On This Date: Former College Hoopers Make Mark on August 11 MLB Games

August 11th, 2019 - 9:45

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 San Diego State hoopers Tony Gwynn and Jim Wilson made MLB news on this date. Ditto a couple of small-college hoopers from Georgia - Donn Clendenon (Morehouse) and Coot Veal (Mercer). Unless you habitually pore over the content at baseballlibrary.com, baseballreference.com and nationalpastime.com, following is an August 11 calendar focusing on such versatile MLB athletes:

AUGUST 11

  • In the midst of a career-high 20-game hitting streak in 1959, Milwaukee Braves 1B Joe Adcock (Louisiana State's leading basketball scorer in 1945-46) went 4-for-4 against the Cincinnati Reds, homering in his third straight outing.

  • Detroit Tigers RHP Elden Auker (All-Big Six Conference first-five selection with Kansas State in 1931-32) hurled his second shutout in a 10-day span in 1934.

  • New York Giants RHP Curt Barclay (Oregon's third-leading scorer and rebounder as sophomore in 1950-51) hurled a three-hit, 5-0 shutout against the Philadelphia Phillies in the opener of a 1957 doubleheader. It was Barclay's second straight whitewash.

  • Chicago Cubs OF Frankie Baumholtz (MVP in 1941 NIT and first player in Ohio University history to score 1,000 career points) furnished his third consecutive contest with three safeties in 1952.

  • Texas Rangers RHP Jim Bibby (Fayetteville State NC backup hooper and brother of UCLA All-American Henry Bibby) fired his second shutout against the Detroit Tigers during the 1974 campaign.

  • In 1990, Atlanta Braves RHP Marty Clary (Northwestern hoops letterman in 1981-82 and 1982-83) incurred his seventh defeat in as many decisions in a five-week span.

  • Pittsburgh Pirates rookie 1B Donn Clendenon (four-sport letterman with Morehouse GA) cracked a grand slam against the Chicago Cubs in a 1962 game.

  • C Mickey Cochrane (Boston University hooper in early 1920s) delivered a decisive ninth-inning hit to give the win to RHP George Earnshaw (Swarthmore PA player in 1922) in the Philadelphia Athletics' 3-2 decision over the Washington Senators in 1928.

  • Gene Desautels (Holy Cross hoops letterman in 1929 and 1930) caught the entire game for the Cleveland Indians without a putout (no strikeouts) in 1942 when they have a 14-inning scoreless tie with the Detroit Tigers.

  • San Diego Padres RF Tony Gwynn (All-WAC second-team selection with San Diego State in 1979-80 and 1980-81) went 5-for-5 and scored four runs in a 7-6 triumph against the Atlanta Braves in 1987. Two years later, Gwynn went 4-for-4 against the Braves in the nightcap of a 1989 doubleheader en route to a league-high 203 hits.

  • 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) fired his final shutout of 12-year MLB career, a five-hitter against the Houston Astros in 1988.

  • 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) delivered five hits in a 15-inning game against the Cincinnati Reds in 1968.

  • LF Bill Nicholson (hoops guard for Washington College MD two years in mid-1930s) capped off back-to-back-to-back homers by the Chicago Cubs but the three straight round-trippers weren't enough to prevent a 7-5 defeat against the St. Louis Cardinals in 1941.

  • In 1945, Chicago Cubs RHP Claude Passeau (hooper for Millsaps MS in late 1920s and early 1930s) restricted the Boston Braves to two hits - both coming with two outs in the eighth inning.

  • In 1987, Baltimore Orioles LF Larry Sheets (All-ODAC hoops selection in 1981-82 and 1982-83 with Eastern Mennonite VA) smacked two homers for the third time in his last five games.

  • Chicago Cubs 2B Rob Sperring (averaged 8.7 ppg and 2.9 rpg for Pacific from 1968-69 through 1970-71) collected a homer and double in his MLB debut against the San Francisco Giants in 1974.

  • Philadelphia Phillies 1B Jim Thome (played junior-college hoops for Illinois Central in 1988-89) smacked two homers in a 2004 game against the Colorado Rockies.

  • In 1959, Detroit Tigers SS Coot Veal (Auburn's scoring leader as sophomore in 1951-52 before transferring to Mercer) connected for his lone homer in 611 MLB career at-bats (against Chicago White Sox).

  • Boston Red Sox C Sammy White (All-PCC Northern Division first-five selection for Washington in 1947-48 and 1948-49) provided three hits in both ends of a 1953 twinbill sweep of the Philadelphia Athletics.

  • RHP Jim Wilson (hoops letterman for San Diego State's 1942 NAIA Tournament participant) traded by the Cleveland Indians to the Detroit Tigers in 1949.

  • New York Giants rookie 1B Babe Young (Fordham hoops letterman in 1935-36) amassed two homers and five RBI against the Philadelphia Phillies in the nightcap of a 1940 doubleheader.