Tag Archives: Famous for something else

Famous for Something Else: Max Patkin

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Max Patkin was a famous “baseball clown” during the second half of the 20th century, even making an appearance in Bull Durham. But before he became the Clown Prince of Baseball, he had a brief minor league career that was interrupted by WWII:

Year Age Tm Lg Lev Aff W L W-L% ERA G CG IP H R ER BB SO HBP WP WHIP H/9 BB/9 SO/9 SO/BB
1941 21 Wisconsin Rapids WISL D CHW 10 8 .556 3.94 27 13 178.0 170 94 78 95 134 9 13 1.489 8.6 4.8 6.8 1.41
1942 22 2 Teams 1 Lg D CHW 3 4 .429 3.74 13 65.0 59 32 27 39 1.508 8.2 5.4
1942 22 Green Bay, Wisconsin Rapids WISL D CHW 3 4 .429 3.74 13 65.0 59 32 27 39 1.508 8.2 5.4
1946 26 Wilkes-Barre EL A CLE 1 1 .500 5
3 Seasons 14 13 .519 3.89 45 13 243.0 229 126 105 134 134 9 13 1.494 8.5 5.0 5.0 1.00
D (2 seasons) D 13 12 .520 3.89 40 13 243.0 229 126 105 134 134 9 13 1.494 8.5 5.0 5.0 1.00
A (1 season) A 1 1 .500 5
Provided by Baseball-Reference.com: View Original Table
Generated 9/17/2013.

Famous for Something Else: Chris Siegfried

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So, apparently the winner of “The Bachelorette” played baseball, or something. He’s a guy named Chris Siegfried and he played in the Cubs organization and briefly the Indys. Here are his stats:

Year Age Tm Lg Lev Aff W L W-L% ERA G GS GF SV IP H R ER HR BB SO HBP WHIP
2007 21 2 Teams 2 Lgs A–A CHC 2 1 .667 3.83 24 1 11 4 42.1 37 25 18 2 25 40 6 1.465
2007 21 Boise NORW A- CHC 0 1 .000 2.35 14 0 9 4 23.0 23 12 6 2 9 17 2 1.391
2007 21 Peoria MIDW A CHC 2 0 1.000 5.59 10 1 2 0 19.1 14 13 12 0 16 23 4 1.552
2008 22 Peoria MIDW A CHC 5 7 .417 6.30 31 14 3 0 95.2 121 72 67 14 33 47 2 1.610
2009 23 2 Teams 2 Lgs A-A+ CHC 3 4 .429 3.38 32 0 12 2 61.1 55 27 23 2 31 51 9 1.402
2009 23 Peoria MIDW A CHC 0 2 .000 3.38 20 0 8 1 45.1 37 20 17 2 26 35 8 1.390
2009 23 Daytona FLOR A+ CHC 3 2 .600 3.38 12 0 4 1 16.0 18 7 6 0 5 16 1 1.438
2010 24 Daytona FLOR A+ CHC 3 7 .300 4.26 46 4 15 1 82.1 74 41 39 4 34 77 9 1.312
2011 25 Fargo-Moorhead AA Ind 1 1 .500 3.46 9 0 3 0 13.0 12 6 5 3 2 9 0 1.077
5 Seasons 14 20 .412 4.64 142 19 44 7 294.2 299 171 152 25 125 224 26 1.439
A (3 seasons) A 7 9 .438 5.39 61 15 13 1 160.1 172 105 96 16 75 105 14 1.541
A+ (2 seasons) A+ 6 9 .400 4.12 58 4 19 2 98.1 92 48 45 4 39 93 10 1.332
A- (1 season) A- 0 1 .000 2.35 14 0 9 4 23.0 23 12 6 2 9 17 2 1.391
Ind (1 season) Ind 1 1 .500 3.46 9 0 3 0 13.0 12 6 5 3 2 9 0 1.077
Provided by Baseball-Reference.com: View Original Table
Generated 8/7/2013.

Famous For Something Else: Rethinking Jim Thorpe’s Baseball Career

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It’s sometimes said that Jim Thorpe, for all his great talent, couldn’t hit a curveball, and that baseball was his worst sport.

Well, maybe, but then you look at his statistics. Take a look:

Year Age Tm Lg G PA AB R H 2B 3B HR RBI SB BB SO BA OBP SLG OPS OPS+ Pos
1913 26 NYG NL 19 36 35 6 5 0 0 1 2 2 1 9 .143 .167 .229 .395 12 /O
1914 27 NYG NL 30 31 31 5 6 1 0 0 2 1 0 4 .194 .194 .226 .419 27 /O
1915 28 NYG NL 17 54 52 8 12 3 1 0 1 4 2 16 .231 .259 .327 .586 81 O
1917 30 TOT NL 103 404 308 41 73 5 10 4 40 12 14 45 .237 .275 .357 .632 96 O97/8
1917 30 NYG NL 4 69 2 2 1 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 .500 .500 .500 1.000 211 9/78
1917 30 CIN NL 77 269 251 29 62 2 8 4 36 11 6 35 .247 .267 .367 .634 97 O97
1917 30 NYG NL 22 66 55 10 10 3 2 0 4 1 8 10 .182 .297 .309 .606 88 O
1918 31 NYG NL 58 119 113 15 28 4 4 1 11 3 4 18 .248 .286 .381 .666 103 O7/98
1919 32 TOT NL 62 172 159 16 52 7 3 1 26 7 6 30 .327 .359 .428 .787 142 O78/93
1919 32 NYG NL 2 4 3 0 1 0 0 0 1 0 0 0 .333 .333 .333 .667 101 /O87
1919 32 BSN NL 60 168 156 16 51 7 3 1 25 7 6 30 .327 .360 .429 .789 143 O78/93
6 Yrs 289 816 698 91 176 20 18 7 82 29 27 122 .252 .286 .362 .648 99
162 Game Avg. 162 457 391 51 99 11 10 4 46 16 15 68 .252 .286 .362 .648 99
NYG (6 yrs) 152 379 291 46 63 11 7 2 21 11 15 57 .216 .262 .323 .585 78
BSN (1 yr) 60 168 156 16 51 7 3 1 25 7 6 30 .327 .360 .429 .789 143
CIN (1 yr) 77 269 251 29 62 2 8 4 36 11 6 35 .247 .267 .367 .634 97
Provided by Baseball-Reference.com: View Original Table
Generated 5/8/2013.

As you can see, early in his career, Thorpe was dreadful in his limited time playing baseball. But as time went on, he got better. By his final season in the big leagues, 1919, he was hitting a good .327/.359/.428 and his OPS was .787, which is above average. Hardly a world-beater, but definitely not the failure many make his baseball career out to be.

But, wait, what did he do in the minor leagues?

Year Age Tm Lg Lev G AB H 2B 3B HR BA SLG TB
1909 22 Rocky Mount ECAR D 44 138 35 4 0 1 .254 .304 42
1910 23 2 Teams 1 Lg D 45 128 31 2 2 0 .242 .289 37
1910 23 Rocky Mount,Fayetteville ECAR D 45 128 31 2 2 0 .242 .289 37
1910 23 Rocky Mount ECAR D 29 76 18 2 1 0 .237 .289 22
1910 23 Fayetteville ECAR D 16 52 13 0 1 0 .250 .288 15
1915 28 2 Teams 1 Lg AA 96 370 112 13 7 2 .303 .392 145
1915 28 Newark/Harrisburg,Jersey City IL AA 96 370 112 13 7 2 .303 .392 145
1915 28 Jersey City IL AA
1915 28 Newark/Harrisburg IL AA
1916 29 Milwaukee AA AA 143 573 157 25 14 10 .274 .419 240
1920 33 Akron IL AA 128 522 188 28 15 16 .360 .563 294
1921 34 Toledo AA AA 133 505 181 36 13 9 .358 .535 270
1922 35 3 Teams 2 Lgs AA-A 131 501 168 26 15 10 .335 .507 254
1922 35 Portland PCL AA 35 120 37 3 2 1 .308 .392 47
1922 35 Hartford EL A
1922 35 Hartford,Fitchburg/Worcester EL A 96 381 131 23 13 9 .344 .543 207
1922 35 Fitchburg/Worcester EL A
7 Seasons 720 2737 872 134 66 48 .319 .468 1282
AA (5 seasons) AA 535 2090 675 105 51 38 .323 .477 996
D (2 seasons) D 89 266 66 6 2 1 .248 .297 79
A (1 season) A 96 381 131 23 13 9 .344 .543 207
Provided by Baseball-Reference.com: View Original Table
Generated 5/8/2013

These minor league stats, as incomplete as they are, seem to suggest that Thorpe definitely had a talent at baseball- perhaps not against MLB pitching, but certainly good enough to wreck havoc upon lower levels. But, take a look at those years after his 1919 season- the one season where he hit pretty well in MLB. He kept hitting above .300- at times well above it, and in pretty good leagues like the International League and American Association.

So, what happened? Why didn’t he return to the big leagues after 1919? SABR’s BioProject suggests it was because he started to focus more on professional football- he was the first commissioner of what would one day become the NFL, for example. We’ll never know what he might have accomplished in any one sport if he had focused solely on it- but Thorpe was too great an athlete to be held to just one. Or two. Or three…

And that is and was a good thing.

The Famous For Something Else Index (as of April 24, 2013)

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Want to see all of the “Famous For Something Else” features so far? Go through the links below:

Mario Cuomo (Governor of New York State from 1983-1994)

Randy “Macho Man” Savage (Wrestler)

Ricky Williams (NFL Running Back)

John Elway (NFL Hall Of Fame QB)

John Lynch (9-Time Pro Bowl Safety)

Kurt Russell (Actor)

Michael Jordan (His Airness)

George Halas (HOF Football coach and player)

Danny Ainge (NBA player and executive)

Scott Patterson (Actor)

 

Famous For Something Else: Scott Patterson

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I’m starting to scrape the bottom of the barrel of baseball players who became famous for doing something else, to the point where I’m now doing TV actors I had to look up on IMDB. So, anyway, here are the statistics for Scott Patterson (IMDB link). After his pitching career ended, he became an actor who has had roles in Gilmore Girls, some of the Saw films, Aliens in America and The Event.


(Go below the jump to see them.)

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Famous for Something Else: Danny Ainge

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Danny Ainge was an All-Star with the Boston Celtics, and later would become an award-winning executive for them after he hung up the uniform. But before he started his professional basketball career, the BYU grad had a short career with the Blue Jays. Go below the jump to see his major league and minor league stats:

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Famous for Something Else: George Halas

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George Halas is best known for being a Hall of Fame coach and player in the NFL, primarily for the Chicago Bears. But he also had a short baseball career with the Yankees:

(Go below the jump)

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Famous for Something Else: Michael Jordan

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If you don’t know who Michael Jordan is, you have either been in a coma for the last thirty years or you have come from another planet (although even people from other planets knew who Jordan was in his prime). It’s his 50th birthday today. Go below the jump for stuff on him:

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(Not Exactly) Famous For Something Else: Josh Booty

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Tonight, MLB Network debuts a new show called The Next Knuckler, in which Tim Wakefield and MLB Network’s resident goofball Kevin Millar will host a group of ex-quarterbacks, who they will try to teach the magic of the knuckleball, with the winner having a chance to pitch in a spring training game with the Diamondbacks. The ex-QBs include Doug Flutie, John David Booty, David Greene, Ryan Perriloux and, my guess on the odds-on favorite to win: Josh Booty.

Josh Booty? Who is this Josh Booty you say? Well, Josh Booty played quarterback for Louisiana State, and then was a third-string quarterback/practice squad member from 2001-2007 for the Seahawks, Browns and Raiders.

But before his football career, he was a baseball prospect. In fact, he was a big-time prospect, the fifth-overall pick of the 1994 draft by the Florida Marlins. He made it up for three separate cups of coffee with the Marlins:

Year Age Tm Lg G PA AB R H 2B 3B HR RBI SB CS BB SO BA OBP SLG OPS OPS+ TB GDP HBP SH SF IBB Pos Awards
1996 21 FLA NL 2 2 2 1 1 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 .500 .500 .500 1.000 169 1 1 0 0 0 0 /5
1997 22 FLA NL 4 6 5 2 3 0 0 0 1 0 0 1 1 .600 .667 .600 1.267 243 3 0 0 0 0 0 /5
1998 23 FLA NL 7 22 19 0 3 1 0 0 3 0 0 3 8 .158 .273 .211 .483 33 4 0 0 0 0 0 /5
3 Yrs 13 30 26 3 7 1 0 0 4 0 0 4 9 .269 .367 .308 .674 85 8 1 0 0 0 0
162 Game Avg. 162 374 324 37 87 12 0 0 50 0 0 50 112 .269 .367 .308 .674 85 100 12 0 0 0 0
Provided by Baseball-Reference.com: View Original Table
Generated 2/13/2013.

If you are interested, here’s how he did in the minor leagues at the plate:

Year Age Tm Lg Lev Aff G PA AB R H 2B 3B HR RBI SB CS BB SO BA OBP SLG OPS TB GDP HBP SH SF IBB
1994 19 2 Teams 2 Lgs Rk-A- FLA 14 58 52 6 12 1 0 1 3 1 0 5 12 .231 .298 .308 .606 16 3 0 1 0 0
1994 19 Marlins GULF Rk FLA 10 42 36 5 8 0 0 1 2 1 0 5 8 .222 .317 .306 .623 11 2 0 1 0 0
1994 19 Elmira NYPL A- FLA 4 16 16 1 4 1 0 0 1 0 0 0 4 .250 .250 .313 .563 5 1 0 0 0 0
1995 20 2 Teams 2 Lgs A–A FLA 105 434 396 39 74 20 1 7 43 5 4 30 130 .187 .251 .295 .547 117 13 5 0 3 0
1995 20 Elmira NYPL A- FLA 74 313 287 33 63 18 1 6 37 4 4 19 85 .220 .278 .352 .630 101 12 5 0 2 0
1995 20 Kane County MIDW A FLA 31 121 109 6 11 2 0 1 6 1 0 11 45 .101 .182 .147 .329 16 1 0 0 1 0
1996 21 Kane County MIDW A FLA 128 529 475 62 98 25 1 21 87 2 3 46 195 .206 .275 .396 .670 188 11 1 1 6 0
1997 22 Portland EL AA FLA 122 480 448 42 94 19 2 20 69 2 2 27 166 .210 .254 .395 .649 177 12 1 0 4 1
1998 23 2 Teams 2 Lgs AA-AAA FLA 109 409 374 37 68 11 3 13 50 1 2 27 118 .182 .235 .332 .567 124 15 1 1 6 2
1998 23 Portland EL AA FLA 71 273 247 28 50 8 3 10 39 1 1 20 74 .202 .261 .381 .642 94 10 1 1 4 0
1998 23 Charlotte IL AAA FLA 38 136 127 9 18 3 0 3 11 0 1 7 44 .142 .184 .236 .420 30 5 0 0 2 2
5 Seasons 478 1910 1745 186 346 76 7 62 252 11 11 135 621 .198 .256 .356 .613 622 54 8 3 19 3
A (2 seasons) A 159 650 584 68 109 27 1 22 93 3 3 57 240 .187 .257 .349 .607 204 12 1 1 7 0
AA (2 seasons) AA 193 753 695 70 144 27 5 30 108 3 3 47 240 .207 .257 .390 .647 271 22 2 1 8 1
A- (2 seasons) A- 78 329 303 34 67 19 1 6 38 4 4 19 89 .221 .277 .350 .626 106 13 5 0 2 0
Rk (1 season) Rk 10 42 36 5 8 0 0 1 2 1 0 5 8 .222 .317 .306 .623 11 2 0 1 0 0
AAA (1 season) AAA 38 136 127 9 18 3 0 3 11 0 1 7 44 .142 .184 .236 .420 30 5 0 0 2 2
Provided by Baseball-Reference.com: View Original Table
Generated 2/13/2013.

And so, since he’s, to my knowledge, the only guy in this MLB Network show who actually has played professional baseball, he should be considered the favorite.

Famous for something else: Kurt Russell

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Kurt Russell is an actor who has starred in films like Miracle, Escape from New York and Big Trouble in Little China, but in his youth, he played minor league baseball:

Year Age Tm Lg Lev Aff G PA AB R H 2B 3B HR RBI SB CS BB SO BA OBP SLG OPS TB GDP HBP SH SF IBB
1971 20 Bend NORW A- CAL 51 212 179 30 51 11 0 1 14 2 3 29 33 .285 .385 .363 .748 65 0 4 0
1972 21 Walla Walla NORW A- 29 91 77 12 25 4 0 0 14 1 1 8 7 .325 .389 .377 .766 29 2 1 3
1973 22 2 Teams 2 Lgs A–AA CAL 29 99 4 28 3 1 1 4 1 2 1 1 .283 .364 36 0 0 0
1973 22 Portland NORW A- 23 83 19 0 1 0 .229 .253 21
1973 22 El Paso TL AA CAL 6 17 16 4 9 3 0 1 4 1 2 1 1 .563 .588 .938 1.526 15 0 0 0
1977 26 Portland NORW A- 1 1 1 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 .000 .000 .000 .000 0 0 0 0
4 Seasons 110 404 356 46 104 18 1 2 32 4 6 38 41 .292 .361 .365 .726 130 2 5 3
A- (4 seasons) A- 104 387 340 42 95 15 1 1 28 3 4 37 40 .279 .351 .338 .689 115 2 5 3
AA (1 season) AA 6 17 16 4 9 3 0 1 4 1 2 1 1 .563 .588 .938 1.526 15 0 0 0
Provided by Baseball-Reference.com: View Original Table
Generated 2/5/2013.

What’s interesting about Russell’s baseball career is that it happened DURING his acting career. He had been on TV, and had starred in Disney movies like The Computer Wore Tennis Shoes, which came out in 1969. As you can see, he actually did pretty well, but a rotator cuff injury derailed him.

But that isn’t all. His father, actor Bing Russell, owned a minor league baseball team, and his nephew, Matt Franco, played in the big leagues for the Cubs, Mets and Braves.