On This Date: Former College Hoopers Made News in June 11 MLB Contests

June 11th, 2021 - 12:19

Extra! Extra! Instead of wondering if CNN's Zeff Zucker, Jim Acosta, Anderson Cooper, Don Lemon and Brian Stelter met legal definition of giddy with delight when perv Jeffrey Toobin zoomed back with his pet snake to "Most Distrusted Name in News," you can read news 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 power-conference hoopers Dick Radatz (Michigan State), Don Schwall (Oklahoma), Jim Tabor (Alabama) and Sammy White (Washington) provided significant performances for the Boston Red Sox on this date. Also making MLB news on this date were several ex-hoopers from small colleges in Pennsylvania - Clyde Barnhart (Shippensburg), Al Downing (Muhlenberg) and Danny Litwhiler (Bloomsburg). Unless you habitually pore over the content at baseballlibrary.com, baseballreference.com and nationalpastime.com, following is a June 11 calendar focusing on such versatile MLB athletes:

JUNE 11

  • In 1927, Pittsburgh Pirates LF Clyde Barnhart (played basketball for Shippensburg PA predecessor Cumberland Valley State Normal School prior to World War I) supplied three extra-base hits against the Brooklyn Robins for his 10th consecutive multiple-hit contest.

  • Chicago White Sox 1B Zeke Bonura (best basketball forward for Loyola LA in late 1920s and early 1930s) went 4-for-4 with three extra-base hits, scored four runs and had five RBI in a 14-8 win against the Washington Senators in 1937.

  • In his final game with the Montreal Expos, 1B Donn Clendenon (four-sport letterman with Morehouse GA) stroked three extra-base hits against the San Diego Padres in a 1969 game.

  • LHP Al Downing (attended Muhlenberg PA on hoops scholarship but left before ever playing) traded by the Oakland Athletics to the Milwaukee Brewers in 1970.

  • San Francisco Giants 1B Darrell Evans (member of Jerry Tarkanian-coached Pasadena City CA club winning 1967 state community college crown) delivered two homers and five RBI in a 7-6 win against the Atlanta Braves in 1983.

  • Hall of Fame C Rick Ferrell (Guilford NC hooper in mid-1920s) traded with his brother (P Wes Ferrell) from the Boston Red Sox to the Washington Senators in 1937.

  • In the midst of a career-high 12-game hitting streak in 1961, Cincinnati Reds 3B Gene Freese (West Liberty WV captain of 1952 NAIA Tournament team) contributed four RBI for the second time in a five-outing span.

  • St. Louis Cardinals 2B Frankie Frisch (Fordham hoops captain) furnished four hits for the first of two times in a four-game span in 1929.

  • St. Louis Cardinals 2B Tommy Herr (hooper with Delaware's freshman team in 1974-75) supplied three hits in his second consecutive contest in 1984.

  • INF Jerry Kindall (averaged 6.9 ppg for Minnesota in 1955-56) traded by the Cleveland Indians to the Minnesota Twins in a three-team swap including the Los Angeles Angels in 1964.

  • Boston Red Sox RF Joe Lahoud (New Haven CT hoops letterman in mid-1960s) smacked three homers against the Minnesota Twins in a 1969 contest.

  • LF Danny Litwhiler (member of JV hoops squad with Bloomsburg PA in mid-1930s) among three St. Louis Cardinals who lashed back-to-back-to-back sixth-inning homers in the nightcap of a 1944 doubleheader.

  • Washington Senators 3B Buddy Myer (Mississippi State hoops letterman in 1923-24) manufactured two hits in his sixth successive game in 1929.

  • In 1972, 3B Graig Nettles (shot 87.8% from free-throw line for San Diego State in 1963-64) homered for the Cleveland Indians and brother Jim Nettles homered for the Minnesota Twins in the same game. Four years later with the New York Yankees, Graig Nettles collected two homers and five RBI against the Texas Rangers in a 1976 outing.

  • Third homer for Chicago Cubs RHP Claude Passeau (Millsaps MS hooper in late 1920s and early 1930s) in his last five starts accounted for decisive run in a 3-2 win against the New York Giants in 1941.

  • INF Paul Popovich (averaged 3.3 ppg for West Virginia's 1960 NCAA playoff team) wound up with the Chicago Cubs in 1969 after he was traded twice on the same day (by Los Angeles Dodgers and Montreal Expos). Two years earlier as a Cubs rookie, Popovich went 5-for-9 in a 1967 twinbill sweep of the New York Mets.

  • Boston Red Sox RHP Dick Radatz (center on Michigan State's freshman hoops squad in 1955-56) secured victory by hurling 8 2/3 innings of scoreless relief while fanning 11 Detroit Tigers batters. Two days earlier, Radatz earned win by tossing six innings of scoreless relief while whiffing 10 Baltimore Orioles batters.

  • Brooklyn Dodgers rookie 1B Jackie Robinson (highest scoring average in Pacific Coast Conference both of his seasons with UCLA in 1939-40 and 1940-41) went 4-for-4 against the Cincinnati Reds in a 1947 contest. Three days later, Robinson started a 21-game hitting streak.

  • New York Yankees 3B Red Rolfe (played hoops briefly with Dartmouth in 1927-28 and 1929-30) supplied four extra-base hits against the Detroit Tigers in a 1936 outing.

  • In 1961, Boston Red Sox RHP Don Schwall (All-Big Seven Conference second-team selection led Oklahoma in rebounding in 1956-57) won his first five MLB starts, compiling a 1.31 ERA in that span.

  • Philadelphia Phillies rookie SS Gary Sutherland (averaged 7.4 ppg with USC in 1963-64) supplied four hits against the Pittsburgh Pirates in a 1967 contest. Nine years later as a 2B in his first game with the Milwaukee Brewers, Sutherland knocked in the go-ahead run against Oakland Athletics P Vida Blue in a 4-2 win in 1976.

  • Boston Red Sox rookie 3B Jim Tabor (Alabama hoops letterman in 1936-37) banged out two triples against the Chicago White Sox in the nightcap of a 1939 doubleheader.

  • Boston Red Sox C Sammy White (All-PCC Northern Division first-five hoops selection for Washington in 1947-48 and 1948-49) clobbered a ninth-inning grand slam off Satchel Paige to defeat the St. Louis Browns, 11-9, in 1952. White completed his HR trot by rounding third base and crawling from half-way home and kissing the plate.