I've long been interested in people who played more than one professional sport in their careers. I've touched on this before, on February 19, 2012, and then again on August 10, 2016. But I'd like to get into it in more detail today. Specifically, people who played in at least two leagues, covering the NFL, MLB, and NBA. Given the NBA's somewhat convoluted history, the NBA recognizes two precursor leagues, the BAA and NBL. Basically, the BAA absorbed the NBL in the late 1940's, and these became the NBA. So, for each of these players, I'll give some info on when they played, with what teams, and provide some relevant statistics. Let's begin.
By far, the most common two sport players competed in both the NFL and MLB, with over 70 examples. To cut this back a little, let's focus on the seven guys who are in the Pro Football Hall of Fame, and also played in Major League Baseball. And bear in mind that stats in the early days of football were not detailed at all.
1) Red Badgro. Badgro played end and defensive end from 1927-8, and 1930-36 with the New York Yankees (football team), New York Giants, etc. He started 76 out of 94 total games, accumulating 35 receptions, 560 receiving yards, and 7 touchdowns. In baseball he played right field and pinch hitter for the St. Louis Browns in 1929-30. In 143 total games he slashed .257/.307/.366 for a lifetime adjusted OPS of 69. He also had 2 homers, 45 rbi, and a career WAR of -1.0.
2) Paddy Driscoll. Driscoll played halfback/quarterback/blocking back from 1920-29 with the Chicago Cardinals and Chicago Bears. He started 103 of 118 total games. The only remaining stats indicate that he scored 31 touchdowns, and kicked 51 field goals and 63 extra points. He was also named All Pro 6 times, and won an NFL title. In MLB he played second base/shortstop/third base in 13 games for the St. Louis Browns in 1917. He slashed .107/.167/.143, for an adjusted OPS of -7, and a -.5 WAR.
3) George Halas. Halas started as an end in 85 out of 104 total games for the Chicago Bears from 1920-28. He had 1 rushing touchdown, 6 receiving touchdowns, 2 fumble return touchdowns, and 1 interception return touchdown. But, he's in the Hall of Fame because of his coaching. His lifetime record, on and off from 1920-67 included a won-loss-tie record of 324-151-31 (playoffs included), with 6 NFL titles. He played baseball briefly, as a right fielder/pinch hitter with the 1919 New York Yankees. In 12 games he batted .091/.091/.091 for a adjusted OPS of -49, and a WAR of -0.4. (He only had 2 lifetime hits.)
4) Ernie Nevers. Fullback Nevers played from 1926-27, and 1929-31 with the Duluth Eskimos and Chicago Cardinals. He started 49 of 54 games, and accumulated 38 rushing touchdowns, 7 field goals, and 52 extra points. He was also named All Pro all five years he played. Otherwise, he pitched for the St. Louis Browns in 1926-28. His lifetime record was 6-12, with a 4.64 ERA. In 178.1 innings his adjusted ERA was 93, and his WAR was 1.1.
5) Ace Parker. Parker played tailback/defensive back/quarterback from 1937-41, and 1945-46 for the Brooklyn Dodgers, New York Yankees, etc. In all he started 49 of 68 games, and completed 46.7% of his passes for 4698 yards, 30 touchdowns, and 50 interceptions, for a rating of 53.1. He also accumulated 1292 rushing yards, 13 rushing touchdowns, 229 receiving yards, 3 receiving touchdowns, and 7 interceptions (he led the league in interceptions and return yards in 1940). He was also named to 2 All Pro teams. Additionally, he played infield in 1937-38 for the Philadelphia A's, slashing .179/.231/.242, for an adjusted OPS of 20, and a lifetime WAR of -1.9.
6) Jim Thorpe. Thorpe is often regarded as being one of the very best athletes ever, since he played pro baseball, pro football, and won 2 Olympic gold medals. He played tailback/end/fullback in 1920-26, and 1928 for the Canton Bulldogs, Oorang Indians, etc. In 52 games (37 starts) he rushed for 6 touchdowns, kicked 4 field goals and 3 extra points and was named to 1 All Pro team. Otherwise, he played baseball in 1913-15, and 1917-19 for the New York Giants, Cincinnati Reds, etc., slashing .252/.286/.362 for an adjusted OPS of 99, and a lifetime WAR of -0.2 in 289 games.
7) Deion Sanders. Sanders played defensive back/wide receiver from 1989-2000, and 2004-05 for the Atlanta Falcons, Dallas Cowboys, San Francisco 49ers, etc. In 188 total games (157 starts), he intercepted 53 passes for 1331 yards and 9 touchdowns. He also recovered 13 fumbles for another touchdown, and returned 6 punts for a touchdown, and 3 kickoffs for a touchdown. As well as totaling 784 receiving yards, and 3 more touchdowns. For this he was named to 8 Pro Bows, and 6 All Pro teams, had an AV of 163, and won 2 Super Bowls. Finally, he played center field from 1989-95, 1997, and 2001 for the New York Yankees, Atlanta Braves, Cincinnati Reds, etc., slashing .263/.319/.392, for an adjusted OPS of 89, and a lifetime WAR of 5.5.
Let's move to people who played major league baseball and pro basketball. This wasn't as common, so there are only 15 people who did this. As I mentioned, 3 leagues (BAA, NBL, and the NBA) qualify for the top leagues for basketball. And as so often happens, the stats for the 1940's and 50's especially aren't as detailed as they would become later.
1) Johnny Gee. In MLB Gee was a pitcher in 1939, 1941, and 1943-46 with the New York Giants and Pittsburgh Pirates. He compiled a 7-12 won loss record, with a 4.41 ERA (82 adjusted ERA), and a lifetime WAR of -1.9. On the court he played center/forward for the Syracuse Nationals in 1946-47. In 24 games he averaged 6.5 points per game, and shot 38-60 on free throws.
2) Hank Biasatti. Biasatti played baseball with the Philadelphia A's in 1949, as a pinch hitter/first baseman. He slashed a miserable .083/.301`/.167, for an adjusted OPS of 30, and a lifetime WAR of -0.3. (He only had 2 hits, lifetime.) Biasatti played basketball with the Toronto Huskies in 1946-47, playing guard. In 6 games he averaged 1.0 points per game, on 40% field goal shooting, 50% free throw shooting, 0 assists, and a lifetime Win Shares of 0.1.
3) Irv Noren. Noren played baseball from 1950-60 as a first basesman/outfielder, with the New York Yankees, St. Louis Cardinals, etc. In 1093 games he slashed .275/.348/.410, for an adjusted OPS of 105, and a lifetime WAR of 15.1. He was named to 1 All Star team, and was part of 2 World Series winning teams. He also played forward for the Chicago Americans in 1946-47. In 3 games he shot 1 of 2 free throws. This team won the NBL title, but Noren did not appear in any playoff games.
4) Danny Ainge. Ainge played baseball as an infielder with the Toronto Blue Jays from 1979-81. His lifetime slash was .220/.264/.269, for an adjusted OPS of 47, and a total WAR of -2.0. He was much better on the court, playing guard for the Boston Celtics, Phoenix Suns, etc. from 1981-95. He started 508 of 1042 total games, and averaged 11.5 points, 0.7 rebounds, 4.0 assists, and 1.1 steals per game. He shot .464 on field goals, and .846 on free throws, and had a career Win Shares of 71.5. He also was named an All Star once, and was part of 2 NBA title winning teams.
5) Frank Baumholtz. On the field Baumholtz played from 1947-57, as an outfielder for the Chicago Cubs, Cincinnati Reds, etc., slashing .290/.342/.389, for an adjusted OPS of 95, and a career WAR of 8.1. For basketball he played guard for the Cleveland Rebels in 1946-47. In 45 games he averaged 14.0 points and 1.2 assists per game, on .298 shooting for field goals, and .776 on free throws.
6) Gene Conley. I mentioned Conley in a previous article, so this is a bit repetitive. Anyway, Conley was a pitcher in1952 and 1954-63, with the Milwaukee Braves, Philadelphia Phillies, and Boston Red Sox. His won-loss record was 91-96, his ERA was 3.82, and his adjusted ERA was 101. He was named to 3 All Star teams, won a World Series title, and had a lifetime WAR of 16.9. He also played for the Boston Celtics and New York Knicks in 1952-53, 1958-61, and 1962-64. Per game he averaged 5.9 points, 6.3 rebounds, 0.6 assists, on field goal shooting of .371, and free throw shooting of .657. His lifetime Win Shares number was 5.1, and he played on 3 NBA title-winning teams.
7) Dave DeBusschere. DeBusschere was a pitcher for the Chicago White Sox from 1962-63, finishing with a won-loss record of 3-4, with an ERA of 2.90 (124 adjusted ERA) and a WAR of 0.7. On the court he was great, being named to the Basketball Hall of Fame. He suited up for the Detroit Pistons and New York Knicks from 1962-74, playing forward. Per game he averaged 16.1 points, 11.0 rebounds, and 2.9 assists, on field goal shooting of .432 and free throw shooting of .699. DeBusschere was named to 8 All Star teams, 6 All Defensive teams, accumulated 60.8 Win Shares, and was part of 2 NBA title-winning teams.
8) Chuck Connors. I also covered Connors before, so forgive the repeat. Connors was a first baseman for the Chicago Cubs and Brooklyn Dodgers in 1949 and 1951. He slashed .238/280/.302, for an adjusted OPS of 55, and a WAR of -0.8. He also played forward/center for the Boston Celtics in 1946-48. Per game he averaged 4.5 points and 0.8 assists, on field goal shooting of .252, and free throw shooting of .471. He accumulated -0.3 Win Shares.
9) Dick Groat. Groat played shortstop for the Pittsburgh Pirates, St. Louis Cardinals, etc. from 1952, and 1955-67. He slashed .286/.330/.366, for an adjusted OPS of 89, and a career WAR of 36.9. He was also an All Star 8 times, was the league MVP once, and was part of 2 World Series winning teams. Additionally, in 1952-53 he played point guard for the Fort Wayne Pistons. Per game he averaged 11.9 points, 3.3 rebounds, and 2.7 assists, on field goal shooting of .368 and free throw shooting of .790. He accumulated 2.0 Win Shares.
10) Steve Hamilton. Hamilton pitched for the New York Yankees, Washington Senators, etc. from 1961-72. His lifetime won-loss record was 40-31, his ERA was 3.05 (115 adjusted), and his career WAR was 11.1. In the sport of basketball he played small forward for the Minneapolis Lakers from 1958-60. Per game he averaged 4.5 points, 3.4 rebounds, and 0.5 assists, on field goal shooting of .372 and free throw shooting of .697. His lifetime Win Shares amount was 0.9. He also lost 2 World Series, and lost an NBA title to the Celtics team which featured Gene Conley.
11) Mark Hendrickson. Hendrickson pitched for the Toronto Blue Jays, Los Angeles Dodgers, and Baltimore Orioles from 2002-11. His career won-loss record was 58-74, his ERA was 5.03 (89 adjusted), and his WAR was 4.2. Before this he played in the NBA, as a power forward for the Philadelphia 76ers, Sacramento Kings, and Boston Celtics. He started 8 of 114 total games. His per game averages were 3.3 points, 2.8 rebounds, 0.6 assists, 0.4 steals, and 0.1 blocks. His lifetime Win Shares total was 2.1.
12) Cotton Nash. Nash was a first baseman/outfielder for the Chicago White Sox and Minnesota Twins in 1967 and 1969-70. In his 13 games he slashed .188/.316/.188, for an adjusted OPS of 44 and a WAR of 0.0. On the court he played in the NBA and ABA in 1964-65, and 1967-68 with the Los Angeles Lakers, San Francisco Warriors, etc. and had career per game averages of 5.6 points, 3.3 rebounds, and 0.8 assists, on .340 field goal shooting, and .766 free throw shooting. He also finished with a Win Shares total of 0.9.
13) Ron Reed. Reed pitched from 1966-84, with the Atlanta Braves, Philadelphia Phillies, etc. and had a lifetime won-loss record of 146-140, and an ERA of 3.46 (108 adjusted). He was named to 1 All Star team, won a World Series, and had a career WAR of 24.9. Otherwise, he played basketball with the Detroit Pistons from 1965-67. His career per game averages were 8.0 points, 6.4 rebounds, and 1.5 assists, with a field goal shooting percentage of .364, and a free throw shooting average of .571. Reed's Win Shares total was -1.0.
14) Dick Ricketts. In 1959 Ricketts pitched for the St. Louis Cardinals, finishing with a won-loss record of 1-6, and an ERA of 5.82 (73 adjusted). His WAR was -0.6. On the hardwood Ricketts played for the Rochester/Cincinnati Royals, St. Louis Hawks, etc. from 1955-58. In 212 games his per game averages were 9.3 points, 6.3 rebounds, and 2.1 assists, for a Win Shares total of 2.1.
15) Howie Schultz. From 1943-48 Schultz played first base for the Brooklyn Dodgers, Philadelphia Phillies, etc., and slashed .241/.281/.349, for an adjusted OPS of 75, and a WAR of -2.2. He also played power forward for the Minneapolis Lakers and Fort Wayne Pistons in 1949-50, and 1951-53. His per game averages were 5.3 points, 1.7 assists, and 3.1 rebounds (although these stats are incomplete). He shot .271 on field goals, and .711 on free throws, and his Win Shares total was 5.6. He was also part of an NBA title-winning team.
Finally, let's get to the men who played in the NFL and in the NBA or NBL. It's a much shorter list, as you'll see.
1) Bud Grant. Grant played as a defensive end and end for the Philadelphia Eagles in 1951-52. He started 23 of 24 games, and caught 56 passes for 997 yards and 7 touchdowns. Alas, he had a contract dispute, and left to play in the Canadian Football League for the rest of his career. However, before all of this he played forward for the Minneapolis Lakers. In 96 total games he averaged 2.6 points, 1.9 rebounds (incomplete stat), and 0.9 assists, on .318 field goal shooting, and .590 free throw shooting. His lifetime Win Shares total was 1.1. But, he did play on the Lakers 1950 title-winning team. Following this, he went on to become a football head coach. Quite a good one, too--he helmed the Minnesota Vikings for 18 years, finishing with a won-loss-tie total of 168-108-5 (including playoffs). He went to 4 Super Bowls, although his team lost all 4. He was named to the Pro Football Hall of Fame.
2) Otto Graham. Graham played quarterback and defensive back for the Cleveland Browns from 1946-55. The first four years were when the Browns were part of the AAFC, and the final 6 when the Browns were an NFL team. Graham started 114 of 126 games, completing 55.8% of his passes for 23,584 yards, 174 touchdowns, 135 interceptions and a rating of 86.6. Graham also rushed for 882 yards and 44 touchdowns, and intercepted 7 passes for 102 yards and another touchdown. He was named to 5 Pro Bowls, and 7 All Pro teams, and won 7 titles (4 AAFC, 3 NFL). Obviously, he's a Hall of Famer as well. On the court Graham played forward/guard for the Rochester Royals in 1945-46. In 32 games he averaged 5.2 points per game. He was also part of the Royals title-winning team. Meaning he and Gene Conley are the only two men to win titles in 2 sports, for the sports of MLB, pro football, and pro basketball.
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