IL1 Columbus Clippers

Clippers star hoopsters

Published on March 13, 2007 under International League (IL1)
Columbus Clippers News Release


Does everybody have their brackets made out for the NCAA Tournament?

You could put together a pretty good basketball team from Columbus baseball players over the years. Clippers manager/coach manager Frank Howard was an All-American forward at Ohio State and outfielder Curtis Pride was a star point guard at William & Mary.

Star college hoopsters who played for the Jets included pitcher Joe Gibbon (Mississippi), shortstop Eddie O'Brien (Seattle), pitcher Don Schwall (Oklahoma), first baseman Donn Clendenon (Moorhead State), shortstop Gene Micheal (Kent State), outfielder Cotton Nash (Kentucky) and shortstop Cot Veal (Auburn).

The Red Birds had Andy Phillips (University of Illinois), outfielder Jack McClain (Ohio State), outfielder Evar Swanson (Lombard) and pitcher Brooks Lawrence (Miami of Ohio). Handy Andy Phillips went on to become a Hall of Fame guard in the NBA

The Senators had catcher Luke Urban of Boston College. Urban played baseball, football, basketball and hockey (he played goalie) for the Eagles. As a football player, Luke was an end All-American and All-Pro (NFL). He caught for the 1925 Senators and with the Braves in the major leagues.

Schwall, a 6'6" star at the University of Oklahoma, once outscored and out rebounded Wilt Chamberlain of Kansas in a game.

Gibbon pitched in 419 games over a thirteen year National League career. Joe could have easily been a star in the NBA. The 6'4" University of Mississippi All-American averaged 30 points a game, finishing second in the nation in scoring, ahead of Wilt Chamberlain and Elgin Baylor.

Clendenon chose baseball over contracts from the Cleveland Browns, New York Knicks and the Harlem Globetrotter. After his playing days he became an attorney in Dayton.

Forgotten today is early basketball star, Benny Borgmann. Benny was the Michael Jordan of his generation. Borgmann was professional basketball's leading scorer in the 1920's and early 30's. Like Michael, Benny played minor league baseball. But unlike Mike, Borgmann was very successful at it. Benny was the American Association's All Star shortstop with the Columbus Red Birds in 1933.

Benny's pro basketball career spanned 20 years and over 3,000 games. He played over 2,000 professional baseball games. Borgmann was inducted into The National Basketball Hall of Fame in 1961.

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International League Stories from March 13, 2007


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