On This Date: Former College Hoopers Make News on May 5 MLB Games

May 5th, 2020 - 9:18

Extra! Extra! Amid COVID-19 postponement of season, you have time to read news all about memorable major league baseball achievements, moments and transactions involving former college basketball players. Numerous ex-college hoopers had front-row seats to many of the most notable games and dates in MLB history.

Former college hoopers Joe Adcock (LSU), Zeke Bonura (Loyola LA), Gil Hodges (St. Joseph's IN/Oakland City IN) and Bill White (Hiram OH) each hit two homers as a MLB first baseman on this date. Baseball is portrayed as a thinking man's game but only 4% of active MLB players earned college diplomas. Unless you habitually pore over the content at baseballlibrary.com, baseballreference.com and nationalpastime.com, following is a May 5 calendar focusing on such versatile MLB athletes:

MAY 5

  • Los Angeles Angels 1B Joe Adcock (Louisiana State's leading basketball scorer in 1945-46) launched two homers against the Kansas City Royals in a 1964 game.

  • Chicago White Sox SS Bosey Berger (Maryland's first hoops All-American led Southern Conference in scoring in league competition in 1930-31) banged out four hits against the Philadelphia Athletics in a 1938 contest.

  • Seattle Mariners 1B Bruce Bochte (starting forward for Santa Clara's NCAA playoff team in 1969-70) contributed four hits against the Boston Red Sox in a 1979 outing.

  • Chicago White Sox 1B Zeke Bonura (best basketball forward for Loyola LA in late 1920s and early 1930s) whacked two homers in an 8-5 setback against the Philadelphia Athletics in 1936.

  • In 1943, New York Giants LF Vic Bradford (Alabama hoops letterman in 1937) supplied his lone MLB hit with a single against the Boston Braves.

  • 2B Marv Breeding (Samford hooper in mid-1950s) traded by the Atlanta Braves to the San Francisco Giants in 1966.

  • Boston Braves SS Dick Culler (#9 jersey retired by High Point for hoops Little All-American in 1935 and 1936) went 5-for-6 in a 1945 doubleheader against the New York Giants.

  • New York Giants SS Alvin Dark (hoops letterman for LSU and USL in mid-1940s) went 4-for-4 and chipped in with four RBI in a 1951 game against the Pittsburgh Pirates.

  • After two shaky starts in 1951, Pittsburgh Pirates RHP Con Dempsey (played hoops for San Francisco during Golden Age of athletics on Hilltop) tossed two shutout innings of relief against the New York Giants in his third and final MLB appearance.

  • RHP George Earnshaw (Swarthmore PA hooper in 1922) ignited a 17-game winning streak for the Philadelphia Athletics in 1931 with a 4-1 triumph over the Boston Red Sox.

  • St. Louis Browns C Rick Ferrell (played forward for Guilford NC before graduating in 1928) furnished four hits for the second time in a three-game span in 1931.

  • Oakland Athletics 3B Wayne Gross (led Cal Poly Pomona in assists in 1974-75) went 4-for-4, including three extra-base hits, in a 6-2 win against the Detroit Tigers in 1981.

  • Brooklyn Dodgers 1B Gil Hodges (hooper for St. Joseph's IN in 1943 and Oakland City IN in 1947 and 1948) homered twice against the Cincinnati Reds in a 1951 contest.

  • Atlanta Braves RF David Justice (led Thomas More KY in assists in 1984-85 while averaging 9.3 ppg) smacked two homers against the Philadelphia Phillies in a 1996 game.

  • St. Louis Browns LHP Ernie Koob (Western Michigan hoops letterman in 1914) hurled a no-hitter against the Chicago White Sox in 1917.

  • OF Don Lock (led Wichita State in field-goal percentage in 1956-57 and 1957-58) traded by the Philadelphia Phillies to the Boston Red Sox in 1969.

  • In a twinbill sweep of the Philadelphia Phillies, St. Louis Cardinals LF Wally Moon (averaged 4.3 ppg with Texas A&M in 1948-49 and 1949-50) began a 24-game hitting streak, the longest of the 1957 season in the N.L.

  • Utilityman Bob Oliver (All-Valley Conference basketball choice for American River Community College CA in 1962) traded by the Kansas City Royals to California Angels in 1972.

  • Kansas City Athletics 1B Norm Siebern (member of Southwest Missouri State's back-to-back NAIA Tournament titlists in 1952 and 1953) went 5-for-6 and scored five runs in an 18-6 romp over the Cleveland Indians in the opener of a 1962 doubleheader.

  • Detroit Tigers SS Ken Szotkiewicz (Georgia Southern hoops letterman in 1966-67) supplied career highs of two hits and two RBI against the Minnesota Twins in a 1970 contest.

  • San Diego Padres OF Will Venable (All-Ivy League first-team selection as junior and second-team choice as senior averaged 9.3 ppg under Princeton coach John Thompson III from 2001-02 through 2004-05) stroked a game-winning, two-run single in the bottom of the 12th inning in a 6-5 win against the Kansas City Royals in 2014.

  • St. Louis Cardinals 1B Bill White (two-year hooper with Hiram OH in early 1950s) belted two homers against the San Francisco Giants in a 1965 contest.

  • Philadelphia Phillies RF Cy Williams (Notre Dame forward in 1909-10) homered twice against the New York Giants in a 1925 game.

  • San Diego Padres RF Dave Winfield (starting forward for Minnesota's first NCAA playoff team in 1972) delivered two homers against the Montreal Expos in a 1979 outing.

  • Chicago Cubs RHP Zip Zabel (premier hooper for Baker KS from 1913 to 1915) hurled his second shutout and third complete-gave victory in nine-day span in 1915.