Major League Resumes Trivia Quiz

Answer: Chuck Connors

Before throwing lead around the range with Micah, Connors ("The Rifleman"), tossed a ball around the diamond for two seasons in the bigs, a one game cup of coffee for his hometown Brooklyn Dodgers in 1949, and a platoon role for the Chicago Cubs in 1951, where he played 66 games (57 at 1B), and hitting .239 with two HRs and 18 RBIs. The next year, 1952, found him playing a police captain in "Pat & Mike," starring Spencer Tracy and Katharine Hepburn.

He went on to play Lucas McCain for five seasons (1958 to 1963) in "The Rifleman", and one season as Jason McCord, the soldier trying to redeem his name, in "Branded" (1965-66). Other series included "Arrest & Trial" (1963-64), "The Yellow Rose" (1983-1984), and a stint as head werewolf Janos Skorzeny in Fox' short-lived drama, "Werewolf" (1987-88). In the groundbreaking mini-series, "Roots" (1977), Connors played slave owner Tom Moore. Did you know that Connors also played forward and center for the Boston Celtics in 1947 and 1948, and was the first player to break a backboard in pro basketball history?

Answer: Danny Ainge

Before pounding the parquet floor in the 'Gah-din', Ainge was drafted by the Toronto Blue Jays in 1977, spending three seasons in the majors with the Jays (1979-80-81). In 211 games, he batted .220, with two HRs, 37 RBIs, 57 runs scored and 12 SBs.

After winning the Wooden Award as a member of the Brigham Young University team in 1981, Ainge hung up his baseball cleats for good, trading them in for a pair of sneakers, and Boston fans were glad of it. Ainge spent the first seven-plus seasons of his career (1982-95) wearing the green and white of the Celtics, helping them to three NBA titles. He was the second player in NBA history to make 900 career three-pointers (he finished with 1,002) and led the league in three-pointers in 1988. Did you know Ainge played on the same high school football team with Detroit Pistons star Joe Dumars?

Answer: Drew Henson

Not really sure if you can say Henson played for two seasons, as he only got into eight games in the 2002 and 2003 seasons for the New York Yankees, going 1-for-9. The Yankees signed Henson after his junior year with the University of Michigan Wolverines (Go Blue! Sorry, it's a natural reaction) in 2000, when he started eight games for the Maize and Blue, leading them to victories over Illinois, Wisconsin, and that team from Columbus.

Henson hung up the glove when he was drafted by the Houston Texans in the sixth round of the 2003 NFL Draft, but was traded to the Dallas Cowboys soon after. Did you know that Drew was Baseball America's High School Player of the Year in 1998?

Answer: Deion Sanders

"Prime Time" lived up to his name, both on the gridiron and the diamond. In 1992, playing in only 97 games, Sanders hit a major-league leading 14 triples for the Atlanta Braves (Chicago's Lance Johnson led the AL with 12), batting .304 with 26 SB. In the World Series that year, Deion batted .533 and stole five bases as the Braves lost to the Toronto Blue Jays, four games to two. That same year, as a member of the Atlanta Falcons, Sanders intercepted three passes in 13 games and was named to his second straight Pro Bowl. Did you know that "Neon" Deion was the first athlete to have played in both a World Series and a Super Bowl?

Answer: Bo Jackson

Maybe the biggest "What if.." about Jackson is what if he hadn't injured his hip in the 1990 playoffs against the Cincinnati Bengals. In eight seasons in the majors, Bo slammed 141 HRs, 107 of them as a member of the Kansas City Royals from 1987 to 1990, before he was injured. As a member of the Los Angeles Raiders (1987-1990), he averaged 5.4 yards per carry (515 carries, 2,782 yards), including 950 yards in 11 games in 1989.

After the hip injury, Jackson never played another down, but did return to the baseball diamond, hitting 16 HRs for the White Sox in 1993, the year AFTER he had hip replacement surgery. Did you know that Jackson was the first player to be named to the All-Star teams of TWO major sports (MLB in 1989, and NFL in 1990)?

Answer: John Berardino

While best-known for playing Dr. Steve Hardy on "General Hospital" from the show's inception in 1963 to his death in 1996, Berardino was also a slick-fielding infielder with some pop in his bat. Berardino played in the majors from 1938 to 1942, and agin from 1946 to 1952. He hit 16 HRs in 1940 for the Brownies, but missed out on their only pennant-winning team in 1944 due to service in the military during WWII (1943-45). He did get a ring as a member of the 1948 Indians, but saw no action in the Fall Classic.

After injuring his leg in 1952, Berardino retired from baseball, dropped the second "r" in his name, and concentrated on his acting career, which he had dabbled in since returning from overseas. Before landing the part of Dr. Steve Hardy, Berardino garnered roles in such TV shows as "Sea Hunt", starring Lloyd Bridges, "The Untouchables", starring Robert Stack, and "Maverick", starring James Garner, as well as movie roles in Alfred Hitchcock's "North By Northwest", starring Cary Grant, Eva Marie Saint, and James Mason, and "Marty", starring Ernest Borgnine. Did you know that Berardino and Chuck Connors were the first two major league players to have a star on Hollywood's Walk of Fame?

Answer: Dave DeBusschere

DeBusschere was a standout athlete in high school and in college. As a senior in high school, he led Austin Catholic High School (Detroit, MI) to the state championship, averaging 29.5 points per game in the tournament. As a collegian, DeBusschere led the University of Detroit to two NIT tournaments and the NCAA tournament in 1962. Signing with the Chicago White Sox in 1962, he soon found himself playing for both them and the Detroit Pistons. In 1963, Dave went 3-4 in 24 games, with a 3.09 ERA. Earlier that year, he was named to the NBA All-Rookie team, averaging 12.7 points and 8.7 rebounds in his inaugural season with the Pistons.

It was as a New York Knick, however, that DeBusschere put together the seasons that would eventually land him in the Basketball Hall of Fame. A member of the 1970 and 1973 championship teams, DeBusschere was voted to the NBA 50th anniversary All-Time team in 1996. Did you know that DeBusschere was the youngest head coach in NBA history, when he was named to the spot by the Pistons in 1964 when he was only 24?

Answer: Jim Bunning

Dominant on the hill in Detroit and Philadelphia, Bunning became dominant on THE Hill. Capitol Hill, that is. During his time in the big leagues, Bunning was one of the premier moundsmen in the game. Most of his career was spent in a Tiger and Phillies uniform, winning 100 games, striking out 1,000 batters and pitching no-hitters in both leagues, including a perfect game in 1964, his first season with the Phils.

After he hung up the cleats in 1971, Bunning spent time as a sports agent and a financial consultant. He was elected to the city council of Ft. Thomas, KY in 1977. In 1986, Bunning was elected to the U.S. House of Representatives, where he served for 12 years. In 1998, he was elected to the U.S. Senate. Did you know that Bunning's perfect game in 1964 was the first one to be thrown in the National League in 84 years, the last being tossed in 1880?

Answer: George Halas

"Papa Bear" came up to the Yankees in 1919 for a cup of coffee, getting into just 12 games. As coach of the Decatur Staleys, which became the Chicago Bears, Halas compiled a record of 325-151-31, winning seven NFL championships (1921, 1933, 1934, 1937, 1940, 1946, 1963).

His Bears went undefeated in 1934 (13-0), a feat that wasn't repeated until 1972 by the Miami Dolphins. Did you know that in 40 years of coaching, Halas had only six losing seasons?

Answer: Jocko Conlan

Conlan proved to be better at calling strikes than hitting them. As an outfielder for two seasons for the Chicago White Sox (1934-35), Conlan hit .263. Umpiring found Jocko, rather than the other way around. When an umpire became ill during a game between the White Sox and St. Louis Browns, Conlan filled in.

In 24 years of officiating in the National League, Conlan umpired in six All-Star games and six World Series. He was the fifth umpire elected to the Hall of Fame when he was inducted in 1974. Did you know that before becoming an umpire, Conlan was licensed to referee boxing matches in the state of New York?