All Inclusive: MLB All-Stars Who Played Basketball For Four-Year College

The 2021 MLB All-Star Game was supposed to have been played in Atlanta but festivities were shifted to Denver when the insufferable cancel-culture crowd took advantage of spineless executives fancying themselves as voting experts. Execs weren't nearly as courageous as four former college basketball players - Rick Ferrell (Guilford NC), Frankie Frisch (Fordham), Oral Hildebrand (Butler) and Hal Schumacher (St. Lawrence NY) - appearing in the inaugural major league baseball All-Star Game in 1933 and at least one ex-college hooper participating in every All-Star extravaganza through the remainder of the 20th Century.

An annual average of seven former college hoopsters were MLB All-Stars the first half of the 1950s (including Hall of Famers Monte Irvin, Robin Roberts and Jackie Robinson). That's a higher figure that the total number of ex-college hoopers competing at the MLB level the past several seasons. In an era of specialization, fewer and fewer individuals are opening themselves up to learning its more difficult to earn a spot on a MLB 40-man roster than a college hoops roster. Evidence of the recent reduction of dual-sport athletes is exhibited by the fact pitchers Chris Young (2007) and Matt Thornton (2010) are the only players in this unique category since outfielder Randy Winn (2002).

Four franchises - Braves, Cardinals, Cubs and Giants - have had eight different ex-college hoopers become a MLB All-Star. Arizona, Illinois, San Diego State and Texas A&M each had three former hoopers go on to become MLB All-Stars. Reliever Lee Smith (Northwestern State) is the only MLB All-Star for as many as four different franchises after playing NCAA Division I hoops. Following is an alphabetical list of MLB All-Star selections who played varsity basketball as a varsity regular for a four-year college:

*Baseball Hall of Famers.