With famed quarterback Joe Namath making a ceremonial first pitch at Wrigley on Wednesday, and the MLB amateur draft concluding that same day, it seemed like an ideal time to reflect on the relationship between the MLB and NFL when it comes to searching for talent.
Way back in 1961, before the amateur draft as we know it was established, the Chicago Cubs tried to woo Joe Namath into playing baseball professionally. Then 18 years old, Namath was made a pretty substantial offer of $50,000. It was his mother, Rose, who put her foot down and insisted Joe go to college instead.