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

June 5th, 2015 - 7:35

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 5 calendar focusing on such versatile MLB athletes:

JUNE 5

  • Cleveland Indians SS Lou Boudreau (leading scorer for Illinois' 1937 Big Ten Conference co-champion) went 4-for-4 against the Philadelphia Athletics in 1943.

  • Philadelphia Athletics C Mickey Cochrane (Boston University player in early 1920s) amassed four hits against the St. Louis Browns in 1926.

  • In the midst of a career-high 19-game hitting streak, Detroit Tigers LF Hoot Evers (Illinois starter in 1939-40) contributed five RBI in a 7-4 win against the Washington Senators in 1950.

  • Boston Red Sox 1B Dick Gernert (Temple letterman in 1948-49 when averaging 2.7 ppg) homered in his third consecutive contest against the Cleveland Indians in 1958.

  • LHP Atlee Hammaker (averaged 5.3 ppg as a freshman in 1976-77 and 4.9 ppg as a sophomore in 1977-78 under East Tennessee State coach Sonny Smith) selected in first round (21st pick overall) by the Kansas City Royals in 1979 amateur draft.

  • Brooklyn Robins LF Buddy Hassett (played for Manhattan teams winning school-record 17 consecutive games in 1930 and 1931) banged out four hits against the Pittsburgh Pirates in 1938.

  • INF-OF Harvey Hendrick (Vanderbilt letterman in 1918) purchased from the St. Louis Cardinals by the Cincinnati Reds in 1932.

  • A three-run, pinch-hit homer by Gail Hopkins (averaged 2.5 ppg with Pepperdine in 1963-64) sparked the Kansas City Royals to an 11-7 triumph against the New York Yankees in 1971.

  • Cleveland Indians RF David Justice (led Thomas More KY in assists in 1984-85) jacked two homers against the Milwaukee Brewers in 2000.

  • Cleveland Indians CF Kenny Lofton (Arizona's leader in steals for 1988 Final Four team compiling 35-3 record) launched two homers against the Detroit Tigers in 1995.

  • Milwaukee Braves SS Johnny Logan (played for Binghamton in 1948-49) logged four hits in a 7-0 win against the Pittsburgh Pirates in 1954.

  • St. Louis Cardinals RHP Lindy McDaniel (played for Oklahoma's 1954-55 freshman squad) notched his fifth complete-game victory in a five-week span in 1957.

  • RHP Ben McDonald (started six games as 6-6 freshman forward for Louisiana State in 1986-87) picked first overall by the Baltimore Orioles in the 1989 amateur draft. RHP Scott Burrell (three-time All-Big East Conference selection from 1990-91 through 1992-93 under coach Jim Calhoun) was the final choice in the opening round (26th by Seattle Mariners). Burrell was picked ahead of eventual MLB hurlers Jerry Dipoto, Alan Embree, Scott Erickson, Sterling Hitchcock, Trevor Hoffman, Todd Jones, Curt Leskanie, Denny Neagle, Paul Quantrill, Pat Rapp, Shane Reynolds, Russ Springer, Mike Trombley and Tim Worrell.

  • Washington Senators rookie CF Irv Noren (player of year for California community college state champion Pasadena City in 1945) went 4-for-4 against the Detroit Tigers in 1950.

  • Extending his hitting streak to 15 games, St. Louis Browns LF Ray Pepper (Alabama letterman in 1926-27) provided four safeties in a 10-5 win against the Chicago White Sox in the nightcap of a 1934 doubleheader.

  • Cincinnati Reds RF Wally Roettger (Illinois letterman in 1921-22 and 1922-23) registered two triples among his four hits against the Philadelphia Phillies in 1931.

  • RHP Lee Smith (averaged 3.4 ppg and 1.9 rpg with Northwestern State in 1976-77) fanned four of the last five Pittsburgh Pirates batters to earn a save for the Chicago Cubs in a 3-1 victory in 1983.