Extra! Extra! Instead of wondering if anti-health NAACP/PTA "leader" in Virginia should be introduced to Nutrisystem and/or Marie Osmond's "uncomfortable" weighty commercials, you can read news about memorable major league baseball achievements and moments involving former college basketball players. Baseball is portrayed as a thinking man's game but only 4% of active MLB players earned college diplomas. Nonetheless, numerous ex-college hoopers had front-row seats to many of the most notable games, transactions and dates in MLB history.

Former NYU hoopers Ralph Branca and Sam Mele supplied significant MLB achievements on this date. Ditto ex-Ohio State hoopers Steve Arlin and Frank Howard in N.L. outings plus ex-Toledo hoopers Chuck Harmon and Pinky Pittenger as MLB infielders. Eventual ACC members Boston College (Luke Urban), Florida State (Jim Lyttle), Notre Dame (Cy Williams) and Virginia (Eppa Rixey) also had ex-hoopers make MLB news on this date. Unless you habitually pore over the content at baseballlibrary.com, baseballreference.com and nationalpastime.com, following is a July 18 calendar focusing on such versatile MLB athletes:

JULY 18

• RHP Mike Adams (played basketball for Texas A&M-Kingsville in 1996-97) traded by the Cleveland Indians to the San Diego Padres in 2006.

• Philadelphia Phillies LF Ethan Allen (Cincinnati hoops letterman in 1924-25 and 1925-26) delivered four hits and four RBI in a 9-8 loss against the Cincinnati Reds in 1934. The next year, Allen stroked three doubles in an 11-3 defeat against the Chicago Cubs in 1935.

• San Diego Padres RHP Steve Arlin (played two basketball games for Ohio State in 1964-65 under coach Fred Taylor) supplied his fifth complete-game start yielding fewer than three hits in a one-month span in 1972.

• Cincinnati Reds CF Frankie Baumholtz (MVP in 1941 NIT and first player in Ohio University history to score 1,000 career points) went 4-for-4 against the New York Giants in the opener of a 1948 doubleheader. It was Baumholtz's third consecutive contest with at least three safeties.

• Brooklyn Dodgers RHP Ralph Branca (sixth-leading scorer for NYU in 1943-44) hurled a one-hitter in a 7-0 win against the St. Louis Cardinals in 1947.

• New York Yankees LHP Al Downing (attended Muhlenberg PA on hoops scholarship but left before ever playing), in the midst of posting six straight triumphs, toiled 10 innings in a no-decision outing against the Cleveland Indians in 1964.

• Philadelphia Phillies rookie 2B Denny Doyle (averaged 2.7 ppg for Morehead State in 1962-63) delivered his fifth consecutive two-hit game in 1970.

• Los Angeles Dodgers C-OF Joe Ferguson (hooper for Pacific's 1967 NCAA playoff team) broke up a no-hit bid by Luke Walker of the Pittsburgh Pirates with a ninth-inning homer in the nightcap of a 1971 twinbill.

• St. Louis Cardinals 2B Frankie Frisch (Fordham hoops captain) smacked two homers but they were in vain in an 8-7 setback against the New York Giants in 1930.

• All-time hits leader Pete Rose of the Cincinnati Reds hit the only grand slam of his career with the homer yielded in 1964 by Philadelphia Phillies RHP Dallas Green (Delaware's second-leading scorer and rebounder in 1954-55).

• Cincinnati Reds rookie 3B Chuck Harmon (second-leading scorer for Toledo in 1946-47 and 1947-48) stroked four hits against the New York Giants in the opener of a 1954 doubleheader.

• Los Angeles Dodgers RF Frank Howard (two-time All-Big Ten Conference first-team selection when leading Ohio State in scoring and rebounding in 1956-57 and 1957-58) hammered two homers against the Cincinnati Reds in a 1962 game (including decisive blast in top of ninth inning).

• Chicago Cubs SS Don Kessinger (three-time All-SEC selection for Mississippi from 1961-62 through 1963-64 while finishing among nation's top 45 scorers each year) collected four hits and five RBI against the Atlanta Braves in a 1967 contest.

• OF Jim Lyttle (led Florida State in free-throw shooting in 1965-66 when he averaged 12.4 ppg) purchased from the Chicago White Sox by the Montreal Expos in 1975.

• OF Les Mann (Springfield MA hooper in 1913 and 1914) awarded on waivers to the New York Giants from the Boston Braves in 1927.

• New York Giants RHP Christy Mathewson (Bucknell hooper at turn of 20th Century) blanked the St. Louis Cardinals, 5-0, in the nightcap of a 1913 doubleheader but his record string of 68 walkless innings came to a halt.

• Baltimore Orioles RHP Ben McDonald (started six times as freshman forward for LSU in 1986-87 under coach Dale Brown) tossed a two-hit shutout against the Texas Rangers in 1992.

• LF Sam Mele (NYU's leading scorer in 1943 NCAA playoffs) managed the only hit for the Baltimore Orioles against Boston Red Sox P Russ Kemmerer in the opener of a 1954 twinbill.

• Boston Red Sox SS Buddy Myer (Mississippi State hoops letterman in 1923-24) went 4-for-4 against the Cleveland Indians in the nightcap of a 1927 doubleheader. Thirteen years later as a Washington Senators 2B, Myer went 4-for-4 against the Chicago White Sox in 1940.

• Boston Red Sox 2B Pinky Pittenger (set Toledo's single-game scoring record with 49 points in 1918-19) went 4-for-4 against the Chicago White Sox in the nightcap of a 1923 twinbill.

• Boston Braves RHP Nels Potter (leading scorer two seasons in early 1930s for Mount Morris IL/Manchester IN) went 3-for-3 at the plate including a two-run double in 10-2 victory against the Pittsburgh Pirates in 1948.

• Cincinnati Reds LHP Eppa Rixey (Virginia hoops letterman in 1912 and 1914) fired his second shutout in less than a week en route to a N.L. leading four whitewashes in 1924.

• After speaking out against racial discrimination testifying in front of the House Un-American Activities Committee, Brooklyn Dodgers INF Jackie Robinson (highest scoring average in Pacific Coast Conference both of his seasons with UCLA in 1939-40 and 1940-41) scored twice, once on a steal of home in the sixth inning, in a 3-0 triumph against the Chicago Cubs in 1949.

• New York Giants RHP Hal Schumacher (multiple-sport athlete for St. Lawrence NY in early 1930s) allowed fewer than two earned runs in his seventh straight start in 1933.

• Kansas City Athletics 1B Norm Siebern (member of Southwest Missouri State squads capturing back-to-back NAIA Tournament hoops titles in 1952 and 1953) smashed two homers against the Boston Red Sox in a 1963 game.

• In the midst of a career-high 10-game hitting streak in a one-week span in 1955 (including three twinbills), Philadelphia Phillies SS Roy Smalley Jr. (one of top scorers in 1942-43 and 1943-44 for Drury MO) whacked a homer for the third time in a four-game stretch.

• C Luke Urban (player-coach for Boston College's hoops squad from 1918-19 through 1920-21) purchased from Toledo (American Association) by the Boston Braves in 1927.

• St. Louis Cardinals 1B Bill White (two-year hooper with Hiram OH in early 1950s) went 3-for-4 in each end of a twinbill sweep of the Chicago Cubs in 1961. White tied Ty Cobb's 49-year-old record of 14 hits in back-to-back doubleheaders. Three years later, White went 4-for-4 with three extra-base safeties against the New York Mets in a 1964 outing.

• The Philadelphia Phillies lost, 7-6, to the Chicago Cubs in 1925 despite grand slam by RF Cy Williams (Notre Dame forward in 1909-10) in bottom of 10th inning.

• Baltimore Orioles RHP Jim Wilson (hoops letterman for San Diego State's 1942 NAIA Tournament participant) fired his second shutout in a 13-day span in 1955.

Extra! Extra! Instead of debating whether Plagiarist Bi-dumb's competent State Department failed to promptly and forcefully support Cuban uprising against Communist regime and created Afghan departure debacle or took their cues from rooftop-dancing bartender AOC and Marxist-dominated BLM (Louis Farrakhan fumigation disguised as scholarship), you can read news about memorable major league baseball achievements and moments involving former college basketball players. Baseball is portrayed as a thinking man's game but only 4% of active MLB players earned college diplomas. Nonetheless, numerous ex-college hoopers had front-row seats to many of the most notable games, transactions and dates in MLB history.

Jerry Lumpe (New York Yankees) and Norm Siebern (Kansas City Athletics) - hoop teammates for Southwest Missouri State's 1952 NAIA Tournament titlist - provided significant American League performances on this date against the Detroit Tigers. Ditto Darrell Evans and Irv Noren for separate CA community college champions at Pasadena City. Unless you habitually pore over the content at baseballlibrary.com, baseballreference.com and nationalpastime.com, following is a July 16 calendar focusing on such versatile MLB athletes:

JULY 16

• Cincinnati Reds rookie LF Joe Adcock (Louisiana State's leading basketball scorer in 1945-46) collected two homers and five RBI against the New York Giants in the nightcap of a 1950 twinbill. Eleven years later as a Milwaukee Braves 1B in a 1961 game, Adcock swatted two homers against the St. Louis Cardinals.

• Pittsburgh Pirates LF Clyde Barnhart (hooper for Shippensburg PA predecessor Cumberland Valley State Normal School prior to World War I) provided four hits, including three doubles, against the Philadelphia Phillies in the opener of a 1927 doubleheader.

• Chicago Cubs 2B Glenn Beckert (three-year hoops letterman for Allegheny PA) stretched his hitting streak to 21 games with a decisive 12th-inning double in a 4-3 victory against the Philadelphia Phillies in 1968. Three years later in a 1971 contest, Beckert banged out four hits against the Phillies.

• Philadelphia Athletics rookie C Mickey Cochrane (Boston University hooper in early 1920s) contributed at least three hits for the fifth time in a seven-game span in 1925.

• CF Harry Craft (four-sport letterman with Mississippi College in early 1930s) traded by the Cincinnati Reds to the New York Yankees in 1942 although he never played for the Yanks.

• St. Louis Cardinals CF Taylor Douthit (California hoops letterman from 1922 through 1924) tallied four hits against the New York Giants in the midst of four consecutive contests with at least three safeties in 1929.

• Detroit Tigers 1B Walt Dropo (Connecticut's first hooper to average 20 points for single season with 21.7 ppg in 1942-43) delivered two more hits, giving him an A.L. record-tying 15 safeties over a four-game span in 1952.

• Atlanta Braves 1B Darrell Evans (member of Jerry Tarkanian-coached Pasadena City CA club winning 1967 state community college crown) homered twice in a 1989 game against the New York Mets.

• Philadelphia Athletics RF Walt French (hoops letterman for Rutgers and Army) furnished four hits against the St. Louis Browns in the nightcap of a 1926 doubleheader.

• After 16 scoreless innings, New York Giants 2B Frankie Frisch (Fordham hoops captain) stroked a bases-loaded triple to ignite a 7-0 win against the Pittsburgh Pirates in 1920.

• 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 previous season) hurled back-to-back shutouts in a six-day span in 1976.

• Los Angeles Dodgers C Tom Haller (backup forward for Illinois in 1956-57 and 1957-58 under coach Harry Combes) amassed four hits and four RBI against the Cincinnati Reds in a 1968 game.

• Cleveland Indians rookie RHP Rich Hand (averaged 6.2 ppg for Puget Sound WA in 1967-68) hurled a four-hit shutout against the Kansas City Royals in 1970.

• Brooklyn Dodgers 1B Gil Hodges (hooper for St. Joseph's IN in 1943 and Oakland City IN in 1947 and 1948) collected two homers and five RBI against the St. Louis Cardinals in a 1953 contest.

• Los Angeles Dodgers manager Davey Johnson (averaged 1.7 ppg with Texas A&M in 1961-62) hospitalized in 2000 after experiencing dizziness as a result of an irregular heartbeat.

• California Angels LF Joe Lahoud (New Haven CT hoops letterman in mid-1960s) launched a pair of two-run homers against the Cleveland Indians in a 1974 outing.

• New York Giants CF Hank Leiber (Arizona hooper in 1931) logged three extra-base hits against the Cincinnati Reds in a 1935 game.

• A three-run homer by 3B Jerry Lumpe (member of Southwest Missouri State's 1952 NAIA Tournament hoops championship team) gave the New York Yankees a 3-2 win against the Detroit Tigers in 1958.

• New York Yankees RF Irv Noren (hooper of year for California community college state champion Pasadena City in 1945) went 4-for-4, including game-winning homer in the bottom of the ninth inning, against the Baltimore Orioles in 1954.

• Kansas City Athletics 1B Norm Siebern (member of Southwest Missouri State squads capturing back-to-back NAIA Tournament titles in 1952 and 1953) went 4-for-4 against the Detroit Tigers in the nightcap of a 1961 doubleheader.

• Chicago Cubs SS Roy Smalley Jr. (one of top scorers in 1942-43 and 1943-44 for Drury MO) homered in each end of a 1950 twinbill sweep of the Philadelphia Phillies.

• Boston Braves OF Ab Wright (Oklahoma A&M hoops letterman in 1928-29) whacked a three-run, pinch-hit homer against the Brooklyn Dodgers in the nightcap of a 1944 doubleheader.

Extra! Extra! Instead of mocking laughable Texas "we-shall-overcome (COVID-19)" legislators/fugitives fleeing on mask-free, beer-drinking filibuster private-jet flight to DC ostensibly for private singing lessons and care packages while on free vacation (coupled with $1,000-plus each week in per diem while photo freaks fail to exercise duty to vote), you can read news about memorable major league baseball achievements and moments involving former college basketball players. Baseball is portrayed as a thinking man's game but only 4% of active MLB players earned college diplomas. Nonetheless, numerous ex-college hoopers had front-row seats to many of the most notable games, transactions and dates in MLB history.

Chicago Cubs teammates and ex-Mississippi hoopers Jim Hickman and Don Kessinger helped propel the National League to victory in 1970 All-Star Game on this date. Former Illinois hoopers Lou Boudreau and Tom Haller made significant American League news on this date. Unless you habitually pore over the content at baseballlibrary.com, baseballreference.com and nationalpastime.com, following is a July 14 calendar focusing on such versatile MLB athletes:

JULY 14

• Cleveland Indians player-manager Lou Boudreau (leading basketball scorer for Illinois' 1937 Big Ten Conference co-champion) banged out five extra-base hits - four doubles and a homer - but it wasn't enough to prevent an 11-10 defeat in the opening game of a 1946 doubleheader against the Boston Red Sox, which got three homers for eight RBI from Hall of Fame OF Ted Williams.

• St. Louis Cardinals SS Alvin Dark (hoops letterman for Louisiana State and Southwestern Louisiana in mid-1940s) went 9-for-11 in a three-game series against opponent (New York Giants) trading him to the Cards a month earlier.

• Boston Red Sox C Gene Desautels (Holy Cross hoops letterman in 1929 and 1930) went 4-for-4 against the St. Louis Browns in a 1937 game.

• Detroit Tigers 1B Walt Dropo (Connecticut's first player ever to average 20 points for season with 21.7 ppg in 1942-43) stroked five singles in an 8-2 win over the New York Yankees in 1952.

• Boston Red Sox C Rick Ferrell (forward for Guilford NC before graduating in 1928) amassed four hits and four runs against the Cleveland Indians in the opener of a 1935 twinbill.

• St. Louis Cardinals SS Jake Flowers (member of Washington College MD "Flying Pentagon" hoops squad in 1923) went 4-for-4 in a 3-2 victory against the Brooklyn Dodgers in 1931.

• San Diego Padres RF Tony Gwynn (All-Western Athletic Conference second-team selection with San Diego State in 1979-80 and 1980-81) extended his hitting streak to 19 games with three safeties against the San Francisco Giants in a 1977 contest, raising his batting average to .402.

• In a MLB first, Tom Haller (backup forward for Illinois in 1956-57 and 1957-58 under coach Harry Combes) was the Detroit Tigers' catcher in 1972 when his brother, Bill, umpired behind the plate.

• Chicago Cubs SS Don Kessinger (three-time All-SEC selection for Mississippi from 1961-62 through 1963-64 while finishing among nation's top 45 scorers each year) went 2-for-2 to help the N.L. edge the A.L., 5-4, in 12 innings in the 1970 All-Star Game. Cubbies teammate Jim Hickman (freshman hooper for Ole Miss in 1955-56) drove in Pete Rose with a single to center field as part of the famous play where Rose Barreled into catcher Ray Fosse at home plate to score winning run in bottom of 12th.

• St. Louis Browns LHP Ernie Koob (Western Michigan hoops letterman in 1914) hurled a 17-inning shutout in a scoreless tie against the Boston Red Sox in 1916.

• Philadelphia Phillies LF Danny Litwhiler (member of JV hoops squad with Bloomsburg PA in mid-1930s) went 4-for-4 against the St. Louis Cardinals in a 1941 game.

• In 1935, Chicago White Sox RHP Ted Lyons (two-time All-SWC first-team selection for Baylor in early 1920s) hurled his second of back-to-back shutouts.

• Kansas City Athletics 1B Irv Noren (hooper of year for California community college state champion Pasadena City in 1945) launched two homers against the Washington Senators in the nightcap of a 1957 doubleheader.

• RHP Curly Ogden (Swarthmore PA hoops center in 1919, 1920 and 1922) tossed his third shutout in first seven starts with the Washington Senators in 1924.

• New York Yankees LF Lou Piniella (averaged 2.5 ppg and 1.4 rpg with Tampa as freshman in 1961-62) provided three extra-base hits (two doubles/one homer) in a 7-6 win against the Chicago White Sox in 1978.

• Chicago Cubs INF Paul Popovich (teammate of Jerry West for West Virginia's 1960 NCAA playoff team) delivered a game-winning, pinch single in the bottom of the ninth inning in a 9-8 triumph against the Atlanta Braves in 1972.

• Cincinnati Reds LHP Eppa Rixey (Virginia hoops letterman in 1912 and 1914) fired a six-hit shutout against Brooklyn amid a streak of eight straight wins en route to a N.L.-high 25 triumphs in 1922.

• New York Yankees 1B Bill "Moose" Skowron (scored 18 points in eight games for Purdue in 1949-50) socked his second pinch-hit grand slam of the 1957 season.

• Chicago Cubs RHP Lee Smith (averaged 3.4 ppg and 1.9 rpg with Northwestern State in 1976-77) earned the victory in the 1987 All-Star Game with three innings of scoreless relief for the N.L.

• 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) scored upon for the only time in a 16-game span through the end of the month in 2006.

• Boston Red Sox LHP Bob Veale (scored 1,160 points for Benedictine KS from 1955-56 through 1957-58) notched his fourth straight save in 1973.

• RF Dave Winfield (starting forward with Minnesota's first NCAA playoff team in 1972) walloped two homers for the California Angels in an 8-7 triumph against the Toronto Blue Jays in 1990.

• San Francisco Giants RF Randy Winn (Santa Clara backcourtmate of eventual two-time NBA Most Valuable Player Steve Nash in 1993-94) knocked in five runs against the Los Angeles Dodgers in a 2007 game.

When compared to NBA and NFL physical specimens, there is a tendency to undervalue baseball players as versatile athletes. But that viewpoint shouldn't prevail. In deference to this year's festivities in Denver, following is a ranking of the top 10 former college hoopers who performed best as non-pitchers in MLB All-Star Games:

The 2021 MLB All-Star Game was supposed to have been played in Atlanta but festivities were shifted to Denver when the insufferable cancel-culture crowd took advantage of spineless executives fancying themselves as voting experts. Execs weren't nearly as courageous as four former college basketball players - Rick Ferrell (Guilford NC), Frankie Frisch (Fordham), Oral Hildebrand (Butler) and Hal Schumacher (St. Lawrence NY) - appearing in the inaugural major league baseball All-Star Game in 1933 and at least one ex-college hooper participating in every All-Star extravaganza 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 hoopers competing at the MLB level the past 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).

Four franchises - Braves, Cardinals, Cubs and Giants - have had eight different ex-college hoopers become a MLB All-Star. Arizona, Illinois, San Diego State and Texas A&M each had three former hoopers go on to become MLB All-Stars. Reliever Lee Smith (Northwestern State) is the only MLB All-Star for as many as four different franchises after playing NCAA Division I hoops. Following is an alphabetical list of MLB All-Star selections who played varsity basketball as a varsity regular for a four-year college:

*Baseball Hall of Famers.

Swingman Pat Connaughton, a two-time runner-up in scoring and rebounding for Notre Dame, was the most notable college basketball player selected seven years ago in the 2014 MLB Amateur Draft. Connaughton, a pitcher, was picked in the fourth round by the Baltimore Orioles (121st choice overall) before losing his lone decision in the New York-Penn League (Class A). Concentrating on professional hoops the past six seasons as a backup shooting guard with the Portland Trail Blazers and Milwaukee Bucks, it is highly unlikely he will become Baltimore's next Big Ben. Connaughton's Organized Ball career faded as he became a three-point specialist for the Bucks' 2021 NBA Finals champion, let alone because of the accuracy he exhibited in ceremonial first pitch at Brewers game where his wayward mid-90s mph fastball reminded observers of wild St. Louis Cardinals lefty Rick Ankiel.

In an era of increased specialization, the Orioles selected former Louisiana State hooper Ben McDonald with the first pick in 1989 draft. McDonald, a part-time starter as a freshman forward under coach Dale Brown in 1986-87, went on to pitch in the starting rotation for the Orioles and Milwaukee Brewers for nine years from 1989 through 1997 before becoming an analyst for ESPN's CWS coverage. Connaughton isn't the first UND hoop standout to pitch at the professional level. Ron Reed, the Irish's top rebounder in 1963-64 and 1964-65, compiled a 146-140 MLB record in 19 seasons from 1966 through 1984 and Bob Arnzen, who averaged 20.3 ppg and 11.5 rpg from 1966-67 through 1968-69, posted a 6-8 minor-league mark in the Montreal Expos' farm system in three years (1969-71-72).

Infielder-outfielder C.J. Henry, the 17th pick overall in the 2005 draft, hit an anemic .222 in four low-minors seasons in the New York Yankees' farm system before the brother of Kansas standout Xavier Henry averaged 3.1 ppg in 13 contests with the Jayhawks in 2009-10. But North Carolina State's Andrew Brackman, who pitched briefly for the Yankees in 2011, is the only DI basketball regular in the 21st Century to become a major leaguer after being selected in the opening round of the amateur draft. Brackman was chosen ahead of supplemental first-rounders Todd Frazier and Justin Jackson. Other notable players picked that year include Brandon Belt (11th round), Zack Cozart (2nd), Lucas Duda (7th), Freddie Freeman (2nd), Matt Harvey (3rd/did not sign), Greg Holland (10th), Craig Kimbrel (33rd/did not sign), Corey Kluber (4th), Jonathan Lucroy (3rd), Anthony Rizzo (6th), Chris Sale (21st/did not sign), Giancarlo Stanton (2nd) and Jordan Zimmerman (2nd).

Numerous universities have featured versatile athletes who played college basketball before going on to major league baseball careers. Connecticut's Scott Burrell, a three-time All-Big East Conference choice under Huskies coach Jim Calhoun, was the first athlete to become a first-round draft pick of two major sports organizations (MLB and NBA). The first-round selection of the Seattle Mariners in 1989 and fifth-round choice by the Toronto Blue Jays in 1990 never reached as high as Double A, compiling a 2-6 Class A pitching record in 14 starts in the Blue Jays' farm system 1990 and 1991. Burrell, a first-round pick by the Charlotte Hornets in 1993, averaged 6.9 ppg and 3.5 rpg with four different NBA franchises in eight seasons from 1993-94 through 2000-01. Michael Jordan trash-talked Burrell when they were teammates with the Chicago Bulls, but it would have been interesting to see if MJ could hit him any better than he did against obscure Southern League hurlers.

In 1989, Burrell was picked ahead of supplemental first-rounder Todd Jones plus the following eventual MLB hurlers: Jerry Dipoto (3rd round), Alan Embree (5th), Scott Erickson (4th), Sterling Hitchcock (9th), Trevor Hoffman (11th), Curt Leskanie (8th), Denny Neagle (3rd), Paul Quantrill (6th), Pat Rapp (15th), Shane Reynolds (3rd), Russ Springer (7th), Mike Trombley (14th) and Tim Worrell (20th). In 1990, Burrell was chosen before eventual MLB pitchers Jason Bere (36th round), Eddie Guardado (21st), Mike Hampton (6th), Dave Mlicki (17th), Troy Percival (6th), Andy Pettitte (22nd), Rick White (15th) and Mike Williams (14th).

Former NCAA Division I hoopers Dave Winfield and Bill Almon were MLB teammates the last six seasons of the 1970s after becoming first-round draft choices by the San Diego Padres in back-to-back years. On the eve of 2021 selection process, following is an alphabetical list of major leaguers who were first-round choices in the amateur baseball draft after playing varsity college basketball:

*Did not sign that year.
**January draft/secondary phase.
NOTES: 1B-OF Rick Leach (13th pick in 1979 by Detroit Tigers) was a JV hooper for Michigan and OF Ken Singleton (3rd selection in 1967 by New York Mets) was a freshman hooper for Hofstra. . . . Rasmussen and Stenhouse were compensation for signings of free-agent pitchers Nolan Ryan and Steve Renko, respectively.

The inaugural MLB draft in 1965 included 11 individuals who competed for colleges currently at the NCAA Division I level before they reached the majors - Graig Nettles (San Diego State/4th round), Bob Chlupsa (Manhattan/6th), Ken Szotkiewicz (Georgia Southern/10th), Steve Arlin (Ohio State/16th), Paul Edmondson (Cal State Northridge/21st), Rick Austin (Washington State freshmen team/22nd out of H.S.), Steve Renko (Kansas/24th), Paul Reuschel (Western Illinois/26th), Rich Hacker (Southern Illinois freshman team/39th out of H.S.), Dick Such (Elon/40th) and Bob Gebhard (Iowa/44th). Oregon State hoops All-American Jim Jarvis wasn't picked in first MLB draft, but hit .288 as 2B with three minor-league clubs in the Philadelphia Phillies' farm system in 1966. Research to date reveals that at least one MLB selection in every June draft from 1965 through 1998 played college basketball. Brigham Young had three versatile athletes in this category in the 1970s (Danny Ainge, Doug Howard and Vance Law). Believe it or not, Washington State forward Mark Hendrickson, a two-time All-Pacific-10 Conference basketball selection, was chosen in six straight MLB drafts from 1992 through 1997. Unlike Connaughton ever reaching a MLB field as real player, following is an alphabetical list of former MLB non-first round choices in regular amateur draft who wound up as major leaguers after playing varsity hoops for a college currently or formerly at the NCAA DI level:

NOTE: Pitcher Clair "Bart" Johnson, leading scorer for Brigham Young's 1967-68 freshman squad, was 3rd-round pick by St. Louis Cardinals in 1967 out of high school and 1st-round selection by Chicago White Sox in 1968 June secondary phase.

The first five MLB drafts from 1965 through 1969 had multiple small-college hoopers chosen before they reached the majors (as high as fourth round in 1969 during five-year span of regular phase). Following is an alphabetical list of former MLB non-first round draft choices who wound up as major leaguers after playing varsity hoops for a small college:

Major-college basketball All-Americans selected in MLB draft but never playing Organized Ball or reaching the majors included Alabama's Charles Cleveland (RHP picked in 34th round by Kansas City Royals in 1971 out of high school ahead of 35th-round choice Tom Hume); Virginia Tech's Dell Curry (RHP picked in 37th round by Texas Rangers in 1982 out of high school and 14th round by Baltimore Orioles in 1985 ahead of 15th-round choice Rich DeLucia, 18th-rounder Dennis Cook, 22nd-rounder John Smoltz, 23rd-rounder Scott Kamieniecki, 23rd-rounder Donn Pall, 30th-rounder Chris Nabholz and 36th-rounder Jim Abbott); California's Kevin Johnson (SS picked in 23rd round by Oakland Athletics in 1986 ahead of 27th-round choice John Olerud); Duke's Trajan Langdon (3B picked in 6th round by San Diego Padres in 1994 out of high school ahead of seventh-round choice Russ Branyan, seventh-rounder Geoff Blum, eighth-rounder Ronnie Belliard, 10th-rounder Wes Helms, 11th-rounder Donnie Sadler, 11th-rounder Bubba Trammell, 12th-rounder Wendell Magee, 13th-rounder Ryan Freel, 15th-rounder Daryle Ward, 19th-rounder Placido Polanco, 20th-rounder Dustan Mohr, 20th-rounder J.D. Drew, 25th-rounder Mike Young, 26th-rounder Corey Koskie and 28th-rounder Dave Roberts); North Carolina's Eric Montross (RHP picked in 62nd round by Chicago Cubs in 1994 ahead of 68th-round choice Juan "J.C." Romero and 70th-rounder Jose Santiago); Missouri's Anthony Peeler (LHP picked in 41st round by Texas Rangers in 1988 out of high school ahead of 41st-round choice Chad Ogea and 44th-rounder Scott Erickson); Holy Cross' Ronnie Perry Jr. (INF picked in 12th round by Boston Red Sox in 1979 ahead of 19th-round choice Don Mattingly and 3rd round by Chicago White Sox in 1980 ahead of 3rd-round choice Danny Tartabull, 8th-rounder Eric Davis and 16th-rounder Jim Eisenreich), and Long Beach State's Ed Ratleff (RHP picked in 6th round by Pittsburgh Pirates in 1969 out of high school ahead of 8th-round choice Glenn Abbott, 15th-rounder Jim Slaton, 20th-rounder Dick Ruthven and 25th-rounder Andy Hassler).

In the same category are NCAA playoff coaches Paul Cormier (RHP was picked in 25th round by Detroit Tigers in 1972 ahead of 38th-round choice Bob Shirley); Mitch Henderson (OF was picked in 29th round by New York Yankees in 1994 out of high school ahead of 38th-round choice Eric Byrnes, 43rd-rounder Julio Lugo, 49th-rounder Jason Michaels, 54th-rounder Chris Woodward, 57th-rounder Joe Nelson, 61st-rounder Morgan Ensberg and 71st-rounder Johnny Estrada); Lon Kruger (RHP was picked in 12th round by Houston Astros in 1970 out of high school ahead of 18th-round choice Dale Murray, 19th-rounder Pat Zachry, 29th-rounder John Denny, 30th-rounder Doc Medich and 32nd-rounder Mike Krukow plus 21st round by St. Louis Cardinals in 1974 ahead of 22nd-round choice Dave Rozema, 25th-rounder Tim Stoddard, 28th-rounder Sammy Stewart, 30th-rounder Al Holland and 36th-rounder Eric Show), plus Tom Penders (INF-OF was picked in 8th round by Cleveland Indians in 1968 January Regular Phase).

Extra! Extra! Instead of shaking head in disgust over government manipulation as lame as Britney Spears' dad while failing to identify federal officer who shot unarmed Ashli Babbitt on J6 (ask Schmucky Schumer who tried to bully Supreme Court justices), you can read news about memorable major league baseball achievements and moments involving former college basketball players. Baseball is portrayed as a thinking man's game but only 4% of active MLB players earned college diplomas. Nonetheless, numerous ex-college hoopers had front-row seats to many of the most notable games, transactions and dates in MLB history.

Former Fordham hoopers Frankie Frisch and Babe Young furnished significant MLB performances on this date. Another New York college ex-hooper making MLB news on this date was Ralph Branca (NYU). 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.

• Atlanta Braves 3B Darrell Evans (member of Jerry Tarkanian-coached Pasadena City CA club winning 1967 state community college hoops crown) homered twice in a 4-2 win against the Philadelphia Phillies in 1973.

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

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

• In 1963, Philadelphia Phillies OF-1B Mickey Harrington (leading scorer and rebounder for Southern Mississippi as senior in 1954-55) made his lone MLB appearance as a pinch-runner (for Roy Sievers against San Francisco Giants).

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

• Brooklyn Dodgers 1B Gil Hodges (hooper 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 a 1960 contest.

• Detroit Tigers RF Harvey Kuenn (played hoops 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 a 1994 game.

• 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 (Bucknell hooper 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 Woody 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). They were teammates with the Braves during Reed's first three MLB seasons.

• New York Giants RHP Hal Schumacher (St. Lawrence NY hooper in early 1930s), supported by three hits from OF Hank Leiber (played basketball 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 a 1938 contest.

• Champ Summers (led SIUE in scoring in 1969-70 after doing likewise for Nicholls State in 1964-65) cracked a game-tying, pinch two-run homer for the Detroit Tigers in bottom of ninth inning against the Minnesota Twins in 1979.

• 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 RF Dave Winfield (starting forward for Minnesota's first NCAA playoff team in 1972) homered twice against the New York Mets in a 1974 game. Three years later, Winfield whacked a pair of round-trippers in a 5-4 triumph against the Los Angles Dodgers in the nightcap of a 1977 doubleheader.

• Cincinnati Reds 1B Babe Young (Fordham hoops letterman in 1935-36) homered in both ends of a 1947 twinbill for the second time in less than week.

• 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).

Extra! Extra! Instead of mocking #MessMedia miscreants on CNN ("Most Distrusted Name in News") and MSNBC ("Hosts Paying Their Taxes Matters") who promoted prison-bound creepy porn lawyer #Avenaughty as presidential timber, you can read news about memorable major league baseball achievements and moments involving former college basketball players. Baseball is portrayed as a thinking man's game but only 4% of active MLB players earned college diplomas. Nonetheless, numerous ex-college hoopers had front-row seats to many of the most notable games, transactions and dates in MLB history.

Several former small-college hoopers from Pennsylvania - Clyde Barnhart (Shippensburg predecessor Cumberland Valley State), Charlie Gelbert (Lebanon Valley) and Monte Irvin (Lincoln) - made MLB news on this date. Ditto ex-Illinois hoopers Lou Boudreau and Tom Haller, ex-North Carolina State hoopers Roger Craig and Tim Stoddard plus ex-Washington State hoopers Ed Bouchee and Gene Conley. 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 (hooper 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 opener of 1925 doubleheader.

• Chicago Cubs 1B Ed Bouchee (freshman hooper for Washington State in 1951-52) homered in both ends of a 1961 twinbill sweep of the Philadelphia Phillies.

• 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 hoops playoff team) tied a MLB record in 1971 by fanning six times against the Oakland A's in 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 hoops 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 (hoops 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 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 a 1972 outing.

• RHP Geoff Hartlieb (averaged 1.8 ppg and 1.1 rpg for Quincy IL in 2012-13 before transferring to Lindenwood MO to concentrate on baseball) awarded off waivers from the Pittsburgh Pirates to New York Mets in 2021.

• New York Giants RHP Jim Hearn (Georgia Tech hoops letterman in 1941-42) hammered 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 opener of a 1967 twinbill.

• New York Giants LF Monte Irvin (Lincoln PA hooper 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 a 1977 game.

• New York Yankees RF Charlie Keller (Maryland three-year hoops letterman from 1934-35 through 1936-37) opened the scoring with a two-run homer off Chicago Cubs RHP Claude Passeau (Millsaps MS hooper 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 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 Louisiana State's backcourt with All-American Chris Jackson for 1989 NCAA playoff team) traded by the Philadelphia Phillies to 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.

• Philadelphia Athletics LHP Ossie Orwoll (Luther IA hooper first half of 1920s) earned a save with 3 2/3 innings of hitless relief against the Cleveland Indians in 1928. Orwoll also went 3-for-3 at the plate including a three-run double.

• 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 A.L., 1-0, in 1968 All-Star Game.

• New York Yankees rookie RHP Steve Roser (Clarkson NY hoops 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).

• New York Yankees rookie RHP Rollie Sheldon (third-leading scorer as sophomore for Connecticut's 1960 NCAA Tournament team) tossed the second of back-to-back shutouts in 1961.

• 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.

• Detroit Tigers C Birdie Tebbetts (Providence hooper in 1932) banged out three hits in both ends of a 1939 twinbill against the Chicago White Sox.

• Washington Senators rookie RHP Monte Weaver (hoops center for Emory & Henry VA in mid-1930s) went 4-for-5 at the plate as lefthanded swinger, scored three runs and chipped in with five RBI in nightcap of 1932 doubleheader against the Cleveland Indians.

• Minnesota Twins RF Dave Winfield (starting forward for Minnesota's first NCAA playoff team in 1972) went 4-for-4 against the Milwaukee Brewers in 1993 in the midst of homering in back-to-back games three times during the month.

• 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 2002 All-Star Game.

Extra! Extra! Instead of immersion in confusion stemming from Olympian incongruity allowing testosterone-suppressing transgender weightlifter from New Zealand to participate but not lame-excuse U.S. woman using recreational pot, you can read news about memorable major league baseball achievements and moments involving former college basketball players. Baseball is portrayed as a thinking man's game but only 4% of active MLB players earned college diplomas. Nonetheless, numerous ex-college hoopers had front-row seats to many of the most notable games, transactions and dates in MLB history.

A couple of small-college hoopers from Missouri (Bill Virdon of Drury and Chuck Workman of Central Missouri State), New York (Jack Phillips of Clarkson and Hal Schumacher of St. Lawrence) plus Pennsylvania (Kevin Gryboski of Wilkes and Monte Irvin of Lincoln) supplied significant MLB performances on this date. Ex-Louisiana State hoopers Joe Adcock and Alvin Dark also made MLB news on this date. 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 streak of five straight outings with a round-tripper.

• St. Louis Cardinals C Ferrell Anderson (Kansas hoops 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 a 1953 game.

• 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 a 1944 contest.

• 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 Cincinnati Reds in 1962).

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

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

• Detroit Tigers DH Darrell Evans (member of Jerry Tarkanian-coached Pasadena City CA club winning 1967 state community college hoops crown) homered twice in a 1987 game against the Oakland Athletics.

• St. Louis Cardinals 2B Frankie Frisch (Fordham hoops 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.

• Atlanta Braves RHP Kevin Gryboski (backup hooper for Wilkes PA in 1991-92 and 1992-93) contributed his 11th consecutive relief appearance without allowing an earned run, reducing his ERA to 1.47 through 27 games in 2005.

• OF Monte Irvin (Lincoln PA hooper 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 hoops letterman in 1941-42) failed in a bid to win his 13th straight against the Bucs.

• Detroit Tigers SS Harvey Kuenn (played hoops 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 hoops captain in 1938-39) went 4-for-4 against the St. Louis Browns in a 1943 contest.

• 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 a 1961 game.

• 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 (Millsaps MS hooper 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 hoops 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 hoops 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 California Angels in 1969).

• New York Giants RHP Hal Schumacher (St. Lawrence NY hooper 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.

• Pittsburgh Pirates CF Bill Virdon (Drury MO hooper in 1949) provided five extra-base hits in a 1960 twinbill against the Philadelphia Phillies.

• New York Giants C Wes Westrum (hooper 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.

• Boston Braves 3B Chuck Workman (first-five hoops selection for Central Missouri State on All-MIAA team as sophomore and junior in mid-1930s) cracked a homer in both ends of 1945 doubleheader split against the Pittsburgh Pirates.

Extra! Extra! Instead of debating whether cancel-culture casualty Rachel Nichols (probably should have changed racial identity and last name to Dolezal) benefitted from "Unguarded" diversity during ex-Washington Compost reporter's forgettable three-year sports gig at CNN (Confused News Network) prior to "Jump" back to belatedly-addressing-issue ESPN (Extra Sensitive Pious Network version of HR Hunger Games), you can read news about memorable major league baseball achievements and moments involving former college basketball players. Baseball is portrayed as a thinking man's game but only 4% of active MLB players earned college diplomas. Nonetheless, numerous ex-college hoopers had front-row seats to many of the most notable games, transactions and dates in MLB history.

Former Guilford NC hoopers Rick Ferrell and Tom Zachary made American League news on this date. 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 (Texas A&M-Kingsville hooper in 1996-97) awarded on waivers from the New York Mets to the Cleveland Indians in 2006.

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

• Chicago White Sox 1B Walt Dropo (first player in Connecticut history to average 20 ppg in single season with 21.7 in 1942-43) collected five RBI in a 1955 game against the Detroit Tigers.

• Detroit Tigers OF Hoot Evers (hoops 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 (Guilford NC hoops forward before graduating in 1928) accumulated four hits and five RBI in a 7-6 win against the Philadelphia Athletics in opener of 1935 doubleheader.

• Cincinnati Reds 3B Gene Freese (West Liberty WV hoops 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.

• Chicago White Sox RHP Bart Johnson (averaged 30.5 ppg for Brigham Young's freshman squad in 1967-68) hurled a two-hit, complete game against the Detroit Tigers in his season debut, posting first of four consecutive victories.

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

• St. Louis Cardinals RHP Lindy McDaniel (hooper 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 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. hooper 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 previous four outings against his original team (Cincinnati Reds).

• Montreal Expos RHP Steve Renko (averaged 9.9 ppg and 5.8 rpg for Kansas in 1963-64) went 3-for-3 at the plate, scored two runs and added two RBI in a 6-1 victory against the Houston Astros in 1973.

• LHP Preacher Roe (Harding AR hooper 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 hoops 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 1937 All-Star Game.

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

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

• Washington Senators 3B Eddie Yost (NYU freshman hooper in 1943-44 under coach Howard Cann) provided at least three safeties for third time in first seven games of the month in 1950.

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

Extra! Extra! Instead of wondering if radicalized Captain America should be demoted to Private First Class after Marvel mess manipulation smearing our country, you can read news about memorable major league baseball achievements and moments involving former college basketball players. Baseball is portrayed as a thinking man's game but only 4% of active MLB players earned college diplomas. Nonetheless, numerous ex-college hoopers had front-row seats to many of the most notable games, transactions and dates in MLB history.

Several small-college hoopers from North Carolina - Jim Bibby (Fayetteville State), Dick Culler (High Point) and Rick Ferrell (Guilford) - supplied significant MLB performances on this date. Ditto ex-juco hoopers Garth Iorg (Redwoods CA), Tony Phillips (New Mexico Military) and Jim Thome (Illinois Central). 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 (Texas A&M-Kingsville hooper in 1996-97) fanned the side against the Arizona Diamondbacks in 2008, triggering 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 a 1954 game.

• San Diego Padres RHP Steve Arlin (played two basketball games for Ohio State in 1964-65 under coach Fred Taylor) surrendered only one hit in 10 shutout innings in a 1972 game they won in 14th against the New York Mets.

• Pittsburgh Pirates RHP Jim Bibby (Fayetteville State NC backup hooper 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.

• New York Giants SS Alvin Dark (hoops letterman for Louisiana State and Southwestern Louisiana in mid-1940s) homered in the first of five contests in a six-game span in 1954.

• CF Taylor Douthit (California hoops 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 (Guilford NC hoops forward 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 hoops 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.

• Detroit Tigers rookie RHP Floyd Giebell (four-year hoops letterman for Salem College WV in mid-1930s) secured his first MLB victory with 3 2/3 innings of scoreless relief in a 9-5 verdict over the St. Louis Browns in 1939.

• Brooklyn Robins 3B Wally Gilbert (hoops captain 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 leading Monmouth in scoring with 21 ppg after setting school single-game rebounding record with 40 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 East Tennessee State 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 hoops letterman from 1932-33 through 1934-35) lashed out four hits against the St. Louis Cardinals in the opener of a 1940 doubleheader.

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

• St. Louis Cardinals rookie RHP Jim Hearn (Georgia Tech hoops letterman in 1941-42) tossed his first MLB shutout (three-hitter against 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 3B Garth Iorg (juco hooper with College of the Redwoods CA in mid-1970s) supplied three extra-base hits in a 1984 game against the Seattle Mariners.

• Toronto Blue Jays DH Tony Johnson (All-VSAC hoops 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 hoops 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 before transferring with his coach to Washburn KS) launched two homers against the Cleveland Indians in a 1982 contest.

• Kansas City Athletics 2B Jerry Lumpe (member of Southwest Missouri State's 1952 NAIA Tournament championship hoops 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 (Millsaps MS hooper in late 1920s and early 1930s) fired two innings of scoreless relief for the National League in 1942 All-Star Game.

• Oakland Athletics INF Tony Phillips (New Mexico Military juco hooper in 1977-78 as teammate of eventual Drake All-American Lewis Lloyd) scored four runs in a 7-6 triumph against the Milwaukee Brewers in opener of 1984 doubleheader.

• 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 in 2003.

• First MLB batter Cleveland Indians LHP Joe Shaute (hooper for Mansfield PA in early 1920s) faced was New York Yankees RF Babe Ruth, who fanned in bottom of the sixth inning in nightcap of 1922 twinbill. The Bambino whiffed more than 30 times against Shaute in their careers.

• Oakland Athletics RHP Jeff Shaver (averaged 2.4 ppg for SUNY-Fredonia in 1983-84 and 1984-85) hurled a hitless inning of relief against the Cleveland Indians in his only MLB appearance in 1988.

• Cleveland Indians 1B Jim Thome (played junior-college hoops for Illinois Central in 1988-89) collected three homers and six RBI in a 2001 game against the St. Louis Cardinals. Five years later as Chicago White Sox DH, Thome contributed two round-trippers and six RBI in 2006 contest against the Baltimore Orioles.

• Boston Red Sox 3B Billy Werber (first Duke hoops All-American in 1929-30) banged out four hits and scored five runs against the Philadelphia Athletics in a 1934 outing.

• 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 hoops 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.