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

June 8th, 2015 - 6:23

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 8 calendar focusing on such versatile MLB athletes:

JUNE 8

  • Chicago Cubs RF George Altman (appeared in 1953 and 1954 NAIA Basketball Tournament with Tennessee State) went 4-for-4 in a 4-3 loss against the New York Mets in the opener of a 1962 doubleheader.

  • In the midst of a career-high 13-game hitting streak, Philadelphia Phillies 1B Harry Anderson (averaged 7.7 ppg and 8.9 rpg for West Chester PA in 1951-52) supplied two homers among his four hits in the opener of a 1958 twinbill against the St. Louis Cardinals.

  • Detroit Tigers RHP Elden Auker (All-Big Six Conference first-five selection with Kansas State in 1931-32) tossed a one-hitter against the Philadelphia Athletics in 1937.

  • Posting his lone RBI with the Philadelphia Phillies in 1968, LF Howie Bedell (averaged 3.5 ppg and 3.5 rpg for West Chester PA in 1955-56) lofted a pinch-hit, sacrifice fly with one out in the fifth frame against the Los Angeles Dodgers, breaking P Don Drysdale's string of 58 2/3 consecutive scoreless innings.

  • Pittsburgh Pirates LF Carson "Skeeter" Bigbee (Oregon letterman in 1915) banged out at least three hits for the sixth time in a 13-game span in 1923.

  • Baltimore Orioles CF Al Bumbry (Virginia State's runner-up in scoring with 16.7 ppg as freshman in 1964-65) collected four hits and five RBI in a 13-8 win against the California Angels in 1980.

  • San Diego Padres 1B Tony Clark (San Diego State's leading scorer in WAC games in 1991-92) smacked a three-run pinch homer off P Billy Wagner in the bottom of the eighth inning in an 8-6 win against the New York Mets in 2008.

  • Cincinnati Reds CF Harry Craft (four-sport letterman with Mississippi College in early 1930s) went 5-for-5, hitting for the cycle, with six RBI in a 23-2 win against the Brooklyn Dodgers in 1940.

  • Boston Red Sox 1B Walt Dropo (Connecticut's first player ever to average 20 points in single season with 21.7 ppg in 1942-43), en route to becoming 1950 A.L. Rookie of the Year, contributed two homers, seven RBI and five runs scored in a 29-4 romp over the St. Louis Browns in the most lopsided result in the 20th Century.

  • New York Yankees 1B-OF Buddy Hassett (played for Manhattan teams winning school-record 17 consecutive games in 1930 and 1931) extended his hit streak to 20 games with a pair of singles against the Cleveland Indians in 1942.

  • RHP Cal Koonce (standout for Campbell in 1960 and 1961 when North Carolina-based school was a junior college) purchased from the New York Mets by the Boston Red Sox in 1970.

  • Bonus baby LHP Sandy Koufax (Cincinnati's freshman squad in 1953-54) activated from the injury list by the Brooklyn Dodgers in 1955. They made room for him by optioning P Tommy Lasorda, who eventually managed them for 21 years from 1976 to 1996.

  • Detroit Tigers SS Harvey Kuenn (played briefly for Wisconsin in 1951-52 after competing on JV squad previous season) collected four hits and four RBI against the New York Yankees in 1954.

  • In 1945, Cleveland Indians 2B Dutch Meyer (Texas Christian letterman in 1934-35 and 1935-36) supplied his third three-hit outing in the last four games.

  • LHP Dennis Rasmussen (sixth-man for Creighton averaged 5.1 ppg from 1977-78 through 1979-80) traded by the Cincinnati Reds to the San Diego Padres in 1988.

  • Cincinnati Reds 1B Eddie Shokes (Duke letterman in 1939-40 and 1940-41) supplied a career-high three hits against the Boston Braves in 1946.