TODAY IN BASEBALL TAKES US TO ST. LOUIS, MISSOURI on FEBRUARY 22, 1938. The St. Louis Cardinals signed a gun-slinging quarterback on this date in 1938. Yes, it was the St. Louis baseball Cardinals (the football Cardinals still called Chicago home in those days) who signed two-time All-American quarterback Sammy Baugh.
Baugh had just graduated from Texas Christian University where he was an innovative quarterback who relied heavily on a seldom used offensive weapon – the forward pass. He earned the nickname Slingin Sammy.
Baugh also played third base for the Texas Christian baseball team. He was initially recruited for baseball. That was the sport he wanted to pursue. After signing with the Cardinals to play baseball Baugh was sent to the minor leagues. He didn’t excel as well in the minors as he hoped and never played a major league baseball game.
Baugh played sixteen years in the National Football League, eventually being elected to the NFL Hall of Fame.
Here are other noteworthy athletes who played more than one professional sport:
John Elway – New York Yankees/Denver Broncos
Danny Ainge – Toronto Blue Jays/Boston Celtics
Dave DeBusschere – Chicago White Sox/New York Knicks
Chuck Connors – Chicago Cubs/Boston Celtics (star of the TV show, The Rifleman)
Deion Sanders – Several NFL teams/several MLB teams
Herbert Perry – Florida Gators quarterback/MLB infielder for 7 different teams
Contributing Sources:
United Press (UP), February 23, 1938, St. Louis Missouri
Wikipedia http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Sammy_Baugh#Baseball
