Celebrities Who Played Professional Baseball Before They Were Famous
Some celebs thought they were going to the major league before they found fame elsewhere
Besides professional athletes, celebrities take many forms in the United States. From musicians to actors and many in between, there are any number of ways to become widely known. Interestingly, a small number of celebrities in different fields got their start by playing professional baseball. Unfortunately, their endeavors on the diamond didn’t work out as long-term careers but do represent interesting starts to their lives in the public eye.
Kurt Russell: Technically, Russell was acting professionally as an adolescent, but didn’t become a true movie star until his adult years. The son of entertainers, he was a skilled athlete and took after his actor father Bing, who played briefly in the low minors in the 1940s.
Kurt somehow balanced his burgeoning acting career as a teenager, while also having the time to impress others with his baseball ability. He recalled to milb.com, “I was working on a Disney film at the time and the Giants and Twins were talking to my dad about drafting me. But I wanted to be able to finish the picture I was doing, even if it meant missing some of Spring Training.”
