Expert: Fabio Anderle - 3/24/2003

Question
I believe a there was a major league baseball pitcher, who also played in the NBA, probably for the Celtics. Am I right?  Who was it?

Thanks

Answer
Yes, Morgan,

you are right. Gene "Geno" Conley accomplished something no one else was able to do: he won championship rings in two different major professional sports. In 1958, Conley was a pitcher for the Milwaukee Braves, who beat the New York Yankees in the World Series. In 1959, 1960 and 1961, Conley was a member of the NBA champion Boston Celtics. Born on November 10, 1930 in Muskogee, Oklahoma, Conley moved to Richland when he was 12. He stood 6-foot-9, had a long stride toward the plate and was known for a hard fastball. He had a career earned run average of 3.20 and completed
69 of the 276 games he started. He played for three teams
(Braves, Red Sox and Indians) in his 11-year career, compiling a record of 91-96. In basketball, Conley was tough, once described by former Celtics coach Red Auerbach as "the toughest guy I ever had in a fight." But he was a very good pitcher too: he was chosen to pitch in three major league All-Star Games. He was the losing pitcher in 1954 and the winning pitcher in 1955. In basketball, his finest hour came in the seventh game of Eastern Conference Finals in 1959. Russell, who hadn't fouled out all season, was disqualified with 1:53 left to go and the game still hanging in the balance. Conley replaced him and grabbed two key rebounds as the Celtics held on to win 130-125. The Celtics then swept the St. Louis Hawks to win another NBA title. Now in his seventies, he lives in Foxboro, Massachussetts. He doesn't wear any of his championship rings: they are all locked up, saved with scrapbooks for his seven grandchildren. I hope this helps

Fabio