Did Chuck Connors Play Baseball?

Many people know Chuck Connors as an actor, but did you know that he also played professional baseball? Read on to learn more about this talented athlete.

Chuck Connors the Actor

Yes, before Chuck Connors was an actor he played baseball. Chuck Connors played for the Brooklyn Dodgers, the Chicago Cubs, and the Los Angeles Angels. He was born on April 10, 1921, in Brooklyn, New York. As a young man, he excelled in both basketball and baseball.

Best known for The Rifleman

Charles Patrick “Chuck” Connors (April 10, 1921 – November 10, 1992) was an American actor, writer and director, best known for his work on television as Lucas McCain in The Rifleman, which ran on ABC from 1958 to 1963. He also played the title role in Branded and Sweet Justice. His career spanned more than four decades in film, television and radio.

Appeared in many Westerns and war films

Connors appeared in many Westerns and war films during his lengthy career. One of his notable roles was in the 1950s Western television series “The Rifleman,” which aired for five seasons. He also had starring roles in the films “Old Yeller” (1957) and “The Great Sioux Uprising” (1963).

During his time on “The Rifleman,” Connors was also an active Major League Baseball player. He played for the Los Angeles Angels, Chicago Cubs, and Philadelphia Phillies. In all, he played in parts of four baseball seasons while also appearing on the television show.

Chuck Connors the Athlete

Chuck Connors was not only an actor he was also an athlete. Chuck played basketball and baseball. He was even offered a contract to play major league baseball with the Brooklyn Dodgers, but he turned it down to pursue an acting career.

Played minor league baseball

Chuck Connors was born Kevin Joseph Aloysius Connors in Brooklyn, New York, on April 10, 1921. His father was an Irish-American streetcar conductor of the Brooklyn Rapid Transit Company with a drinking problem, and his mother was an immigrant from County Wexford in Ireland. He had two older sisters and a younger brother. When he was two years old, his father abandoned the family and Chuck and his siblings were raised by their mother.

Chuck didn’t have the easiest childhood. In addition to being poor, he was often left to fend for himself while his mother worked long hours to support the family. As a result, he got into a lot of fights and got into trouble with the law on more than one occasion. Despite all this, he still managed to excel in school and was even elected class president when he was in high school.

After high school, Chuck enlisted in the Army Air Corps where he served as an airplane mechanic during World War II. When the war ended, he returned to the United States and enrolled in Seton Hall University on the G.I. Bill. While attending Seton Hall, Chuck played basketball and baseball for the school’s teams. He was good enough at baseball that he was offered a minor league contract by the Brooklyn Dodgers after graduation.

Briefly played for the Brooklyn Dodgers

Chuck Connors played baseball briefly for the Brooklyn Dodgers before serving in World War II.

Why Chuck Connors Quit Baseball

Chuck Connors played-and quit-both major American sports in the early 1950s. A natural athlete, Connors had the size and power to excel in either baseball or basketball. So, why did he quit baseball?

Pursued acting full-time

In 1942, Chuck Connors enlisted in the Army Air Forces where he trained as a bomber gunner. He was later assigned to Hawaii where he met his future wife, Emily. When the war ended, Connors returned to California where he attended UCLA on the G.I. Bill. It was there that he decided to pursue acting full-time.

Offered a higher salary to appear in a film

In 1951, Connors was offered a $600 salary increase by the Brooklyn Dodgers to $5,500 if he would give up baseball and instead appear in the film Pat and Mike alongside Spencer Tracy and Katharine Hepburn. Connors turned down the salary offer, but after being called up by the Dodgers late in the 1951 season, he batted only .218 and was traded with Joe Collins and Preston Ward to the Chicago Cubs for Wayne Terwilliger, Bob Ramazzotti and Howie Schultz.