Basketball and Baseball careers

[Volod]

Originally Posted by ALR-bishop

McGrady is trying it, and Jordan tried it, but a current article in SCD discusses 12 guys who did play both at the ML level in baseball and in the NBA. Who were they ? Also, all 12 appear on baseball cards, but which 7 also appear on basketball cards at some level. And, which two played in championship games in both sports ?

So, the two in title games would be Conley and Connors? The former with the Celtics and Braves, the latter with the Celtics and Dodgers? Stumped on the last two guys (this was not an open-book quiz, right?) I can recall Tim Stoddard pitching for the O's in the '80's after he had been on the North Carolina college team, but maybe he never tried the NBA?

[ALR-bishop]

Ainge*, Baumholtz, Conley, Connors, DeBusschere*, Groat, Hamilton*, Hendrickson*, Nash*, Reed*, Ricketts* and Howie Schultz. All had baseball cards, and the players with an * had a basketball card at some level.

Doubt it will happen again due to schedule overlaps unless someone like Jordan or McGrady changes sports and has the time and talent

[spec]

Originally Posted by ALR-bishop

Ainge*, Baumholtz, Conley, Connors, DeBusschere*, Groat, Hamilton*, Hendrickson*, Nash*, Reed*, Ricketts* and Howie Schultz. All had baseball cards, and the players with an * had a basketball card at some level.

Doubt it will happen again due to schedule overlaps unless someone like Jordan or McGrady changes sports and has the time and talent

I was just splicing some auction winnings into my 1961 Union Oil basketball set and remembered another man who played both baseball and basketball professionally. Though he never made the NBA, Rick Herrscher played for the minor league Hawaii Chiefs in 1961 and has a card in the 1961 Union Oil set. Despite playing 35 games for the Mets in 1962, he has no mainstream baseball card, but does appear in Larry Fritsch's One Year Wonders set. Another near-miss is basketball Hall of Famer Bill Sharman, who played in the minors for the Dodgers and even got into uniform for a game or two at Ebbets Field without actually seeing major league action.

[MacDice]

I grew up playing against Mark Hendrickson. He was a year a head of my at our big rival school. For whatever reason I always had good luck at the plate against him (everybody else seemed to have no problem getting me out).

[ALR-bishop]

Good story, Mac

[David W]

In the 90's Football/Baseball was common, with Brian Jordan, Deion Sanders, and Bo Jackson being quite proficient at both sports.

I just looked at Deion's baseball stats, and they are really pretty good. He led the league in triples one season.

The Basketball/Baseball thing seems to have died out.

[novakjr]

Larry Doby played some professional basketball too.
http://www.blackfives.org/baseball-h...ro-basketball/