On This Date: Former College Hoopers Providing MLB Headlines on May 10

May 10th, 2023 - 8:49

Extra! Extra! Rather than debating whether petty Plagiarist Biledumb knows anything about how to deal with inflation, Southern border and how many grandchildren he has (fewer than 20-plus shell companies concealing millions of dollars in foreign donations to his family members), you have time to 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.

Two former hoopers from Minnesota small colleges - Rip Repulski (St. Cloud State) and Howie Schultz (Hamline) - 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 10 calendar focusing on such versatile MLB athletes:

MAY 10

  • Baltimore Orioles 2B Jerry Adair (one of Oklahoma State's top three basketball scorers in 1956-57 and 1957-58 under coach Hank Iba while ranking among nation's top 12 free-throw shooters each season) jacked two homers against the Minnesota Twins in a 1961 game.

  • Philadelphia Phillies RHP Ray Benge (multi-year hoops letterman for Sam Houston State first half of 1920s) tossed a five-hit shutout against the Cincinnati Reds in 1932.

  • Cleveland Indians RHP Jim Bibby (Fayetteville State NC backup player and brother of UCLA All-American Henry Bibby) hurled a 1-0 shutout against the Milwaukee Brewers in the opener of a 1977 doubleheader.

  • Cleveland Indians SS Lou Boudreau (leading scorer for Illinois' 1937 Big Ten Conference co-champion) banged out two hits in six straight games in 1942.

  • 1B Donn Clendenon (four-sport letterman with Morehouse GA) went hitless in his first 18 at-bats with the St. Louis Cardinals until stroking two safeties against the Houston Astros in 1972.

  • Philadelphia Athletics C Mickey Cochrane (five-sport athlete with Boston University) collected four hits against the St. Louis Browns in a 1928 contest.

  • St. Louis Cardinals RF Grant Dunlap (Pacific hoops letterman in 1942-43 and 1946-47) hammered a pinch-hit homer against the Cincinnati Reds in 1953. The circuit clout was Dunlap's lone MLB round-tripper.

  • Brooklyn Robins 2B Jake Flowers (member of 1923 "Flying Pentagon" championship squad for Washington College MD) contributed four hits against the Pittsburgh Pirates in a 1930 outing.

  • 1B-OF Dick Gernert (hoops letterman with Temple in 1948-49 when he averaged 2.7 ppg) traded by the Detroit Tigers to the Cincinnati Reds in 1961.

  • The first MLB shutout supplied by Kansas City Athletics RHP Dick Hall (averaged 13.5 ppg from 1948-49 through 1950-51 with Swarthmore PA Southern Division champions in Middle Atlantic States Conference), 10-0 against the Baltimore Orioles, was one of three complete-game triumphs for him this month in 1960.

  • Utilityman Chuck Harmon (freshman starter was Toledo's second-leading scorer for 1943 NIT runner-up) traded by the St. Louis Cardinals to the Philadelphia Phillies in 1957.

  • Cincinnati Reds LHP Bill Henry (hoops letterman for Houston's 1947 NAIA Tournament team featuring co-captain Guy Lewis) fanned three St. Louis Cardinals batters in one inning of relief in his seventh scoreless outing in first seven relief appearances of 1961.

  • Milwaukee Braves SS Johnny Logan (Binghamton hooper in 1948-49) went 4-for-4 with five RBI in a 10-5 win against the St. Louis Cardinals in 1957.

  • Boston Red Sox OF Rip Repulski (started several basketball games for St. Cloud State MN) ripped a grand slam against the Chicago White Sox in 1960.

  • 1B Howie Schultz (Hamline MN product played and coached professional basketball) purchased from the Brooklyn Dodgers by the Philadelphia Phillies for $50,000 in 1947.

  • Chicago Cubs RHP Lee Smith (averaged 3.4 ppg and 1.9 rpg for Northwestern State in 1976-77) posted a perfect three-inning save against the Los Angeles Dodgers in 1983.

  • Minnesota Twins 3B Jay Ward (McKendree IL hooper in 1956-57 before forgoing hoops to concentrate solely on pro baseball) accounted for both of game's tallies with a two-run double in 2-0 decision over the Kansas City Athletics in 1963.

  • 3B John Werhas (led Southern California in scoring average in 1958-59 and 1959-60) traded by the Los Angeles Dodgers to the California Angels for fellow USC product Len Gabrielson in 1967.

  • San Francisco Giants OF Randy Winn (Santa Clara backcourtmate of eventual two-time NBA Most Valuable Player Steve Nash in 1993-94) collected four hits and scored four runs in a 7-5 win against the Los Angeles Dodgers in a 2009 game. The next day, Winn chipped in with three hits and three runs against the Washington Nationals.