Chuck Connors, the movie and television actor was most famous for his role in The Rifleman, but before that he had a fascinating journey through the sports world. Connors made his mark in the history books as one of only 14 people ever to have played both in Major League Baseball (MLB) and in the National Basketball Association (NBA).
Connors was born in Brooklyn, NY in 1921, attended Adelphi Academy (a private school) and then signed immediately after high school with the team that he grew up with as a kid, the Brooklyn Dodgers in 1940. That stint with a class-D league team in Newport, Arkansas of the Dodgers’ minor league system lasted only four games with Connors logging one hit in a grand total of 11 at-bats. Connors then had a change of heart and left the Dodgers after just one year to instead attend Seton Hall University in 1941 and 1942, where he played both baseball and basketball for the Seton Hall Pirates.
Upon his discharge from the army in 1946, Connors not only resumed his baseball career, but also started his life in professional basketball with the Boston Celtics. Connors played in the Basketball Association of America, a new league that competed with the established National Basketball League with the two leagues merging after the 1948-49 season to form today’s National Basketball Association. Therefore, Connors again made history as he was part of the very first team in Boston Celtics history. His basketball career did not last long though. Although he played in 49 of 60 games in his first season, Connors did not distinguish himself, making less than a quarter of his shots and less than half of his free throws. That led to Connors leaving the Celtics (or being released, since it is not completely clear) in the early part of the 1947 season after playing in only four games.
Connors resumed his baseball career after release by the Yankees minor league team in 1947 and returned to the Brooklyn Dodgers. Connors spent the following years playing in the Dodgers minor league system, except for a brief call up to the major league team in 1949, where he logged one at-bat on May 1, 1949, when he hit into a game ending double play. That represented his only at-bat in his entire major league career for the Dodgers. Connors continued to play in the Dodgers system before a trade to the Chicago Cubs at the end of the 1950 season.
There was some triumph in Connors’ Dodgers minor league career though, as he helped lead the Montreal Royals (the Dodgers top minor league team at that time) to win the minor league championship in 1948.
It was the trade to the Cubs that really changed the trajectory of Connors life. First, was playing for the Los Angeles Angels (then the minor league team of the Cubs), which led to his best professional season ever. Playing in LA also gave Connors visibility to the Hollywood community, which sparked his acting career. Before his acting career took off though, Connors was called up to the Cubs where he saw the most time playing at the MLB level over the course of 66 games and 214 plate appearances. Although this stint was largely unremarkable it must have provided Connors some degree of satisfaction to finally play in the major leagues after his almost dozen year journey through the minor leagues. The Cubs unfortunately sent Connors back down in 1952 and he called it a career after that year to finally turn his attention to acting.
In the end, Connors was extremely appreciative of his baseball career and humbly recognized the positive impact it had on his entire life when he stated, “I owe baseball all that I have and much of what I hope to have. Baseball made my entrance to the film industry immeasurably easier than I could have made it alone. To the greatest game in the world I shall be eternally in debt”.
Although famous for appearing in The Rifleman, Connors went on to perform in 138 movie and television roles as an actor over a 40 year period. Chuck Connors passed away at the age of 71 in 1992.
Baseball Purist 
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