Use even the most tangential connection to share an anecdote, John Bagley stories preferred
- Thread starter reggiecleveland
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Deion Sanders and Brian Jordan played baseball and football and didn’t get hurt. Bo Jackson’s tragic hip injury was a freak injury, improperly treated. Bo has said if he knew the dangers of football he wouldn’t have played it, but he was referring mostly to CTE.
With the kind of money an average MLB or NBA player makes today, it would be foolish to play in the NFL, unless being paid a lot of guaranteed money as a high pick or a star.
Although the seasons don’t line up optimally, someone could play basketball and baseball. If Pat Connaughton could juice his 96 mph fastball five more mph, maybe he could help a MLB team as a reliever. He theoretically could age out of the NBA and become a middle reliever in seven or eight years.
Or there could be an infielder and a shooting guard. Not sure if that has ever happened before, though.
The reason Pat Connaughton chose basketball was that he figured if he washed out of the NBA in a few years, he would still have time to go play baseball and end up with a major league career, even if he didn't make the majors until his late 20s. The opposite scenario doesn't exist, you can't wash out of baseball and realistically hope to make the NBA in your late-20s.
Ha! I think there was sarcasm in your post but this guy fits the bill.
https://www.basketball-reference.com/players/a/aingeda01.htmlhttps://www.baseball-reference.com/players/a/aingeda01.shtml
Brian Jordan broke his leg and ankle in a Bowl game at the same time he was playing minor league baseball and quit football before ever making it to the Big Leagues. Bo dislocated his hip playing football......I don’t recall anything about the mistreatment of his injury.
I remember hearing Connaughton in an interview once saying his goal is to play in the NBA until he’s 30 then pitch in the bigs after that. Then reporter asked if he still could throw to which Pat responded something like, “You wanna get in the box and find out?” with a smirk.
Brian Jordan played DB for the Falcons for three seasons, 1989-1991. I believe he was playing AAA baseball while playing in the NFL
He was but he was injured playing football while he was in the low minors as well.
Donovan McNabb played on the Syracuse basketball team but he wasn’t a prospect in that sport.
Speaking of Syracuse can I get a shout out for Greg Paulus, their grad transfer QB who played under K at Duke?
There are a lot of guys who played high level college bball before going into another sport; McNabb, Julius Peppers (North Carolina), Antonio Gates, Jimmy Graham, Connaughton.
I like most people first heard about Jeff Samardzija when he was an All-American WR at Notre Dame.
I like most people first heard about Jeff Samardzija when he was an All-American WR at Notre Dame.
My only story that kind of fits in here is that many many moons ago when I was in grad school, we had enough players to enter the intermural softball league. We killed people. Our shortstop played Division I at some school in the SE and threw the ball harder than I had ever seen anyone throw the ball. So hard, in fact, that when I played 1B, I was scared to catch the ball - even though he basically put the ball in my mitt everytime.
We also had this guy who played 3B and he had this thing where he'd go ahead and hit the ball over everyone's head. When he got up the next time and the other team's OF moved back, he hit the ball over their head again. And then once in a while, when it was close, he'd really crank it up. He was unbelievable.
Of course everyone asked him if he ever played pro ball and he said that he was drafted by the Blue Jays and went up through their minor league teams. However, after a couple of years, the organization went to him and suggested that he might want to find a new career because they had a great 3B prospect that he'd never get past
That prospect was Danny Ainge.
Moral of the story: pro athletes are really f'ng good.
Chris Hogan played lacrosse for four years at Penn State, one year of football at Monmouth, and about 10 years in the NFL. If you have an NFL package of size and skills, switching from another sport isn’t rare anymore. Penn State has another one graduating this year, a 6-9, 245-pound basketball center named John Harrar, who is worth a look. Played tight end in high school, two-star recruit who signed on at West Point before changing his mind and taking a hoop offer from the Nits. Harrar worked himself into a decent player over four years, and is among Big Ten rebounding leaders. Seems open to football again, may sign as an undrafted free agent. I bet there are 10 potential NFL tight ends playing college hoops every year. Most don’t want to deal with the work, and the pain.
Dick Groat: college basketball player of the year at Duke, MVP SS with the Pirates.
That guy could work miracles with the ball in his hand . I think he was playing for Eastern Lazarus, and it looked like the team was dead, and he brought them back.
And when on the football field the coach would insert him at QB where he specialized in the Hail Mary.
He's another guy who was a well-known multisport athlete. But he gave up on baseball because he couldn't hit a curveball.
He also specialized in playing on wet fields. When everyone else was sliding, he looked like he was running on water.
But his coaches soon learned not to have him competete in any individual competitions. He'd come in last but he'd insist that he came in first.
He crushed curveballs, he just refused to share the secret of his success with others.
A jesus baseball story.
My uncle worked in a psychiatric hospital in the 40s and 50s. He eventually became a teacher, so he had a lot more compassion for the patients, (though his coworkers used "inmates") than his colleagues. So he thought instead of medicating and housing people they should have activities and he thought a nice ballgame outside would be a good thing. Not surprisingly one of the members was claiming to be JC. This person was blessing people before they went out to play, when the skies opened up and it began to pour. . At the time one of the Docs had this theory that if you could could logically talk people out of their delusions by presenting evidence, they were wrong. So he goes up to the patient, "Okay Jesus, just stop the rain so we can play baseball."
"Sorry that's the old man's department."
My uncle worked in a psychiatric hospital in the 40s and 50s. He eventually became a teacher, so he had a lot more compassion for the patients, (though his coworkers used "inmates") than his colleagues. So he thought instead of medicating and housing people they should have activities and he thought a nice ballgame outside would be a good thing. Not surprisingly one of the members was claiming to be JC. This person was blessing people before they went out to play, when the skies opened up and it began to pour. . At the time one of the Docs had this theory that if you could could logically talk people out of their delusions by presenting evidence, they were wrong. So he goes up to the patient, "Okay Jesus, just stop the rain so we can play baseball."
"Sorry that's the old man's department."
Bill Laimbeer:
I went to a couple Final Fours from my early 20’s to early 30’s and this one was either in Tampa or New Orleans, I don’t recall which. While we are out and about getting shit faced going from bar to bar I came across Laimbeer sitting by himself at that moment on a chair in the lounge area just in front of the bar area.
My BAC dragged my body over to Laimbeer as I politely introduced myself as a long-time Celtics fan who grew up listening to Johnny Most. Bill didn’t seem impressed and stared me down awaiting my next foolish statement.......I did not disappoint. After a hesitation following my introduction this quote escaped my vocal cords in a heavily intoxicated stuttering fashion, “So which one were you? McFilthy or McNasty? I always forget which was you and which was Mahorn?” Once he realized I wasn’t leaving until I got an answer he dismissed me with a “Yeah I was McNasty ok!” I thanked him and wish him a good evening.
So glad I don’t drink anymore.
I went to a couple Final Fours from my early 20’s to early 30’s and this one was either in Tampa or New Orleans, I don’t recall which. While we are out and about getting shit faced going from bar to bar I came across Laimbeer sitting by himself at that moment on a chair in the lounge area just in front of the bar area.
My BAC dragged my body over to Laimbeer as I politely introduced myself as a long-time Celtics fan who grew up listening to Johnny Most. Bill didn’t seem impressed and stared me down awaiting my next foolish statement.......I did not disappoint. After a hesitation following my introduction this quote escaped my vocal cords in a heavily intoxicated stuttering fashion, “So which one were you? McFilthy or McNasty? I always forget which was you and which was Mahorn?” Once he realized I wasn’t leaving until I got an answer he dismissed me with a “Yeah I was McNasty ok!” I thanked him and wish him a good evening.
So glad I don’t drink anymore.
So, Most died before I was born and it's totally probable that he used the McFilthy and McNasty line on more than one occasion...but I think this might be a commonly misremembered anecdote. McFilthy and McNasty were Jeff Ruland and Rich Mahorn, respectively, when they were both on the Washington Bullets. Tbh, it makes your story funnier.
Haha yes I was a kid listening in my grandfathers car and he referenced those names many times. Poor Bill.....I may have to apologize to him the next time I see him at a WNBA game.
This one may be exaggerated or manufactured, but I want it to be true. The owner of a car dealership was an old NHL defensman. My father in law would like to go cut the shit with him. Eventually he heard I was in basketball and he asked if I had heard of Wilt. I thought "I have sat through Emile Francis and Howie Meeker stories and you have a WIlt story!?!" He said guys from the Kings were bitching in the locker room about practice being delayed or some problem related to the Lakers game the night before. Two young guys were saying hoops was a pussy sport it was "non contact' they should just fight the Lakers for good pratice times, blah, blah. These two guys were laughing at their own jokes failing to notice the place was deathly quiet. Wilt was standing there.
"Heard you guys laughing, what's the joke?"
"Ugh nothing"
"You sure?"
"Yes sir"
"So nothing?"
"Yes"
"That's what I thought"
Wilt walked out they heard a huge laugh in the corridor. I guess they pranked these young guys that Wilt was looking for them for quite a while.
"Heard you guys laughing, what's the joke?"
"Ugh nothing"
"You sure?"
"Yes sir"
"So nothing?"
"Yes"
"That's what I thought"
Wilt walked out they heard a huge laugh in the corridor. I guess they pranked these young guys that Wilt was looking for them for quite a while.
Since Kelly Olynyk came up in the Mo/Moe discussion. Here is the one time I saw KO. I was coaching Canadian college and was in Kamloops at Chandian JUCO playoffs looking at kids. At halftime this skinny 6'2 kid would run out an drill 15 footers, 10, 12 in qa row each time. Somebody told me it was Ken Olynyk's (a Canadian college coach) kid. He seemed really good friends with the Thompson Rivers players, and I was told he was working out with them. Later I was talking to the Thompson River's coach about his lack of shooting. I remarked that he would have that Olynyk kid in a couple years, and was informed he was only 10 years old.
Wasn't Olynyk a point guard for most of his high school career, and he was one of those guys who grew a ton late in high school that turned him into a big? Wikipedia says that he grew from 6'3" to 6'10" during his junior year. So that would mean Olynyk was 6'2" as a 10 year old, and then didn't grow at all for 5-6 years, and then grew eight inches.
A friend of mine used to play college hoop in the general area around here (Springfield MA) and told me the story of how we one time guarded against Dr. J when Dr. J played for UMass. It was only for a couple of minutes of playing time, but Dr. J never got a basket against him. Flash forward, many years, he's at a Basketball HOF function and Dr. J is in attendance.
He goes up to Dr. J and introduces himself and tells him this highlight of his college career.
Dr. J's respond, "Did I ever get the ball?"
He goes up to Dr. J and introduces himself and tells him this highlight of his college career.
Dr. J's respond, "Did I ever get the ball?"
I used to play lunchtime pickup hoop at Babson College, w/some grad students and faculty/administration members.
One of the grad students was Bob Bigelow. First round pick of the Kings, played 2 or 3 years; passed away recently.
There were some good players (not me) in those games. But when he played the game went up 2 or 3 levels. If you were on his team you did not take a play off and the pace of play ramped up considerably. He was an authority the last 30 years on the rights and wrongs of youth sports; with adults he suffered no fools.
One of the grad students was Bob Bigelow. First round pick of the Kings, played 2 or 3 years; passed away recently.
There were some good players (not me) in those games. But when he played the game went up 2 or 3 levels. If you were on his team you did not take a play off and the pace of play ramped up considerably. He was an authority the last 30 years on the rights and wrongs of youth sports; with adults he suffered no fools.
I grew up in Arlington but had a friend from Winchester so played some with him in the 70s. I just remember a blur of ball handling, incredibly quick release on shots, and laser like outlet passes. Its amazing for me to think that he was "just" an NBA journey man, and to contemplate the level of NBA regulars and all stars.
What always got me was that he was 6-6 or 6-7, could do what he wanted underneath against just about everyone who played.... but in the NBA he was a backcourt man.
Being a small forward in the 70s you would have to be tough. The game then was all about getting to the rim and the 3 men at that time were always either super athletic or tough as nails or both. That was a time when the regional differences in hoops was more pronounced. The east coast game was known for being physical "no autopsy no foul" in those days. I can only imagine how tough he would have been to come go that far, coming from that college league.
Sorry for the late reply, just catching up on this fantastic thread. Thanks for all the stories. But about Stapleton, I was in eighth grade his senior year at LHS. During the state tournament he hit a teardrop to beat Don Bosco in the closing seconds. Mike Lynch, the channel 5 sportscaster, was reffing the game and called it the greatest HS game he had ever seen. I ended up playing some pickup with Stape when he was a counselor at KC Jones' camp while at Richmond. He did a credible job defending the Admiral in the NCAAs that spring. That Lowell High team was loaded, four or five D1 players. Chung Rivera was the best of all of them, he got run as a freshman at Houston right after the Phi Slamma teams but washed out.
That's awesome. He was on the team that took out Indiana in '88, making it through the first two rounds as a 13 seed. He was one of a handful of BABC guys via Leo Papile that came through the New Hampton during those mid/late 80's years. A more highly touted player from the BABC, Eugene Miles, came through there for a PG year and lets just say that for a small town NH boy to see some of the big time basketball things that took place to get him graduated and signed at Cleveland State was a bit eye opening.
Nice recall. Tragically, Chung was killed in a car accident a couple years ago after completely turning his life around. Stupid Durfee kept taking out the best of those Lowell High teams in the tournament. The Lowell holiday tournament was awesome. Got to see Rumeal, Travis Best, etc. Great hoops then. Thanks again for the trip down memory lane.
Tangental Ben Wallace story.
When I coached college here in Canada we had a big Russian kid on a visit. I wanted him just so I could say "Big Russian" like the announcer in Rocky 4. 'That's gotta hurt the big Russian" or "Get the ball to the big Russian"
Kid was like 6'9 and told us he went to Piston games and (do yourself a favor ,say with Russian accent)"I am larger than Ben Wallace." and "Ben Wallace has great determination and spirit. But he is not large man like me" He had a translator, even though his English was good, probably just wanted to bring his buddy for free trip. About the third time he talked about Ben Wallace his "translator" said "NYET! NYET!" and proceeded to tell us that yes Ben Wallace was maybe only 6'6' or 6'7 but that he was much stronger than his buddy, and that his bud had a vodka or few before a pistons game and bragged he would yell at Wallace that he was small from courtside during the warmup, and "Dmitri you shit pants when Wallace look at you." There was a long argument in Russian where the translator ended up in a headlock, then future ESL teacher, me, did a short lesson on "literally" vs "figuratively" and the translator made it clear he had meant figuratively shitting his pants. We said we understood that the whole time, and that we were sure Ben Wallace was intimidating. I know this in not PC, but the Russian accent, so often associated with cold war villains made it funnier, as this clearly emotionally immature behemoth, reassured us several times the rest of the weekend, 'I not shit pants at Pistons game'.
Anyway the kid was really good, and soon we realized he was at Pistons games because he had an agent, which probably ruined any NCAA chances, so he was eligible to play in Canada, but probably just wanted a free trip to Canada. He went back to Europe and as far as I know was done n a year or two never living up to his talent.
Anyway years late I went to a Suns/Pistons game and texted my head coach friend that I successfully attended the game without shittting my pants.
When I coached college here in Canada we had a big Russian kid on a visit. I wanted him just so I could say "Big Russian" like the announcer in Rocky 4. 'That's gotta hurt the big Russian" or "Get the ball to the big Russian"
Kid was like 6'9 and told us he went to Piston games and (do yourself a favor ,say with Russian accent)"I am larger than Ben Wallace." and "Ben Wallace has great determination and spirit. But he is not large man like me" He had a translator, even though his English was good, probably just wanted to bring his buddy for free trip. About the third time he talked about Ben Wallace his "translator" said "NYET! NYET!" and proceeded to tell us that yes Ben Wallace was maybe only 6'6' or 6'7 but that he was much stronger than his buddy, and that his bud had a vodka or few before a pistons game and bragged he would yell at Wallace that he was small from courtside during the warmup, and "Dmitri you shit pants when Wallace look at you." There was a long argument in Russian where the translator ended up in a headlock, then future ESL teacher, me, did a short lesson on "literally" vs "figuratively" and the translator made it clear he had meant figuratively shitting his pants. We said we understood that the whole time, and that we were sure Ben Wallace was intimidating. I know this in not PC, but the Russian accent, so often associated with cold war villains made it funnier, as this clearly emotionally immature behemoth, reassured us several times the rest of the weekend, 'I not shit pants at Pistons game'.
Anyway the kid was really good, and soon we realized he was at Pistons games because he had an agent, which probably ruined any NCAA chances, so he was eligible to play in Canada, but probably just wanted a free trip to Canada. He went back to Europe and as far as I know was done n a year or two never living up to his talent.
Anyway years late I went to a Suns/Pistons game and texted my head coach friend that I successfully attended the game without shittting my pants.