CHUCK CONNERS, without a baseball or basketball (Wikipedia).
Shohei Ohtani is lionized because he can both pitch and bat at a high level, and he looks to be an MVP for the foreseeable future.
So as we get ready to honor another pro athlete for his versatility, let’s not forget an athlete who was a standout in two different sports in the same season.
“De Busher” was a two-sport man at the University of Detroit.
He was a decent pitcher, being a bit of a intimidating figure at 6-foot, 6-inches tall, but not much of a hitter. He had just one hit in 22 at-bats.
After four seasons in pro baseball, he decided to hang up his cleats to concentrate on basketball. As a hoopster he excelled, playing on two NBA champion teams, being named NBA All-Star eight times and made the All-Defensive first-team six times.
DAVE DeBUSSCHERE (WIkipedia).
As versatile as he was, he was one of 13 men who played big league baseball and basketball.
But their abilities to bridge professions was topped by Chuck Conners, who baby boomers will remember as the star of the western TV shows “The Rifleman” and “Branded” and had many other roles as well.
Acting was more his proper career path than professional sports. In two seasons with the Celtics, the 6-foot-5-inch Connors averaged 4.6 points a game and shot about .245 from the field.
He played for the Chicago Cubs and Brooklyn Dodgers, wrapped around a season with the minor league Los Angeles Angels. He ended up batting .238 in his big league career.
So, Shohei, you still have some room to expand. How are you with a Winchester?
