Marlins' Hendrickson part of elite, two-sport group

MIAMI GARDENS, Fla. — The most memorable image of Mark Hendrickson's NBA career haunts him every day in the Marlins clubhouse.

There it is in full color, greeting every player entering the video room — Michael "Air" Jordan, cupping the basketball in his right hand, soaring over a helpless opponent while gliding to the rim.

But the Fkorida Marlins are amused by the lower half of the poster, which shows Jordan's right thigh crashing into the chest of the Philadelphia 76ers' defender — Hendrickson.

"He straight up got posterized," pitcher Scott Olsen said.

The image made Time-Life's "Pictures of the Century'' collection, but Hendrickson prefers a different snapshot of him and Jordan.

"We're just tied up at the free-throw line looking up,'' Hendrickson said with a grin. "I would say it's a better photo for me."

Hendrickson, 6-foot-9, was merely a journeyman in the NBA. He averaged 3.3 points and 2.8 rebounds in a four-season career that ended eight years ago.

But as an athlete who has reached the top level of competition in baseball and basketball, he is in one of the most elite groups in sports. Even Jordan couldn't make the cut for that team — he got no further than Class AA in his one-year baseball career.

Hendrickson, who is off to his best start with a 5-1 record and 3.71 ERA, reached the majors in 2002 with Toronto and has compiled a 48-56 record. Not bad for a left-hander who juggled both sports for three years.

"It's a tremendous talent to have," Marlins outfielder Luis Gonzalez said of Hendrickson's unusual achievement. "How many guys can say they've actually been able to do that?"

Ten, to be exact, from Chuck Connors (more famous as TV's "Rifleman") in the 1940s and '50s to Danny Ainge (Toronto Blue Jays and Boston Celtics) and Hendrickson in more recent years.

Typically, these two-sport athletes abandon one sport relatively early in their athletic careers.

Dick Groat's first love was basketball — he averaged 12 points for the Fort Wayne (Ind.) Pistons in 1952-53, his only season — but he became a star in baseball, winning the National League batting title and the MVP award for Pittsburgh in 1960.

"You've got to have a lot of endurance and I think you have to enjoy it,'' said Gene Conley, 77. He is the only man with championship rings in both sports, as a Milwaukee Braves pitcher in 1957 and center-forward with the Boston Celtics in 1959-61.

Conley, a right-hander who won the '55 All-Star Game, played professionally year-round, facing Ernie Banks one season and Wilt Chamberlain the next.

"I'd go change my jockstrap, put in a cup and play baseball. Then take the cup out, put on my short pants and play basketball. I did that for 13 seasons without stopping," said Conley, who lives near Orlando, Fla.

Conley recalled his baseball roommate, pitcher Robin Roberts, bringing their Phillies teammates to the Spectrum in Philadelphia to watch Conley play when the Celtics were in town.

"Richie Ashburn used to say, 'Conley, I'd take you to the post. I'd go around you so fast.' I said 'Richie, you wouldn't get a shot off me. You'd never release the ball.'''

Hendrickson doesn't have to worry about any of his current teammates trying to school him.

"He hasn't been challenged in any pick-up games," Gonzalez said with a laugh, "and I don't expect to ever take him on out on the court."

Hendrickson was drafted after high school in the 13th round in 1992 by the Atlanta Braves, but enrolled at Washington State University. He resisted offers by other baseball teams that drafted him and played college basketball.

After starring for the Cougars, he was drafted in the second round by the 76ers. He saw action in 29 games in the 1996-97 NBA season, averaging 2.9 points and 3.2 rebounds in 10.4 minutes per game.

He bounced around to Sacramento, New Jersey and Cleveland before focusing on baseball, making his major-league debut with Toronto in '02.

"I'd always played both sports growing up. But I kind of knew baseball would be there and I just thought I want to play basketball first,'' said Hendrickson, whose next start will be Thursday against Milwaukee.

The Marlins, who traded No. 1 starter Dontrelle Willis in the off-season, signed Hendrickson this winter in part to provide a veteran's presence in the clubhouse. On this year's first road trip, to Washington, D.C., he took the other starting pitchers out to dinner.

"We were all sitting around. He told us he thinks collectively as a group if we can stay close we'll be all right," Olsen said. "That we should be comfortable talking to each other about pitching. That's something no (other player) has ever really done — let's go out to dinner and talk baseball.

"He is so mild-mannered. He keeps an even keel about himself. It's easy to follow someone like that."

Other Marlins are convinced Hendrickson still could handle himself in the NBA if he so desired. Manager Fredi Gonzalez remembers a spring-training game when the big left-hander leaped off the mound to field a slow dribbler.

"I couldn't believe how fast he jumped on the ball and made that play," Gonzalez said. "I told him, 'How did Jordan ever get by you?'"

Hendrickson has pitched to an All-Star roster of sluggers, including Barry Bonds. But he admits that facing Jordan was a unique experience.

"If ever I was in awe, that was it," Hendrickson said. "People don't realize that when the Bulls used to travel, it was a traveling circus. I mean, everyone else shoots to a hoop. Jordan shoots to flashbulbs, which is a lot harder to do than some people may realize."

But Hendrickson says his days on the hardwood are done. His mission now is to help the Marlins reach the playoffs.

"Don't get me wrong – every time March rolls around or playoff time rolls around I miss it,'' he said while glancing at a clubhouse TV showing the final minutes of a Hawks-Celtics playoff game. "But I'm happy where I'm at and I wouldn't do it differently.''

Joe Capozzi writes for The Palm Beach Post.