On This Date: Former College Hoopsters Make Mark on July 17 MLB Games

Extra! Extra! Read 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 hoopsters had front-row seats to many of the most notable games, transactions and dates in MLB history.

Unless you habitually pore over the content at baseballlibrary.com, baseballreference.com and nationalpastime.com, following is a July 17 calendar focusing on such versatile MLB athletes:

JULY 17

  • Cincinnati Reds LF Joe Adcock (Louisiana State's leading basketball scorer in 1945-46) went 4-for-4, scored four runs and threw out a runner at home plate in the ninth inning in a 9-8 victory against the Philadelphia Phillies in the opener of a 1951 twinbill. Four years later as a Milwaukee Braves 1B in 1955, Adcock pounded two homers in an 8-7 win against the New York Giants in the lidlifter of a doubleheader.

  • Texas Rangers RHP Jim Bibby (Fayetteville State NC backup player and brother of UCLA All-American Henry Bibby) fired a three-hit shutout against the New York Yankees in 1974.

  • Seattle Mariners 1B Bruce Bochte (starting forward for Santa Clara's NCAA playoff team in 1969-70 when averaging 7.4 ppg and 4 rpg) contributed a pinch-hit single for the A.L. in front of his hometown fans in the 1979 All-Star Game.

  • 1B Tony Clark (San Diego State's leading scorer in WAC games in 1991-92) traded by the San Diego Padres to the Arizona Diamondbacks in 2008.

  • Philadelphia Athletics C Mickey Cochrane (Boston University player in early 1920s) smacked three extra-base hits against the Detroit Tigers in 1928.

  • After tossing 5 1/3 innings of one-hit relief, New York Yankees LHP Steve Hamilton (All-OVC selection was Morehead State's leading scorer and rebounder in 1956-57 and 1957-58) won his first seven decisions in 1964.

  • Legendary Babe Ruth drew his 2,000th career base on balls in 1934 at Cleveland off RHP Oral Hildebrand (All-American for Butler in 1928-29 and 1929-30).

  • Cleveland Indians OF Chuck Hinton (played multiple sports for Shaw NC) hammered three homers and a triple in a 1966 doubleheader sweep of the Detroit Tigers.

  • Washington Senators LF Don Lock (led Wichita State in field-goal percentage in 1956-57 and 1957-58 under coach Ralph Miller) homered in his first MLB game in the opener of a 1962 twinbill against the Chicago White Sox.

  • In 1964, Baltimore Orioles RHP Robin Roberts (Michigan State's second-leading scorer in 1945-46 and 1946-47) hurled a 5-0 shutout against the Detroit Tigers despite yielding 11 hits.

  • Brooklyn Dodgers LF Jackie Robinson (highest scoring average in PCC both of his seasons with UCLA in 1939-40 and 1940-41) ripped two homers against the St. Louis Cardinals in the nightcap of a 1953 twinbill.

  • In the midst of four straight complete-game victories, Washington Senators rookie RHP Dave Stenhouse (three-time All-Yankee Conference selection for Rhode Island from 1952-53 through 1954-55) spun a three-hit shutout against the Chicago White Sox in 1962.

  • In the midst of winning three straight starts in 1971, Atlanta Braves LHP George Stone (averaged 14.7 ppg and 6.5 rpg for Louisiana Tech in 1964-65 and 1965-66) tossed his second shutout in three weeks.

  • Boston Red Sox 3B Billy Werber (first Duke All-American in 1929-30) became the first A.L. player to hit four consecutive doubles in one game (opener of 1935 doubleheader against the Cleveland Indians).

  • St. Louis Cardinals 1B Bill White (played two years with Hiram OH in early 1950s) went 8-for-10 in a 1961 twinbill sweep of the Chicago Cubs.