Red Sox Mookie Betts joins elite group of Two-Sport Athletes
This is a true story. In November of 2017, Mookie Betts played in the World Series of Bowling qualifying rounds. 11-months later, Betts carried the MLB World Series trophy out of Chavez Ravine for the Red Sox.
Yes, you read that correctly. Red Sox outfielder Mookie Betts did in fact compete in the World Series of Bowling and in the MLB World Series inside of one year.
Need proof? Watch this:
The two-sport premier athlete is nothing new in the world of professional sports. In my generation alone I can think of four professional athletes who played multiple sports, beginning with…
Tim Tebow
After dominating the world of College Football for the Florida Gators, winning a Heisman trophy along the way, Tim Tebow was drafted by the Denver Broncos. After five NLF seasons with the Broncos, New York Jets, New England Patriots, and Philadelphia Eagles, Tebow decided to quit the game and take a turn in the booth for College Football.
Soon after, in 2016, Tebow decided to enter the world of baseball. Playing in the Mets minor league system, Tebow has proven to be a doubles machine. There was even wide speculation that Tebow might see time in the big leagues throughout the 2018 season. Unfortunately for Tebow, the Mets announced in late July that Tebow had broken the hamate bone in his right hand, which would caused him to miss the remainder of the season.
Before Tebow, there was…
Michael Jordan
After dominating the NBA since the late 80’s and winning three consecutive titles in 1991, 1992, and 1993, Michael Jordan decided to retire from basketball and enter the world of MLB. Later, it would be speculated that perhaps Michael Jordan was really secretly suspended from Basketball.
I find that highly unlikely, but it’s fun to wonder sometimes.
Either way, Michael Jordan played 127 games for the Chicago White Sox double-A affiliate Birmingham Barons. To say that baseball was not Jordan’s forte would be an understatement. In 127 minor league games, Jordan put together a whopping .202 BA, .289 OBP, and .266 SLG.
The following season, Jordan laced on his Air Jordan’s and led the Chicago Bulls to three more consecutive championships.
Before Jordan, there was…
Deion Sanders
Unlike Tim Tebow and Michael Jordan, Deion Sanders was actually a two-sport athlete with some serious chops. In fact, the NFL Hall of Famer is the only two-sport athlete to ever play in the World Series and the Super Bowl. While he lost his only World Series appearance as a member of the Atlanta Braves, he won two Super Bowl titles, one with the Dallas Cowboys and the other with the San Francisco 49ers.
While Sanders wasn’t able to obtain a World Series ring, he was extremely productive in the fall classic. In four World Series games, Sanders had a .533 BA and 1.255 OPS, stealing five bases. unfortunately, the Braves lost the series in six games to the Toronto Blue Jays.
In nine MLB seasons, Sanders stole 186 bases, an average over over 20 SB per season. His best season came in 1992. That season Sanders led MLB in triples with 14 in just 97 games. That same season he had a .304 BA and a .841 OPS.
Before Sanders, there was…
Bo Jackson
The Bo Jackson story is one of the most unique in American sports. In order to avoid being drafted by the Tampa Bay Buccaneers, Bo Jackson decided to play baseball instead. In 1986, Jackson signed with the Kansas City royals.
Jacksonhis big league debut on September 2, 1986. That day he smacked a single up the middle off of Hall of Famer Steve Carlton in his first at bat. In 1989, Bo Jackson made the All-Star game, becoming the first two-sport athlete to ever appear in the All-Star game in both the MLB and NFL. That season, Jackson smacked 32 HR and 105 RBI.
In 1991, Bo Jackson suffered hip injury while playing in a playoff game against the Cincinnati Bengals. Complicated by a condition called avascular necrosis, which destroys bone cells and cartilage, Jackson’s football career was over at age 28.
He did continue to play baseball for two more seasons, but he really was never the same again.
Before Jackson, there was…
John Elway
Before establishing himself as an NFL legend, John Elway actually played baseball. In the summer of 1982, John Elway played for the Oneota Yankees in order to avoid playing for the Baltimore Colts. Apparently, Elway was good too.
According to a piece by Doug Williams on ESPN, Ken Barry, a former Gold Glove outfielder, recalls an Elway throw from the outfield:
“The ball went to the fence in right field, and it was a pretty deep right field, and the guy was trying for a triple,” Berry says. “And [Elway] picked the ball up and turned, took just a short crow hop and threw it all the way in the air right to the third baseman. The ball got there about 20 feet before the guy did. It was the kind of throw you see guys make when they charge the ball, and they’ve got their feet going underneath them, and they really drive off and release it, and it’s on a line and very accurate.”
Later, the Colts would work out a trade for Elway to go the Denver Broncos. There, John Elway would lead the Broncos to two Super Bowl titles.
And then there was…
Mookie Betts
In a very short time span, Mookie Betts has turned himself into a household name. In 2018, Betts established himself as one of MLB’s top talents, winning an MVP award over the likes of Mike Trout and J.D. Martinez. This season he led all of MLB in runs, batting average, and slugging percentage. For the third consecutive season, he has secured a Gold Glove award and second career Silver Slugger award.
On October 21, 2018, Mookie Betts led the Boston Red Sox to the ninth world title in the team’s history. It is the fourth World Series win in four tries since 2004. Betts also led the team to the best regular season in their history, winning 108 regular season games in 2018.
If you thought things couldn’t get any better, here’s a little-known twist about the type of year Mookie Betts had inside of a year. In November of 2017, Mookie Betts bowled a perfect game while playing in the qualifying rounds of the World Series of bowling.
While Betts didn’t make the final cut for the PBA World Championship, according to a piece by R.J. Anderson of CBS Sports, Betts did vastly improve from the last time he participated in the PBA event in 2015. He averaged a score of 190.
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What has two thumbs and had the best year ever?
Mookie Betts (aka Mr. World Series), that’s who.