Okay, so today I’m gonna yap about something kinda outta left field – Pat Connaughton and baseball. Yeah, the Bucks guy. You’re probably thinking, “Basketball player playing baseball? What’s the deal?” Well, lemme tell ya, it’s a trip down memory lane and a look at “what could have been.”
It all started when I was just browsin’ the web, killin’ time, and I stumbled upon an old article talkin’ ’bout Connaughton’s college days. Turns out, before he was drainin’ threes for Milwaukee, he was pitchin’ for Notre Dame. Like, seriously pitchin’.
I remember diggin’ around and finding some box scores and stats. The dude wasn’t just a walk-on playin’ for fun. He was actually pretty damn good. He had a fastball that touched the low 90s, which is legit even by today’s standards. I saw mentions of him sharing the Notre Dame Monogram Club Most Valuable Player Honors with Jerian Grant. How wild is that?
So, naturally, my brain started runnin’ wild. I was like, “Hold up. This guy had a shot at the MLB and the NBA?” I had to know more, so I dove deeper.
I started watchin’ old YouTube clips – grainy, low-res footage of him on the mound. You could see the raw talent, the arm strength. You could also see he was a bit raw, needed some polish. But the potential was undeniably there.
Then I found out that he was actually drafted by the Baltimore Orioles back in 2014! Can you believe that? He was a 4th round pick! That’s not some throwaway pick; teams usually have pretty serious interest in guys they take that high.
I started tryin’ to piece together why he chose basketball. From what I gathered, he had a deal with the Orioles where he could play basketball at Notre Dame while being a “pro” baseball player. Then, when the time came, he had to choose. And he chose basketball.
I mean, you can’t really blame him. The NBA is a global stage. More fame, more money (probably), and less wear and tear on the body, especially on your arm. Pitching is brutal, man.
But it’s still fun to think about “what if.” What if he’d focused solely on baseball? Could he have made it to the majors? Maybe even become an All-Star? We’ll never know.
Anyway, that was my little Pat Connaughton baseball rabbit hole for the day. It’s a reminder that sometimes life takes you in unexpected directions. And that even the pros we see on TV every night had other paths they could have taken. Crazy, right?
Just a little something to ponder. Maybe next time you see him hit a big shot, remember he coulda been throwin’ heaters instead. Later!
