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Allegheny College Athletics

The Official Athletics Site Of The Allegheny Gators

Baseball Players in the Pros

The Allegheny baseball program has a solid tradition when it comes to its players moving on to the professional level following their collegiate career. Since 1988, 17 Gators have signed professional contracts in leagues such as Major League Baseball, the Frontier League, the Atlantic League, the Northern League, the Pioneer League, the Pecos League, and the Texas League. 

Throughout history, four Allegheny players have seen significant action at the major league level, starting in 1878 when Russ McKelvy patrolled the outfield for the Indianapolis Blues and later the Pittsburgh Alleghenys. During an era in baseball of miniscule statistics, McKelvy hit two home runs and drove in 36 during his rookie season. 

Bob Garbark was the second Gator to grace the major league diamond, playing seven years as a journeyman with the Cleveland Indians, Chicago Cubs, Philadelphia Athletics, and Boston Red Sox from 1934-1945. His final year would definitely be called his best, as he batted .261 with 17 RBI in only 68 games during a great pitching era in the major leagues.

In 1965, Glenn Beckert began what would become the most successful major league career for a former Allegheny player, signing with the Chicago Cubs. For nine seasons, Beckert anchored second base for the Cubs, nabbing four N.L. All-Star selections and winning the 1968 Gold Glove award. He and teammate Don Kessinger would form perhaps the greatest double-play combination in team history, and Beckert is widely considered the third greatest  second baseman in Chicago Cub history behind Ryne Sandberg and Billy Herman.

Most recently, Josh Sharpless made his mark on the big leagues when he signed on with the Pittsburgh Pirates in 2003. In 2006, the right-hander made his debut with the ball club and did not disappoint, posting a 1.50 ERA in 14 appearances out of the bullpen.

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GATORS TO SIGN PROFESSIONAL CONTRACTS
Name Pos. Team  Year Signed
Sean Kealey P Saint Louis Cardinals 2021
Kyle Davis P Raton (N.M.) Osos, Ind. 2014
Alex Herrnberger  C Arizona Diamondbacks 2009
Josh Sharpless  P Pittsburgh Pirates 2003
Brad Hensler SS New York Mets 2000
Ken Baker  P Canton (Ohio), Ind. 1999
John Sherrod  1B Conton (Ohio), Ind. 1999
Fran Riordan  1B Richmond (Ind.), Ind. 1997
John Tavares  IF Adirondak (N.Y.), Ind. 1997
Jay Dillon  P Fargo-Moorehead (N.D.), Ind. 1997
Joe Pass  2B Richmond (Ind.), Ind. 1996
Matt Perry  P Chicago Cubs 1996
Jarrod DePriest  P Corpus Christi (Tex.), Ind. 1995
Greg Reinhart  C Chillicothe (Ohio), Ind. 1995
Joe Rine  IF Chillicothe (Ohio), Ind. 1995
Steve Cook  IF California Angels 1994
Dean Peterson  P Boston Red Sox 1993
Tim Bruzdewicz  P Toronto Blue Jays 1988
Pete Maropis  SS Chicago Cubs 1975
Steve Lanier  3B Kansas City Royals 1973
Glenn Beckert  2B Chicago Cubs 1965
Bob Garbark  C Cleveland Indians 1932
Russ McKelvy  OF Indianapolis Blues 1878


Russ McKelvy's Major League Statistics
Year Team G AB R H 2B 3B HR RBI TB BB SO SB CS OPB SLB AVG
1878 Indianapolis Blues 62 253 33 57 4 3 2 36 69 5 38 0 0 .240 .289 .225
1882 Pittsburgh Alleghenys 1 4 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 .000 .000 .000
CAREER 63 257 33 57 4 3 2 36 69 5 38 0 0 .237 .284 .222


Bob Garbark's Major League Statistics
Year Team G AB R H 2B 3B HR RBI TB BB SO SB CS OB% SLG AVG
1934 Cleveland Indians 5 11 1 0 0 0 0 0 0 1 3 0 0 .083 .000 .000
1935 Cleveland Indians 6 18 4 6 1 0 0 4 7 5 1 0 0 .478 .389 .333
1937 Chicago Cubs 1 1 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 .000 .000 .000
1938 Chicago Cubs 23 54 2 14 0 0 0 5 14 1 0 0 0 .268 .259 .259
1939 Chicago Cubs 24 21 1 3 0 0 0 0 3 0 3 0 0 .143 .143 .143
1944 Philadelphia A's 18 23 2 6 2 0 0 2 8 1 0 0 0 .280 .348 .261
1945 Boston Red Sox 68 199 21 52 6 0 0 17 58 18 10 0 1 .320 .291 .261
CAREER 145 327 31 81 9 0 0 28 90 26 17 0 1 .300 .275 .248


Glenn Beckert's Major League Statistics
Year Team G AB R H 2B 3B HR RBI TB BB SO SB CS OB% SLG AVG
1965 Chicago Cubs 154 614 73 147 21 3 3 30 183 28 52 6 8 .275 .298 .239
1966 Chicago Cubs 153 656 73 188 23 7 1 59 228 26 36 10 4 .317 .348 .287
1967 Chicago Cubs 146 597 91 167 32 3 5 40 220 30 25 10 3 .314 .369 .280
1968 Chicago Cubs 155 643 98 189 28 4 4 37 237 31 20 8 4 .326 .369 .294
1969 Chicago Cubs 131 543 69 158 22 1 1 37 185 24 24 6 0 .325 .341 .291
1970 Chicago Cubs 143 591 99 170 15 6 3 36 206 32 22 4 1 .323 .349 .288
1971 Chicago Cubs 131 530 80 181 18 5 2 42 215 24 24 3 2 .367 .406 .342
1972 Chicago Cubs 120 474 51 128 22 2 3 43 163 23 17 2 1 .304 .344 .270
1973 Chicago Cubs 114 372 38 95 13 0 0 29 108 30 15 0 2 .313 .290 .255
1974 San Diego Padres 64 172 11 44 1 0 0 7 45 11 8 0 0 .301 .262 .256
1975 San Diego Padres 9 16 2 6 1 0 0 0 7 1 0 0 0 .412 .438 .375
CAREER 1320 5208 685 1473 196 31 22 360 1797 260 243 49 25 .318 .345 .283


Josh Sharpless' Major League Statistics
Year Team W L ERA G GS CG SO SV SVO IP H R ER GR BB SO
2006 Pittsburgh Pirates 0 0 1.50 14 0 0 0 0 0 12.0 7 2 2 0 11 7
2007 Pittsburgh Pirates 0 1 12.46 6 0 0 0 0 0 4.1 7 6 6 3 1 1
CAREER 0 1 4.41 20 0 0 0 0 0 16.1 14 8 8 3 12 8


As of June 4, 2025