Extra! Extra! Read all about memorable major league baseball achievements and moments involving former college basketball players! Baseball is portrayed as a thinking man's game but only 4% of active MLB players earned college diplomas. Nonetheless, numerous ex-college hoopers had front-row seats to many of the most notable games, transactions and dates in MLB history.

Former St. Joseph's (Ind.) and Oakland City (Ind.) hooper Gil Hodges owned this "doubleheader" date in MLB annals. Unless you habitually pore over the content at baseballlibrary.com, baseballreference.com and nationalpastime.com, following is a May 30 calendar focusing on such versatile MLB athletes:

MAY 30

• Boston Red Sox 1B Dale Alexander (starting basketball center for Milligan TN in mid-1920s) suffered a career-ending injury in 1933 (therapy for twisted knee sliding into home plate led to third-degree burns, gangrene and near loss of his leg). Four years earlier as a Detroit Tigers rookie, he launched a homer in both ends of a 1929 doubleheader split against the St. Louis Browns.

• Pittsburgh Pirates LF Clyde Barnhart (hooper for Shippensburg PA predecessor Cumberland Valley State Normal School prior to World War I) collected four hits, four runs scored and five RBI against the St. Louis Cardinals in the nightcap of a 1925 doubleheader.

• Detroit Tigers 2B Frank Bolling (averaged 7.3 ppg for Spring Hill AL in 1950-51) blasted two homers in a 3-2 win against the Kansas City Athletics in the nightcap of a 1957 twinbill.

• RHP Ownie Carroll (Holy Cross hoops letterman in 1922) traded with Harry Rice by the Detroit Tigers in 1930 to the New York Yankees for two members of the legendary 1927 squad featuring Murderers' Row (P Waite Hoyt and SS Mark Koenig).

• In 1955, Milwaukee Braves 1B George Crowe (four-year letterman from 1939-40 through 1942-43 for Indiana Central after becoming first high school player named state's Mr. Basketball) closed out the month with five multiple-hit games, homering in three of the contests.

• San Francisco Giants 1B Darrell Evans (member of Jerry Tarkanian-coached Pasadena City CA club winning 1967 state community college hoops crown) homered twice against the San Diego Padres in the opener of a 1977 twinbill.

• 3B Gene Freese (hoops captain of 1952 NAIA Tournament team for West Liberty WV) whacked two homers, powering the Cincinnati Reds to a 1961 doubleheader sweep of the Los Angeles Dodgers.

• Brooklyn Robins/Dodgers 3B Wally Gilbert (Valparaiso hoops captain in early 1920s) supplied six straight safeties in a doubleheader sweep of the New York Giants in 1931.

• Detroit Tigers 1B Hank Greenberg (enrolled at NYU on hoops scholarship in 1929 but attended college only one semester) went 5-for-5, including four runs, two homers and five RBI, against the St. Louis Browns in a 1937 game.

• Pittsburgh Pirates SS Dick Groat (two-time All-American with Duke in 1950-51 and 1951-52 when finishing among nation's top five scorers each season) went 4-for-4 and scored four runs in the nightcap of a 1958 twinbill against the Milwaukee Braves.

• C Frank Grube (starting hoops guard for Lafayette as senior in 1926-27), two teammates and Chicago White Sox manager Lew Fonseca involved in a fight with an umpire under the stands after a doubleheader loss at Cleveland in 1932.

• Brooklyn Dodgers 1B Gil Hodges (hooper for St. Joseph's IN in 1943 and Oakland City IN in 1947 and 1948) knocked in eight runs against the Boston Braves in a 1952 doubleheader sweep. The next year, Hodges homered twice against the Pittsburgh Pirates in the opener of a 1953 twinbill. In 1958 after the Dodgers moved to Los Angeles, Hodges homered in both ends of a doubleheader against the Chicago Cubs. Four years later, Hodges homered three times in a 1962 twinbill against the New York Mets.

• Washington Senators LF Frank Howard (two-time All-Big Ten Conference first-team selection when leading Ohio State in scoring and rebounding in 1956-57 and 1957-58) hammered two homers and chipped in with six RBI against the Kansas City Athletics in the opener of a 1967 twinbill.

• New York Yankees LF Charlie Keller (three-year hoops letterman with Maryland from 1934-35 through 1936-37) went 4-for-4 against the Philadelphia Athletics in the nightcap of a 1946 doubleheader.

• RHP Cal Koonce (Campbell standout in 1960 and 1961 when North Carolina-based school was junior college), after helping the New York Mets sweep a twinbill against the Pittsburgh Pirates, didn't allow a run in his first 13 relief appearances in 1968.

• St. Louis Cardinals SS Doc Lavan (Hope MI hooper from 1908 through 1910) had six hits in a 1921 twinbill sweep of the Cincinnati Reds.

• Baltimore Orioles rookie RHP Dave Leonhard (averaged 4.8 ppg with Johns Hopkins MD in 1961-62) tossed his second shutout of the month in 1968 (two-hitter after earlier one-hitter).

• RF Sam Mele (NYU's leading scorer in 1943 NCAA playoffs) traded by the Washington Senators to the Chicago White Sox in 1952.

• Cleveland Indians 1B Ed Morgan (Tulane hoops letterman from 1923-24 through 1925-26) contributed five RBI in a 12-6 win against the Chicago White Sox in the opener of a 1932 doubleheader.

• Washington Senators 3B Buddy Myer (Mississippi State hoops letterman in 1923-24) hit safely in all 22 games of the month and 24 in a row overall in 1929.

• Chicago Cubs rookie C Cal Neeman (Illinois Wesleyan's leading scorer in 1947-48 and 1948-49) hit safely in last 11 contests of the month in 1957.

• The Chicago Cubs went 32 games in 1943 before hitting a homer prior to RF Bill Nicholson (hoops guard for Washington College MD two years in mid-1930s) knocking a couple of balls beyond the outfield barrier in a 5-1 victory over the Braves. His first of a pair of two-run blasts came in the team's 1,120th at-bat of the season.

• 1B Jackie Robinson (highest scoring average in Pacific Coast Conference both of his seasons with UCLA in 1939-40 and 1940-41) ripped a 13th-inning homer to give the Brooklyn Dodgers a 2-1 win over the New York Giants in the opener of a 1949 doubleheader.

• Cleveland Indians LF Preston Ward (second-leading scorer for Southwest Missouri State in 1946-47 and 1948-49) walloped two homers against the Chicago White Sox in the nightcap of a 1956 twinbill.

• St. Louis Cardinals 1B Bill White (two-year hooper with Hiram OH in early 1950s) supplied two homers and six RBI against the Los Angeles Dodgers in a 1960 game.

• San Diego Padres RF Dave Winfield (starting forward for Minnesota's first NCAA playoff team in 1972) knocked in five runs against the Atlanta Braves in a 1979 contest.

How many Paul DeJongs were former college basketball players before making it on the diamond? A year ago today, DeJong (St. Louis Cardinals shortstop) became the 118th MLB player hitting a homer in his first at-bat. Among the five ex-college hoopers homering in first at-bat on the following chronological list, Hofstra's Brant Alyea is the only one to go deep on the initial MLB pitch he faced:

*Alyea, who led Hofstra in scoring and rebounding in 1960-61 under coach Butch van Breda Kolff, is one of 29 players hitting homer on first MLB pitch he faced.

Extra! Extra! Read all about memorable major league baseball achievements and moments involving former college basketball players! Baseball is portrayed as a thinking man's game but only 4% of active MLB players earned college diplomas. Nonetheless, numerous ex-college hoopers had front-row seats to many of the most notable games, transactions and dates in MLB history.

Former Santa Clara basketball guards Tim Cullen and Randy Winn each supplied MLB-career defining games on this date. Unless you habitually pore over the content at baseballlibrary.com, baseballreference.com and nationalpastime.com, following is a May 27 calendar focusing on such versatile MLB athletes:

MAY 27

• CF Ethan Allen (Cincinnati basketball letterman in 1924-25 and 1925-26) traded by the Cincinnati Reds to the New York Giants in 1930. Five years later, Allen was with the Philadelphia Phillies when he stroked four hits in a 4-2 win against the Pittsburgh Pirates.

• Philadelphia Athletics C Mickey Cochrane (Boston University hooper in early 1920s) whacked two homers against the Detroit Tigers in a 1933 game.

• INF Pat Crawford (Davidson hoops captain in early 1920s) traded by the New York Giants to Cincinnati Reds in 1930.

• Washington Senators 2B Tim Cullen (starting guard for Santa Clara in 1962-63 when averaging 10 ppg and 3.4 rpg) contributed four hits in an 8-1 victory against the Detroit Tigers in 1967.

• Boston Red Sox rookie RHP Boo Ferriss (Mississippi State hoops letterman in 1941) tossed his fourth shutout in first six starts in 1945.

• Baltimore Orioles 3B Wayne Gross (led Cal Poly Pomona in assists in 1974-75) cracked a grand slam against the California Angels in a 1984 outing.

• Cleveland Indians 1B Mike Hargrove (Northwestern Oklahoma State hoops letterman) provided at least three hits in fourth consecutive contest in 1981.

• Los Angeles Dodgers RF Frank Howard (two-time All-Big Ten Conference first-team selection when leading Ohio State in scoring and rebounding in 1956-57 and 1957-58) went 4-for-4 against the Philadelphia Phillies in the opener of a 1962 doubleheader.

• RHP Andy Karl (Manhattan hoops letterman in mid-1930s) traded by the Philadelphia Phillies to the Boston Braves in 1947.

• Cleveland Indians CF Kenny Lofton (Arizona's leader in steals for 1988 Final Four team compiling 35-3 record) went 3-for-3 with three stolen bases against the Oakland Athletics in a 1994 game.

• Chicago Cubs LF Les Mann (Springfield MA hooper in 1913 and 1914) went 4-for-4 against the New York Giants in a 1918 game.

• Brooklyn Dodgers LHP Preacher Roe (Harding AR hooper in late 1930s) fired the second of back-to-back shutouts in 1949.

• Closer Lee Smith (averaged 3.4 ppg and 1.9 rpg with Northwestern State in 1976-77) traded by the California Angels to the Cincinnati Reds in 1996.

• Chicago Cubs LF Riggs Stephenson (Alabama hoops letterman in 1920) provided three straight three-hit games in 1927. Four years later in 1931, Stephenson went 4-for-4, including three extra-base hits, against the Cincinnati Reds. In a 1932 contest, he went 4-for-4 again against the Reds.

• In 1975, Oakland Athletics RHP Jim Todd (averaged 16 ppg for Millersville PA in 1968-69 after transferring from Parsons IA) didn't allow an earned run in nine straight relief appearances in the month until doing so against the Baltimore Orioles.

• Seattle Mariners LF Randy Winn (Santa Clara backcourtmate of eventual two-time NBA Most Valuable Player Steve Nash in 1993-94) went 5-for-5 in a 15-7 triumph against the Kansas City Royals in 2003.

Some gave all. The fallen didn't have to worry about manipulation of waiting lists and receiving proper medical care from the VA because they didn't make it back home alive. Unless you're an inferiority-complex coward comparable to BSNBC up-tight host Chris Hayes uncomfortable with calling fallen military "heroes", hoops aficionado/despicable NOKO despot Kim Jong Un or presstitute-promoted #ShrillaryRotten telling lies in front of caskets at Air Force base, a Memorial Day weekend generates sobering reminders of what is really important to our freedom. College basketball ultimate-sacrifice contributions are aplenty, magnified in first-class significance when compared to low-class scheming by FBI/CIA/DOJ upper brass. Who do you really believe the memorialized specifically and military in general would and do support more - pushy President Trump or pussy press infested by jet-lagged #CNNSucks, "dynastic" dolts at MSNBC and Obama lackey "dude" Ben Rhodes on election night?

While Baylor's football program became Animal House, the school's basketball roster developed a reputation the past several seasons for having some "soft" players who played with the fervor of a man holding his female companion's purse at the mall much of a shopping excursion afternoon. But Baylor is believed to be the only non-service academy in America to have two former athletes go on to win the Congressional Medal of Honor. Both men, Jack Lummus and John "Killer" Kane, earned the nation's highest military honor for heroics in World War II. Lummus played football, basketball and baseball for the Bears from 1938 through 1941. He was an All-Southwest Conference center fielder before signing with the NFL's New York Giants.

After one year of pro football, Lummus joined the U.S. Marines and was a platoon leader in the initial days of fighting on Iwo Jima. While leading a charge on enemy positions, Lummus stepped on a land mine and lost both legs. Despite heavy bleeding, he led his platoon to knock out several pockets of Japanese fire, a vital part of the U.S. victory. Alas, Lummus died of his wounds shortly after the battle.

Kane, who also played football and basketball, was one of the survivors on Baylor's ill-fated 1927 basketball squad that lost 10 of its 21-member traveling party in a bus-train wreck en route to Austin, Tex. As a result of the "Immortal Ten" tragedy, the remainder of the first of coach Ralph Wolf's 15 seasons was cancelled, and the first highway overpass in Texas was constructed.

Kane joined the Army Air Corps in 1932 and soon became a bomber commander of legendary proportions. It was said he was the best pilot and toughest commander in the Air Corps. It was often debated who feared him more - the Germans or his own men.

On August 1, 1943, Kane led what at the time was the deadliest air battle in history - a low-level, long-range bombing raid on Hitler's oil-refining complex in Rumania. The site produced a major portion of the Axis' fuel and was one of the most heavily-guarded locations in history.

Letting freedom ring, the heroism exhibited by ex-hoopers doesn't stop there. Al Brown, Creighton's leading scorer in 1925-26, survived the infamous Bataan Death March in the Philippines. More recently, Eric "Nasty Zasty" Zastoupil (2.5 ppg and 1.7 rpg for Army from 2006-07 through 2009-10) was on foot patrol in Kandahar, Afghanistan, in mid-August 2012 when an IED explosion blew off lower half of first lieutenant's left leg. Amid "Taps" playing in the background and issuing kudos to research by baseballsgreatestsacrifice.com, ex-players warranting salutes for making the supreme sacrifice include:

• All 11 regulars on Pittsburgh's 1941 Final Four team participated in World War II and one of them, guard Bob Artman, was killed in action.

• Kentucky players who competed multiple years for the Wildcats before they were killed during WWII included Mel Brewer (Army second lieutenant/died in France), Ken England (Army captain of ski troop/Italy), James Goforth (Marine first lieutenant/Marshall Islands) and Jim King (Army second lieutenant and co-pilot/Germany). Brewer, England and King were three of the top seven scorers for UK's first NCAA Tournament and Final Four team in 1942.

• Bart Avery, an Alabama letterman in 1942 and 1943, was killed in action on April 6, 1945, as a newly-promoted captain aiding final push against the Germans.

• Archie Buckley, letterman from 1928 to 1930 as a Washington State forward, was a Lieutenant in charge of physical conditioning of Navy pilots aboard the USS Saratoga aircraft carrier on February 21, 1945, when he was among 123 crew members dead or missing after five Kamikaze bomb hits.

• Young Bussey, a letterman for LSU in the late 1930s, participated in numerous landing assaults in the South Pacific during WWII before dying as head beach-master in early January 1945 in the Philippines.

• Bob "Ace" Calkins, UCLA's top scorer in the late 1930s before Jackie Robinson arrived, was navigator on an airplane ("The Flying Fortress") gunned down during WWII. He later died in an Italian prison camp from wounds suffered in the crash.

• John Campbell, a four-year hooper for Dickinson (Pa.), was a Second Lieutenant who failed to return from Army Air Corps sea sweep mission off northeastern Tunisia in late March 1943.

• Edward Christl, a center and Army team captain for the Cadets' unbeaten squad in 1944, was a first lieutenant during WWII the next year when he was killed in action. Army's arena is named after him.

• Joe Comer, captain of George Washington's 1940-41 squad, was an Army Lieutenant two years later when he died in a military plane crash.

• Andy Curlee, Auburn's captain in late 1930s, died on April 6, 1943, when the First Lieutenant was leading his squadron in Tunisia.

• Francis "Reds" Daly, a Georgetown letterman from 1938 through 1940, was killed in action during the Battle of Iwo Jima on February 22, 1945.

• George Davison, a Washington State letterman in 1943, was a Second Lieutenant on March 18, 1945, when he was killed in action while his infantry regiment was attacking German Siegfried Line positions south of Zweibrucken.

• Colorado A&M's Lewis "Dude" Dent, voted the best all-around athlete in the Mountain States Conference in 1943, was an Army lieutenant among forward observers giving firing coordinates on the radio when killed in action in France in August 1944.

• Edward Drake, who played for Rutgers in 1929-30, died on December 21, 1943, in a plane crash over the Mediterranean Sea shortly after his promotion to Major.

• Bob Duffey, a backup swingman for Georgetown's 1943 NCAA Tournament runner-up, was killed on November 13, 1944, in European theater combat. Teammate Lloyd Potolicchio, who matched DePaul legend George Mikan's 11-point output in the 1943 national semifinals when the Hoyas eliminated the Blue Demons before bowing to Wyoming in title tilt, joined the Air Force. Potolicchio was boom operator Master Sergeant when killed in a refueling mission on January 17, 1966, in a B-52 crash off the coast of southern Spain. His KC-135 tanker was completely destroyed when its fuel load ignited, resulting in the B-52G breaking apart with B28RI hydrogen weapons falling to earth and plutonium contamination occurring near the fishing village of Palomares. In March 2009, Time magazine identified the Palomares accident as one of the world's "worst nuclear disasters."

• Texas' Pete Edmond died on October 11, 1918, charging a German machine-gun position in the battle of the Argonne Forest, one of the bloodiest campaigns in the history of American warfare.

• Second Lieutenant John Eggleton (Alfred NY) was an Army platoon leader on December 11, 1942, when he died while engaging German tanks and artillery on road outside Tunis in North Africa.

• Charles "Herb" Fash averaged 7.2 points per game for Saint Louis from 1933-34 through 1935-36. On January 21, 1945, the Lieutenant was one of 52 sailors killed when a torpedo bomber, returning from a South Pacific sortie, made a routine landing on the USS Hancock, taxied and disintegrated in an explosion as one of its 500-pound bombs detonated on the aircraft carrier.

• Bob Fischer, letterman in 1941 and 1942 as a Notre Dame guard, was serving with an Army squadron on November 17, 1944, when he was killed while bailing out of his fighter plane as it went down in flames over Italy.

• William Gamber, a hooper for Tri-State (Ind.), was a pilot who died with three aspiring Army Air Corps fliers on November 18, 1942, on a routine training mission after leaving Mather Field in Sacramento. In 1947, it was determined their plane crashed hundreds of miles off course into 13,841-foot-high Mount Darwin in Kings Canyon National Park after a hiker initially discovered some of the wreckage on a glacier. Sixty-three years later, climbers discovered his body entombed in ice.

• Bob Gary, captain for Washington & Lee (Va.), was a navigator on a routine training flight in early February 1944 when his bomber crashed Southeast of El Paso.

• Montana State's Cyrus Gatton, a pilot with the 11th Aero Squadron, was killed in action in Europe the first week in November 1918, a week before the Armistice was signed ending World War I.

• James Gillespie, Georgia letterman in 1939, served in the Navy when killed in action.

• Eddie Grant, who played basketball for Harvard at the turn of the 20th Century before becoming an infielder for 10 years in the majors, died from shelling on October 5, 1918, in the Argonne Forest, France, during WWI while in charge of his battalion after his commanding officer was killed.

• Frank Haggerty, St. John's senior co-captain in 1939-40 who averaged 5 points per game in his three-year career under legendary coach Joe Lapchick, was a Second Lieutenant in Air Force. Haggerty was killed instantly on training mission in fall of 1942 when his plane crashed into the Catawba River in Charlotte area.

• Ernie Holbrook was a three-year letterman as USC forward and hero of 1935 PCC playoff series against Oregon State. He died in mid-December 1944 during opening salvos of the Ardennes offensive in Luxembourg during the Battle of the Bulge.

• Bob Holmes was a forward who helped guide Central Methodist (Mo.) to MCAU title in 1942-43. In the Marines invasion of Iwo Jima in mid-February 1945, he was mortally wounded while spraying the enemy with machine gun fire. Holmes subsequently was buried at sea.

• Thomas P. Hunter, a three-year letterman who was a sophomore member of Kansas' 1940 runner-up, was killed in action against the Japanese on Guam, July 21, 1944, while fighting with the Ninth Marines as a first lieutenant. Hunter was elected posthumously as captain of the Jayhawks' 1945-46 squad that compiled a 19-2 record.

• Nile Kinnick, Iowa's Heisman Trophy winner as a quarterback-halfback in 1939, played basketball for the Hawkeyes during his sophomore year, averaging 6.1 ppg to finish as their second-leading scorer. After bypassing pro football to attend law school, he was killed in a plane crash on June 2, 1943, on a routine training flight from the aircraft carrier USS Lexington off the coast of Venezuela while serving in the Navy. Kinnick's body never was recovered after his attempt to land in the water following a serious oil leak.

• George Lenc, a four-year letterman for Augustana (Ill.) in the late 1930s, was completing his cadet training as a bombardier and navigator in mid-November 1942 when his bomber crashed near Pasco, Wash.

• Felix Little, a player for Catawba (N.C.) in the late 1930s, was a Navy bomber pilot among nine crew and passengers who perished when a port engine exploded and plane crashed while leaving runway.

• James Loenshal, a Dickinson (Pa.) hooper, was co-pilot on a mission to bomb an oil refinery near Vienna when the Lieutenant in Army Air Force's aircraft disintegrated in mid-air upon receiving a direct hit from enemy anti-aircraft artillery.

• Walter "Whitey" Loos, an EIBC honorable mention selection as a Carnegie Tech (Pa.) center, died as a navigator in a B-24 plane crash in Brazil in mid-January 1944 on the final leg of a journey to Europe.

• Center Bill Menke, the third-leading scorer for Indiana's 1940 NCAA champion who supplied a team-high 10 points in the Hoosiers' national semifinal victory over Duquesne, later became a Navy pilot and served in World War II. In January 1945, he was declared missing in action (and presumed dead) when he didn't return from a flight in the Caribbean.

• John Messina, a member of coach Frank Keaney's innovative fast-break system at Rhode Island State in the mid-1930s, was a paratrooper when killed on July 13, 1943, during the invasion of Sicily.

• Joe Minsavage appeared in 12 games for Syracuse before joining the Navy. On June 19, 1943, he was on board the Henry Knox in the Indian Ocean when it was torpedoed by a Japanese ship.

• Army Air Force Lieutenant Ralph Nutter, who played for McNeese State's first basketball team when the school was a junior college, died in a plane crash in June 1943.

• Mortimer "Whitey" O'Connell, who played a couple of seasons for Rutgers in the early 1930s, died on March 15, 1945, in a hospital in France.

• Kenneth Omley, who played for Rutgers in the late 1930s and early 1940s, died while in England on November 25, 1944, as a result of wounds received in a plane crash.

• Harry "Porky" O'Neill paced Gettysburg (Pa.) to two Eastern Pennsylvania Conference championships in the late 1930s and caught one game for the Philadelphia Athletics in 1939. After surviving the worst of the horrific fighting at Iwo Jima, the Marine first lieutenant was killed instantly on March 6, 1945, by a sniper's bullet piercing his throat and severing his spinal cord as he prepared to bed down on a starlit night. Gettysburg teammate Gerst Buyer, a First Lieutenant, had died on May 25, 1944, in Italy amid heavy Armored Division tank losses.

• First Lieutenant Jim O'Sullivan (Bates ME) was killed in action in the South Pacific on April 3, 1943, when Marine pilot crash landed at Guadalcanal after returning from a task force coverage mission.

• Captain Scott Pace, who played for Army in 2002-03, died in Afghanistan on June 6, 2012, when the helicopter he was piloting crashed after being hit by Taliban fire.

• Charles "Stubbie" Pearson, captain of Dartmouth's 1942 national runner-up and valedictorian of his class the same year, was killed in action on March 30, 1945, while dive-bombing a Japanese ship off the Palau Islands. Pearson, who also served as captain of the school's football squad, was posthumously awarded the Distinguished Flying Cross.

• Four-sport letterman Tommy Peters, who averaged 17.5 ppg to lead the Southern Conference in scoring in 1942-43, died during WWII after only one season with Davidson.

• San Diego State's Milton "Milky" Phelps, the NAIA Tournament's first bona fide standout when he sparked the Aztecs to the 1941 title after two runner-up finishes, gave his life for his country during WWII in the crash of a Navy torpedo bomber.

• Curtis Popham, Texas' co-captain in 1943, was killed during WWII.

• Robert Roach, a member of Omaha's squad before entering the military, was a second lieutenant in the Army Air Forces in July 1945 when he died in the crash of his plane in Arizona, where he was an instructor.

• Jim Robertson was an All-Northwest Conference selection for Willamette (Ore.) in 1941-42. The Marine Corps airman's bomber, damaged by Japanese anti-aircraft fire in the South Pacific, overshot an island runway attempting a landing in heavy rain and crashed into a lagoon.

• Glenn Sanford, who enrolled at Hillsdale (Mich.) in the late 1930s, was an Army Second Lieutenant stationed in Oakland area in early November 1943 when his plane spiraled into the ocean on a routine patrol along the coast.

• Wilmeth Sidat-Singh, Syracuse's first African-American athlete in the late 1930s, became a fighter pilot in a unit known as the Tuskegee Airmen. On May 9, 1943, Sidat-Singh was on a training run over Lake Huron when he radioed his engine was on fire. He ejected from the plane but, upon striking the water, Sidat-Singh's parachute pulled him down and caused drowning.

• Carleton (MN) forward Wayne Sparks, a "Little All-American" in 1936-37, died in a bomber crash during WWII.

• Len Supulski, a standout end who also played basketball for Dickinson (Pa.), died in the crash of a B-17 bomber during a routine Army Air Corps training flight near Kearney, Neb., in late August 1943.

• Charles Taggart, who played in 39 games for Syracuse in the early 1930s, was in the Navy on board the USS Frederick C. Davis on April 24, 1945, when the destroyer escort was torpedoed by a German U-boat.

• Ed Tuttle, a forward for Lenior-Rhyne (N.C.), was an Air Cadet in the spring of 1942 when his plane collided head-on with another during training in Florida.

• Jimmy Walker was an All-SEC Tournament selection in 1934 and 1935 as an Alabama forward. While on duty as first lieutenant with the Navy, he was seriously wounded in an accident and died in mid-December 1943 in Brazil.

• Four-time All-MCAU forward Eugene "Peaches" Westover, class of '38 for Drury (MO), was killed December 12, 1944, at the Battle of the Bulge while private first class served in Armored Division.

• Gene Ziesel, who also played football for Creighton, was the co-pilot on a bomber shot down by the Germans at high altitude on January 11, 1943, over Italy. Previously, he was a POW in Turkey after his plane was grounded there, but this time he did not survive.

Numerous standout players had their college playing careers sidetracked by WWII. Following is a list of All-Americans who had their college days interrupted in the mid-1940s while serving in the U.S. Armed Forces:

Air Force - Charles Black (Kansas) and Jack Parkinson (Kentucky).

Army - Don Barksdale (UCLA), Lew Beck (Oregon State), A.L. Bennett (Oklahoma A&M), Gale Bishop (Washington State), Vince Boryla (Notre Dame/Denver), Harry Boykoff (St. John's), Bob Brannum (Kentucky), Arnie Ferrin (Utah), Alex Groza (Kentucky), Ralph Hamilton (Indiana), Walt Kirk (Illinois), Allie Paine (Oklahoma), Don Rehfeldt (Wisconsin), Jack Smiley (Illinois), Odie Spears (Western Kentucky) and Gerry Tucker (Oklahoma).

Marine Corps - Aud Brindley (Dartmouth), John Hargis (Texas), Mickey Marty (Loras), Andy Phillip (Illinois), Gene Rock (southern California) and Kenny Sailors (Wyoming).

Navy - Bobby Cook (Wisconsin), Howie Dallmar (Stanford/Penn), Dick Dickey (North Carolina State), Bob Faught (Notre Dame), Harold Gensichen (Western Michigan), Wyndol Gray (Bowling Green State), Hal Haskins (Hamline), Leo Klier (Notre Dame), Dick McGuire (St. John's) and John Oldham (Western Kentucky).

In an incredible achievement, Phillip and Tucker returned to first-team All-American status in 1946-47 after missing three seasons while serving in the military. Black and Sailors also returned to All-American acclaim after missing two seasons. Meanwhile, Whitey Skoog served in the U.S. Navy before becoming a three-time All-American with Minnesota in the late 1940s and early 1950s.

Gus Broberg, an aviator with the Marines after being named an NCAA consensus first-team All-American for Dartmouth in 1940 and 1941, lost his right arm in a plane crash. He went on to study law and become a respected judge in Florida. Eventual Lieutenant Governor of Arkansas Maurice Britt was awarded the Congressional Medal of Honor after suffering numerous wounds, including one causing his right arm to be amputated. In an intense fire fight during WWII, Britt personally killed five and wounded an unknown number of Germans, wiped out one enemy machine gun crew, fired five clips of carbine and an undetermined amount of M1 rifle ammunition plus threw 32 fragmentation grenades.

Fallen heroes also emerged post-WWII. Gene Berger, who started 43 games for Syracuse from 1939-40 through 1941-42, was 41 while serving on the USS Lexington stationed in San Diego in mid-September 1961 when his plane crashed into the ocean shortly after takeoff during maneuvers. Don Holleder, who averaged 9.3 ppg as a junior and 6.8 ppg as a senior for Army in the mid-1950s, was a major during the Vietnam War in October, 1967, when he was killed by a sniper's bullet in an ambush 40 miles from Saigon as he hurled himself into enemy fire attempting to rescue wounded comrades. Three months earlier, Don Steinbrunner, who averaged 3.9 ppg for Washington State in 1951-52 before playing with the NFL's Cleveland Browns, was an Air Force navigator shot down and killed over Vietnam.

Proud Americans honor and remember after they went from the playing field to battlefield! For instance, former Dayton standout Bucky Buckhorn had older brothers killed in WWII and the Korean War. That's why right-thinking Americans are disgusted when a Demonrat-controlled Senate several years ago had time for signing a letter encouraging the NFL to have the Washington Redskins change their "bigoted" nickname but wasn't "big" enough or sufficiently honorable to prevent stalling of a three-page veterans health bill. Perpetually-perplexing politicians, transitioning from Tear Down This Wall to Tear Down This Stall, may forget their "sacred obligation" similar to previous POTUS' lame emphasis on climate change rather than military salutes at a Coast Guard ceremony. However, the remainder of us will be "Rolling Thunder" and not forget genuine heroes while tolerating kneeling knuckleheads/social scholars in the NFL, petty politicians (#SickWillie, #ShrillaryRotten, Schmucky Schumer, #NannyPathetic, #MadMaxine, #ShiftySchiff, fake squaw Liz-lies-a-lotta War(whoop)ren, #AlBore, avowed socialist Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez, et al), #MessMedia misfits such as authentic "Meathead" Rob Reiner and humiliated heavyset Hollyweird heavyweight Harvey Swinestein plus putrid press like "hacked" Joy-less Reid more invested in denying #TheDonald any success than inching closer to world peace. If haggard Michael Moore is going to put his fine body on the line and God is on side of know-nothing naggers #MadMaxine and wacky "Get Out of My Butt" Whoopi, then this view is we'd be in deep spit if not for supreme sacrifices made by authentic heroes honored during Memorial Day celebration.

Extra! Extra! Read all about memorable major league baseball achievements and moments involving former college basketball players! Baseball is portrayed as a thinking man's game but only 4% of active MLB players earned college diplomas. Nonetheless, numerous ex-college hoopers had front-row seats to many of the most notable games, transactions and dates in MLB history.

Eventual Big 12 Conference members Baylor (Ted Lyons), Kansas State (Elden Auker) and Texas A&M (Davey Johnson) had former hoopers make MLB news on this date. Unless you habitually pore over the content at baseballlibrary.com, baseballreference.com and nationalpastime.com, following is a May 24 calendar focusing on such versatile MLB athletes:

MAY 24

• Detroit Tigers 1B Dale Alexander (starting basketball center for Milligan TN in mid-1920s) whacked two homers in an 8-7 defeat against the Chicago White Sox in 1930.

• RHP Elden Auker (All-Big Six Conference first five hoops selection with Kansas State in 1931-32) pitched the first night game in St. Louis in 1940 when Cleveland Indians Hall of Fame P Bob Feller defeated the Browns, 3-2.

• Chicago Cubs 2B Glenn Beckert (three-year hoops letterman for Allegheny PA) went 4-for-4 in a 4-3 win against the Cincinnati Reds in the nightcap of a 1967 twinbill.

• Subbing for Chicago Cubs Hall of Fame 1B Ernie Banks, Leo Burke (averaged 9.2 ppg for Virginia Tech in 1952-53 and 1953-54) went 3-for-3 with two extra-base hits against the Cincinnati Reds in the nightcap of a 1964 doubleheader.

• Philadelphia Athletics C Mickey Cochrane (Boston University hooper in early 1920s) went 4-for-4 against the Washington Senators in a 1929 game. Eight years later with the Detroit Tigers, Cochrane collected four hits against the Senators in a 1937 contest.

• St. Louis Cardinals CF Taylor Douthit (California hoops letterman from 1922 through 1924) went 4-for-4 against the Cincinnati Reds in the nightcap of a 1931 twinbill.

• Philadelphia Phillies rookie 2B Denny Doyle (averaged 2.7 ppg for Morehead State in 1962-63) banged out four hits against the St. Louis Cardinals in a 1970 outing. The next year, Doyle's two-run homer gave Philly a 2-1 victory against the Cincinnati Reds in 1971.

• Davey Johnson (averaged 1.7 ppg with Texas A&M in 1961-62) replaced Tony Perez as manager of the Cincinnati Reds in 1993.

• Chicago White Sox RHP Ted Lyons (two-time All-SWC first-team hoops selection for Baylor in early 1920s) surrendered 24 hits in going the distance in a 21-inning, 6-5 defeat against the Detroit Tigers in 1929. In 1946, 45-year-old Lyons relinquished the mound to become manager of the White Sox. In his last 28 appearances, he hurled complete games.

• St. Louis Browns rookie RHP Dave Madison (LSU hoops letterman from 1939-40 through 1942-43) didn't yield a run in his first eight relief appearances in 1952.

• New York Giants RHP Christy Mathewson (Bucknell hooper at turn of 20th Century) defeated the St. Louis Cardinals 24 consecutive times until losing to the Cards, 3-1, in 1909.

• Atlanta Braves rookie RHP Ron Reed (Notre Dame's leading rebounder in 1963-64 and 1964-65) won his sixth straight start in 1968.

• 1B Howie Schultz (Hamline MN product played and coached professional basketball) awarded on waivers from the Philadelphia Phillies to the Cincinnati Reds in 1948.

• In the midst of five straight starts yielding fewer than three earned runs, Pittsburgh Pirates LHP Bob Veale (scored 1,160 points from 1955-56 through 1957-58 for Benedictine KS) tossed a three-hit shutout against the Montreal Expos in 1970.

• San Diego Padres OF 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) supplied four hits and scored three runs against the Los Angeles Dodgers in a 2015 contest.

• 1B-OF Preston Ward (second-leading scorer for Southwest Missouri State in 1946-47 and 1948-49) contributed a triple and homer in helping the Pittsburgh Pirates snap an 11-game losing streak with a 15-1 romp over the Brooklyn Dodgers in 1955.

Extra! Extra! Read all about memorable major league baseball achievements and moments involving former college basketball players! Baseball is portrayed as a thinking man's game but only 4% of active MLB players earned college diplomas. Nonetheless, numerous ex-college hoopers had front-row seats to many of the most notable games, transactions and dates in MLB history.

Former college hoopers George Altman (Tennessee State), Bruce Bochte (Santa Clara), Bill Davis (Minnesota), Dick Gernert (Temple) and Gil Hodges (St. Joseph's IN/Oakland City IN) made news as MLB first basemen on this date. Unless you habitually pore over the content at baseballlibrary.com, baseballreference.com and nationalpastime.com, following is a May 22 calendar focusing on such versatile MLB athletes:

MAY 22

• Chicago Cubs 1B George Altman (appeared in 1953 and 1954 NAIA Basketball Tournament with Tennessee State) swatted two homers in a 4-3 win against the Atlanta Braves in the nightcap of a 1966 doubleheader.

• Seattle Mariners 1B Bruce Bochte (starting forward for Santa Clara's NCAA playoff team in 1969-70) went 4-for-4 and chipped in with six RBI in a 12-11 win against the Kansas City Royals in 1979.

• 1B Bill Davis (averaged 12.5 ppg in 1963-64 for a Minnesota team including eventual NBA standouts Archie Clark and Lou Hudson) traded by the San Diego Padres to the St. Louis Cardinals in 1969.

• 1B-LF Dick Gernert (Temple hoops letterman in 1948-49) was one of four Boston Red Sox players to wallop a homer in the sixth inning of an 11-0 victory over the Cleveland Indians in 1957.

• Baltimore Orioles RHP Dick Hall (averaged 13.5 ppg from 1948-49 through 1950-51 with Swarthmore PA Southern Division champions in Middle Atlantic States Conference) notched his fourth relief win of the month in 1964.

• San Francisco Giants C Tom Haller (backup forward for Illinois in 1956-57 and 1957-58 under coach Harry Combes) banged out four hits against the Houston Astros in the opener of a 1965 doubleheader.

• Pittsburgh Pirates 3B Lee Handley (Bradley hoops letterman from 1932-33 through 1934-35) went 4-for-4 against the New York Giants in a 1939 game.

• Brooklyn Dodgers 1B Gil Hodges (hooper for St. Joseph's IN in 1943 and Oakland City IN in 1947 and 1948) collected two homers and six RBI against the Pittsburgh Pirates in a 1951 contest. Twelve years later, Hodges became manager of the Washington Senators in 1963 after his acquisition from the New York Mets for OF Jimmy Piersall.

• Los Angeles Dodgers rookie RF Frank Howard (two-time All-Big Ten Conference first-team selection when leading Ohio State in scoring and rebounding in 1956-57 and 1957-58) contributed four hits against the Philadelphia Phillies in a 1960 contest.

• 3B Jerry Lumpe (hooper for Southwest Missouri State's 1952 NAIA Tournament championship team) notched the New York Yankees only hit (a single) in a 5-0 setback against knuckleballer Hoyt Wilhelm of the Baltimore Orioles in 1959. The next year as a Kansas City Athletics 2B in a 1960 outing, Lumpe launched two homers against his original team (Yankees).

• Chicago White Sox RHP Ted Lyons (two-time All-SWC first-team selection with Baylor in the early 1920s) beat the Washington Senators, 9-2, in 1938 for his 200th career victory.

• In 1965, Detroit Tigers rookie RF Jim Northrup (second-leading scorer and third-leading rebounder for Alma MI in 1958-59) jacked his first MLB homer (off Hall of Famer Robin Roberts of Baltimore Orioles).

• Montreal Expos LF Curtis Pride (led William & Mary in steals three times and assists twice while averaging 5.6 ppg and 3.1 apg from 1986-87 through 1989-90) went 3-for-3 against the New York Mets in a 2001 contest.

• Baltimore Orioles RF Ken Singleton (Hofstra freshman hoops squad in mid-1960s) smacked a game-ending grand slam in the bottom of the ninth inning against the Detroit Tigers in 1976.

• Utilityman Jimmy Stewart (All-Volunteer State Athletic Conference hoops selection for Austin Peay State in 1959-60 and 1960-61) purchased from the Chicago Cubs by the Chicago White Sox in 1967.

• Pittsburgh Pirates LHP Bob Veale (scored 1,160 points from 1955-56 through 1957-58 with Benedictine KS) tossed his second shutout of the month in 1966.

• Kansas City Royals RHP Chris Young (All-Ivy League first-team selection as Princeton's leading scorer and rebounder in 1999-00) won first four decisions and compiled 0.78 ERA through his first 10 outings of 2015 campaign.

Extra! Extra! Read all about memorable major league baseball achievements and moments involving former college basketball players! Baseball is portrayed as a thinking man's game but only 4% of active MLB players earned college diplomas. Nonetheless, numerous ex-college hoopsters had front-row seats to many of the most notable games, transactions and dates in MLB history.

Former Duke basketball All-Americans Dick Groat and Billy Werber provided significant MLB performances on this date. Unless you habitually pore over the content at baseballlibrary.com, baseballreference.com and nationalpastime.com, following is a May 21 calendar focusing on such versatile MLB athletes:

MAY 21

• Toronto Blue Jays 2B Danny Ainge (three-time Brigham Young All-American and national basketball player of year as senior in 1980-81) stroked three hits and scored three runs against the Cleveland Indians in his MLB debut in 1979.

• LF Ethan Allen (Cincinnati hoops letterman in 1924-25 and 1925-26) traded by the Philadelphia Phillies to the Chicago Cubs in 1936.

• Seattle Mariners RHP Jim Beattie (Dartmouth's top rebounder in 1974-75 when selected team MVP and honorable mention All-Ivy League) notched his third victory in 11 days in 1980.

• Hall of Fame C Mickey Cochrane (Boston University hooper in early 1920s) clobbered three homers as a Philadelphia Athletics rookie in a 20-4 rout of the St. Louis Browns in 1925. Six years later, Cochrane collected five hits and four RBI against the Detroit Tigers in a 1931 contest.

• New York Giants 2B Pat Crawford (Davidson hoops captain in early 1920s) contributed two extra-base hits and four RBI for the second time in a 10-game span in 1930.

• Atlanta Braves 3B Darrell Evans (member of Jerry Tarkanian-coached Pasadena City CA club winning 1967 state community college crown) homered twice in a 1975 outing against the Montreal Expos.

• In 1962, Pittsburgh Pirates SS Dick Groat (two-time All-American with Duke in 1950-51 and 1951-52 when finishing among nation's top five scorers each season) went 4-for-4 against the Chicago Cubs in the midst of a career-high 15-game hitting streak.

• LHP Don Gross (Michigan State freshman hooper in 1949-50) permitted his lone run in first 10 relief appearances with the Pittsburgh Pirates in 1958.

• 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 Philadelphia Phillies en route to a N.L.-high 211 hits in 1986.

• New York Yankees LHP Steve Hamilton (Morehead State's leading scorer and rebounder in 1956-57 and 1957-58) registered a save by getting the last two outs to preserve a 2-0 shutout against the Washington Senators in 1970 after starter Mel Stottlemyre issued 11 walks.

• Cleveland Indians RHP Wynn Hawkins (Little All-American was all-time leading hoops scorer for Baldwin-Wallace OH upon graduation in 1957) hurled his lone MLB shutout (9-0 against Minnesota Twins in opener of 1961 twinbill).

• INF-OF Rick Herrscher (led SMU with 17.5 ppg in 1957-58 when he was an All-SWC first-team selection) shipped by the Milwaukee Braves to the New York Mets in 1962 to complete an earlier deal.

• Boston Red Sox C Duane Josephson (Northern Iowa's scoring leader in 1962-63 and 1963-64 under coach Norm Stewart) jacked two homers in an 8-4 victory against the Baltimore Orioles in 1971.

• Cincinnati Reds RF Danny Litwhiler (member of JV hoops squad with Bloomsburg PA in mid-1930s) smacked a pinch three-run homer to break a 6-6 deadlock against the Brooklyn Dodgers in 1950.

• CF Don Lock (led Wichita State in field-goal percentage in 1956-57 and 1957-58) ended an 18-inning marathon in 1967 when his two-out single gave the Philadelphia Phillies a 2-1 win against the Cincinnati Reds.

• San Francisco Giants LF Terrell Lowery (two-time All-WCC first-team selection and league-leading scorer for Loyola Marymount in 1990-91 and 1991-92) banged out five hits, including three doubles, in a 16-10 victory against the Milwaukee Brewers in 2000.

• Boston Red Sox 1B Ed Morgan (Tulane hoops letterman from 1923-24 through 1925-26) had five hits against the Chicago White Sox in a 1934 outing.

• Hall of Fame RHP Robin Roberts (Michigan State's second-leading scorer in 1945-46 and 1946-47) signed by Baltimore Orioles in 1962 after he was released by the New York Yankees.

• Brooklyn Dodgers INF Jackie Robinson (highest scoring average in Pacific Coast Conference both of his seasons with UCLA in 1939-40 and 1940-41) supplied six RBI in a 15-6 romp over the St. Louis Cardinals in 1949.

• Boston Red Sox 3B Billy Werber (first Duke hoops All-American in 1929-30) collected three stolen bases and scored four runs against the Chicago White Sox in a 1934 game.

• RHP Jim Wilson (hoops letterman for San Diego State's 1942 NAIA Tournament participant) traded by the Baltimore Orioles to the Chicago White Sox in 1956.

Cheerio! As Americans (Meghan Markle and Bishop Michael Curry) stole the show by invading the House of Windsor, call a timeout to break away temporarily from overdosing on royal wedding bliss. Compared to many European countries, England is more mediocre than hardwood haughty. Since the obsessive focus was on England recently, following is an alphabetical list of NCAA Division I players from that nation:

Extra! Extra! Read all about memorable major league baseball achievements and moments involving former college basketball players! Baseball is portrayed as a thinking man's game but only 4% of active MLB players earned college diplomas. Nonetheless, numerous ex-college hoopers had front-row seats to many of the most notable games, transactions and dates in MLB history.

Former college hoopers Joe Adcock (LSU), George Altman (Tennessee State), Dick Gernert (Temple), Don Lock (Wichita State) and Dave Winfield (Minnesota) each hit two homers in a MLB game on this date. Unless you habitually pore over the content at baseballlibrary.com, baseballreference.com and nationalpastime.com, following is a May 18 calendar focusing on such versatile MLB athletes:

MAY 18

• In a 1958 game, Milwaukee Braves 1B Joe Adcock (Louisiana State's leading basketball scorer in 1945-46) smacked two homers against his original team (Cincinnati Reds).

• Cincinnati Reds CF Ethan Allen (Cincinnati hoops letterman in 1924-25 and 1925-26) went 4-for-4 in a 7-6 win against the Brooklyn Robins in 1928.

• Chicago Cubs RF George Altman (hooper appeared in 1953 and 1954 NAIA Tournament with Tennessee State) provided two homers for the second time in three contests in 1962.

• OF Brant Alyea (Hofstra's leading scorer and rebounder in 1960-61 after being runner-up in both categories the previous season) traded by the Oakland Athletics to the St. Louis Cardinals in 1972.

• New York Yankees RHP Jim Beattie (Dartmouth's top rebounder in 1974-75 when selected team MVP and honorable mention All-Ivy League) hurled a four-hit shutout against the Boston Red Sox in 1979.

• Detroit Tigers 2B Frank Bolling (averaged 7.3 ppg for Spring Hill AL in 1950-51) scored five runs in a 14-2 victory against the Boston Red Sox in 1959.

• Detroit Tigers 1B Tony Clark (San Diego State's leading scorer in WAC games in 1991-92) stroked four hits against the Kansas City Royals in a 1997 outing.

• Boston Red Sox RHP Gene Conley (All-Pacific Coast Conference first-team selection led the North Division in scoring as Washington State sophomore in 1949-50) tossed a four-hit shutout against the Detroit Tigers in 1961.

• In 1985, Detroit Tigers 1B Darrell Evans (member of Jerry Tarkanian-coached Pasadena City CA club winning 1967 state community college crown) homered in his fourth consecutive contest, going 4-for-4 for the second time in that span.

• OF Hoot Evers (hoops starter for Illinois in 1939-40) awarded on waivers from the Boston Red Sox to the New York Giants in 1954.

• Chicago White Sox RHP Eddie Fisher (played for Oklahoma's 1954-55 freshman squad) posted his sixth save in as many relief appearances in a seven-day span in 1965.

• Boston Red Sox 1B Dick Gernert (Temple letterman in 1948-49 swatted two homers in an 8-4 win against the Baltimore Orioles in 1958.

• Philadelphia Phillies 1B Harvey Hendrick (Vanderbilt hoops letterman in 1918) went 4-for-4 for the second time in a five-game span in 1934. Five years earlier in the midst of a career-high 25-game hitting streak for the Brooklyn Robins, Hendrick homered in back-to-back contests against the Phillies in 1929.

• Washington Senators LF Frank Howard (two-time All-Big Ten Conference first-team selection when All-American led Ohio State in scoring and rebounding in 1956-57 and 1957-58) tied an A.L. record with a homer in six consecutive contests in 1968.

• New York Giants OF Monte Irvin (Lincoln PA hooper for 1 1/2 years in late 1930s) clobbered a grand slam in a rain-shortened, 10-4 triumph over the Chicago Cubs in 1950.

• New York Yankees LF Charlie Keller (three-year hoops letterman with Maryland from 1934-35 through 1936-37) contributed three extra-base hits against the St. Louis Browns in a 1948 outing.

• Chicago Cubs SS Don Kessinger (three-time All-SEC selection for Mississippi from 1961-62 through 1963-64 collected four hits and scored four runs in a 1970 game against the Cincinnati Reds.

• Washington Senators CF Don Lock (led Wichita State in field-goal percentage in 1956-57 and 1957-58 under coach Ralph Miller) smashed back-to-back homers against the Detroit Tigers in a 1964 contest.

• LF Jerry Martin (1971 Southern Conference MVP after he was Furman's runner-up in scoring the previous season), pinch-hitting for Richie Hebner, slapped a game-winning, three-run homer for the Philadelphia Phillies in an 8-5 victory against the Houston Astros in 1978.

• Chicago Cubs RF Bill Nicholson (Washington College MD hoops guard for two years in mid-1930s) amassed five RBI against the Brooklyn Dodgers in a 1945 game.

• New York Yankees RF Dave Winfield (starting forward for Minnesota's first NCAA playoff team in 1972) whacked two homers against the Oakland Athletics in a 2-1 win in 1987.

Extra! Extra! Read all about memorable major league baseball achievements and moments involving former college basketball players! Baseball is portrayed as a thinking man's game but only 4% of active MLB players earned college diplomas. Nonetheless, numerous ex-college hoopers had front-row seats to many of the most notable games, transactions and dates in MLB history.

Several former hoopers from Michigan colleges - Ron Jackson (Western Michigan), Jim Northrup (Alma) and Roy Parmelee (Eastern Michigan) - made MLB news on this date. Unless you habitually pore over the content at baseballlibrary.com, baseballreference.com and nationalpastime.com, following is a May 17 calendar focusing on such versatile MLB athletes:

MAY 17

• Milwaukee Brewers 1B Joe Adcock (Louisiana State's leading basketball scorer in 1945-46) collected a homer among his four hits in a 9-4 triumph against the New York Giants in 1955.

• Philadelphia Phillies LF Morrie Arnovich (Wisconsin-Superior hooper in early 1930s) went 5-for-5, raising his batting average to .426, in a 7-3 win against the Pittsburgh Pirates in 1939.

• Chicago Cubs 2B Glenn Beckert (three-year hoops letterman for Allegheny PA) went 4-for-4 against the St. Louis Cardinals in the midst of a 26-game hitting streak in 1973.

• 1B-OF Larry Biittner (runner-up in scoring and rebounding for Buena Vista IA in 1966-67) traded with RHP Steve Renko (averaged 9.9 ppg and 5.8 rpg as a Kansas sophomore in 1963-64) by the Montreal Expos to the Chicago Cubs for 1B Andre Thornton in 1976. The next year, Biittner belted two of the Cubs' seven homers in a 23-6 romp over the San Diego Padres.

• Detroit Tigers 2B Frank Bolling (averaged 7.3 ppg for Spring Hill AL in 1950-51) swatted a homer in his third consecutive contest in 1958.

• Detroit Tigers 1B Tony Clark (San Diego State's leading scorer in WAC games in 1991-92) socked two homers for the second time in a six-game span in 1997.

• New York Mets 1B Donn Clendenon (four-sport letterman with Morehouse GA) clubbed two homers against the Atlanta Braves in a 1971 outing.

• California Angels OF Billy Cowan (Utah hoops letterman from 1957-58 through 1959-60 was co-captain of NCAA playoff team as senior) hit safely for the fourth time in a span of five pinch-hit appearances in 1970.

• Boston Braves SS Dick Culler (#9 jersey retired by High Point for Little All-American in 1935 and 1936) went 4-for-4 in a 3-2 victory against the St. Louis Cardinals in 1947.

• Detroit Tigers CF Hoot Evers (hoops starter for Illinois in 1939-40) broke up a scoreless duel with a two-run homer in the ninth inning against the Philadelphia Athletics in 1947.

• Boston Red Sox 1B Dick Gernert (Temple letterman in 1948-49 when averaging 2.7 ppg) went 4-for-4 in a 10-1 triumph against the Detroit Tigers in 1959.

• San Francisco Giants RHP Ed Halicki (NAIA All-American third-team choice in 1971-72 when leading Monmouth in scoring with 21 ppg after setting school single-game rebounding record with 40 the previous season) hurled his second straight two-hitter in 1979.

• 1B Ron Jackson (All-MAC second-team choice from 1951-52 through 1953-54 led Western Michigan in scoring his last two seasons) traded by the Boston Red Sox to the Milwaukee Braves for INF Ray Boone in 1960.

• Atlanta Braves CF Kenny Lofton (Arizona's leader in steals for 1988 Final Four team compiling a 35-3 record) supplied his third five-hit game of the 1997 campaign in an 11-6 triumph against the St. Louis Cardinals. Three years earlier with the Cleveland Indians, Lofton smacked two homers against the Milwaukee Brewers in 1994.

• RHP Ted Lyons (two-time All-SWC first-team hoops selection for Baylor in early 1920s) started the first of eight straight doubleheader openers for the Chicago White Sox in 1942.

• Washington Senators 1B Sam Mele (NYU's leading hoops scorer in 1943 NCAA playoffs) supplied two triples among his four hits in 1951 game against the Detroit Tigers.

• CF Billy North (played four basketball games with Central Washington in 1967-68) traded by the Oakland Athletics to the Los Angeles Dodgers for OF Glenn Burke in 1978.

• CF Jim Northrup (second-leading scorer and third-leading rebounder for Alma MI in 1958-59) drilled a game-winning grand slam in the bottom of the ninth inning to give the Detroit Tigers a 7-3 victory over the Washington Senators. It was one of Northrup's five grand slams in 1968.

• In 1935, New York Giants RHP Roy Parmelee (Eastern Michigan hoops letterman in 1924-25 and 1925-26) lost for the only time in his first 10 decisions to early July.

• Brooklyn Dodgers 2B Jackie Robinson (highest scoring average in Pacific Coast Conference both of his seasons with UCLA in 1939-40 and 1940-41) supplied three extra-base safeties against the Chicago Cubs in 1949, triggering a streak where he had multiple-hit outings in 2/3 of his next 39 contests en route to a N.L.-high .342 batting average. Two years later, Robinson went 4-for-4 against the Cubs in 1951.

• Chicago Cubs SS Roy Smalley Jr. (one of top scorers for Drury MO in 1942-43 and 1943-44) went 4-for-5 against the Pittsburgh Pirates in a 1953 doubleheader.

• LHP Eric Stults (hooper for 1999 NAIA D-II Tournament runner-up and 2000 NCCAA Tournament titlist with Bethel IN) awarded on waivers from the Chicago White Sox to the San Diego Padres in 2012.

• CF Bill Virdon (Drury MO hooper in 1949) traded by the St. Louis Cardinals to the Pittsburgh Pirates in 1956 only one year after being named N.L. Rookie of the Year. He finished runner-up in the N.L. batting race with a .319 mark (.211 for Cards and .334 for Pirates).

• Chicago Cubs CF Cy Williams (Notre Dame forward in 1909-10) went 4-for-4 with five RBI in a 7-2 win against the Brooklyn Dodgers in 1916.

• New York Yankees LF Dave Winfield (starting forward for Minnesota's first NCAA playoff team in 1972) cracked two homers against the Detroit Tigers in a 1983 game.

• In the midst of a career-high 20-game hitting streak in 2007, San Francisco Giants CF Randy Winn (Santa Clara backcourtmate of eventual two-time NBA Most Valuable Player Steve Nash in 1993-94) drove in the decisive run in the 12th inning of a 2-1 triumph against the Houston Astros.

• In 1925, Washington Senators LHP Tom Zachary (Guilford NC hoops letterman in 1916) yielded the 3,000th hit of Cleveland Indians OF Tris Speaker's Hall of Fame career.

Extra! Extra! Read all about memorable major league baseball achievements and moments involving former college basketball players! Baseball is portrayed as a thinking man's game but only 4% of active MLB players earned college diplomas. Nonetheless, numerous ex-college hoopers had front-row seats to many of the most notable games, transactions and dates in MLB history.

Springfield, MO-based small college Drury had two former hoopers - Roy Smalley Jr. and Bill Virdon - impact MLB on this date. Unless you habitually pore over the content at baseballlibrary.com, baseballreference.com and nationalpastime.com, following is a May 16 calendar focusing on such versatile MLB athletes:

MAY 16

• Chicago Cubs RF Frankie Baumholtz (MVP in 1941 NIT and first player in Ohio University history to score 1,000 career points) banged out three extra-base hits in a 14-4 rout of the Brooklyn Dodgers in 1951.

• Cleveland Indians SS Lou Boudreau (leading scorer for Illinois' 1937 Big Ten Conference co-champion) went 4-for-4 against the Chicago White Sox in the nightcap of a 1948 twinbill.

• St. Louis Cardinals CF Taylor Douthit (California hoops letterman from 1922 through 1924) amassed five hits and four RBI in a 9-8 win against the Chicago Cubs in 1930.

• Los Angeles Dodgers RF-C Joe Ferguson (hooper in 1967 NCAA playoffs with Pacific) furnished four hits, including a game-winning homer, in an 8-6 triumph against the Cincinnati Reds in 1973.

• St. Louis Cardinals SS Charlie Gelbert (scored at least 125 points each of last three seasons in late 1920s for Lebanon Valley PA) went 5-for-5 and scored four runs in 9-8 victory against the Chicago Cubs in 1930.

• Cleveland Indians rookie RF Jim Gleeson (hoops captain and all-league honoree graduated in 1933 from Rockhurst MO) registered four hits in a 10-3 victory against the Brooklyn Dodgers in the opener of a 1940 doubleheader.

• Utilityman Chuck Harmon (freshman starter was Toledo's second-leading scorer for 1943 NIT runner-up) traded by the Cincinnati Reds to the St. Louis Cardinals for INF Alex Grammas and OF Joe Frazier in 1956.

• Washington Senators LF Frank Howard (two-time All-Big Ten Conference first-team selection when leading Ohio State in scoring and rebounding in 1956-57 and 1957-58) notched his third two-homer contest in a four-game span in 1968.

• Atlanta Braves 1B Davey Johnson (averaged 1.7 ppg for Texas A&M in 1961-62) smacked two homers against the San Diego Padres in a 1974 contest.

• Atlanta Braves RF David Justice (Thomas More KY assists leader in 1984-85 while averaging 9.3 ppg) stroked three extra-base hits against the Colorado Rockies in a 1995 outing.

• Boston Braves RHP Andy Karl (Manhattan letterman from 1933 through 1935) sustained his first defeat of the 1947 season after failing to allow a run in first six relief appearances.

• 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) went 4-for-4 against the Philadelphia Phillies in a 1972 game.

• A bases-loaded pinch triple by Rick Leach (averaged 15.5 ppg for Michigan's JV hoops squad in 1975-76) put the Toronto Blue Jays ahead to stay in an 8-7 triumph against the Minnesota Twins in 1984.

• New York Giants RHP Christy Mathewson (Bucknell hooper at turn of 20th Century) had his string of 47 straight innings without issuing a walk end against the Pittsburgh Pirates in 1913.

• St. Louis Cardinals RHP Lindy McDaniel (hooper for Oklahoma's 1954-55 freshman squad) fired a four-hit shutout against the Philadelphia Phillies in 1957.

• New York Yankees 3B Graig Nettles (shot 87.8% from free-throw line for San Diego State in 1963-64) whacked two homers against the Detroit Tigers in a 1979 contest.

• Philadelphia Phillies LHP Eppa Rixey (Virginia hoops letterman in 1912 and 1914) hurled a 15-inning complete game at Cincinnati and won, 3-2, via his sacrifice fly in 1920.

• 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 Texas Rangers in 1990.

• Cincinnati Reds RHP Jeff Shaw (freshman guard for Rio Grande OH squad compiling 31-5 record and reaching second round of 1985 NAIA Tournament) allowed his only earned run in 13 relief appearances during the month in 1997.

• RHP Sonny Siebert (team-high 16.7 ppg for Missouri in 1957-58 as All-Big Eight Conference second-team selection) traded by the San Diego Padres to the Oakland Athletics in 1975.

• Washington Senators RHP Dave Sisler (All-Ivy League second-team selection for Princeton's first NCAA Tournament team in 1952) didn't allow an earned run in his first 12 relief appearances of the 1961 campaign.

• In his debut with the Milwaukee Braves, SS Roy Smalley Jr. (one of top scorers for Drury MO in 1942-43 and 1943-44) smacked a pinch homer against the New York Giants in the nightcap of a 1954 doubleheader.

• Washington Senators rookie RHP Dave Stenhouse (three-time All-Yankee Conference hoops selection for Rhode Island from 1952-53 through 1954-55), lowering his ERA to 0.88 through initial seven outings, won first three MLB starts in 1962.

• Cincinnati Reds utilityman Jimmy Stewart (All-VSAC hoops selection for Austin Peay's NCAA DII Tournament teams in 1959-60 and 1960-61) contributed a pinch-hit, three-run homer against the New York Mets in a 1969 game.

• Boston Red Sox rookie 3B Jim Tabor (Alabama hoops letterman in 1936-37) knocked in five runs against the Chicago White Sox in a 1939 contest.

• Pittsburgh Pirates CF Bill Virdon (Drury MO hooper in 1949) stroked two triples against the Milwaukee Braves in a 1962 outing.

• 1B-OF Preston Ward (second-leading scorer for Southwest Missouri State in 1946-47 and 1948-49) traded by the Pittsburgh Pirates to the Cleveland Indians in 1956.

• Brooklyn Dodgers LHP Tom Zachary (Guilford NC hoops letterman in 1916) hurled a 13-inning shutout against the Pittsburgh Pirates in 1935 after allowing one earned run in each of his previous two complete-game starts.