If you're good enough at baseball to make it to the majors (for sure), and you happen to be good enough at another sport (basketball or football), I can't fathom why those guys end up choosing a sport OTHER than baseball. You get to play much longer and the pay is the same if not more (obviously its less per game because baseball has so many games... but you still get a lengthy off-season). I guess the main issue is that most of those guys don't know if they are going to be in the majors for sure...
Charlie Ward won the heisman trophy and then decided to play in the NBA. Seems pretty smart in consideration of what the NFL does to mind, body, and longevity.
Mark Hendrickson currently with the Orioles played 2 seasons in the NBA. http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Mark_Hendrickson *edit- already mentioned* Bo might have had the greatest peak of a running back ever? He had the longest rush of the season 3 of his 4 years. He has the highest career yards/carry for a RB since 1955. But he only started 23 games. You might have to wonder if the committee running back thing helped. If he coulda sustained that as a starter over 16 games to where he was ONLY like Adrian Peterson... But we'll never know... Deion was a darn good corner. They at times made him almost as mythical character as Bo. Like you couldnt even LOOK at side of the field cuz the neon of Deion would blind you, 2 throws on his side is 2 touchdowns for the OTHER team, blah blah...Can't go wrong starting your team with either guy. Bo was an All Star game MVP in baseball. Deion never was an MLB All Star. Advantage Bo
Don't know about baseball to basketball, but both AI and Melo were quarterbacks in high school, Mike Vick played b-ball too and was gonna come to the NBA after his dog-fighting. Lebron played HS football. Really there aren't many because unlike football and basketball where the skillset is similar(running, jumping) baseball is different. Baseball is ethier tryign to time it just right to hit a ball or pitching
Michael Jordan couldn't hit a curveball. Based on a very small sample of hitting against Major League pitching, I would guess that Tracy McGrady was a better baseball player than Michael Jordan.
Chris Young, the pitcher for San Diego, was 6-10 and all Ivy-League in basketball at Princeton. According to his wiki was offered a 2-year guaranteed contract by Geoff Petrie for the Kings in 2002. Obviously he turned that down and is now a MLB All-Star.
His hip injury was described as his muscles being so strong that his bone structure could no longer support it... if he was weaker, he probably goes down with the tackle, but he fought through it...and thus he suffered a dislocated hip which eventually turned into avascular necrosis of his femur head. What was crazy was that right after his hip dislocated, Bo apparently popped it back into place himself. Total freak...
Jordan was forced out of basketball for a few years (gambling and whatnot), he went to baseball to pass the time
That's what I've always heard. Stern suspended Michael for excessive gambling, but didn't want to make it public for fear of biting the hand that feeds. I'm not sure if I believe it or not, but it's fun to entertain the idea.
Joe Mauer was the high school player of the year as a QB and turned down a scholarship at Florida State so that he could go play baseball.
