On This Date: Former College Hoopsters Make Mark on July 13 MLB Games

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

Unless you habitually pore over the content at baseballlibrary.com, baseballreference.com and nationalpastime.com, following is a July 13 calendar focusing on such versatile MLB athletes:

JULY 13

  • Milwaukee Braves 1B Joe Adcock (Louisiana State's leading basketball scorer in 1945-46) clobbered two homers, one a grand slam, in a 1956 doubleheader sweep of the Brooklyn Dodgers.

  • Stretching his hitting streak to 18 games, Chicago Cubs 2B Glenn Beckert (three-year letterman for Allegheny PA) supplied a decisive single in the 11th inning in a 2-1 victory against the New York Mets in 1968.

  • In 1964, RHP Carl Bouldin (starting guard and co-captain for Cincinnati's 1961 NCAA champion) traded with 1B Bill "Moose" Skowron (scored 18 points in eight games for Purdue in 1949-50) by the Washington Senators to the Chicago White Sox for 1B Joe Cunningham and a player to be designated (P Frank Kreutzer). But Bouldin never pitched for the White Sox.

  • Brooklyn Dodgers RHP Ralph Branca (sixth-leading scorer for NYU in 1943-44) started the 1948 All-Star Game for the N.L. but surrendered a second-inning homer to Detroit Tigers CF Hoot Evers (starter for Illinois in 1939-40) as the A.L. rallied to prevail, 5-2. Seven years later in 1955, Evers was traded by the Baltimore Orioles to the Cleveland Indians.

  • Pittsburgh Pirates 1B Donn Clendenon (four-sport letterman with Morehouse GA) clobbered two homers against the Houston Colt .45s in 1963.

  • Philadelphia Athletics C Mickey Cochrane (Boston University player in early 1920s) collected four hits against the Chicago White Sox in 1927.

  • In the 1954 All-Star Game, Milwaukee Braves RHP Gene Conley (All-PCC first-team selection led North Division in scoring in 1949-50 as Washington State sophomore) yielded a pinch-hit, game-tying homer to Cleveland Indians CF Larry Doby (reserve guard for Virginia Union's 1943 CIAA titlist) in the bottom of the eighth inning for the A.L. before Conley was charged with two more runs for the N.L. and incurred an 11-9 setback. Chicago White Sox RHP Bob Keegan (Bucknell letterman in 1941-42 and 1942-43) surrendered a two-run, pinch homer by Cincinnati Reds CF Gus Bell in the top of the eighth.

  • St. Louis Cardinals CF Taylor Douthit (California letterman from 1922 through 1924) contributed four hits in a 12-10 win against the Brooklyn Robins in 1926.

  • St. Louis Cardinals SS Jake Flowers (member of Washington College MD "Flying Pentagon" squad in 1923) contributed three extra-base hits and four RBI in a 12-5 win against the Chicago Cubs in 1931.

  • St. Louis Cardinals RHP Bob Gibson (Creighton's leading scorer and rebounder in 1955-56 and 1956-57) earned a save with two innings of scoreless relief for the N.L. in the 1965 All-Star Game. Chicago White Sox RHP Eddie Fisher (played for Oklahoma's 1954-55 freshman squad) hurled two scoreless innings for the A.L.

  • In 1972, Texas Rangers RHP Rich Hand (averaged 6.2 ppg for Puget Sound WA in 1967-68) hurled a six-hit shutout against his original team (Cleveland Indians). In his next start five days later, Hand allowed only one run in 10 innings against the Baltimore Orioles.

  • Boston Braves 1B Buddy Hassett (played for Manhattan teams winning school-record 17 consecutive games in 1930 and 1931) went 5-for-5 against the St. Louis Cardinals in the opener of a 1939 doubleheader.

  • RHP Andy Karl (Manhattan letterman from 1933 through 1935), the N.L. leader in appearances (67) and saves (15) in 1945, registered one of his saves in an 11-9 win for the Philadelphia Phillies against the Pittsburgh Pirates in the resumption of a previously-suspended contest.

  • New York Yankees RF Charlie Keller (Maryland three-year letterman from 1934-35 through 1936-37) knocked in five runs against the St. Louis Browns in the nightcap of a 1940 twinbill.

  • In 1962, Chicago Cubs rookie RHP Cal Koonce (standout for Campbell in 1960 and 1961 when the North Carolina-based school was a junior college) hurled a one-hitter against the Cincinnati Reds to give him eight victories in his first 10 decisions.

  • In 1974, California Angels LF Joe Lahoud (New Haven CT letterman in mid-1960s) went 4-for-4, including three extra-base hits, against his original team (Boston Red Sox).

  • Kansas City Athletics 2B Jerry Lumpe (member of Southwest Missouri State's 1952 NAIA Tournament championship team) provided at least three hits fir the fifth time in a nine-game span in 1962. Lumpe assembled a career-high 20-game hitting streak later in the campaign.

  • In his first at-bat with the Montreal Expos, OF Jim Lyttle (led Florida State in free-throw shooting in 1965-66 when he averaged 12.4 ppg) slugged a pinch-hit homer against the Atlanta Braves in the opener of a 1973 doubleheader.

  • New York Giants RHP Christy Mathewson (played for Bucknell at turn of 20th Century) tossed an 11-hit shutout in a 4-0 verdict against the Cincinnati Reds in 1907.

  • St. Louis Cardinals RHP Lindy McDaniel (played for Oklahoma's 1954-55 freshman squad) hurled a scoreless ninth inning for the N.L. in a 6-0 win against the A.L. in the second 1960 All-Star Game.

  • San Diego Padres RHP Joe Niekro (averaged 8.9 ppg and 3.8 rpg for West Liberty WV from 1963-64 through 1965-66) outdueled his brother, Phil Niekro of the Atlanta Braves, 1-0, in 1969.

  • Boston Red Sox RHP Steve Renko (averaged 9.9 ppg and 5.8 rpg as a Kansas sophomore in 1963-64) had a no-hitter with one out in the ninth inning against the Oakland A's in 1979 before yielding a safety to Rickey Henderson.

  • In 1955, Philadelphia Phillies RHP Robin Roberts (Michigan State's second-leading scorer in 1945-46 and 1946-47) started fourth All-Star Game for the N.L. in a six-year span.

  • Cleveland Indians rookie 3B Freddy Spurgeon (played for Kalamazoo MI in 1921-22) supplied four hits against the Boston Red Sox in 1925.

  • New York Giants C Wes Westrum (played for Bemidji State MN one season before serving in military during WWII) whacked a grand slam against the St. Louis Cardinals in 1951.

Men For All Seasons: Long List of MLB All-Stars Played College Basketball

Four former college basketball players - Rick Ferrell, Frankie Frisch, Oral Hildebrand and Hal Schumacher - appeared in the inaugural major league baseball All-Star Game in 1933 and at least one ex-college hoopster participated in every All-Star festivity through the remainder of the 20th Century.

An annual average of seven former college hoopsters were MLB All-Stars the first half of the 1950s (including Hall of Famers Monte Irvin, Robin Roberts and Jackie Robinson). That's a higher figure that the total number of ex-college hoopsters competing at the MLB level the last several seasons. In an era of specialization, fewer and fewer individuals are opening themselves up to learning its more difficult to earn a spot on a MLB 40-man roster than a college hoops roster. Evidence of the recent reduction of dual-sport athletes is exhibited by the fact pitchers Chris Young (2007) and Matt Thornton (2010) are the only players in this unique category since outfielder Randy Winn (2002).

Arizona, Illinois, San Diego State and Texas A&M each had three former hoopsters go on to become MLB All-Stars. Following is an alphabetical list of MLB All-Stars who played varsity basketball as a regular for a four-year college:

MLB All-Star Team(s) Pos. All-Star Seasons College Played Hoops
Joe Adcock Braves 1B 1960 Louisiana State
George Altman Cubs OF 1961 and 1962 Tennessee State
Glenn Beckert Cubs 2B 1969 through 1972 Allegheny PA
R.C. "Beau" Bell Browns OF 1937 Texas A&M
Bruce Bochte Mariners 1B 1979 Santa Clara
Frank Bolling Braves 2B 1961 and 1962 Spring Hill AL
Lou Boudreau* Indians SS 1940-41-42-43-44-47-48 Illinois
Ralph Branca Dodgers P 1947 through 1949 New York University
Al Bumbry Orioles OF 1980 Virginia State
Bob Cerv Athletics LF 1958 Nebraska
Tony Clark Tigers 1B 2001 Arizona/San Diego State
Mickey Cochrane* Tigers C 1934 and 1935 Boston University
Gene Conley Braves/Phillies P 1954-55-59 Washington State
George Crowe Reds 1B 1958 Indiana Central
Alvin Dark Giants SS 1951-52-54 LSU/Southwestern Louisiana
Larry Doby Indians OF 1949 through 1955 Virginia Union
Walt Dropo Red Sox 1B 1950 Connecticut
Hoot Evers Tigers OF 1948 and 1950 Illinois
Rick Ferrell* Red Sox/Senators C 1933 through 1938 and 1944 Guilford NC
Boo Ferriss Red Sox P 1946 Mississippi State
Frankie Frisch* Cardinals INF 1933 through 1935 Fordham
Bob Gibson* Cardinals P 1962-65-66-67-68-69-70-72 Creighton
Dick Groat Pirates/Cardinals SS 1959-60-62-63-64 Duke
Wayne Gross Athletics 3B 1977 Cal Poly Pomona
Tony Gwynn* Padres OF 1984 through 1999 (except for 1988) San Diego State
Tom Haller Giants/Dodgers C 1966 through 1968 Illinois
Atlee Hammaker Giants P 1983 East Tennessee State
Mike Hargrove Rangers OF-1B 1975 Northwestern Oklahoma State
Jim Hearn Giants P 1952 Georgia Tech
Oral Hildebrand Indians P 1933 Butler
Chuck Hinton Senators OF 1964 Shaw NC
Gil Hodges Dodgers 1B 1949 through 1955 and 1957 St. Joseph's IN/Oakland City IN
Frank Howard Senators OF 1968 through 1971 Ohio State
Monte Irvin* Giants OF 1952 Lincoln PA
Davey Johnson Orioles/Braves 2B 1968-69-70-73 Texas A&M
Duane Josephson White Sox C 1968 Northern Iowa
David Justice Braves/Indians OF 1993-94-97 Thomas More KY
Bob Keegan White Sox P 1954 Bucknell
Charlie Keller Yankees OF 1940-41-43-46-47 Maryland
Don Kessinger Cubs SS 1968-69-70-71-72-74 Mississippi
Jim Konstanty Phillies P 1950 Syracuse
Vance Law Cubs 3B 1988 Brigham Young
Dave Lemanczyk Blue Jays P 1979 Hartwick NY
Hank Lieber Giants/Cubs OF 1938-40-41 Arizona
Danny Litwhiler Phillies OF 1942 Bloomsburg PA
Kenny Lofton Indians/Braves OF 1994 through 1999 Arizona
Johnny Logan Braves SS 1955-57-58-59 Binghamton
Davey Lopes Dodgers 2B 1978 through 1981 Iowa Wesleyan/Washburn KS
Jerry Lumpe Tigers 2B 1964 Southwest Missouri State
Ted Lyons* White Sox P 1939 Baylor
Bake McBride Cardinals OF 1976 Westminster MO
Wally Moon Cardinals/Dodgers OF 1957 and 1959 Texas A&M
Buddy Myer Senators 2B 1935 and 1937 Mississippi State
Graig Nettles Yankees/Padres 3B 1975-77-78-79-80-85 San Diego State
Bill Nicholson Cubs RF 1940-41-43-44 Washington College MD
Joe Niekro Astros P 1979 West Liberty WV
Claude Passeau Cubs P 1941-42-43-45-46 Millsaps MS
Gary Peters White Sox P 1964 and 1967 Grove City PA
Ron Reed Braves P 1968 Notre Dame
Rip Repulski Cardinals OF 1956 St. Cloud State MN
Robin Roberts* Phillies P 1950 through 1956 Michigan State
Jackie Robinson* Dodgers INF-OF 1949 through 1954 UCLA
Preacher Roe Dodgers P 1949 through 1952 Harding AR
Red Rolfe Yankees 3B 1937 through 1940 Dartmouth
Marius Russo Yankees P 1941 Long Island
Richie Scheinblum Royals OF 1972 LIU-C.W. Post NY
Hal Schumacher Giants P 1933 and 1935 St. Lawrence NY
Don Schwall Red Sox P 1961 Oklahoma
Jeff Shaw Dodgers P 1998 and 2001 Rio Grande OH
Norm Siebern Athletics 1B 1962 through 1964 Southwest Missouri State
Sonny Siebert Indians/Red Sox P 1966 and 1971 Missouri
Lee Smith Cubs/Cardinals/Orioles/Angels P 1983-87-91-92-93-94-95 Northwestern State
Dave Stenhouse Senators P 1962 Rhode Island
Matt Thornton White Sox P 2010 Grand Valley State MI
Bob Veale Pirates P 1965 and 1966 Benedictine KS
Wes Westrum Giants C 1952 and 1953 Bemidji State MN
Bill White Cardinals 1B 1959-60-61-63-64 Hiram OH
Sammy White Red Sox C 1953 Washington
Dave Winfield* Padres/Yankees OF 1977 through 1988 Minnesota
Randy Winn Devil Rays OF 2002 Santa Clara
Chris Young Padres P 2007 Princeton

*Baseball Hall of Famers.

On This Date: Former College Hoopsters Make Mark on July 12 MLB Games

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

Unless you habitually pore over the content at baseballlibrary.com, baseballreference.com and nationalpastime.com, following is a July 12 calendar focusing on such versatile MLB athletes:

JULY 12

  • Philadelphia Athletics C Mickey Cochrane (Boston University basketball player in early 1920s) contributed three extra-base hits against the St. Louis Browns in 1930.

  • In the 1955 All-Star Game in Milwaukee, Braves RHP Gene Conley (All-Pacific Coast Conference first-team selection led the North Division in scoring in 1949-50 as Washington State sophomore) struck out the side in the top of the 12th inning, earning the victory (6-5) when Stan Musial of the St. Louis Cardinals homered in the bottom of the frame.

  • In 1949, Cleveland Indians OF Larry Doby (reserve guard for Virginia Union's 1943 CIAA titlist) and Brooklyn Dodgers INF Jackie Robinson (highest scoring average in PCC both of his seasons with UCLA in 1939-40 and 1940-41) are among the first four black players in an All-Star Game.

  • California Angels RHP Eddie Fisher (played for Oklahoma's 1954-55 freshman squad) yielded his only run in 11 relief appearances during the month in 1972.

  • San Diego Padres OF Tony Gwynn (All-WAC second-team selection with San Diego State in 1979-80 and 1980-81) stroked a two-run double in the third inning and scored the winning tally in the bottom of the 10th in an 8-7 success for the N.L. in the 1994 All-Star Game.

  • In 1957, Chicago Cubs rookie 3B Jerry Kindall (averaged 6.9 ppg for Minnesota as junior in 1955-56) clubbed two homers off Philadelphia Phillies Hall of Fame RHP Robin Roberts (Michigan State's second-leading scorer in 1945-46 and 1946-47).

  • Montreal Expos 2B-RF Vance Law (averaged 6.8 ppg for Brigham Young from 1974-75 through 1976-77) logged four hits against the Cincinnati Reds in 1985.

  • In 1905, Chicago's Three Fingered Brown hurled a two-hitter as he notched the first of nine consecutive victories over Hall of Fame New York Giants RHP Christy Mathewson (played basketball for Bucknell at turn of 20th Century).

  • RHP Lindy McDaniel (played for Oklahoma's 1954-55 freshman squad) traded by the San Francisco Giants to the New York Yankees for RHP Bill Monbouquette in 1968.

  • Baltimore Orioles RHP Ben McDonald (started six times as freshman forward for LSU in 1986-87 under coach Dale Brown) won his sixth straight decision before losing seven in a row in 1996.

  • Cleveland Indians 1B Ed Morgan (Tulane letterman from 1923-24 through 1925-26) manufactured four hits against the Chicago White Sox in the opener of a 1931 twinbill.

  • Philadelphia Athletics 1B Ossie Orwoll (played for Luther IA in first half of 1920s) collected five hits and scored four runs in 1929 doubleheader sweep of the St. Louis Browns.

  • Pittsburgh Pirates RF Gary Redus (J.C. player for Athens AL and father of Centenary/South Alabama guard with same name) delivered a decisive two-run homer in the top of the 10th inning against the Cincinnati Reds in 1992.

  • Brooklyn Dodgers LHP Preacher Roe (played for Harding AR in late 1930s) put the A.L. down in order as a N.L. reliever in the ninth inning of the 1949 All-Star Game. Dodgers 2B teammate Jackie Robinson (highest scoring average in PCC both of his seasons with UCLA in 1939-40 and 1940-41) scored three runs for the N.L.

  • An eighth-inning single by Philadelphia Athletics 1B Dick Siebert (played for Concordia-St. Paul in 1929 and 1930) deprived Cleveland Indians P Bob Feller of a no-hitter in 1940.

  • Cleveland Indians RHP Sonny Siebert (team-high 16.7 ppg for Mizzou in 1957-58 as All-Big Eight Conference second-team selection) tossed two innings of hitless relief for the A.L. in the 1966 All-Star Game.

  • LHP Matt Thornton (averaged 5.8 ppg and 2.4 rpg for Grand Valley State MI from 1995-96 through 1997-98) traded by the Chicago White Sox with cash to the Boston Red Sox in 2013.

  • San Diego Padres rookie OF Will Venable (All-Ivy League first-team selection as a junior and second-team choice as a senior averaged 9.3 ppg under Princeton coach John Thompson III from 2001-02 through 2004-05) notched his first MLB four-hit game and chipped in with four runs scored (against the San Francisco Giants in 2009).

  • New York Yankees RF Dave Winfield (starting forward with Minnesota's first NCAA playoff team in 1972) doubled and scored the eventual decisive run for the A.L. in a 2-1 verdict over the N.L. in the 1988 All-Star Game. It was Winfield's last of 12 straight All-Star appearances.

On This Date: Former College Hoopsters Make Mark on July 11 MLB Games

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

Unless you habitually pore over the content at baseballlibrary.com, baseballreference.com and nationalpastime.com, following is a July 11 calendar focusing on such versatile MLB athletes:

JULY 11

  • 1B Joe Adcock (Louisiana State's leading basketball scorer in 1945-46) provided two hits for the N.L. in the first 1960 All-Star Game. Two days later in the second All-Star Game, Adcock singled and scored when Milwaukee Braves teammate Eddie Mathews homered in the second inning for the N.L.'s first two runs en route to a 6-0 win against the A.L.

  • Chicago Cubs OF George Altman (appeared in 1953 and 1954 NAIA Tournament with Tennessee State) slugged an eight-inning, pinch-hit homer for the N.L. in the first of two All-Star Games in 1961.

  • In the midst of a career-high 18-game hitting streak, Detroit Tigers 2B Frank Bolling (averaged 7.3 ppg in 1950-51 with Spring Hill AL) went 4-for-4 against the Boston Red Sox in 1957.

  • New York Yankees 1B Tony Clark (San Diego State's leading scorer in WAC games in 1991-92) cracked two homers for the second time in an eight-game span in 2004.

  • Cleveland Indians OF Larry Doby (reserve guard for Virginia Union's 1943 CIAA titlist) and New York OF Mickey Mantle each propelled blasts in the 500-foot range to the RF upper deck at Yankee Stadium in 1953.

  • Boston Red Sox 1B Walt Dropo (Connecticut's first player ever to average 20 points in season with 21.7 ppg in 1942-43) smacked a triple off Brooklyn Dodgers P Don Newcombe in the 1950 All-Star Game.

  • In 1948, Detroit Tigers CF Hoot Evers (Illinois starter in 1939-40) notched eight straight multiple-hit games with at least one RB in each contest.

  • St. Louis Cardinals RHP Bob Gibson (Creighton's leading scorer and rebounder in 1955-56 and 1956-57) tossed two innings of scoreless relief for the N.L. in the 1967 All-Star Game.

  • San Diego Padres RF Tony Gwynn (All-WAC second-team selection with San Diego State in 1979-80 and 1980-81) socked two homers against the Colorado Rockies in 1997.

  • Brooklyn Dodgers 1B Gil Hodges (played for St. Joseph's IN in 1943 and Oakland City IN in 1947 and 1948) homered twice against the Philadelphia Phillies in the opener of a 1954 twinbill.

  • New York Giants LF Monte Irvin (played for Lincoln PA 1 1/2 years in late 1930s) went 4-for-4 against the Pittsburgh Pirates in the nightcap of a 1954 doubleheader.

  • Philadelphia Phillies RHP Jim Konstanty (Syracuse player in late 1930s) fanned two of the three batters he faced in putting the A.L. down 1-2-3 in the bottom of the sixth inning of the 1950 All-Star Game. Phillies teammate Robin Roberts (Michigan State's second-leading scorer in 1945-46 and 1946-47) was the starting pitcher for the N.L.

  • Chicago Cubs RHP Cal Koonce (standout for Campbell in 1960 and 1961 when North Carolina-based school was junior college) hurled a six-hit shutout against the St. Louis Cardinals in the nightcap of a 1965 doubleheader.

  • Cincinnati Reds C Ernie Krueger (captain for Lake Forest IL) contributed a career-high four hits against the Boston Braves in the opener of a 1925 twinbill.

  • OF Don Lock (led Wichita State in field-goal percentage in 1956-57 and 1957-58) traded by the New York Yankees to the Washington Senators for 1B Dale Long in 1962.

  • Chicago Cubs RF Bill Nicholson (Washington College MD guard for two years in mid-1930s) notched five RBI against the Boston Braves in the opener of a 1940 doubleheader.

  • Detroit Tigers RF Jim Northrup (second-leading scorer and third-leading rebounder for Alma MI in 1958-59) batted leadoff in 1973 when smacking two homers and driving in eight runs in a 14-2 triumph against the Texas Rangers.

  • Chicago White Sox LHP Gary Peters (played for Grove City PA in mid-1950s) tossed three perfect innings of relief for the A.L., including fanning all-time N.L. standouts Willie Mays, Roberto Clemente, Orlando Cepeda and Dick Allen, in the 1967 All-Star Game.

  • RHP Ray Rippelmeyer (led Southern Illinois in scoring and rebounding as a sophomore in 1952-53 before transferring and becoming two-time All-MIAA first-team selection by pacing Southeast Missouri State in scoring in 1953-54 and 1954-55) returned by the Washington Senators to the Cincinnati Reds in 1962 (earlier rule 5 draft selection).

  • New York Yankees 3B Red Rolfe (played briefly with Dartmouth in 1927-28 and 1929-30) registered three extra-base hits against the St. Louis Browns in 1940.

  • Chicago White Sox RF Evar Swanson (played all five positions for Knox IL) went 4-for-4 against the Washington Senators to extend his hitting streak to a career-high 16 in a row.

On This Date: Former College Hoopsters Make Mark on July 10 MLB Games

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

Unless you habitually pore over the content at baseballlibrary.com, baseballreference.com and nationalpastime.com, following is a July 10 calendar focusing on such versatile MLB athletes:

JULY 10

  • Chicago White Sox 2B Jerry Adair (one of Oklahoma State's top three basketball scorers in 1956-57 and 1957-58 while ranking among nation's top 12 free-throw shooters each season) stroked four hits against the Boston Red Sox in the nightcap of a 1966 doubleheader.

  • Philadelphia Phillies LF Harry Anderson (averaged 7.7 ppg and 8.9 rpg for West Chester PA in 1951-52) knocked in five runs against the St. Louis Cardinals in a 1958 game.

  • RHP Ralph Branca (sixth-leading scorer for NYU in 1943-44), hampered by an off-season pelvic injury, awarded on waivers from the Brooklyn Dodgers to the Detroit Tigers in 1953.

  • St. Louis Cardinals 2B Frankie Frisch (Fordham captain) scored three runs, one on a homer off Lefty Gomez, in the 1934 All-Star Game.

  • Pittsburgh Pirates 2B Lee Handley (Bradley letterman from 1932-33 through 1934-35) had a 17-game hitting streak snapped by the Chicago Cubs in 1937.

  • RHP Jim Hearn (Georgia Tech letterman in 1941-42) awarded on waivers from the St. Louis Cardinals to the New York Giants in 1950. Hearn goes on to lead the N.L. in shutouts (five) and ERA (2.49).

  • Brooklyn Dodgers 1B Gil Hodges (played for St. Joseph's IN in 1943 and Oakland City IN in 1947 and 1948) hammered a two-run homer in 1951 All-Star Game.

  • 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) furnished five RBI against the St. Louis Cardinals in 1960.

  • Detroit Tigers RF Harvey Kuenn (played briefly for Wisconsin in 1951-52 after competing on JV squad previous season) had his career-high 22-game hitting streak snapped by the Kansas City Athletics in 1959.

  • Cleveland Indians CF Kenny Lofton (Arizona's leader in steals for 1988 Final Four team compiling a 35-3 record) logged four hits and four RBI against the Minnesota Twins in 1994.

  • OF Jim Lyttle (led Florida State in free-throw shooting in 1965-66 when he averaged 12.4 ppg) purchased from the Kansas City Royals by the Montreal Expos in 1973.

  • New York Giants RHP Christy Mathewson (played for Bucknell at turn of 20th Century) extended his streak of consecutive innings without a free pass to 52 but had his nine-game winning streak end with a 3-2 setback against the Chicago Cubs in 1913.

  • In 1970, Cincinnati Reds SS Woodie Woodward went yard off Atlanta Braves RHP Ron Reed (Notre Dame's leading rebounder in 1963-64 and 1964-65) for Woodward's only homer in a nine-year N.L. career (684 of 880 games/1,672 of 2,187 at-bats).

  • New York Giants RHP Hal Schumacher (played for St. Lawrence NY in early 1930s), supported by three hits from OF Hank Leiber (played for Arizona in 1931), notched his 11th straight complete-game victory with a 10-3 verdict over the Pittsburgh Pirates in 1935. Three years later, Leiber launched two homers against the Boston Braves in 1938.

  • Cincinnati Reds 2B Johnny Temple (played briefly for Catawba NC in 1945 before joining U.S. Navy) drove in the contest's first run as the N.L. took the lead for good in a 7-3 decision over the A.L. in the 1956 All-Star Game.

  • New York Yankees LHP Matt Thornton (averaged 5.8 ppg and 2.4 rpg from 1995-96 through 1997-98 with Grand Valley State MI) had his streak of 19 straight relief appearances without yielding an earned run come to a halt against the Cleveland Indians in 2014.

  • San Diego Padres RHP Chris Young (All-Ivy League first-team selection for Princeton in 1999-00) incurred the loss for the N.L. in the 2007 All-Star Game. Young yielded the first inside-the-park homer in All-Star Game history (Ichiro Suzuki in fifth inning).

On This Date: Former College Hoopsters Make Mark on July 9 MLB Games

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

Unless you habitually pore over the content at baseballlibrary.com, baseballreference.com and nationalpastime.com, following is a July 9 calendar focusing on such versatile MLB athletes:

JULY 9

  • Detroit Tigers RHP Elden Auker (All-Big Six Conference first-five basketball selection with Kansas State in 1931-32) tossed a four-hit shutout against the Chicago White Sox. The whitewash was one of four complete-game wins for Auker during the month in 1938.

  • Pittsburgh Pirates LF Clyde Barnhart (played for Shippensburg PA predecessor Cumberland Valley State Normal School prior to World War I) banged out four hits in a 12-3 win against the New York Giants in the opener of a 1925 doubleheader.

  • Cleveland Indians SS Lou Boudreau (leading scorer for Illinois' 1937 Big Ten Conference co-champion) went 2-for-2 in the 1941 All-Star Game.

  • Philadelphia Phillies RHP Gene Conley (All-PCC first-team selection led North Division in scoring in 1949-50 as Washington State sophomore) hurled his second shutout in a nine-day span in 1959.

  • California Angels OF Billy Cowan (co-captain of Utah's 1960 NCAA playoff team) tied a MLB record in 1971 by fanning six times against the Oakland A's in the longest shutout in A.L. history (1-0 in 20 innings).

  • Brooklyn Dodgers RHP Roger Craig (forward with North Carolina State's 1949-50 freshman team) relieved in the third inning and hurled 11 scoreless frames en route to a 4-3 win against the Milwaukee Braves in 1959.

  • Philadelphia Athletics RF Walt French (letterman for Rutgers and Army) furnished four hits against the Chicago White Sox in 1926.

  • INF Charlie Gelbert (scored at least 125 points each of his last three seasons with Lebanon Valley PA in late 1920s) awarded on waivers from the Cincinnati Reds to the Detroit Tigers in 1937.

  • 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) was part of the St. Louis Cardinals' entire N.L. starting infield in the 1963 All-Star Game, including 1B Bill White (played two years with Hiram OH in early 1950s), 2B Julian Javier and 3B Ken Boyer.

  • Detroit Tigers C Tom Haller (backup forward for Illinois in 1956-57 and 1957-58 under coach Harry Combes) provided a double, triple and decisive ninth-inning homer against the Chicago White Sox in 1972.

  • New York Giants RHP Jim Hearn (Georgia Tech letterman in 1941-42) hit two homers at the Polo Grounds in a 10-2 victory against the Brooklyn Dodgers in 1955.

  • 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) tied a MLB record with seven strikeouts in a doubleheader split with the Boston Red Sox in 1965. Two years later, Howard hammered two homers against the Cleveland Indians in the opener of a 1967 twinbill.

  • New York Giants LF Monte Irvin (played for Lincoln PA 1 1/2 years in late 1930s) homered in his fourth consecutive contest in 1954.

  • Philadelphia Phillies 1B Davey Johnson (averaged 1.7 ppg with Texas A&M in 1961-62) delivered three extra-base hits and five RBI against the Pittsburgh Pirates in 1977.

  • New York Yankees RF Charlie Keller (Maryland three-year letterman from 1934-35 through 1936-37) opened the scoring with a two-run homer off Chicago Cubs RHP Claude Passeau (played for Millsaps MS in late 1920s and early 1930s) in the first inning as the A.L. blitzed the N.L., 12-0, in the 1946 All-Star Game.

  • Cleveland Indians CF Kenny Lofton (Arizona's leader in steals for 1988 Final Four team compiling a 35-3 record) contributed two hits and two stolen bases for the A.L. in the 1996 All-Star Game.

  • Chicago White Sox RHP Ted Lyons (two-time All-SWC first-team selection for Baylor in early 1920s) blanked the Philadelphia Athletics, 7-0, in the opener of a 1932 twinbill, snapping Hall of Famer Lefty Grove's 11-game winning streak.

  • OF-1B Len Matuszek (starter for Toledo's 18-7 team in 1975-76) traded by the Toronto Blue Jays to the Los Angeles Dodgers for OF Al Oliver in 1985.

  • In the midst of a 22-game hitting streak in 1953, Chicago White Sox RF Sam Mele (NYU's leading scorer in 1943 NCAA playoffs) homered in each contest of a three-game series against the Detroit Tigers.

  • OF Lyle Mouton (starter in LSU's backcourt with All-American Chris Jackson for 1989 NCAA playoff team) traded by the Philadelphia Phillies to the Cleveland Indians in 2003.

  • Cleveland Indians 3B Graig Nettles (shot 87.8% from free-throw line for San Diego State in 1963-64) homered in both ends of a 1972 doubleheader against the Kansas City Royals.

  • Atlanta Braves RHP Ron Reed (Notre Dame's leading rebounder in 1963-64 and 1964-65) got the first two outs in the ninth inning, including whiffing Baltimore Orioles 2B Davey Johnson (averaged 1.7 ppg with Texas A&M in 1961-62), to help the N.L. blank the A.L., 1-0, in the 1968 All-Star Game.

  • New York Yankees rookie RHP Steve Roser (Clarkson NY center in late 1930s before bypassing senior season) registered the lone complete game of his MLB career (8-2 win against Detroit Tigers in nightcap of 1944 doubleheader).

  • RHP Tim Stoddard (starting forward opposite All-American David Thompson for North Carolina State's 1974 NCAA champion) traded by the San Diego Padres to the New York Yankees for P Ed Whitson in 1986.

  • Tampa Bay Devil Rays RF Randy Winn (Santa Clara backcourtmate of eventual two-time NBA Most Valuable Player Steve Nash in 1993-94) stroked a double for the A.L. off Los Angeles Dodgers P Eric Gagne in the 2002 All-Star Game.

On This Date: Former College Hoopsters Make Mark on July 8 MLB Games

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

Unless you habitually pore over the content at baseballlibrary.com, baseballreference.com and nationalpastime.com, following is a July 8 calendar focusing on such versatile MLB athletes:

JULY 8

  • Milwaukee Braves 1B Joe Adcock (Louisiana State's leading basketball scorer in 1945-46) whacked two homers against the Chicago Cubs in 1956, igniting a streak of five straight outings with a round-tripper.

  • St. Louis Cardinals C Ferrell Anderson (Kansas letterman in 1936-37 and 1937-38) amassed three hits in a 7-3 win against the Cincinnati Reds in 1953.

  • Chicago Cubs CF Frankie Baumholtz (MVP in 1941 NIT and first player in Ohio University history to score 1,000 career points) banged out four hits against the Milwaukee Braves in 1953.

  • Seattle Mariners 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 Baltimore Orioles in 1983.

  • Cleveland Indians SS Lou Boudreau (leading scorer for Illinois' 1937 Big Ten Conference co-champion) smacked two homers against the Boston Red Sox in 1944.

  • Kansas City Athletics LF Bob Cerv (ranked fourth on Nebraska all-time scoring list in 1949-50 when finishing college career) singled off Hall of Famer Warren Spahn in the opening inning for the A.L. in a 4-3 win against the N.L. in the 1958 All-Star Game. Four years later with the Houston Colt .45s, Cerv smacked the final two homers of his 12-year MLB career (against the Cincinnati Reds in 1962).

  • Jack Coombs (captain and starting center for Colby ME) resigned as manager of the last-place Philadelphia Phillies in 1919.

  • Boston Braves SS Alvin Dark (letterman for LSU and USL during World War II) carried off the field on a stretcher after being knocked unconscious by a thrown ball in 1949.

  • St. Louis Cardinals 2B Frankie Frisch (Fordham captain) furnished three hits in both ends of a 1934 twinbill split against the Cincinnati Reds.

  • California Angels RHP Dave Frost (averaged 10.5 ppg and 4 rpg for Stanford from 1971-72 through 1973-74) fired a five-hit shutout against the Seattle Mariners in 1978.

  • OF Monte Irvin (played for Lincoln PA 1 1/2 years in late 1930s) stroked a three-run double in the first inning and grand slam in the 11th to carry the New York Giants to a 10-7 triumph over the Pittsburgh Pirates in 1953. Starting RHP Jim Hearn (Georgia Tech letterman in 1941-42) failed in a bid to win his 13th straight against the Bucs.

  • Detroit Tigers SS Harvey Kuenn (played briefly for Wisconsin in 1951-52 after competing on JV squad previous season) contributed four hits against the Chicago White Sox in the nightcap of a 1956 doubleheader.

  • Boston Red Sox 1B Tony Lupien (Harvard captain in 1938-39) went 4-for-4 against the St. Louis Browns in 1943.

  • Los Angeles Dodgers LF Wally Moon (averaged 4.3 ppg with Texas A&M in 1948-49 and 1949-50) went 4-for-4 against the Cincinnati Reds in 1961.

  • 1B Cotton Nash (three-time All-American averaged 22.7 ppg and 12.3 rpg in Kentucky career from 1961-62 through 1963-64) returned by the Pittsburgh Pirates to the Chicago White Sox after trade three months earlier was voided.

  • Chicago Cubs RHP Claude Passeau (played for Millsaps MS in late 1920s and early 1930s) yielded a three-run homer to Hall of Fame Boston Red Sox OF Ted Williams as the A.L. notched a dramatic 7-5 victory in the 1941 All-Star Game.

  • 1B Jack Phillips (leading scorer for Clarkson NY in 1942-43) pounded a pinch-hit grand-slam homer in the bottom of the ninth inning to propel the Pittsburgh Pirates to a 7-6 triumph against the St. Louis Cardinals in 1950.

  • Cincinnati Reds LHP Eppa Rixey (Virginia letterman in 1912 and 1914) won the 16-inning nightcap of a 1924 twinbill, 2-1, at Cincinnati. It triggered a streak of 31 straight scoreless innings for Rixey.

  • Brooklyn Dodgers 2B Jackie Robinson (highest scoring average in PCC both of his seasons with UCLA in 1939-40 and 1940-41) ripped a homer for the N.L. in the 1952 All-Star Game.

  • Seattle Pilots LHP Garry Roggenburk (Dayton's leading scorer three straight seasons from 1959-60 through 1961-62 grabbed school-record 32 rebounds in third varsity contest) hurled his lone MLB complete game (3-1 win against the California Angels in 1969).

  • New York Giants RHP Hal Schumacher (played for St. Lawrence NY in early 1930s) fanned five A.L. batters, including all-time standouts Jimmie Foxx, Joe Cronin and Al Simmons, in four innings of relief for the N.L. in the 1935 All-Star Game.

  • New York Giants C Wes Westrum (played for Bemidji State MN one season before serving in military during WWII) and teammate Daryl Spencer twice smacked back-to-back homers in an 11-1 victory against the Pittsburgh Pirates in a 1956 game.

On This Date: Former College Hoopsters Make Mark on July 7 MLB Games

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

Unless you habitually pore over the content at baseballlibrary.com, baseballreference.com and nationalpastime.com, following is a July 7 calendar focusing on such versatile MLB athletes:

JULY 7

  • RHP Mike Adams (played basketball for Texas A&M-Kingsville in 1996-97) awarded on waivers from the New York Mets to the Cleveland Indians in 2006.

  • St. Louis Browns C Benny Bengough (Niagara letterman from 1916-17 through 1918-19) banged out four hits in an 8-2 win against the Boston Red Sox in 1932.

  • Detroit Tigers OF Hoot Evers (starter for Illinois in 1939-40) went 5-for-5 and scored five runs in a 13-3 victory over the Cleveland Indians in 1951.

  • Boston Red Sox C Rick Ferrell (forward for Guilford NC before graduating in 1928) accumulated four hits and five RBI in a 7-6 win against the Philadelphia Athletics in the opener of a 1935 doubleheader.

  • Cincinnati Reds 3B Gene Freese (West Liberty WV captain of 1952 NAIA Tournament team) homered in both ends of a 1961 twinbill sweep of the Los Angeles Dodgers.

  • 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) homered in both ends of a 1957 doubleheader sweep of the New York Giants.

  • Washington Senators LF Frank Howard (two-time All-Big Ten Conference first-team selection in 1956-57 and 1957-58) whacked two homers against the Cleveland Indians in 1969. The next year, Howard homered in both ends of a 1970 twinbill against the Indians.

  • St. Louis Cardinals SS Doc Lavan (played for Hope MI from 1908 through 1910) went 4-for-4 against the Brooklyn Dodgers in 1922.

  • St. Louis Cardinals RHP Lindy McDaniel (played for Oklahoma's 1954-55 freshman squad) extended his streak of consecutive contests without yielding an earned run to 15 in a row in 1962.

  • Detroit Tigers RF Jim Northrup (second-leading scorer and third-leading rebounder for Alma MI in 1958-59) blasted two homers against the Boston Red Sox in the opener of a 1970 twinbill.

  • Pittsburgh Pirates 2B Johnny O'Brien (consensus All-American second-team choice as junior and first-team selection as senior averaged 25.8 ppg for Seattle from 1950-51 through 1952-53) went 4-for-4 in a 4-3 setback against the Brooklyn Dodgers in 1955.

  • Philadelphia Phillies OF Gary Redus (J.C. player for Athens AL and father of Centenary/South Alabama hoops guard) ripped two homers in a 7-3 triumph over the Atlanta Braves in 1986. Redus registered a double in each of his previous four outings against his original team (Cincinnati Reds).

  • LHP Preacher Roe (played for Harding AR in late 1930s) hit the lone homer in his Organized Baseball career (against the Pittsburgh Pirates in 1953) as the Brooklyn Dodgers established a N.L. record by homering in 21 consecutive contests.

  • New York Yankees 3B Red Rolfe (played briefly with Dartmouth in 1927-28 and 1929-30) ripped a two-run triple off Hall of Fame P Carl Hubbell of the New York Giants in the 1937 All-Star Game.

  • Milwaukee Brewers LF Ted Savage (led Lincoln MO in scoring average in 1955-56) smacked a game-winning, pinch-hit homer off Chicago White Sox P Wilbur Wood in the bottom of the 12th inning in 1970.

  • Cleveland Indians 2B Riggs Stephenson (Alabama letterman in 1920) collected three doubles and five RBI in a 27-3 rout of the Boston Red Sox in the opener of a 1923 doubleheader.

  • LHP Tom Zachary (Guilford NC letterman in 1916) traded by the St. Louis Browns to the Washington Senators in 1927.

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

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

Unless you habitually pore over the content at baseballlibrary.com, baseballreference.com and nationalpastime.com, following is a July 6 calendar focusing on such versatile MLB athletes:

JULY 6

  • San Diego Padres RHP Mike Adams (played basketball for Texas A&M-Kingsville in 1996-97) fanned the side against the Arizona Diamondbacks in 2008, triggering a streak of 12 consecutive relief appearances without yielding a run.

  • Milwaukee Braves 1B Joe Adcock (Louisiana State's leading scorer in 1945-46) collected five RBI against the Chicago Cubs in 1954.

  • Pittsburgh Pirates RHP Jim Bibby (Fayetteville State NC backup player and brother of UCLA All-American Henry Bibby) improved his record to 11-1 with three scoreless innings of relief in a 20-inning, 5-4 victory over the Chicago Cubs in 1980.

  • Seattle Mariners DH Bruce Bochte (starting forward for Santa Clara's NCAA playoff team in 1969-70 when averaging 7.4 ppg and 4 rpg) banged out four hits in a 5-3 win against the Kansas City Royals in 1980.

  • Cleveland Indians SS Lou Boudreau (leading scorer for Illinois' 1937 Big Ten Conference co-champion) led off the 1942 All-Star Game with a homer to help the A.L. defeat the N.L., 3-1.

  • Boston Braves SS Dick Culler (#9 jersey retired by High Point for Little All-American in 1935 and 1936) went 5-for-9 and scored six runs in a 1945 doubleheader sweep of the Pittsburgh Pirates.

  • CF Taylor Douthit (California letterman from 1922 through 1924) contributed five hits and two walks at Philadelphia to help the St. Louis Cardinals snap an 11-game losing streak with a 28-6 triumph over the Phillies in the nightcap of a 1929 doubleheader.

  • Washington Senators C Rick Ferrell (forward for Guilford NC before graduating in 1928) went 4-for-4, including three doubles, against the Boston Red Sox in the opener of a 1947 twinbill.

  • A six-hit shutout against the Detroit Tigers was one of six straight complete-game wins in 1977 by Baltimore Orioles LHP Mike Flanagan (averaged 13.9 ppg for UMass' freshman squad in 1971-72). Flanagan also closed out the campaign with six triumphs in a row.

  • St. Louis Cardinals 2B Frankie Frisch (Fordham captain) supplied a homer in 1933 All-Star Game. Eight years earlier in the midst of a 19-game hitting streak with the New York Giants, Frisch furnished four safeties against the Philadelphia Phillies in the nightcap of a 1925 doubleheader.

  • Brooklyn Robins 3B Wally Gilbert (captain played for Valparaiso from 1918-19 through 1920-21) went 4-for-4 in a 10-4 win against the Boston Braves in 1930.

  • California Angels RHP Ed Halicki (NAIA All-American third-team choice in 1971-72 when he led Monmouth in scoring with 21 ppg after setting a school single-game rebounding record with 40 the previous season) hurled a two-hit shutout against the Milwaukee Brewers in 1980 (infield single in first inning and bloop double in ninth).

  • San Francisco Giants LHP Atlee Hammaker (averaged 5.3 ppg as freshman in 1976-77 and 4.9 as sophomore in 1977-78 under ETSU coach Sonny Smith) yielded seven earned runs to A.L. in 2/3 of an inning in the third frame of 1983 All-Star Game.

  • Pittsburgh Pirates 3B Lee Handley (Bradley letterman from 1932-33 through 1934-35) had four hits against the St. Louis Cardinals in the opener of a 1940 doubleheader.

  • Mike Hargrove (Northwestern Oklahoma State letterman) replaced John McNamara as Cleveland Indians manager in 1991.

  • St. Louis Cardinals rookie RHP Jim Hearn (Georgia Tech letterman in 1941-42) tossed his first MLB shutout (three-hitter against the Cincinnati Reds in opener of 1947 twinbill).

  • Washington Senators 1B Frank Howard (two-time All-Big Ten Conference first-team selection in 1956-57 and 1957-58) homered in both ends of a 1971 doubleheader against the Baltimore Orioles, giving him round-trippers in four straight outings.

  • Toronto Blue Jays DH Tony Johnson (All-VSAC selection in 1976-77 and 1979-80 for LeMoyne-Owen TN) supplied his second 2-for-3 performance in three days in 1982.

  • In his first MLB start, Brooklyn Dodgers LHP Sandy Koufax (Cincinnati's freshman squad in 1953-54) toiled 4 1/3 innings against the Pittsburgh Pirates in 1955, striking out four batters while yielding three hits and eight walks.

  • Oakland Athletics 2B 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) launched two homers against the Cleveland Indians in 1982.

  • Kansas City Athletics 2B Jerry Lumpe (member of Southwest Missouri State's 1952 NAIA Tournament championship team) supplied a double and triple in the second of back-to-back games against the Chicago White Sox in 1961.

  • Chicago Cubs RHP Claude Passeau (played for Millsaps MS in late 1920s and early 1930s) fired two innings of scoreless relief for the N.L. in 1942 All-Star Game.

  • Only hit in his four games as a member of New York Yankees for RF 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) was a homer against the Boston Red Sox.

  • New York Yankees RF Dave Winfield (starting forward with Minnesota's first NCAA playoff team in 1972) went 3-for-3 as the A.L. smothered the N.L., 13-3, in the 1983 All-Star Game.

  • Boston Braves 3B Chuck Workman (two-time All-MIAA first-five selection was leading scorer when Central Missouri won inaugural NAIA Tournament in 1937) manufactured four hits against the Pittsburgh Pirates in the nightcap of a 1945 twinbill.

On This Date: Former College Hoopsters Make Mark on July 5 MLB Games

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

Unless you habitually pore over the content at baseballlibrary.com, baseballreference.com and nationalpastime.com, following is a July 5 calendar focusing on such versatile MLB athletes:

JULY 5

  • California Angels 1B Joe Adcock (Louisiana State's leading basketball scorer in 1945-46) homered in his third consecutive contest in 1966.

  • In his MLB debut, Philadelphia Athletics RHP Jack Coombs (captain and starting center for Colby ME) hurled a shutout against the Washington Senators in 1906.

  • Cleveland Indians OF Larry Doby (reserve guard for Virginia Union's 1943 CIAA titlist) became the first African-American player in the A.L., striking out as a pinch-hitter against the Chicago White Sox in 1947.

  • Boston Red Sox C Rick Ferrell (played forward for Guilford NC before graduating in 1928) amassed four hits against the Philadelphia Athletics in 1936.

  • St. Louis Cardinals 2B Frankie Frisch (Fordham captain) tied a N.L. record with 16 chances in a 6-4 win over the Cincinnati Reds in 1930.

  • St. Louis Cardinals RHP Bob Gibson (Creighton's leading scorer and rebounder in 1955-56 and 1956-57) belted his first of 24 MLB career homers (off Los Angeles Dodgers' Johnny Podres in 1961).

  • Detroit Tigers 1B Hank Greenberg (enrolled at NYU on hoop scholarship in 1929 but attended college only one semester) went 4-for-4, including four runs, two homers and five RBI, against the St. Louis Browns in 1935.

  • Baltimore Orioles RHP Dick Hall (averaged 13.5 ppg from 1948-49 through 1950-51 for Swarthmore PA Southern Division champions in Middle Atlantic States Conference) hurled a four-hit shutout against the Washington Senators in 1961.

  • In 1965, New York Yankees LHP Steve Hamilton (All-OVC selection was Morehead State's leading scorer and rebounder in 1956-57 and 1957-58) yielded his only earned run in a span of 21 relief appearances from the end of May to late July.

  • Cleveland Indians RHP Oral Hildebrand (Butler All-All-American in 1928-29 and 1929-30) hurled a shutout against the Chicago White Sox for one of his five victories this month in 1934.

  • Washington Senators LF Frank Howard (two-time All-Big Ten Conference first-team selection in 1956-57 and 1957-58) hammered two homers against the Boston Red Sox in the opener of a 1969 doubleheader.

  • New York Yankees LF Charlie Keller (Maryland three-year letterman from 1934-35 through 1936-37) cracked two homers against the Philadelphia Athletics in 1941.

  • Detroit Tigers SS Harvey Kuenn (played five games for Wisconsin in 1951-52) provided the game's only tally with an 11th-inning homer against the Cleveland Indians in the nightcap of a 1954 twinbill.

  • Philadelphia Athletics LHP Pete Naktenis (Duke letterman in 1934-35), yielding 10 earned runs in first 1 2/3 innings, lost his lone MLB decision (16-2 rout by Boston Red Sox in opener of 1936 doubleheader).

  • New York Yankees CF Irv Noren (player of the year for California community college state champion Pasadena City in 1945) collected a pair of homers and five RBI against the Philadelphia Athletics in the nightcap of a 1954 twinbill.

  • New York Yankees RHP Cecil Perkins (All-WVIAC selection in 1961-62 with Salem International WV) lost his lone MLB decision and start (against the Minnesota Twins in 1967).

  • In the midst of winning seven straight decisions in 1986, New York Yankees LHP Dennis Rasmussen (sixth-man for Creighton averaged 5.1 ppg from 1977-78 through 1979-80) tossed a three-hit shutout against the Chicago White Sox.

  • In 1953, Philadelphia Phillies RHP Robin Roberts (Michigan State's second-leading scorer in 1945-46 and 1946-47) blanked the Pittsburgh Pirates, 2-0, for his 28th consecutive complete game.

  • In 1969, Montreal Expos 2B Gary Sutherland (averaged 7.4 ppg with USC in 1963-64) stroked four hits against his original team (Philadelphia Phillies).

  • Cincinnati Reds CF Evar Swanson (played all five positions for Knox IL) supplied four hits against the St. Louis Cardinals in 1930.

  • In 1998, Tampa Bay Devil Rays LF Randy Winn (Santa Clara backcourtmate of eventual two-time NBA Most Valuable Player Steve Nash in 1993-94) became the 3,000th career strikeout victim of Roger Clemens.

On This Date: Former College Hoopsters Make Mark on July 4 MLB Games

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

Unless you habitually pore over the content at baseballlibrary.com, baseballreference.com and nationalpastime.com, following is a July 4 calendar focusing on such versatile MLB athletes:

JULY 4

  • Cleveland Indians 2B Bosey Berger (Maryland's first basketball All-American led Southern Conference in scoring in league competition in 1930-31) banged out four hits against the Detroit Tigers in the opener of a 1935 doubleheader.

  • 1B-OF Larry Biittner (runner-up in scoring and rebounding for Buena Vista IA in 1966-67) hurled the final 1 1/3 innings for the Chicago Cubs in the opener of a 1977 doubleheader against the Montreal Expos.

  • Cleveland Indians SS Lou Boudreau (leading scorer for Illinois' 1937 Big Ten Conference co-champion) contributed four hits against the Detroit Tigers in the nightcap of a 1946 twinbill.

  • Pittsburgh Pirates 1B Donn Clendenon (four-sport letterman with Morehouse GA) cracked two homers against the Chicago Cubs in the nightcap of a 1966 doubleheader. Clendenon also homered each of the next two days against the Cubs.

  • Philadelphia Athletics C Mickey Cochrane (Boston University player in early 1920s) went 4-for-4, including three doubles and a homer, against the Boston Red Sox in the opener of a 1929 doubleheader. Six years later with the Detroit Tigers, Cochrane stroked four hits for the second time in a four-game span in 1935.

  • RHP Jack Coombs (captain and starting center for Colby ME) overcame seven Brooklyn Dodgers errors to nip the New York Giants, 4-3, in the nightcap of a 1918 twinbill. Coombs scored the winning run after drilling a 10th-inning triple (his third hit of contest).

  • In 1957, Cincinnati Reds 1B George Crowe (four-year letterman from 1939-40 through 1942-43 for Indiana Central after becoming first high schooler named state's "Mr. Basketball") went 5-for-5, driving in six runs, but it wasn't enough to prevent a 10-7 loss against his original team (the Milwaukee Braves).

  • New York Giants SS Alvin Dark (letterman for LSU and USL during World War II) delivered a homer in each end of a 1950 doubleheader split with the Brooklyn Dodgers.

  • St. Louis Cardinals CF Taylor Douthit (California letterman from 1922 through 1924) went 5-for-7 and scored five runs in a 1928 twinbill split against the Chicago Cubs.

  • Washington Senators LHP Joe Engel (played for Mount St. Mary's in 1910-11 and 1911-12) hurled a complete game but lost, 1-0, against the Boston Red Sox on an unearned run in the opener of a 1914 doubleheader.

  • Chicago Cubs LHP Darcy Fast (all-conference player for Warner Pacific OR in 1965-66 and 1966-67) lost his lone MLB decision (7-4 against the Philadelphia Phillies in the nightcap of a 1968 twinbill).

  • Boston Red Sox C Rick Ferrell (played forward for Guilford NC before graduating in 1928) went 4-for-4 against the Philadelphia Athletics in the nightcap of a 1933 doubleheader.

  • RHP Bob Garibaldi (starting forward for Santa Clara in 1961-62 when averaging 10.6 ppg and 5.6 rpg) signed with the San Francisco Giants for a $150,000 bonus in 1962 after receiving award as College World Series Most Outstanding Player.

  • 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) provided three hits in each game of a 1956 twinbill split against the Philadelphia Phillies.

  • Cincinnati Reds RHP Jay Hook (Northwestern's third-leading scorer as sophomore in 1955-56) hurled a four-hit shutout against the Philadelphia Phillies in 1960.

  • Los Angeles Dodgers RF Frank Howard (two-time All-Big Ten Conference first-team selection in 1956-57 and 1957-58) furnished five RBI against the Philadelphia Phillies in the opener of a 1962 twinbill.

  • Atlanta Braves 2B Davey Johnson (averaged 1.7 ppg with Texas A&M in 1961-62) laced two homers against the Houston Astros in the nightcap of a 1973 doubleheader.

  • New York Yankees RF Charlie Keller (Maryland three-year letterman from 1934-35 through 1936-37) clobbered two homers against the Boston Red Sox in the opener of a 1940 twinbill.

  • Cleveland Indians SS Jerry Kindall (averaged 6.9 ppg for Minnesota as junior in 1955-56) cracked a homer in both ends of a 1963 doubleheader sweep against the Boston Red Sox. Kindall collected a walk-off round-tripper in the bottom of the 14th inning in the opener.

  • Chicago Cubs OF Hank Leiber (played for Arizona in 1931) hammered three homers against the St. Louis Cardinals in the opener of a 1939 twinbill.

  • Cleveland Indians RHP Dutch Levsen (Iowa State letterman in 1918-19) tossed a two-hit shutout against the Chicago White Sox in the opener of a 1927 doubleheader.

  • Chicago White Sox 1B Tony Lupien (Harvard captain in 1938-39) went 7-for-10 in a 1948 doubleheader split against the Detroit Tigers.

  • Cleveland Indians rookie CF Ed Morgan (Tulane letterman from 1923-24 through 1925-26), raising his batting average to .378, had four hits against the Detroit Tigers in the opener of a 1928 twinbill.

  • Chicago Cubs RF Bill Nicholson (Washington College MD guard for two years in mid-1930s) whacked two homers against the Boston Braves in the nightcap of a 1945 doubleheader.

  • Oakland Athletics CF Billy North (played briefly for Central Washington in 1967-68) stole three bases against the California Angels in 1973.

  • Detroit Tigers RF Jim Northrup (second-leading scorer and third-leading rebounder for Alma MI in 1958-59) collected two homers, a triple and five RBI in a 13-10 victory over the California Angels in 1968.

  • LHP Preacher Roe (played for Harding AR in late 1930s) and RHP Ralph Branca (sixth-leading scorer for NYU in 1943-44) are the winning hurlers as the Brooklyn Dodgers sweep a 1951 doubleheader against the New York Giants.

  • RHP Jeff Shaw (freshman guard for 31-5 Rio Grande OH team participating in 1985 NAIA Tournament) traded by the Cincinnati Reds to the Los Angeles Dodgers in 1968. He became the first reliever in MLB history to lead two different clubs in saves in the same season (23 with the Reds and 25 with the Dodgers).

  • Boston Red Sox 3B Jim Tabor (Alabama letterman in 1936-37) socked four homers in a 1939 doubleheader against the Philadelphia Athletics, collecting 19 total bases and 11 RBI. Three of Tabor's round-trippers came in the nightcap, including a record-tying two grand slams in back-to-back innings.

  • New York Yankees LHP Ed Wells (multi-sport athlete graduated in 1924 from Bethany WV) incurred his lone defeat in the midst of 10 victories from the end of May to early August in 1930.

  • Boston Braves LF Ab Wright (Oklahoma A&M letterman in 1928-29) went hitless for the only time in a 14-game span in 1944.

Savoring General Ryan: Bo Knows Player Development in Power Conference

In the aftermath of Wisconsin's Bo Ryan announcing his retirement after next season, it's time to acknowledge him as perhaps the premier player-development coach from a power league. A UW player became an All-Big Ten Conference selection each of the previous five campaigns and seven of previous eight after averaging fewer than three points per game as a freshman. If not for missing half of this season because of a broken foot, point guard Traevon Jackson (1.1 in 2011-12) might have joined the following chronological list of Badgers becoming an all-league choice under Ryan after averaging fewer than 3 ppg as a freshman (all but one of them fewer than 2 ppg):

G Kammron Taylor (1.2 ppg in 2003-04 to 13.3 ppg in 2006-07)
G Michael Flowers (1.2 ppg in 2004-05 to 9.6 ppg in 2007-08)
G Trevon Hughes (1.4 ppg in 2006-07 to 15.3 ppg in 2009-10)
F Jon Leuer (2.9 ppg in 2007-08 to 18.3 ppg in 2010-11)
G Jordan Taylor (1.6 ppg in 2008-09 to 18.1 ppg in 2010-11 and 14.8 ppg in 2011-12)
C Jared Berggren (1.1 ppg in 2009-10 to 11 ppg in 2012-13)
C Frank Kaminsky (1.8 ppg in 2011-12 to 14.1 ppg in 2013-14 and 18.4 ppg in 2014-15)

"Saving" his program time and time again by turning scars into stars, it is no wonder Wisconsin won 50 consecutive contests under "General" Ryan in one stretch when the Badgers were ahead or tied with five minutes remaining in regulation. They never finished lower than fourth place in the Big Ten standings in his first 14 years at their helm. Kaminsky scored a school-record 43 points early in the 2013-14 campaign en route to pacing the team in scoring average. It is time to right "Ryan's Wrong" by firing national coach of the year voters. There is no satisfactory explanation why Ryan never has been named national COY. Adding insult to injury this past spring, George Raveling (2-6 NCAA playoff mark with Washington State, Iowa and USC plus losing record with Hawkeyes in three seasons of Big Ten competition) became an inductee to Basketball Hall of Fame over Ryan.

On This Date: Former College Hoopsters Make Mark on July 3 MLB Games

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

Unless you habitually pore over the content at baseballlibrary.com, baseballreference.com and nationalpastime.com, following is a July 3 calendar focusing on such versatile MLB athletes:

JULY 3

  • In 1960, LHP Ray Blemker (two-time All-SEC second-team guard led Georgia Tech in scoring each basketball season from 1956-57 through 1958-59) made his lone MLB appearance with the Kansas City Athletics.

  • Kansas City Athletics LF Bob Cerv (ranked fourth on Nebraska's career scoring list in 1949-50 when finishing his career) cracked a grand slam before P Herb Score settled down and fanned 14 in the Cleveland Indians' 8-4 triumph in 1959.

  • In 1994, the Cleveland Indians retired the uniform number of OF Larry Doby (reserve guard for Virginia Union's 1943 CIAA titlist). Doby broke the A.L. color barrier in 1947.

  • California Angels RHP Dave Frost (averaged 10.5 ppg and 4 rpg for Stanford from 1971-72 through 1973-74) tossed a four-hit shutout against the Oakland Athletics in 1979.

  • Cincinnati Reds 1B Harvey Hendrick (Vanderbilt letterman in 1918) went 4-for-4 in a 4-2 win against the St. Louis Cardinals in 1932.

  • Cleveland Indians CF Kenny Lofton (Arizona's leader in steals for 1988 Final Four team compiling 35-3 record) went 4-for-4 against the Minnesota Twins in 1994.

  • RHP Roger Mason (multiple-year letterman for Saginaw Valley State MI in late 1970s) traded by the San Diego Padres to the Philadelphia Phillies in 1993.

  • In the midst of smacking six homers in a six-game span in 1974, Detroit Tigers RF Jim Northrup (second-leading scorer and third-leading rebounder for Alma MI in 1958-59) deposited two balls over the outfield fence against the New York Yankees.

  • In 1956, Pittsburgh Pirates 2B Johnny O'Brien (two-time All-American with Seattle was first college player to crack 1,000-point plateau in a season when he scored 1,051 in 37 games in 1951-52) became the last N.L. position player in the 20th Century to earn a victory on the mound.

  • Philadelphia Phillies RHP Ron Reed (Notre Dame's leading rebounder in 1963-64 and 1964-65) permitted an earned run for the only time in a span of 14 relief appearances in 1976.

  • In 1949, Philadelphia Phillies RHP Robin Roberts (Michigan State's second-leading scorer in 1945-46 and 1946-47) tossed his third shutout in less than a month.

  • Chicago Cubs LF Riggs Stephenson (Alabama letterman in 1920) contributed five RBI against the St. Louis Cardinals in 1928. The next day, Stephenson supplied five hits against the Cards in the nightcap of a doubleheader.

On This Date: Former College Hoopsters Make Mark on July 2 MLB Games

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

Unless you habitually pore over the content at baseballlibrary.com, baseballreference.com and nationalpastime.com, following is a July 2 calendar focusing on such versatile MLB athletes:

JULY 2

  • Milwaukee Braves 1B Joe Adcock (Louisiana State's leading basketball scorer in 1945-46) homered in his fourth consecutive contest in 1955.

  • Detroit Tigers rookie 1B Dale Alexander (starting center in mid-1920s for Milligan TN) collected two homers and six RBI in a 10-4 win against the St. Louis Browns in 1929.

  • St. Louis Browns rookie RF Red Badgro (first-five pick on All-Pacific Coast Conference team in 1926-27 as USC's MVP) went hitless for the only time in an 18-game game span from mid-June to mid-July in 1929.

  • INF Jack Barry (letterman for Holy Cross in 1908) purchased from the Philadelphia Athletics by the Boston Red Sox in 1915.

  • Pittsburgh Pirates 1B Donn Clendenon (four-sport letterman with Morehouse GA) went 4-for-4 against the San Francisco Giants in 1964.

  • OF Larry Doby (reserve guard for Virginia Union's 1943 CIAA titlist) signed with the Cleveland Indians in 1947, becoming the first black player in the A.L. and second in MLB history.

  • Texas Rangers rookie 1B Mike Hargrove (Northwestern Oklahoma State letterman) went 4-for-4 against the Minnesota Twins in 1974.

  • LF Frank Howard (two-time All-Big Ten Conference first-team selection when he led Ohio State in scoring and rebounding in 1956-57 and 1957-58), CF Don Lock (led Wichita State in field-goal percentage in 1956-57 and 1957-58) and teammate Ken McMullen hit back-to-back-to-back homers in the sixth inning to power the Washington Senators to a 10-4 victory over the New York Yankees in 1966. Lock went 5-for-5.

  • 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) delivered a game-winning homer in the bottom of the ninth inning against the Montreal Expos in 1986.

  • Los Angeles Dodgers LF Wally Moon (averaged 4.3 ppg with Texas A&M in 1948-49 and 1949-50) went 4-for-4 against the Pittsburgh Pirates in 1960.

  • A two-run pinch homer by RF Bill Nicholson (Washington College MD guard for two years in mid-1930s) propelled the Philadelphia Phillies to a 2-1 win against the Brooklyn Dodgers in 1952.

  • Detroit Tigers RHP Joe Niekro (averaged 8.9 ppg and 3.8 rpg for West Liberty WV from 1963-64 through 1965-66) had his no-hit bid ended in the ninth inning in a 5-0 triumph against the New York Yankees in 1970. Fifteen years later, Niekro posted his 200th career victory when the Houston Astros edged the San Diego Padres.

  • New York Giants RHP Roy Parmelee (letterman for Eastern Michigan in 1924-25 and 1925-26) tossed a 1-0 shutout to beat the St. Louis Cardinals' Dizzy Dean in the nightcap of a 1933 doubleheader. Teammate Carl Hubbell hurled an 18-inning whitewash for the Giants in the opener.

  • Boston Red Sox LHP Gary Peters (played for Grove City PA in mid-1950s) fired the second of back-to-back shutouts in 1970.

  • In 1983, OF Gary Redus (J.C. player for Athens AL and father of Centenary/South Alabama guard) ripped a leadoff homer for the second consecutive game against the Atlanta Braves. Seven years later as a Pittsburgh Pirates 1B, Redus extended his career-high hitting streak to 12 straight outings in 1990.

  • Chicago White Sox C Leo Tankersley (TCU letterman in 1922-23 and 1923-24) appeared in his lone MLB game (against St. Louis Browns in 1925).

  • 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) whacked a decisive two-run pinch homer against the St. Louis Cardinals in the top of the 11th inning in 2015.

On This Date: Former College Hoopsters Make Mark on July 1 MLB Games

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

Unless you habitually pore over the content at baseballlibrary.com, baseballreference.com and nationalpastime.com, following is a July 1 calendar focusing on such versatile MLB athletes:

JULY 1

  • Chicago Cubs rookie 2B Glenn Beckert (three-year basketball letterman for Allegheny PA) belted two homers against the Los Angeles Dodgers in 1965.

  • Pittsburgh Pirates LF Carson "Skeeter" Bigbee (Oregon letterman in 1915) collected four hits against the St. Louis Cardinals in 1919.

  • Brooklyn Dodgers RHP Roger Craig (forward with North Carolina State's 1949-50 freshman team) collected his sixth straight win in 1956 (4-1 nod over Philadelphia Phillies).

  • In 1943, Chicago White Sox LF Guy Curtright (two-time All-MIAA selection led Northeast Missouri State in scoring each of his four seasons in early 1930s) set a MLB rookie record (subsequently broken) with a 26-game hitting streak as a 30-year-old newcomer in his only season as a regular.

  • Boston Red Sox C Gene Desautels (Holy Cross letterman in 1929 and 1930) contributed three hits and four runs against the Philadelphia Athletics in 1938.

  • Cleveland Indians CF Larry Doby (reserve guard for Virginia Union's 1943 CIAA titlist) walked five times in a 19-inning, 4-3 victory over the St. Louis Browns in 1952.

  • C-OF Joe Ferguson (member of Pacific's 1967 NCAA playoff team) traded by the Houston Astros with cash to the Los Angeles Dodgers in 1978.

  • St. Louis Cardinals 2B Frankie Frisch (Fordham captain) scored four runs for the first of two times in a three-game span in 1930.

  • In his first game back following four years serving in the U.S. military during WWII, Detroit Tigers LF Hank Greenberg (enrolled at NYU on hoop scholarship in 1929 but attended college only one semester) pounded a homer against the Philadelphia Athletics in 1945.

  • Washington Senators LF Frank Howard (two-time All-Big Ten Conference first-team selection in 1956-57 and 1957-58 when leading Ohio State in scoring and rebounding) homered in both ends of a 1969 doubleheader sweep of the Detroit Tigers.

  • Cleveland Indians LF "Sweet" Lou Johnson (Kentucky State teammate of legendary coach Davey Whitney averaged 5.7 ppg and 2 rpg in 1951-52) whacked back-to-back homers against the Minnesota Twins in 1968.

  • Cleveland Indians CF Kenny Lofton (Arizona's leader in steals for 1988 Final Four team compiling 35-3 record) provided three hits and three stolen bases against the Milwaukee Brewers in 1998.

  • Boston Red Sox 3B Buddy Myer (Mississippi State letterman in 1923-24) supplied multiple hits in seventh consecutive contest, including three extra-base safeties in the opener of a 1928 twinbill against the Washington Senators. Eleven years later as a 2B with the Senators, Myer went 4-for-4 against the Philadelphia Athletics in 1939.

  • Washington Senators CF Irv Noren (player of the year for California community college state champion Pasadena City in 1945) collected a homer and two doubles but his output wasn't enough to prevent a 1951 doubleheader loss against the Philadelphia Athletics. The extra-base hits triggered a streak of four games in a row with three safeties.

  • RHP Elmer Ponder (Oklahoma letterman in 1914 and 1916) traded by the Pittsburgh Pirates to the Chicago Cubs in 1921.

  • St. Louis Cardinals rookie C Dave Ricketts (three-year starter led Duquesne in scoring senior season with 17.9 ppg in 1956-57) contributed a career-high three hits against the New York Mets in 1967.

  • LHP Paul Splittorff (runner-up in scoring and rebounding for Morningside IA in 1967-68) retired in 1984. His 166 victories in 13 seasons are the most in Kansas City Royals history.

On This Date: Former College Hoopsters Make Mark on June 30 MLB Games

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

Unless you habitually pore over the content at baseballlibrary.com, baseballreference.com and nationalpastime.com, following is a June 30 calendar focusing on such versatile MLB athletes:

JUNE 30

  • Cincinnati Reds LF Morrie Arnovich (played basketball for Wisconsin-Superior in early 1930s) went 4-for-4 in a 7-6 win against the Chicago Cubs in the nightcap of a 1940 doubleheader.

  • Chicago Cubs CF Frankie Baumholtz (MVP in 1941 NIT and first player in Ohio University history to score 1,000 career points) banged out four hits against the St. Louis Cardinals in 1953.

  • In 1960, Detroit Tigers 2B Frank Bolling (averaged 7.3 ppg for Spring Hill AL in 1950-51) had a streak of seven straight two-hit games, with an extra-base safety in all but one of them, halted when he went hitless against the Boston Red Sox.

  • 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 1942.

  • Philadelphia Athletics C Mickey Cochrane (Boston University player in early 1920s) went 4-for-4 against the Detroit Tigers in 1930.

  • In 1978, Larry Doby (reserve guard for Virginia Union's 1943 CIAA titlist) became the second black MLB manager, succeeding Bob Lemon as skipper of the Chicago White Sox.

  • Boston Red Sox C Rick Ferrell (played forward for Guilford NC before graduating in 1928) contributed three extra-base hits and four RBI against the Philadelphia Athletics in 1935.

  • St. Louis Cardinals 3B Jake Flowers (member of 1923 "Flying Pentagon" championship squad for Washington College MD) closed out the month with five straight multiple-hit games in 1932.

  • In 1940, Washington Senators SS Charlie Gelbert (scored at least 125 points each of last three seasons in late 1920s for Lebanon Valley PA) closed out the month hitting .474 in 11 games (18-of-38).

  • En route to hitting .303 in 1970, St. Louis Cardinals RHP Bob Gibson (Creighton's leading scorer and rebounder in 1955-56 and 1956-57) supplied his fifth multiple-hit game of the month while winning seven starts during that span.

  • San Diego Padres RF Tony Gwynn (All-WAC second-team selection with San Diego State in 1979-80 and 1980-81) and two teammates each socked a three-run homer in a 15-6 rout of the Oakland A's in 1997.

  • Commencing the game by fanning the side on nine pitches in the opening inning, Los Angeles Dodgers LHP Sandy Koufax (Cincinnati's freshman squad in 1953-54) hurled a no-hitter against the New York Mets in 1962.

  • Minnesota Twins LHP Bill Krueger (led WCAC in free-throw percentage as freshman en route to averaging 5.1 ppg for Portland from 1975-76 through 1979-80) tossed a two-hit shutout against the California Angels in 1992.

  • In 1938, New York Giants CF Hank Leiber (played for Arizona in 1931) launched the final homer at Philadelphia's Baker Bowl before the Phillies moved to Shibe Park. Leiber finished the contest with three extra-base hits and five RBI.

  • Los Angeles Dodgers 2B 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) went 4-for-4 against the San Diego Padres in 1975.

  • In the midst of a 10-game hitting streak, Philadelphia Athletics C Ed Madjeski (Seton Hall letterman from 1928-29 through 1930-31) manufactured five safeties in a 1933 doubleheader split against the St. Louis Browns.

  • RHP Nels Potter (leading scorer during two years attending Mount Morris IL in early 1930s) purchased from the Philadelphia Athletics by the Boston Red Sox in 1941.

  • Baltimore Orioles LF Larry Sheets (All-ODAC selection in 1981-82 and 1982-83 with Eastern Mennonite VA) collected four RBI while triggering a career-high 10-game hitting streak in 1987.

  • New York Mets LHP George Stone (averaged 14.7 ppg and 6.5 rpg for Louisiana Tech in 1964-65 and 1965-66) hurled his final MLB complete game when defeating the Chicago Cubs, 5-1, in 1975.

  • OF Kite Thomas (averaged 5.1 ppg for Kansas State in 1946-47) awarded on waivers from the Philadelphia Athletics to the Washington Senators in 1953.

  • Seattle Mariners LHP Matt Thornton (averaged 5.8 ppg and 2.4 rpg for Grand Valley State MI from 1995-96 through 1997-98) charged with a run for the first time in last 14 relief appearances in 2005.

On This Date: Former College Hoopsters Make Mark on June 29 MLB Games

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

Unless you habitually pore over the content at baseballlibrary.com, baseballreference.com and nationalpastime.com, following is a June 29 calendar focusing on such versatile MLB athletes:

JUNE 29

  • Milwaukee Braves 1B Joe Adcock (Louisiana State's leading basketball scorer in 1945-46) smashed two homers in a 3-1 win against the Chicago Cubs in the nightcap of a 1960 twinbill.

  • RHP Jim Bibby (Fayetteville State NC backup player and brother of UCLA All-American Henry Bibby) secured his first win with the Texas Rangers by hurling a one-hit shutout against the Kansas City Royals in 1973.

  • New York Giants 2B Andy Cohen (Alabama letterman in 1924 and 1925) had an 11-game hitting streak snapped by the Philadelphia Phillies in the opener of a 1929 twin bill.

  • Boston Red Sox rookie RHP Boo Ferriss (Mississippi State letterman in 1941) contributed a run-scoring single and two-run, ninth-inning homer in a 4-2 decision over the Chicago White Sox in 1945.

  • Washington Senators SS Charlie Gelbert (scored at least 125 points each of last three seasons in late 1920s for Lebanon Valley PA) collected three hits for the third consecutive contest in 1940.

  • San Francisco Giants rookie LHP 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) fired his first MLB shutout, a four-hitter against the Cincinnati Reds in 1982.

  • Chicago Cubs LF Harvey Hendrick (Vanderbilt letterman in 1918) stroked three extra-base hits against the Brooklyn Dodgers in 1933.

  • Brooklyn Dodgers 1B Gil Hodges (played for St. Joseph's IN in 1943 and Oakland City IN in 1947 and 1948) smacked two homers against the Philadelphia Phillies in a 1956 game.

  • In the midst of 13 straight scoreless relief appearances covering 21 innings in 1954, Cincinnati Reds RHP Howie Judson (Illinois' third-leading scorer in 1944-45) earned a victory against the St. Louis Cardinals.

  • OF David Justice (led Thomas More KY in assists in 1984-85), acquired by the New York Yankees from the Cleveland Indians in 2000, went on to become the first player to garner more than 50 RBI in a single season with two different clubs.

  • OF Charlie Keller (three-year letterman with Maryland from 1934-35 through 1936-37) homered in the nightcap of a 1941 doubleheader sweep of the Washington Senators by the New York Yankees, extending the Bronx Bombers' streak to a MLB-record 25 consecutive contests with a round-tripper.

  • In 1931, Philadelphia Phillies rookie RF Fred Koster (four-year starting forward from 1923-24 through 1926-27 was Louisville's leading scorer as sophomore and senior) contributed three hits for the second time in three games.

  • Texas Rangers CF Kenny Lofton (Arizona's leader in steals for 1988 Final Four team compiling 35-3 record) went 4-for-4 against the Boston Red Sox in 2007.

  • St. Louis Cardinals RHP Lindy McDaniel (played for Oklahoma's 1954-55 freshman squad) registered his ninth save of the month en route to a league-high 27 in 1960.

  • Cleveland Indians rookie CF Ed Morgan (Tulane letterman from 1923-24 through 1925-26) had his fifth outing of the month with at least three hits in his last 13 games.

  • Washington Senators 2B Buddy Myer (Mississippi State letterman in 1923-24) provided multiple hits in seven consecutive contests in 1930.

  • Detroit Tigers RF Jim Northrup (second-leading scorer and third-leading rebounder for Alma MI in 1958-59) set a MLB mark with his third grand slam in a week in 1968. Three years later, Northrup smacked two homers against the Baltimore Orioles in 1971.

  • In the midst of a 10-game hitting streak after returning to the Chicago Cubs, 2B Paul Popovich (teammate of Jerry West for West Virginia's 1960 NCAA playoff team) scored four runs against the St. Louis Cardinals in the nightcap of a 1969 twinbill.

  • Philadelphia Phillies LHP Eppa Rixey (Virginia letterman in 1912 and 1914) fired a four-hit shutout against the New York Giants. The whitewash was one of 11 straight starts in 1916 where Rixey yielded fewer than three earned runs.

  • Brooklyn Dodgers 2B Jackie Robinson (highest scoring average in Pacific Coast Conference both of his seasons with UCLA in 1939-40 and 1940-41) whacked two homers against the New York Giants in a a 1950 game.

  • Baltimore Orioles RHP Tim Stoddard (starting forward opposite All-American David Thompson for North Carolina State's 1974 NCAA champion) finished the month with 10 consecutive scoreless relief appearances. Five years later in 1987 with the New York Yankees, Stoddard allowed his only earned run in a 14-game span until mid-July.

On This Date: Former College Hoopsters Make Mark on June 28 MLB Games

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

Unless you habitually pore over the content at baseballlibrary.com, baseballreference.com and nationalpastime.com, following is a June 28 calendar focusing on such versatile MLB athletes:

JUNE 28

  • Chicago Cubs RF George Altman (appeared in 1953 and 1954 NAIA Basketball Tournament with Tennessee State) furnished five extra-base hits, including a homer in each game, in a 1961 doubleheader split against the Cincinnati Reds.

  • Detroit Tigers RHP Elden Auker (All-Big Six Conference first-five selection with Kansas State in 1931-32) won for the fifth time in as many decisions during the month in 1934.

  • In the midst of a career-high 23-game hitting streak, Pittsburgh Pirates LF Carson "Skeeter" Bigbee (Oregon letterman in 1915) went 7-for-10 against the Chicago Cubs in a 1921 twinbill.

  • Detroit Tigers 1B Tony Clark (San Diego State's leading scorer in WAC games in 1991-92) homered in his third consecutive contest in 2000.

  • Brooklyn Robins 3B Wally Gilbert (captain played for Valparaiso from 1918-19 through 1920-21) supplied four hits in a 10-4 win against the St. Louis Cardinals in 1931.

  • First MLB victory for Philadelphia Phillies rookie RHP Dallas Green (Delaware's second-leading scorer and rebounder in 1954-55) was a three-hit shutout against the Los Angeles Dodgers in 1960.

  • Detroit Tigers 1B Hank Greenberg (enrolled at NYU on hoop scholarship in 1929 but attended college only one semester) blasted three homers in a 1935 doubleheader sweep of the St. Louis Browns.

  • LHP Steve Hamilton (All-OVC selection was Morehead State's leading scorer and rebounder in 1956-57 and 1957-58) allowed his only run in first 14 relief appearances with the Chicago Cubs in 1972.

  • In 1951, New York Giants OF Monte Irvin (played for Lincoln PA 1 1/2 years in late 1930s) swatted two homers off Brooklyn Dodgers RHP Ralph Branca (sixth-leading scorer for NYU in 1943-44) in same game.

  • LF "Sweet" Lou Johnson (Kentucky State teammate of legendary HBCU coach Davey Whitney averaged 5.7 ppg and 2 rpg in 1951-52) traded by the Chicago Cubs to the Cleveland Indians in 1968.

  • Chicago White Sox RHP Howie Judson (Illinois' third-leading scorer in 1944-45) lost his sixth decision of the month in 1949.

  • Detroit Tigers CF Harvey Kuenn (played briefly for Wisconsin in 1951-52 after competing on JV squad previous season) provided four hits against the Boston Red Sox in 1958.

  • 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) posted his fifth triumph of the month in 1977.

  • OF Don Lund (two-year starter for Michigan in mid-1940s) awarded on waivers from the Brooklyn Dodgers to the St. Louis Browns in 1948.

  • St. Louis Cardinals RHP Lindy McDaniel (played for Oklahoma's 1954-55 freshman squad) saved both ends of a 1959 doubleheader against the Cincinnati Reds, giving him six saves and three victories in his last 12 relief appearances of the month.

  • New York Yankees SS Gene Michael (Kent State's leading scorer with 14 ppg in 1957-58) pulled hidden-ball trick against the Cleveland Indians in 1969.

  • Chicago Cubs RF Bill Nicholson (Washington College MD guard for two years in mid-1930s) collected two homers and five RBI against the Brooklyn Dodgers in the opener of a 1944 twinbill.

  • St. Louis Cardinals RHP Dick Ricketts (Duquesne's all-time leading scorer was second-team consensus All-American choice as junior in 1953-54 and first-five consensus selection as senior in 1954-55) registered his lone MLB victory (against Cincinnati Reds in 1959).

  • Cincinnati Reds LHP Eppa Rixey (Virginia letterman in 1912 and 1914) banged out four hits, including a homer and two doubles, in a 5-2 triumph over the St. Louis Cardinals in the opener of a 1924 doubleheader.

  • Chicago Cubs SS Roy Smalley Jr. (one of top scorers for Drury MO in 1942-43 and 1943-44) went for the cycle in a 15-3 romp over the St. Louis Cardinals in 1950.

  • In 2014, San Diego Padres LHP Eric Stults (played for 1999 NAIA D-II Tournament runner-up and 2000 NCCAA Tournament titlist with Bethel IN) lost for the sixth time in as many starts during the month.

  • Detroit Tigers RF Champ Summers (led SIUE in scoring in 1969-70 after doing same with Nicholls State in 1964-65) socked a homer in his third consecutive contest in 1979.

  • 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) posted his third relief victory during a span going unscored upon in last 12 appearances of the month in 2008.

Better Early Than Never: 22 Undergrad NBA Picks for UK in Last Six Years

Kentucky has a stunning 22 undergraduates selected in the NBA draft in the last six years under coach John Calipari. The remainder of the SEC supplied only 15 such selections during that span. As a further means of comparison, in-state rival Louisville has had only six such undergrads in the last 45 years after Montrezl Harrell bolted early for the pros.

UK is expected to increase its lead over runner-up North Carolina in this "defector" category in 2016 when the Wildcats should have multiple players leave school with eligibility remaining for the seventh straight season to declare for the NBA draft. It is debatable whether the undergrads should have returned to school for additional seasoning or even attended college in the first place. The following list of 14 schools have had more than 10 defectors since the introduction of hardship cases in 1971:

Kentucky (30) - Tom Payne (1971), Rex Chapman (1988), Jamal Mashburn (1993), Antoine Walker (1996), Ron Mercer (1997), Nazr Mohammed (1998), Rajon Rondo (2006), Jodie Meeks (2009), Eric Bledsoe (2010), DeMarcus Cousins (2010), Daniel Orton (2010), Patrick Patterson (2010), John Wall (2010), Brandon Knight (2011), DeAndre Liggins (2011), Anthony Davis (2012), Terrence Jones (2012), Michael Kidd-Gilchrist (2012), Doron Lamb (2012), Marquis Teague (2012), Archie Goodwin (2013), Nerlens Noel (2013), Julius Randle (2014), James Young (2014), Devin Booker (2015), Willie Cauley-Stein (2015), Andrew Harrison (2015), Dakari Johnson (2015), Trey Lyles (2015), Karl-Anthony Towns (2015)

North Carolina (24) - Bob McAdoo (1972), James Worthy (1982), Michael Jordan (1984), J.R. Reid (1989), Jerry Stackhouse (1995), Rasheed Wallace (1995), Jeff McInnis (1996), Antawn Jamison (1998), Vince Carter (1998), Joseph Forte (2001), Raymond Felton (2005), Sean May (2005), Rashad McCants (2005), Marvin Williams (2005), Brandan Wright (2007), Wayne Ellington (2009), Ty Lawson (2009), Ed Davis (2010), Harrison Barnes (2012), John Henson (2012), Kendall Marshall (2012), Reggie Bullock (2013), P.J. Hairston (2014), J.P. Tokoto (2015)

UCLA (20) - Richard Washington (1976), Stuart Gray (1984), Tracy Murray (1992), Jelani McCoy (1998), Baron Davis (1999), Jerome Moiso (2000), Trevor Ariza (2004), Jordan Farmar (2006), Arron Afflalo (2007), Kevin Love (2008), Luc Mbah a Moute (2008), Russell Westbrook (2008), Jrue Holiday (2009), Tyler Honeycutt (2011), Malcolm Lee (2011), Shabazz Muhammad (2013), Jordan Adams (2014), Kyle Anderson (2014), Zach LaVine (2014), Kevon Looney (2015)

Kansas (18) - Norm Cook (1976), Darrin Hancock (1994), Paul Pierce (1998), Drew Gooden (2002), Julian Wright (2007), Darrell Arthur (2008), Mario Chalmers (2008), Brandon Rush (2008), Cole Aldrich (2010), Xavier Henry (2010), Marcus Morris (2011), Markieff Morris (2011), Josh Shelby (2011), Thomas Robinson (2012), Ben McLemore (2013), Joel Embiid (2014), Andrew Wiggins (2014), Kelly Oubre (2015)

Louisiana State (17) - DeWayne Scales (1980), Jerry Reynolds (1985), John Williams (1986), Chris Jackson (1990), Stanley Roberts (1991), Shaquille O'Neal (1992), Ronnie Henderson (1996), Randy Livingston (1996), Stromile Swift (2000), Brandon Bass (2005), Tyrus Thomas (2006), Glen Davis (2007), Anthony Randolph (2008), Justin Hamilton (2012), Johnny O'Bryant (2014), Jarell Martin (2015), Jordan Mickey (2015)

Arizona (16) - Eric Money (1974), Coniel Norman (1974), Brian Williams (1991), Mike Bibby (1998), Gilbert Arenas (2001), Richard Jefferson (2001), Michael Wright (2001), Andre Iguodala (2004), Marcus Williams (2006), Jerryd Bayless (2008), Derrick Williams (2011), Grant Jerrett (2013), Aaron Gordon (2014), Nick Johnson (2014), Rondae Hollis-Jefferson (2015), Stanley Johnson (2015)

Connecticut (16) - Donyell Marshall (1994), Ray Allen (1996), Richard Hamilton (1999), Khalid El-Amin (2000), Caron Butler (2002), Ben Gordon (2004), Emeka Okafor (2004), Charlie Villanueva (2005), Josh Boone (2006), Rudy Gay (2006), Marcus Williams (2006), Hasheem Thabeet (2009), Kemba Walker (2011), Andre Drummond (2012), Jeremy Lamb (2012), DeAndre Daniels (2014)

Duke (16) - William Avery (1999), Elton Brand (1999), Corey Maggette (1999), Carlos Boozer (2002), Mike Dunleavy Jr. (2002), Jay Williams (2002), Luol Deng (2004), Josh McRoberts (2007), Gerald Henderson (2009), Kyrie Irving (2011), Austin Rivers (2012), Rodney Hood (2014), Jabari Parker (2014), Tyus Jones (2015), Jahlil Okafor (2015), Justise Winslow (2015)

Michigan (15) - Campy Russell (1974), Tim McCormick (1984), Sean Higgins (1990), Chris Webber (1993), Jalen Rose (1994), Juwan Howard (1994), Maurice Taylor (1997), Robert Traylor (1998), Jamal Crawford (2000), Darius Morris (2011), Trey Burke (2013), Tim Hardaway Jr. (2013), Mitch McGary (2014), Glenn Robinson III (2014), Nik Stauskas (2014)

Memphis (13) - Larry Kenon (1973), William Bedford (1986), Vincent Askew (1987), Sylvester Gray (1988), Penny Hardaway (1993), David Vaughn III (1995), Lorenzen Wright (1996), Dajuan Wagner (2002), Shawne Williams (2006), Chris Douglas-Roberts (2008), Derrick Rose (2008), Elliot Williams (2010), Will Barton (2012)

Texas (13) - LaSalle Thompson (1982), Chris Mihm (2000), T.J. Ford (2003), LaMarcus Aldridge (2006), Daniel Gibson (2006), P.J. Tucker (2006), Kevin Durant (2007), D.J. Augustin (2008), Avery Bradley (2010), Jordan Hamilton (2011), Cory Joseph (2011), Tristan Thompson (2011), Myles Turner (2015)

Ohio State (12) - Clark Kellogg (1982), Jim Jackson (1992), Michael Redd (2000), Mike Conley Jr. (2007), Daequan Cook (2007), Greg Oden (2007), Kosta Koufos (2008), B.J. Mullens (2009), Evan Turner (2010), Jared Sullinger (2012), Deshaun Thomas (2013), D'Angelo Russell (2015)

Syracuse (12) - Pearl Washington (1986), Billy Owens (1991), Carmelo Anthony (2003), Donte Greene (2008), Johnny Flynn (2009), Wesley Johnson (2010), Fab Melo (2012), Dion Waiters (2012), Michael Carter-Williams (2013), Tyler Ennis (2014), Jerami Grant (2014), Chris McCullough (2015)

Georgia Tech (11) - Dennis Scott (1990), Kenny Anderson (1991), Stephon Marbury (1996), Dion Glover (1999), Chris Bosh (2003), Jarrett Jack (2005), Javaris Crittenton (2007), Thaddeus Young (2007), Derrick Favors (2010), Gani Lawal (2010), Iman Shumpert (2011)

On This Date: Former College Hoopsters Make Mark on June 27 MLB Games

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

Unless you habitually pore over the content at baseballlibrary.com, baseballreference.com and nationalpastime.com, following is a June 27 calendar focusing on such versatile MLB athletes:

JUNE 27

  • INF Jack Barry (basketball letterman for Holy Cross in 1908) traded by the Boston Red Sox to the Philadelphia Athletics in 1919.

  • Seattle Mariners 1B Bruce Bochte (starting forward for Santa Clara's NCAA playoff team in 1969-70) supplied his ninth multiple-hit outing during an 11-game hitting streak in 1979.

  • 2B Marv Breeding (played for Samford in mid-1950s) traded by the Houston Astros to the Chicago Cubs in 1967.

  • Detroit Tigers 1B Darrell Evans (member of Jerry Tarkanian-coached Pasadena City CA club winning 1967 state community college crown) registered his 2,000th career hit with a first-inning, two-run homer against the Baltimore Orioles in 1987.

  • St. Louis Cardinals 2B Frankie Frisch (Fordham captain) stroked three doubles against the Brooklyn Dodgers in the nightcap of a 1931 doubleheader.

  • San Diego Padres RF Tony Gwynn (All-WAC second-team selection with San Diego State in 1979-80 and 1980-81) went 3-for-4 against the Atlanta Braves, raising his batting average in 1987 to .387 en route to finishing at .370.

  • LHP Mark Hendrickson (two-time All-Pacific-10 Conference selection paced Washington State four straight seasons in rebounding from 1992-93 through 1995-96) traded by the Tampa Devil Rays to the Los Angeles Dodgers in a five-player swap in 2006.

  • Brooklyn Dodgers 1B Gil Hodges (played for St. Joseph's IN in 1943 and Oakland City IN in 1947 and 1948) smacked two homers against the St. Louis Cardinals in a 1954 game.

  • St. Louis Cardinals LF Danny Litwhiler (member of JV squad with Bloomsburg PA three years in mid-1930s) cracked two homers in a 3-2 win against the Chicago Cubs in the opener of a 1943 twinbill.

  • Chicago White Sox RHP Ted Lyons (two-time All-SWC first-team selection for Baylor in early 1920s) notched his eighth consecutive complete-game victory in 1939.

  • In the midst of a career-high 14-game hitting streak, Chicago Cubs CF Jerry Martin (1971 Southern Conference MVP after he was Furman's scoring runner-up in previous season) smashed a homer in fourth consecutive contest in 1979.

  • Cleveland Indians 2B Dutch Meyer (Texas Christian letterman in 1934-35 and 1935-36) collected four hits against the Philadelphia Athletics in a 1945 contest.

  • 3B Graig Nettles (shot 87.8% from free-throw line for San Diego State in 1963-64) belted a 14th-inning, two-run homer to give the New York Yankees a 6-4 victory against the Boston Red Sox in 1978. Two years earlier, Nettles went 4-for-4 with two homers and five RBI against the Milwaukee Brewers in a 1976 game.

  • Chicago Cubs RF Bill Nicholson (Washington College MD guard for two years in mid-1930s) provided his seventh straight two-hit game in 1942.

  • LHP Garry Roggenburk (led Dayton in scoring all three seasons from 1959-60 through 1961-62 and grabbed school-record 32 rebounds in his third varsity game en route to pacing Flyers in rebounding first two years) won his Seattle Pilots debut in 1969 by yielding only four hits and one run in 5 2/3 innings of relief against the California Angels.

  • LHP Matt Thornton (averaged 5.8 ppg and 2.4 rpg for Grand Valley State MI from 1995-96 through 1997-98) made his MLB debut in 2004, toiling four scoreless innings of relief with the Seattle Mariners against the San Diego Padres.

  • Philadelphia Phillies CF Cy Williams (Notre Dame forward in 1909-10) went 4-for-4 against the New York Giants in a 1921 game.

Bruised Egos: Nine Consensus All-Americans Go Undrafted in Last Six Years

Boasting fewer (NBA) assets than a MBA views Greece's shaky economy, what were they thinking? The misguided must not have taken an independent-study college course in deductive reasoning at their power conference school. Undergraduates Cliff Alexander (Kansas), Brandon Ashley (Arizona), Michael Frazier (Florida), Aaron Harrison (Kentucky), Trevor Lacey (North Carolina State), Terran Petteway (Nebraska), Robert Upshaw (Washington) and Chris Walker (Florida) - several of them potential All-Americans if they returned to college - were not among the chosen few in this year's NBA draft. Of course, the NBA is a difficult nut to crack. Even if they became All-Americans, there were no guarantees any of them would be selected in 2016. But now they're taking a crash-to-earth course at the school of hard knocks.

Northern Iowa's Seth Tuttle became the ninth NCAA consensus All-American to go undrafted in the last six seasons. Do you need any more evidence that the quality of play at the collegiate level has diminished in recent years? The NBA draft was reduced to seven rounds in 1985, three rounds in 1988 and to its present two rounds in 1989. Centers Bill Spivey of Kentucky and Sherman White of LIU, All-Americans in the early 1950s, went undrafted by the NBA allegedly because of possible repercussions stemming from a game-fixing scandal. A total of 26 All-Americans, including five in 2011, have gone undrafted by the NBA thus far in the 21st Century.

Five years ago, Sherron Collins (Kansas) and Scottie Reynolds (Villanova) became the initial NCAA consensus first-team All-Americans not to be selected in the NBA draft. Following is an alphabetical list of All-Americans who weren't selected in the NBA draft:

Undrafted All-American Pos. School A-A Year(s)
Charlie Bell G Michigan State 2001
Melvin Booker G Missouri 1994**
Joe Capua G Wyoming 1956
Sherron Collins G Kansas 2009** and 2010*
Erwin Dudley F-C Alabama 2002
Melvin Ejim F Iowa State 2014**
C.J. Fair F Syracuse 2014**
Jason Gardner G Arizona 2002 and 2003**
Ben Hansbrough G Notre Dame 2011**
Udonis Haslem C Florida 2001 and 2002
Bobby Joe Hill G Texas Western 1966
Terrell "Tu" Holloway G Xavier 2011
Kevin Houston G Army 1987
Keith "Mister" Jennings G East Tennessee State 1991**
Kevin Jones F West Virginia 2012**
Sean Kilpatrick G Cincinnati 2014**
Brandin Knight G Pittsburgh 2002
Byron Larkin G Xavier 1988
Chris Lofton G Tennessee 2007** and 2008**
John Lucas III G Oklahoma State 2004
Billy McCaffrey G Vanderbilt 1993**
Jerel McNeal G Marquette 2009
DeMarcus Nelson G-F Duke 2008
Kevin Pittsnogle F West Virginia 2006
Mike Pratt F Kentucky 1974
Hollis Price G Oklahoma 2003**
Jacob Pullen G Kansas State 2011
Allan Ray G Villanova 2006**
Dexter Reed G Memphis State 1977
Scottie Reynolds G Villanova 2010*
Bill Ridley G Illinois 1956
Juan "Pepe" Sanchez G Temple 2000
Jon Scheyer G Duke 2010**
Shea Seals F-G Tulsa 1997
Ron Slay F Tennessee 2003
Charles E. Smith G Georgetown 1989
Jordan Taylor G Wisconsin 2011
Seth Tuttle F-C Northern Iowa 2015**
Scottie Wilbekin G Florida 2014
Max Williams G Southern Methodist 1960
Andre Woolridge G Iowa 1997

*NCAA consensus first-team All-American.
**NCAA consensus second-team All-American.
NOTE: Bell, Booker, Collins, Hansbrough, Haslem, Jennings, Jones, Lucas, McNeal, Ray, Sanchez and Smith went on to play in the NBA after signing as free agents. Pratt played in the ABA.

On This Date: Former College Hoopsters Make Mark on June 26 MLB Games

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

Unless you habitually pore over the content at baseballlibrary.com, baseballreference.com and nationalpastime.com, following is a June 26 calendar focusing on such versatile MLB athletes:

JUNE 26

  • OF Bob Cerv (ranked fourth on Nebraska basketball career scoring list in 1949-50 when finishing his career) purchased from the New York Yankees by the Houston Colt .45's in 1962.

  • Pittsburgh Pirates 1B Donn Clendenon (four-sport letterman with Morehouse GA) collected four hits against the Los Angeles Dodgers in 1965.

  • Los Angeles Dodgers C Joe Ferguson (played in 1967 NCAA playoffs with Pacific) pounded two homers, including a game-tying blast in the bottom of the ninth inning, in a 5-4 win against the Atlanta Braves in 1974.

  • Brooklyn Robins 2B Jake Flowers (member of 1923 "Flying Pentagon" championship squad for Washington College MD) contributed four hits against the Boston Braves in the opener of a 1928 doubleheader.

  • St. Louis Cardinals RHP Bob Gibson (Creighton's leading scorer and rebounder in 1955-56 and 1956-57) hurled his fifth consecutive shutout (3-0 against the Pittsburgh Pirates) in the opener of a 1968 doubleheader.

  • 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 a five-hit shutout against the Los Angeles Dodgers in 1975. Two years later, Halicki spun his second shutout of the month that season.

  • In 1983, San Francisco Giants LHP 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) fired a four-hit shutout while fanning 12 San Diego Padres batters.

  • Los Angeles Dodgers rookie RF Frank Howard (two-time All-Big Ten Conference first-team selection in 1956-57 and 1957-58 when leading Ohio State in scoring and rebounding) whacked two homers against the Milwaukee Braves in 1960.

  • In 1966, Los Angeles Dodgers LHP Sandy Koufax (Cincinnati's freshman squad in 1953-54) matched his N.L. record of seven straight strikeouts in back-to-back nine-inning appearances en route to a 2-1 victory at Atlanta.

  • Detroit Tigers 1B-OF Rick Leach (averaged 15.5 ppg for Michigan's JV squad in 1975-76), mired in a 3-for-35 nosedive, broke up a no-hit bid by Baltimore's Storm Davis with a ninth-inning homer in 1983.

  • Milwaukee Braves SS Johnny Logan (played for Binghamton in 1948-49) had his second 14-game hitting streak of the 1958 campaign.

  • Oakland Athletics CF Billy North (played briefly for Central Washington in 1967-68) stole three bases against the California Angels in 1974.

  • San Diego Padres LHP Dennis Rasmussen (sixth-man for Creighton averaged 5.1 ppg from 1977-78 through 1979-80) tossed a shutout against the Houston Astros before losing nine of his next 10 decisions in the following two months of the 1990 campaign.

  • RHP Paul Reuschel (Western Illinois' leading rebounder in 1966-67 with 15.2 per game) traded by the Chicago Cubs to the Cleveland Indians in 1978.

  • Brooklyn Dodgers 1B Jackie Robinson (highest scoring average in Pacific Coast Conference both of his seasons with UCLA in 1939-40 and 1940-41) launched two homers against the Chicago Cubs in 1956.

On This Date: Former College Hoopsters Make Mark on June 25 MLB Games

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

Unless you habitually pore over the content at baseballlibrary.com, baseballreference.com and nationalpastime.com, following is a June 25 calendar focusing on such versatile MLB athletes:

JUNE 25

  • Oakland A's rookie RHP Mark Acre (played basketball in 1990 NCAA Tournament with New Mexico State) earned his third relief victory in 11 days in 1994.

  • Houston Astros rookie C Mark Bailey (led Southwest Missouri State in rebounding and field-goal shooting in 1980-81) blasted two homers in an 8-5 win against the Atlanta Braves in 1984.

  • Baltimore Orioles rookie LF Al Bumbry (Virginia State's runner-up in scoring with 16.7 ppg as freshman in 1964-65) banged out five hits and scored the go-ahead run in the top of the 12th inning of a 4-3 victory against the Milwaukee Brewers in 1973.

  • New York Giants 2B Andy Cohen (Alabama letterman in 1924 and 1925) contributed four hits and scored three runs in a 12-4 triumph against the Philadelphia Phillies in the opener of a 1928 doubleheader.

  • Chicago White Sox 3B Gene Freese (West Liberty WV captain of 1952 NAIA Tournament team) manufactured four hits against the Boston Red Sox in 1960.

  • New York Giants 2B Frankie Frisch (Fordham captain) collected four hits, four runs and three stolen bases against the Philadelphia Phillies in the nightcap of a 1921 twinbill. Eleven years later with the St. Louis Cardinals, Frisch furnished four hits against the Chicago Cubs in 1932.

  • Brooklyn Dodgers 1B Gil Hodges (played for St. Joseph's IN in 1943 and Oakland City IN in 1947 and 1948) went for the cycle (including two homers) in a 17-10 triumph at Pittsburgh in 1949.

  • Philadelphia Phillies CF Don Lock (led Wichita State in field-goal percentage in 1956-57 and 1957-58 under coach Ralph Miller) went 6-for-8, homering in both ends of a 1967 twinbill sweep against the St. Louis Cardinals.

  • Pittsburgh Pirates SS Johnny Logan (played for Binghamton in 1948-49) went 4-for-4 in a 5-4 loss against the Philadelphia Phillies in 1963.

  • Rookie RF Bill Nicholson (two-year guard for Washington College MD in mid-1930s) purchased from the Washington Senators by the Chicago Cubs for $35,000 in 1939.

  • Montreal Expos RHP Steve Renko (averaged 9.9 ppg and 5.8 rpg as Kansas sophomore in 1963-64) tossed a one-hit shutout against the Philadelphia Phillies in 1974.

  • Baltimore Orioles DH Larry Sheets (All-ODAC selection in 1981-82 and 1982-83 with Eastern Mennonite VA) hammered two homers against the California Angels in 1989.

  • Los Angeles Dodgers LHP Eric Stults (played for 1999 NAIA D-II Tournament runner-up and 2000 NCCAA Tournament titlist with Bethel IN) fired a four-hit shutout against the Chicago White Sox in 2008.

  • New York Yankees RF Dave Winfield (starting forward with Minnesota's first NCAA playoff team in 1972) stroked five singles and chipped in with four RBI against the Detroit Tigers in 1984. It was one of three five-hit games for Winfield this month, tying a mark set by Ty Cobb.

On This Date: Former College Hoopsters Make Mark on June 24 MLB Games

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

Unless you habitually pore over the content at baseballlibrary.com, baseballreference.com and nationalpastime.com, following is a June 24 calendar focusing on such versatile MLB athletes:

JUNE 24

  • INF-OF Leo Burke (averaged 9.2 ppg for Virginia Tech basketball teams in 1952-53 and 1953-54) traded by the St. Louis Cardinals to the Chicago Cubs for P Barney Schultz in 1963.

  • Detroit Tigers RHP Ownie Carroll (Holy Cross letterman in 1922), hurling his second shutout, allowed a total of four earned runs in his first eight victories of the 1928 campaign en route to leading the team with 16 triumphs.

  • Boston Braves SS Dick Culler (#9 jersey retired by High Point for Little All-American in 1935 and 1936) went 6-for-7 in a 1945 doubleheader split against the Brooklyn Dodgers.

  • 1B Walt Dropo (Connecticut's first player ever to average 20 points for a season with 21.7 ppg in 1942-43) awarded on waivers from the Chicago White Sox to the Cincinnati Reds in 1958.

  • Houston Astros C Joe Ferguson (played in 1967 NCAA playoffs with Pacific) walked five times, including three intentional bases on balls, against the San Diego Padres in 1978.

  • RHP Eddie Fisher (played for Oklahoma's 1954-55 freshman squad) surrendered his only run in first 12 relief appearances with the Baltimore Orioles in 1966.

  • New York Giants 2B Frankie Frisch (Fordham captain) went 5-for-5 and scored four runs against the Philadelphia Phillies in the opener of a 1926 doubleheader.

  • St. Louis Cardinals RHP Bob Gibson (Creighton's leading scorer and rebounder in 1955-56 and 1956-57) ended a personal five-game losing streak with his final of 56 career shutouts (four-hitter against Pittsburgh Pirates in nightcap of 1974 twinbill).

  • New York Yankees LHP Steve Hamilton (Morehead State's leading scorer and rebounder in 1956-57 and 1957-58) struck out Cleveland Indians 1B Tony Horton with a couple of "Folly Floaters" as a reliever in the nightcap of a 1970 doubleheader.

  • Philadelphia Athletics 1B Tom Hamilton (member of Texas' 1947 Final Four team was SWC's leading scorer in league competition in 1949-50) supplied a career-high two hits in a 6-3 setback against the Detroit Tigers in 1953.

  • Brooklyn Dodgers 1B Gil Hodges (played for St. Joseph's IN in 1943 and Oakland City IN in 1947 and 1948) homered three times in a 1951 doubleheader against the Pittsburgh Pirates. Seven years later, Hodges hammered a round-tripper in both ends of a 1958 twinbill sweep of the Cincinnati Reds.

  • In 1944, Cincinnati Reds rookie RHP Jim Konstanty (member of 1937-38 and 1938-39 Syracuse teams) tossed a shutout in his second MLB start (1-0 against Chicago Cubs).

  • In 1958, New York Yankees INF Jerry Lumpe (member of Southwest Missouri State's 1952 NAIA Tournament championship team) smacked his first MLB homer (at Chicago off Early Wynn of the White Sox).

  • New York Yankees RF Bud Metheny (William & Mary letterman from 1935-36 through 1937-38) amassed two homers and six RBI in a 13-5 win against the Philadelphia Athletics in the opener of a 1945 twinbill.

  • Detroit Tigers RF Jim Northrup (second-leading scorer and third-leading rebounder for Alma MI in 1958-59) powered a grand slam in back-to-back innings (fifth and sixth) against the Cleveland Indians in 1968.

  • Cincinnati Reds LHP Eppa Rixey (Virginia letterman in 1911-12 and 1913-14) went into the eighth inning with a perfect game but wound up losing to the Pittsburgh Pirates, 4-3, in 1924.

  • In 1947, Brooklyn Dodgers 1B Jackie Robinson (highest scoring average in PCC both of his seasons with UCLA in 1939-40 and 1940-41) swiped home in the fifth inning against the Pittsburgh Pirates. It was the first of 19 times in Robinson's career he pilfered home. The next year, he went 7-for-9 in a 1948 doubleheader sweep of the Pirates.

  • Brooklyn Dodgers LHP Preacher Roe (played for Harding AR in late 1930s) twirled a shutout against the St. Louis Cardinals in the opener of a 1952 twinbill, giving him 30 victories in his last 33 decisions going back to the end of the 1950 campaign.

  • New York Giants C Wes Westrum (played for Bemidji State MN one season before serving in military) contributed a career game, hitting three homers plus a triple and scoring five runs in a 12-2 triumph against the Cincinnati Reds in 1950.

  • In 1991, California Angels RF-DH Dave Winfield (starting forward with Minnesota's first NCAA playoff team in 1972) went 5-for-5 against the Kansas City Royals and became the oldest player in MLB history to go for the cycle (39).

On This Date: Former College Hoopsters Make Mark on June 23 MLB Games

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

Unless you habitually pore over the content at baseballlibrary.com, baseballreference.com and nationalpastime.com, following is a June 23 calendar focusing on such versatile MLB athletes:

JUNE 23

  • Pittsburgh Pirates RF Clyde Barnhart (played basketball for Shippensburg PA predecessor Cumberland Valley State Normal School prior to World War I) went 4-for-4 against the Cincinnati Reds in 1923.

  • St. Louis Browns RF Beau Bell (two-year letterman for Texas A&M in early 1930s) banged out four hits in a 6-3 win against the New York Yankees in 1937.

  • In 1975, Chicago Cubs RHP Ray Burris (two-sport standout in Southwestern Oklahoma State Hall of Fame) tossed his first MLB shutout (against Montreal Expos).

  • Cincinnati Reds 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) went 4-for-4 with four RBI in a 5-3 victory against the Pittsburgh Pirates in the opener of a 1957 doubleheader.

  • SS Alvin Dark (letterman for LSU and USL during World War II) traded by the Philadelphia Phillies to the Milwaukee Braves in 1960.

  • OF Larry Doby (reserve guard for Virginia Union's 1943 CIAA titlist), retired from the Cleveland Indians, joined P Don Newcombe in 1962 as the first former MLB players to compete for a Japanese team. Doby's season batting average overseas will be a modest .225.

  • 1B Walt Dropo (Connecticut's first player ever to average 20 points for a season with 21.7 ppg in 1942-43) and C Sammy White (All-PCC Northern Division first-five selection for Washington in 1947-48 and 1948-49) each homered when 12 consecutive Boston Red Sox players reached base in an 11-run, fourth-inning outburst at Detroit in 1952. Seven years later, Dropo was traded by the Cincinnati Reds to the Baltimore Orioles.

  • INF Howard Freigau (played for Ohio Wesleyan) purchased from the Brooklyn Robins by the Boston Braves in 1928.

  • 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 against the Boston Braves in 1930.

  • New York Mets OF Jimmy Piersall celebrated by running around the bases backwards in 1963 after the free spirit hit the 100th homer of his MLB career and only one in the N.L. The round-tripper was yielded by Philadelphia Phillies RHP Dallas Green (Delaware's second-leading scorer and rebounder in 1954-55).

  • Cleveland Indians rookie 2B Jack Hammond (four-year letterman for Colgate from 1909-10 through 1912-13) supplied a career-high three hits against the Chicago White Sox in the nightcap of a 1915 doubleheader.

  • Boston Red Sox rookie RHP Herb Hash (three-year letterman averaged 6.4 ppg as junior center for Richmond's undefeated team in 1934-35) hurled his lone MLB shutout (2-0 against Cleveland Indians in 1940).

  • Chicago Cubs INF-OF Harvey Hendrick (Vanderbilt letterman in 1918) hammered a game-winning, pinch-hit grand slam in the 10th inning against the Philadelphia Phillies in the opener of a 1933 doubleheader.

  • Brooklyn Dodgers 1B Gil Hodges (played for St. Joseph's IN in 1943 and Oakland City IN in 1947 and 1948) homered twice against the Cincinnati Reds in 1956.

  • LHP Bill Krueger (led WCAC in free-throw percentage as Portland freshman in 1975-76) traded by the Oakland Athletics to the Los Angeles Dodgers in 1987.

  • In the midst of hitting safely in six of first eight contests with the Minnesota Twins in 1983, CF Rusty Kuntz (played J.C. hoops for Cuesta CA) led off the game against his original team (Chicago White Sox) with first MLB homer.

  • OF Sam Mele (NYU's leading scorer in 1943 NCAA playoffs) purchased from the Boston Red Sox by the Cincinnati Reds in 1955. Six years later, Mele became manager of the Minnesota Twins.

  • Boston Red Sox 1B Ed Morgan (Tulane letterman from 1923-24 through 1925-26) collected three hits and scored four runs in a 10-2 win against the Chicago White Sox in 1934.

  • Jim Riggleman (two-year letterman for Frostburg State MD averaged 7.2 ppg in early 1970s) resigned as Washington Nationals manager in 2011 on the heels of them winning 11 of 12 games when the franchise failed to give him a contract extension.

  • LHP Garry Roggenburk (led Dayton in scoring all three seasons from 1959-60 through 1961-62 and grabbed school-record 32 rebounds in third varsity game en route to pacing Flyers in rebounding his first two years) purchased from the Boston Red Sox by the Seattle Pilots in 1969.

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