Mark Hendrickson

Guide Note:Major League Baseball starting pitcher Mark Hendrickson currently plays for the Los Angeles Dodgers. He is only the 11th professional baseball player to have also played professional basketball in the NBA.

Hendrickson was originally drafted right out of high school in 1992 by the Atlanta Braves, but declined signing with them so he could attend college. He enrolled at Washington State University having a successful career in both basketball and baseball. During college he was drafted in 1993 by the San Diego Padres, in 1994 again by the Braves, in 1995 by the Detroit Tigers and in 1996 by the Texas Rangers, but chose not to sign each time. After graduating Washington State, he was drafted by both the Toronto Blue Jays and the Philadelphia 76ers.

Hendrickson chose to sign with the 76ers and played 29 games his rookie season. The following year he became a free agent and signed with the Sacramento Kings on December 23 1997. During the 1998-1999 NBA season he played a few games with the New Jersey Nets, then moved to the Cleveland Cavaliers for the 1999-2000 regular season.

During his three seasons in the NBA, Hendrickson also played baseball, signing with the Toronto Blue Jays on May 22, 1998. In 2000 he left the NBA to play baseball full time and spent the next two seasons with the Blue Jays minor league affiliate.

A full ten years after first being drafted, Hendrickson finally made his MLB debut on August 6, 2002 with Toronto. The following year he was involved in a three team trade, being sent to the Tampa Bay Devil Rays on December 14, 2003. Hendrickson averaged around 30 games each season over the next three years with the Devil Rays before being traded to the Los Angeles Dodgers on June 27, 2006. After entering free agency in December 2007, he signed as a free agent with the Florida Marlins on January 16, 2008. Fast Facts:

1. Full name: Mark Allan Hendrickson
2. Born: June 23, 1974
3. Birthplace: Mount Vernon, Washington
4. Made MLB debut with the Toronto Blue Jays
5. Played professionlly in both Basketball and Baseball