On This Date: Former College Hoopers Make News on May 19 MLB Games

May 19th, 2020 - 8:45

Extra! Extra! Amid being spittin' mad about COVID-19 season postponement, you have time to read news 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 hoopers for colleges in Mississippi - Joe Gibbon (Ole Miss), Paul Gregory (Mississippi State) and Claude Passeau (Millsaps) - supplied significant performances as MLB pitchers on this date. Ex-Louisiana State hoopers Joe Adcock and Mark Freeman also made MLB news on this date. Unless you habitually pore over the content at baseballlibrary.com, baseballreference.com and nationalpastime.com, following is a May 19 calendar focusing on such versatile MLB athletes:

MAY 19

  • Cleveland Indians 1B Joe Adcock (Louisiana State's leading basketball scorer in 1945-46) contributed two homers and six RBI in a 7-6 loss against the Minnesota Twins in the nightcap of a 1963 twinbill.

  • Chicago Cubs 2B Glenn Beckert (three-year hoops letterman for Allegheny PA) had his 26-game hitting streak snapped by Ken Brett of the Philadelphia Phillies in 1973.

  • Tossing his second shutout in less than three weeks in 1981, Pittsburgh Pirates RHP Jim Bibby (Fayetteville State NC backup hooper and brother of UCLA All-American Henry Bibby) hurled a one-hitter against the Atlanta Braves.

  • Milwaukee Braves 2B Frank Bolling (averaged 7.3 ppg for Spring Hill AL in 1950-51) banged out four hits against the Chicago Cubs in the opener of a 1963 doubleheader.

  • LF Bob Cerv (ranked fourth on Nebraska's career scoring list in 1949-50 when finishing his career) traded by the Kansas City Athletics to the New York Yankees in 1960.

  • Cincinnati Reds 1B George Crowe (four-year letterman from 1939-40 through 1942-43 for Indiana Central after becoming first high school player named state's Mr. Basketball) collected four hits and four RBI in an 8-7 win against the Pittsburgh Pirates in the opener of a 1957 twinbill.

  • San Francisco Giants 3B Darrell Evans (member of Jerry Tarkanian-coached Pasadena City CA club winning 1967 state community college crown) homered twice in a 1978 game against the Los Angeles Dodgers.

  • RHP Mark Freeman (averaged 3.6 ppg for LSU as a senior in 1950-51) traded by the New York Yankees to the Chicago Cubs in 1960.

  • Cincinnati Reds LHP Amir Garrett (averaged 7.4 ppg and 4 rpg for St. John's under coach Steve Lavin in 2011-12 and 2012-13 before redshirt transfer year at Cal State Northridge) had a 1.35 ERA through first 21 relief appearances of 2018 campaign after notching hold in 5-4 triumph against the Chicago Cubs in opener of a doubleheader.

  • In 1968, LHP Joe Gibbon (two-time All-SEC forward for Ole Miss was nation's second-leading scorer as senior in 1956-57) yielded his only earned run in first 13 relief appearances with the San Francisco Giants.

  • In 1933, Chicago White Sox RHP Paul Gregory (Mississippi State hoops letterman in 1929-30) tossed his second complete-game victory in three weeks when allowing only one run.

  • Raising his batting average to .306, Chicago White Sox 1B Ron Jackson (second-team All-Mid-American Conference hoops choice from 1951-52 through 1953-54 led Western Michigan in scoring and rebounding his last two seasons) extended hitting streak to a career-high 10 games but finished the 1956 campaign with a .214 mark.

  • Philadelphia Phillies RF Danny Litwhiler (member of JV hoops team with Bloomsburg PA in mid-1930s) went 4-for-4 against the Pittsburgh Pirates in a 1942 contest.

  • Cleveland Indians CF Kenny Lofton (Arizona's leader in steals for 1988 Final Four team compiling 35-3 record) went 4-for-4 against the Baltimore Orioles in a 1993 outing.

  • Chicago Cubs LF Les Mann (Springfield MA hooper in 1913 and 1914) went 4-for-4 against the Brooklyn Robins in a 1916 game.

  • LF Irv Noren (player of year for California community college state hoops champion Pasadena City in 1945) traded by the St. Louis Cardinals to the Chicago Cubs in 1959.

  • Chicago Cubs RHP Claude Passeau (Millsaps MS hooper in late 1920s and early 1930s) pounded a grand slam in a 14-1 romp over the Brooklyn Dodgers in 1941.

  • In the midst of surrendering fewer than three earned runs in 15 of 17 starts from late April to early July, Cleveland Indians RHP Sonny Siebert (team-high 16.7 ppg for Missouri in 1957-58 as All-Big Eight Conference second-team selection) tossed a one-hit shutout against the Baltimore Orioles in the nightcap of a 1968 doubleheader.

  • Detroit Tigers 2B Gary Sutherland (averaged 7.4 ppg with Southern California in 1963-64) smacked two homers against the Minnesota Twins in a 1975 game.

  • Cleveland Indians 1B Jim Thome (played junior-college hoops for Illinois Central in 1988-89) contributed four hits and four RBI in 1998 game against the Kansas City Royals.

  • San Diego Padres RF 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) scored four runs and supplied three extra-base hits in a 10-5 win against the Los Angeles Dodgers in 2010.

  • Kansas City Royals C John Wathan (averaged 3.7 ppg in 11 games for San Diego in 1968-69) went 4-for-5 against the Oakland Athletics in a 1980 contest.