gulf Coast (3-3), Florida International (0-1), Florida State (21-17), Jacksonville (4-5), Miami (8-10), North Florida (0-1), South Florida (2-3) and UCF (1-5) |
VIRGINIA (12) | 84-99 | .459 | George Mason (5-6), Hampton (2-6), James Madison (4-5), Liberty (1-4), Norfolk State (1-1), Old Dominion (3-12), Radford (1-3), Richmond (8-9), Virginia (35-22), Virginia Commonwealth (13-17), Virginia Military (3-3) and Virginia Tech (8-11) |
WISCONSIN (four) | 83-66 | .557 | Green Bay (1-5), Marquette (41-34), Milwaukee (3-4) and Wisconsin (38-23) |
TENNESSEE (11) | 78-117 | .400 | Austin Peay (2-8), Belmont (1-8), Chattanooga (3-11), East Tennessee State (2-11), Lipscomb (0-1), Memphis (34-26), Middle Tennessee State (4-9), Tennessee (22-23), Tennessee State (0-2), Tennessee Tech (0-2) and Vanderbilt (10-16) |
ARIZONA (three) | 70-53 | .569 | Arizona (56-34), Arizona State (14-17) and Northern Arizona (0-2) |
WASHINGTON (five) | 69-61 | .531 | Eastern Washington (0-2), Gonzaga (34-22), Seattle (10-13), Washington (19-18) and Washington State (6-6) |
UTAH (five) | 65-105 | .382 | Brigham Young (15-32), Southern Utah (0-1), Utah (38-32), Utah State (6-23) and Weber State (6-17) |
CONNECTICUT (four) | 60-42 | .588 | Central Connecticut State (0-3), Connecticut (59-30), Fairfield (0-3) and Yale (1-6) |
IOWA (four) | 59-60 | .496 | Drake (5-4), Iowa (30-28), Iowa State (19-20) and Northern Iowa (5-8) |
MARYLAND (eight) | 54-56 | .491 | Coppin State (1-4), Loyola (0-2), Maryland (42-27), Maryland-Baltimore County (1-2), Morgan State (0-2), Mount St. Mary's (2-5), Navy (8-12) and Towson (0-2) |
DISTRICT OF COLUMBIA (five) | 51-47 | .520 | American University (0-3), Catholic (0-2), George Washington (4-11), Georgetown (47-29) and Howard University (0-2) |
ALABAMA (nine) | 49-64 | .434 | Alabama (21-21), Alabama A&M (0-1), Alabama State (0-4), Auburn (17-10), Jacksonville State (0-1), Samford (0-2), South Alabama (1-8), Troy (0-2) and UAB (10-15) |
MASSACHUSETTS (nine) | 48-67 | .417 | Boston College (22-19), Boston University (2-7), Harvard (2-6), Holy Cross (8-13), Massachusetts (11-9), Northeastern (3-9), Springfield (0-1), Tufts (0-2) and Williams (0-1) |
ARKANSAS (four) | 45-39 | .536 | Arkansas (42-32), Arkansas-Pine Bluff (1-1), Arkansas State (0-1) and UALR (2-5) |
LOUISIANA (12) | 41-76 | .350 | Louisiana-Lafayette (4-11), Louisiana-Monroe (0-7), Louisiana State (26-25), Louisiana Tech (4-5), Loyola of New Orleans (0-3), McNeese State (0-2), New Orleans (1-5), Nicholls State (0-2), Northwestern State (2-3), Southeastern Louisiana (0-1), Southern (1-9) and Tulane (3-3) |
NEVADA (two) | 39-28 | .582 | Nevada (6-9) and UNLV (33-19) |
OREGON (four) | 37-39 | .487 | Oregon (25-15), Oregon State (12-20), Portland (0-2) and Portland State (0-2) |
NEW JERSEY (seven) | 36-65 | .356 | Fairleigh Dickinson (1-6), Monmouth (1-4), Princeton (13-29), Rider (0-3), Rutgers (5-7), Saint Peter's (0-3) and Seton Hall (16-13) |
GEORGIA (five) | 33-39 | .458 | Georgia (7-12), Georgia Southern (0-3), Georgia State (2-5), Georgia Tech (23-16) and Mercer (1-3) |
WEST VIRGINIA (two) | 32-35 | .478 | Marshall (1-6) and West Virginia (31-29) |
MISSOURI (four) | 31-45 | .408 | Missouri (22-27), Missouri State (3-6), Saint Louis (6-11) and Southeast Missouri State (0-1) |
RHODE ISLAND (three) | 23-33 | .411 | Brown (0-2), Providence (15-21) and Rhode Island (8-10) |
SOUTH CAROLINA (nine) | 23-59 | .280 | Charleston Southern (0-1), Clemson (11-12), Coastal Carolina (0-4), College of Charleston (1-5), Furman (1-7), South Carolina (8-10), South Carolina State (0-5), Winthrop (1-10) and Wofford (1-5) |
MISSISSIPPI (six) | 19-37 | .339 | Alcorn State (3-6), Jackson State (0-3), Mississippi (5-9), Mississippi State (11-11), Mississippi Valley State (0-5) and Southern Mississippi (0-3) |
NEW MEXICO (two) | 18-43 | .295 | New Mexico (8-16) and New Mexico State (10-27) |
MINNESOTA (one) | 14-14 | .500 | Minnesota (14-14) |
COLORADO (four) | 14-32 | .304 | Air Force (0-4), Colorado (10-16), Colorado State (4-11) and Northern Colorado (0-1) |
NEBRASKA (two) | 12-29 | .293 | Creighton (12-22) and Nebraska (0-7) |
NEW HAMPSHIRE (one) | 10-7 | .588 | Dartmouth (10-7) |
WYOMING (one) | 9-20 | .310 | Wyoming (9-20) |
IDAHO (three) | 9-24 | .273 | Boise State (0-7), Idaho (1-4) and Idaho State (8-13) |
NORTH DAKOTA (two) | 2-5 | .286 | North Dakota (0-1) and North Dakota State (2-4) |
VERMONT (one) | 2-7 | .222 | Vermont (2-7) |
MONTANA (two) | 2-16 | .111 | Montana (2-13) and Montana State (0-3) |
HAWAII (one) | 1-5 | .167 | Hawaii (1-5) |
SOUTH DAKOTA (one) | 0-5 | .000 | South Dakota State (0-5) |
DELAWARE (two) | 0-6 | .000 | Delaware (0-5) and Delaware State (0-1) |
NOTE: Two states - Alaska and Maine - never had a school participate in the NCAA Division I Tournament.
On This Date: Former College Hoopers Make News on April 13 MLB Games
Extra! Extra! Amid a coronavirus outbreak, you have time to read news all about memorable major league baseball achievements, moments and transactions involving former college basketball players. Numerous ex-college hoopers had front-row seats to many of the most notable games and dates in MLB history.
Baseball is portrayed as a thinking man's game but only 4% of active MLB players earned college diplomas. Ivy League hoopers Bill Almon (Brown) and Tony Lupien (Harvard) made MLB news on this date. Unless you habitually pore over the content at baseballlibrary.com, baseballreference.com and nationalpastime.com, following is an April 13 calendar focusing on such versatile MLB athletes:
APRIL 13
Montreal Expos SS Bill Almon (averaged 2.5 ppg in half season for Brown's 1972-73 basketball team ending school's streak of 12 straight losing records) stroked four hits in a 5-4 win against the Philadelphia Phillies in 1980.
In his first MLB game in 1954, Detroit Tigers 2B Frank Bolling (averaged 7.3 ppg for Spring Hill AL in 1950-51) belted a homer off Baltimore Orioles P Don Larsen.
San Diego Padres RF Tony Gwynn (All-WAC second-team selection with San Diego State in 1979-80 and 1980-81) and two teammates establish a MLB record by each hitting a homer as the first three batters in the bottom of the first inning of their 1987 home opener against San Francisco Giants RHP Roger Mason (multiple-year letterman in late 1970s for Saginaw Valley State MI).
Boston Red Sox C Duane Josephson (led Northern Iowa in scoring in 1962-63 and 1963-64 under coach Norm Stewart) opened the scoring with a second-inning, two-run homer off Denny McLain in a 5-3 victory against the Washington Senators in 1971.
1B Tony Lupien (Harvard hoops captain in 1938-39) awarded on waivers from the Boston Red Sox to the Philadelphia Phillies in 1944.
St. Louis Cardinals CF Wally Moon (averaged 4.3 ppg with Texas A&M in 1948-49 and 1949-50) swatted a homer against the Chicago Cubs in his first at-bat en route to becoming 1954 N.L. Rookie of the Year.
Detroit Tigers RHP Jeff Robinson (two-time NAIA All-District 3 hoops honoree in early 1980s left Azusa Pacific CA as school's No. 9 all-time scorer) hurled a four-hit shutout against the Minnesota Twins in 1989.
St. Louis Cardinals closer Lee Smith (averaged 3.4 ppg and 1.9 rpg with Northwestern State in 1976-77) set MLB record for most career saves in 1993 (mark subsequently broken).
Chicago White Sox DH Jim Thome (played junior-college hoops for Illinois Central in 1988-89) smacked a homer in his fourth consecutive contest in 2006.
RHP Jim Wilson (hoops letterman for San Diego State's 1942 NAIA Tournament participant) purchased from the Milwaukee Braves by the Baltimore Orioles in 1955.
California Angels RF Dave Winfield (starting forward with Minnesota's first NCAA playoff team in 1972) collected 15 total bases and six RBI on three homers, a double and single in a 15-9 verdict over the Minnesota Twins in 1991.
How West Has Lost: Majority of Tourney Dirty Dozen West of Old Man River
An unsightly Pac-12 Conference flop in the NCAA playoffs the previous two years shouldn't have been a surprise unless you put stock in creepy porn lawyer #Avenaughty as a #Dimorat presidential candidate or always believe contrived comments from Muslim Brotherhood apologist/former CIA chief John "NBC News' Snoopy" Brennan. But at tourney time, the West frequently is worst. Oregon State (12-20) has the worst tourney record among longstanding power-league members. Moreover, Wyoming is the only former national champion (1943) to compile an all-time NCAA playoff record more than five games below .500 (9-20).
Everett Shelton, coach of Wyoming's titlist, is the only championship team bench boss to finish with a non-winning playoff record (4-12 from 1941 through 1958) and was more games under .500 in NCAA Division I Tournament competition than any coach in history until supplanted by Fran Dunphy (3-17 with Penn and Temple from 1993 through 2019). Also, Shelton is the only coach to lose three consecutive regional final games (1947, 1948 and 1949).
Joining Dunphy and Shelton among the eight coaches more than six games under .500 in NCAA playoff play are Rick Byrd (1-8 with Belmont from 2006 through 2019), Pete Carril (4-11 with Princeton from 1969 through 1996), Don Corbett (0-7 with North Carolina A&T from 1982 through 1988), Hugh Greer (1-8 with Connecticut from 1951 through 1960), Stew Morrill (1-9 with Montana and Utah State from 1991 through 2011) and Mike Vining (0-7 with Louisiana-Monroe from 1982 through 1996).
BYU, New Mexico State and Utah State are more games below .500 than any institutions in NCAA playoff history (minus 17). Would any of this trio emerged from tourney tomb this year if not for coronavirus cancellation? More than half of the following 12 schools at least 10 games below .500 in NCAA tourney competition are from west of the Mississippi River:
School Playoff Record Games Below .500 Mark Summary of Tournament Tumult Brigham Young 15-32 minus 17 only one of victories was by fewer than six points New Mexico State 10-27 minus 17 lost last 12 games since 1993 after winning seven of 11 contests from 1968 through 1970 Utah State 6-23 minus 17 lost 17 of last 18 games with only victory in that span in OT against Ohio State in 2001 Princeton 13-29 minus 16 lost eight of first nine games from 1952 through 1963 and last five contests since 1998 Iona 1-14 minus 13 13 straight setbacks with first four of them by fewer than four points from 1980 through 1998 Miami (Ohio) 6-19 minus 13 only victory in 10-game span from 1969 through 1992 was in OT against defending NCAA champion Marquette in 1978 Murray State 4-17 minus 13 lost 11 games in a row from 1988 through 2006 Penn 13-26 minus 13 lost last 10 games and 15 of last 16 after entering 1979 Final Four with winning playoff record (11-9) Montana 2-13 minus 11 won inaugural game in 1975 but lost last four contests since 2012 by an average of 26 points Weber State 6-17 minus 11 seven of last nine defeats since 1979 were by fewer than 12 points Wyoming 9-20 minus 11 1943 NCAA titlist before losing 12 of 13 games from 1947 through 1967 Creighton 12-22 minus 10 incurred four defeats by fewer than five points from 1974 through 1981
On This Date: Former College Hoopers Make News on April 12 MLB Games
Extra! Extra! As a new season still needs to shift into gear, you have time to read news all about memorable major league baseball achievements, moments and transactions involving former college basketball players! Numerous ex-college hoopers had front-row seats to many of the most notable games and dates in MLB history.
Baseball is portrayed as a thinking man's game but only 4% of active MLB players earned college diplomas. Two small-college hoopers from Pennsylvania - Dick Hall (Swarthmore) and Lynn Jones (Thiel) - made MLB news on this date. Unless you habitually pore over the content at baseballlibrary.com, baseballreference.com and nationalpastime.com, following is an April 12 calendar focusing on such versatile MLB athletes:
APRIL 12
RHP Rich Beck (listed on Gonzaga's basketball roster in 1961-62) purchased from the Philadelphia Phillies by the New York Yankees in 1965.
In his initial MLB appearance in 1961, San Francisco Giants INF Ernie Bowman (East Tennessee State hoops letterman in 1954-55 and 1955-56) scored the game-winning tally as a pinch-runner in a 2-1 victory against the Pittsburgh Pirates.
RHP Dick Hall (averaged 13.5 ppg from 1948-49 through 1950-51 for Swarthmore PA Middle Atlantic States Conference Southern Division champions) traded by the Kansas City Athletics to the Baltimore Orioles in 1961.
In 1961, San Francisco Giants C Tom Haller (backup forward for Illinois in 1956-57 and 1957-58 under coach Harry Combes) stroked his first MLB hit, a homer off Pittsburgh Pirates P Vern Law.
A pinch-hit homer by OF Lynn Jones (averaged 10.4 ppg for Thiel PA from 1970-71 through 1973-74) accounted for the Detroit Tigers' only runs in a 6-2 loss against the Toronto Blue Jays in 1981.
Cleveland Indians rookie CF Kenny Lofton (Arizona's leader in steals for 1988 Final Four team compiling 35-3 record) swiped four bases against the Boston Red Sox in the opener of a 1992 doubleheader.
Seattle Mariners RF Leon Roberts (grabbed one rebound in four basketball games for Michigan in 1970-71 under coach Johnny Orr) contributed a sacrifice fly and two solo homers, including game-winning blast in bottom of the 10th inning, in 3-2 win against the Toronto Blue Jays in 1980.
Detroit Tigers RHP Jeff Robinson (two-time NAIA All-District 3 hoops honoree in early 1980s left Azusa Pacific CA as school's No. 9 all-time scorer) won his MLB debut, allowing only one run in seven innings in a 7-1 victory against the Chicago White Sox in 1987.
After a pair of rainouts, 1B-OF Norm Siebern (member of Southwest Missouri State's back-to-back hoops NAIA Tournament titlists in 1952 and 1953) socked a decisive eighth-inning HR to give the New York Yankees a season-opening 3-2 win over the visiting Boston Red Sox in 1959.
Pittsburgh Pirates RHP Kent Tekulve (freshman hooper for Marietta OH in mid-1960s) commenced a streak of 12 relief appearances in a row without allowing an earned run in 1978.
Pittsburgh Pirates LHP Bob Veale (scored 1,160 points from 1955-56 through 1957-58 with Benedictine KS) outdueled San Francisco Giants P Juan Marichal, 1-0, in 1965.
San Diego Padres RF Will Venable (All-Ivy League first-team selection as junior and second-team choice as senior averaged 9.3 ppg under Princeton coach John Thompson III from 2001-02 through 2004-05) scored four runs against the Atlanta Braves in 2010.