On This Date: Former College Hoopers Make Mark on May 9 MLB Games

May 9th, 2019 - 7:24

Extra! Extra! Read all about memorable major league baseball achievements and moments involving former college basketball players! Baseball is portrayed as a thinking man's game but only 4% of active MLB players earned college diplomas. Nonetheless, numerous ex-college hoopers had front-row seats to many of the most notable games, transactions and dates in MLB history. Former LSU hoopers Joe Adcock and Alvin Dark delivered significant MLB performances on this date. Ex-cagers Danny Coombs (Seton Hall) and Eric Stults (Bethel IN) hurled shutouts in National League games on this date.

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

MAY 9

  • Milwaukee Braves 1B Joe Adcock (Louisiana State's leading basketball scorer in 1945-46) clobbered two homers against the Chicago Cubs in a 1961 game.

  • In his final game with the California Angels, DH Bruce Bochte (starting forward for Santa Clara's NCAA playoff team in 1969-70) collected four hits in a 5-3 win against the Kansas City Royals in 1977.

  • New York Giants 2B Andy Cohen (Alabama hoops letterman in 1924 and 1925) cracked a leadoff homer but they wound up losing to the Pittsburgh Pirates, 3-2, in 1929.

  • Houston Astros LHP Danny Coombs (Seton Hall's third-leading scorer and rebounder as sophomore in 1961-62) tossed his lone MLB shutout (two-hitter against Montreal Expos in 1970).

  • New York Giants SS Alvin Dark (hoops letterman for LSU and USL in mid-1940s) amassed four hits and four RBI for the second time in a four-game span in 1951.

  • St. Louis Cardinals CF Taylor Douthit (California hoops letterman from 1922 through 1924) stroked four hits against the Boston Braves in a 1930 contest.

  • Hall of Fame C Rick Ferrell (Guilford NC hooper in mid-1920s) traded by the St. Louis Browns to the Boston Red Sox in 1933.

  • Pittsburgh Pirates 3B Lee Handley (Bradley hoops letterman from 1932-33 through 1934-35) banged out four hits against the Boston Braves in a 1938 outing.

  • Cleveland Indians 1B Mike Hargrove (Northwestern Oklahoma State hoops letterman) supplied five RBI against the Oakland Athletics in a 1982 game.

  • Atlanta Braves RF David Justice (Thomas More KY assists leader in 1984-85 while averaging 9.3 ppg) collected two homers and five RBI against the Colorado Rockies in a 1993 contest.

  • St. Louis Cardinals CF Lynn King (All-Missouri Valley Conference second-team hoops selection with Drake from 1928-29 through 1930-31) collected a career-high three hits against the Chicago Cubs in 1936.

  • Wally Moon (averaged 4.3 ppg with Texas A&M in 1948-49 and 1949-50) reached base in his first six pinch-hit appearances for the Los Angeles Dodgers in 1965.

  • C Cal Neeman (Illinois Wesleyan's leading scorer in 1947-48 and 1948-49) purchased from the Philadelphia Phillies by the Pittsburgh Pirates in 1962.

  • INF-OF Mel Roach (averaged 9.3 ppg in 1952-53 in Virginia's final season prior to helping form ACC) traded by the Milwaukee Braves to the Chicago Cubs for OF-INF Frank Thomas in 1961.

  • In his first game outside of New York City, Brooklyn Dodgers 1B Jackie Robinson (highest scoring average in Pacific Coast Conference both of his seasons with UCLA in 1939-40 and 1940-41) collected two hits and scored two runs in a 6-5 loss at Philadelphia in 1947.

  • RHP Sonny Siebert (team-high 16.7 ppg for Missouri in 1957-58 as All-Big Eight Conference second-team selection) homered for the Cleveland Indians in the nightcap of a 1965 doubleheader against the Boston Red Sox.

  • Los Angeles Dodgers LHP Eric Stults (hooper for 1999 NAIA D-II Tournament runner-up and 2000 NCCAA Tournament titlist with Bethel IN) fired a four-hit shutout against the San Francisco Giants in 2009.

  • Pittsburgh Pirates RHP Kent Tekulve (freshman hooper for Marietta OH in mid-1960s) won for the fourth time in first five relief appearances of the month in 1980.

  • New York Yankees CF Dave Winfield (starting forward for Minnesota's first NCAA playoff team in 1972) delivered three extra-base hits against the Cleveland Indians in a 1984 game.