All-American Boys: Minor is Only Major League Hoops A-A in Last 43 Years

March 26th, 2024 - 23:45

Will there be an NCAA Division I basketball All-American in 21st Century sufficiently versatile to eventually play major-league baseball? Ryan Minor (Oklahoma) is the only hoops All-American in the last 43 years to subsequently become a major leaguer. The absence of another such versatile athlete is a stark contrast from when Seattle "bonus-baby" twins Eddie and Johnny O'Brien were among six different major-college A-As in six-season span from 1951-52 through 1956-57 to each end up performing at MLB level by 1960.

The two most prominent two-way athletes from the 1950s in this increasingly rare category clearly are Frank Howard (Ohio State) and Dick Groat (Duke). Is there any doubt Michael Jordan (North Carolina) should rank #23? As Opening Day for the 2024 MLB season unfolds, following is a baseball ranking of the 25 major-college basketball All-Americans who played Organized Ball:

Rank Hoop All-American College A-A Year(s) Summary of Organized Baseball Career
1. Frank Howard Ohio State 1956-57 Four-time American League All-Star outfielder-first baseman hit .273 with 382 home runs and 1,119 RBI with the Los Angeles Dodgers, Washington Senators, Texas Rangers and Detroit Tigers in 16 seasons from 1958 through 1973. Hit .341 with 84 homers and 269 RBI in three minor-league campaigns in the Dodgers' organization. He also managed the San Diego Padres and New York Mets in early 1980s.
2. Dick Groat Duke 1950-51 and 1951-52 Eight-time National League All-Star shortstop hit .286 with the Pittsburgh Pirates, St. Louis Cardinals, Philadelphia Phillies and San Francisco Giants in 1,929 games in 14 seasons (1952 and 1955 through 1967; served in U.S. military in 1953 and 1954). He did not play an inning of minor-league baseball.
3. Frankie Baumholtz Ohio University 1940-41 Outfielder hit .290 in 1,019 games with the Chicago Cubs, Cincinnati Reds and Philadelphia Phillies in 10 N.L. seasons (1947 through 1949 and 1951 through 1957). Hit .345 in three minor-league campaigns.
4. Joe Gibbon Mississippi 1956-57 Lefthander compiled a 61-65 pitching record and 3.52 ERA in 419 MLB games with the Pittsburgh Pirates, San Francisco Giants, Cincinnati Reds and Houston Astros during 13 N.L. seasons from 1960 through 1972. Posted a 31-26 mark in three minor-league campaigns in the Pirates' organization.
5. Johnny O'Brien Seattle 1951-52 and 1952-53 Infielder/pitcher played six seasons (1953 and 1955 through 1959) with the Pittsburgh Pirates, St. Louis Cardinals and Milwaukee Braves. Hit .250 and compiled a 1-3 pitching record in 339 MLB games. Hit .294 in three minor-league campaigns in farms systems of the Cards and Cincinnati Reds.
6. Louis "Bosey" Berger Maryland 1931-32 Infielder hit .236 with the Cleveland Indians, Chicago White Sox and Boston Red Sox in six A.L. seasons (1932 and 1935 through 1939). Played six minor-league seasons in farm systems of Indians, St. Louis Cardinals, Brooklyn Dodgers, St. Louis Browns and New York Yankees.
7. Eddie O'Brien Seattle 1952-53 Infielder-outfielder played five seasons (1953 and 1955 through 1958) with the Pittsburgh Pirates, hitting .236 in 231 MLB games. He also won his lone decision while pitching in five contests. O'Brien hit .260 and compiled an 11-11 pitching record in two minor-league campaigns.
8. Danny Ainge Brigham Young 1978-79 through 1980-81 Utilityman hit .220 with the Toronto Blue Jays in three years from 1979 through 1981. Hit .237 in three minor-league seasons at AAA level. Selected in 15th round of 1977 MLB amateur draft out of high school (one round ahead of INF-OF Tony Phillips and two rounds ahead of OF-1B Gary Redus).
9. Ryan Minor Oklahoma 1994-95 and 1995-96 Rookie third baseman with the Baltimore Orioles replaced Cal Ripken Jr. in their lineup on September 20, 1998, ending Ripken's major league record of 2,632 consecutive games played. Minor hit .185 in three years with them before hitting .158 in lone campaign with the Montreal Expos in 2001. He hit .266 with 95 HRs and 356 RBI in nine minor-league seasons in farm systems of the Orioles, Expos, Seattle Mariners, Los Angeles Dodgers and Florida Marlins. Selected in 15th round by Orioles out of high school in 1992 MLB amateur draft (ahead of OF Jose Cruz), 7th round by New York Mets in 1995 (one round ahead of RHP A.J. Burnett) and 33rd round by Orioles in 1996.
10. Charles "Cotton" Nash Kentucky 1961-62 through 1963-64 First baseman went 3-for-16 (.188) in three brief A.L. stints with the Chicago White Sox (1967) and Minnesota Twins (1969 and 1970). He collected 170 homers and 540 RBI in nine minor-league seasons in farm systems of the California Angels, Philadelphia Phillies, Los Angeles Dodgers, White Sox, Pittsburgh Pirates, Twins and Texas Rangers.
11. Dick Ricketts Jr. Duquesne 1953-54 and 1954-55 Compiled a 1-6 pitching record and 5.82 ERA in his only MLB season with the St. Louis Cardinals in 1959. Registered a 99-91 mark in 10 minor-league campaigns in farm systems of the Cards, Philadelphia Phillies and New York Mets.
12. Dave DeBusschere Detroit 1959-60 through 1961-62 Righthander compiled a 3-4 pitching record for the Chicago White Sox in 1962 and 1963. Posted a 40-21 mark in three minor-league seasons.
13. Don Grate Ohio State 1943-44 and 1944-45 Righthander pitched briefly for the Philadelphia Phillies in 1945 and 1946 (1-1 record with 9.37 ERA). Compiled a 43-28 minor-league mark in the farm systems of the Phillies, Boston Braves, Boston Red Sox and Washington Senators. Also played outfield in farm systems of Senators and New York Giants in 1953, 1956 and 1957.
14. Ernie Andres Indiana 1937-38 and 1938-39 Hit .098 in 15 games as a third baseman with the Boston Red Sox in 1946. Played five minor-league seasons in farm systems of the Red Sox, New York Giants, Detroit Tigers and Pittsburgh Pirates. He posted a .287 batting average in three years at AA level with Louisville, including 100 RBI in 1941.
15. George Lacy Richmond 1934-35 Catcher for 10 minor-league seasons from 1936 to 1948 in farm systems of the Philadelphia Athletics, Boston Red Sox and Boston Braves. He also was a minor-league manager for the Braves and Washington Senators (237-178 record from 1946 through 1949).
16. R. Gail Bishop Washington State 1942-43 Outfielder in the Boston Braves' farm system played four minor-league seasons from 1946 through 1949. In 1947, he hit .365 with 37 extra-base safeties in Sunset League (Class C).
17. Bill Sharman Southern California 1949-50 OF-3B hit .281 in Brooklyn Dodgers' farm system in five minor-league seasons from 1950 through 1953 and 1955. Model of consistency hit from .286 to .292 in four of the campaigns.
18. Jay Arnette Texas 1959-60 Outfielder hit .269 with 17 homers and 144 RBI in Los Angeles Dodgers' farm system in four seasons from 1961 through 1964. He hit .295 in Class A his last two campaigns.
19. Rolland "Rollie" Seltz Hamline MN 1945-46 Infielder hit .266 in St. Louis Cardinals' organization in four minor-league seasons from 1943 through 1946. He hit .296 with a total of 37 homers and 142 RBI in his last two years at Class B level.
20. Andy Phillip Illinois 1941-42, 1942-43 and 1946-47 Reached the Class AAA level in the St. Louis Cardinals' organization. OF-1B also played in the Cleveland Indians' farm system. In 1949, he collected 22 doubles, 8 homers and 47 RBI with Winston-Salem Cardinals in Carolina League (Class B).
21. Jim Jarvis Oregon State 1964-65 Second baseman hit .288 with three minor-league teams in Philadelphia Phillies' organization in 1966.
22. Ferdinand "Fred" Pralle Kansas 1937-38 OF hit .303 for the Pittsburgh Pirates' Class D team in Kansas-Oklahoma-Missouri League in 1946.
23. Michael Jordan North Carolina 1982-83 and 1983-84 Outfielder hit .202 with 114 strikeouts in 127 games in Chicago White Sox' farm system in 1994 with Birmingham (AA Southern League).
24. Trajan Langdon Duke 1997-98 and 1998-99 Third baseman, a sixth-round selection by San Diego Padres out of high school in 1994 MLB amateur draft (ahead of eventual All-Stars Ronnie Belliard, Carl Pavano, Placido Polanco and J.D. Drew), hit .189 in 50 games in their farm system in three years.
25. Wardell "Dell" Curry Virginia Tech 1985-86 Lost only start as pitcher (yielded one run while fanning four batters in three innings) with Gastonia (Class A South Atlantic League) in the Texas Rangers' farm system in 1991. He was a 37th-round selection by Rangers in 1982 MLB amateur draft out of high school and 14th round in 1985 by Baltimore Orioles in 1985 (eight rounds ahead of RHP John Smoltz).