5 MLB players who pursued acting careers

Did you know that there are several MLB players who found solace in Hollywood? Before they achieved recognition, they were on their way to the big leagues. Let's look at five former MLB players who tried their hand at acting and appeared in legendary Hollywood films.

5 MLB players who pursued acting careers:

Kurt Russell:

Kurt Russell began his career as one of the first Disney kid stars. Kurt managed to juggle his budding acting career with his desire to impress people with his baseball skills as a teenager. In 1971, he signed with the California Angels and began his professional career at the low levels as a second baseman. He only appeared in a few games over the following three years, but he was a force to be reckoned with when he did. He played in 109 minor-league games, hitting .293 with two home runs and 41 RBIs while reaching as high as Double-A. He also drew 50 walks, contributing to his exceptional on-base percentage of .380. Unfortunately, a shoulder injury shattered his MLB dream. In 1977, he added one extra at-bat for the Portland Mavericks, but he quickly set his sights on Hollywood for an acting career that continues to this day.

2. Chuck Connors:

As a lifelong Dodgers fan, Chuck Connors always fantasized about playing baseball for his beloved club. In 1946, he began his sports career. In the 1946-47 season, he was a center with the Boston Celtics, but he went early for spring training with the Brooklyn Dodgers. Baseball had always been Connors' first passion, and he spent the next several years knocking about the minor leagues in cities like Rochester, New York, Norfolk, Virginia, Newark, New Jersey, Newport News, Virginia, Mobile, Alabama, and Montreal, Canada. In May 1949, he finally realized his dream of playing for the Brooklyn Dodgers, albeit only for a few months. In May 1949, he finally achieved his ambition of playing for the Brooklyn Dodgers, but he returned to Montreal after only five weeks and one at-bat. After a brief time with the Chicago Cubs in 1951, during which he hit two home runs, Connors joined the L.A. Angels, the Cubs' Triple-A farm team, in 1952. The former MLB player, Connors, was discovered by a baseball enthusiast who also worked as a casting director for MGM and suggested him for a role in the Spencer Tracy-Katharine Hepburn comedy Pat and Mike (1952). He was originally intended to portray a prizefighter, but Aldo Ray was cast instead. Connors was cast as a state police captain. He gave up his sports dreams and focused only on his acting profession, which accentuated his robust 6'6" frame. Connors went on to star in 20 films over the following few years, culminating in a pivotal part in William Wyler's 1958 western The Big Country (1958). He also appeared in several television shows before breaking out in 1958 with ABC's hugely successful five-year run of The Rifleman (1958).

3. Bob Uecker:

Bob Uecker began his career as a catcher before becoming an actor and broadcaster. He debuted in the major leagues as a catcher with the Milwaukee Braves in 1962. Uecker had a .200 batting average with 14 home runs and 74 RBIs in 297 games throughout his six-year career.

He worked in the Atlanta Braves' media department after his playing career ended in 1967 before becoming a broadcaster with his native Milwaukee Brewers in 1970. Since the early 1980s, Bob has been the "Voice of the Brewers." Bob also became popular for doing commercials in the 1970s and for his line "I must be in the front row!" leading to him being moved to the highest part of the stadium. The former MLB player Bob starred as George Owens in Mr. Belvedere's T.V. series from 1985 to 1990, appearing in 117 episodes. He has also been in Fatal Instinct, Major League, and Homeward Bound II. He also appeared numerous times on shows such as David Letterman's, Jay Leno's, and Johnny Carson's late-night shows, on Saturday Night Live and The New Hollywood Squares.

4. Babe Ruth:

From 1914 through 1935, Babe Ruth was an American professional baseball player who played 22 seasons in Major League Baseball. He began his MLB career as a star left-handed pitcher for the Boston Red Sox. However, he rose to prominence as a slugging outfielder for the New York Yankees. The former MLB player Babe Ruth featured in ten films throughout his career. Babe Ruth's acting career began in the 1920s with the film Heading Home, which depicted Ruth's life in a fictitious, rosy light. Ruth's final film performance was as himself in Pride of the Yankees.

5. Mike Donlin:

Donlin played in the major leagues for 12 years, with six different teams, but is most remembered for his tenure with the New York Giants. Donlin was the starting center fielder for the World Champion 1905 Giants, leading the team with a .356 batting average and a league-leading 124 runs scored. Donlin concluded his career with one of the top-three batting averages in his league five times, and when he retired after the 1914 season, his lifetime .334 average was in the top 20 all-time. Following his days as an MLB player, Donlin starred in several films, most notably in Buster Keaton's renowned 1926 film The General, in which he played a Union general. He also appeared in films like Raffles, The Amateur Cracksman (1917), starring Donlin's friend John Barrymore, She Done Him Wrong (1933), starring a young Cary Grant, and a pair of Walter Huston films set to air on Turner Classic Movies on April 6, 2022: The Star Witness (1931) and The Beast of the City (1932). The former MLB player, Donlin, had been in over 60 films and was no stranger to the big screen.