GLENDALE, AZ. – Luke Little is easily the Chicago Cubs’ biggest prospect if only because he is not at all little. The 6-foot-8, 240-pound left-hander is among a large group of pitching prospects that could soon play big roles in the team’s hopeful rise in the National League Central Division.
Right-handers Cole Horton, Porter Hodge, Ben Brown, Daniel Palencia and fellow lefty Jordan Wicks are also among the next wave of hurlers. Caleb Kilian was at the head of the list until straining his pitching shoulder last week. The right-hander and his 99-mph fastball will be sidelined until at least mid-season. With him out, Wicks and Little likely are the closest of the group ready to make an impact.
Little has looked sharp in six short outings this spring. He hasn’t allowed a run in six innings, fanning six.
“It’s been fun to watch him,” manager Craig Counsell told reporters. The veteran skipper, in his first year in Chicago, said Little’s biggest challenge will be facing experienced hitters and making adjustments. He’s already doing it by throwing a new splitter to go with the heat. He’s also working on repeating his delivery – an ongoing issue with most tall pitchers.
In a seven-game MLB trial in 2023, Little struck out 12 in 6 2/3 innings and did not allow a run. That followed a breakout season in the minors, where he fanned 105 in 63 2/3 innings with a 2.12 earned run average.
Now 23, Little got a $492,700 signing bonus in 2020 when drafted in the fourth round shortly after one of his pitches was clocked at 105 mph at San Jacinto College in Houston. He’s toned down the velocity a tick to gain better command, added a sweeping slider and the split.
He could be the Cubs’ main or possibly only lefty in the bullpen to open the season. “Who’s going to get people out the best?” said Counsell. “That’s who’s going to pitch.”
That also applies to Wicks, 24. Signed for $3.132 million as a first-rounder in 2021 from Kansas State, he has been sharp all spring. In his first four outings, he struck out 10 and walked one with a 1.46 ERA. He has a six-pitch arsenal topped by an excellent changeup and 94-mph fastball.
With veteran Jameson Taillon sidelined, there’s now two rotation spots open behind lefties Justin Steele and Shota Imanaga and right-hander Kyle Hendricks, back for his 11th season in Chicago. Wicks is battling 10-year veteran lefty Drew Smyly and third-year right-handers Hayden Wesneski and Javier Assad.
Baseball Or Basketball?
Tall players were rare in baseball’s early years. In the 1950s and 60s, pitchers with basketball backgrounds emerged: right-handers Gene Conley, Dave DeBusschere and Ron Reed; lefties Steve Hamilton, Garry Roggenburk and Dick Ricketts.
Conley, at 6-8, was tallest. He played 351 NBA games for the Boston Celtics and New York Knicks, averaging 5.9 points and 6.3 rebounds. In 276 games on the mound for the Boston/Milwaukee Braves, Philadelphia Phillies and Boston Red Sox, he had a 91-96 record and 3.82 ERA. He won three NBA titles (1959-61) with the Celtics and the 1957 World Series with the Braves.
The 6-6 DeBusschere had a 3-4 record and 2.90 ERA in 34 games for the Chicago White Sox, but is in the Basketball Hall of Fame. In 875 games for the Detroit Pistons and Knicks, he averaged 16.1 points, 11.1 rebounds and was an eight-time all-star.
Reed, 6-6, averaged 15.3 points and 12.1 rebounds in 199 games for the Pistons (1965-67) under player-coach DeBusschere. He decided to concentrate on baseball and pitched 19 seasons for three teams, going 146-140 with 103 saves and3.46 ERA.
Long, Lanky Lefties
Hamilton, also 6-6, averaged 4.5 points in 82 games for the Minneapolis Lakers (1959-61). For six MLB teams from 1961 through 1972, he had a 40-31 record, 42 saves and 3.82 ERA.
Roggenburk, 6-6, helped Dayton win the NIT Championship in 1962. In 87 career games for the Flyers, he averaged 16.1 points, 11.8 rebounds. Drafted by the NBA’s San Francisco Warriors, he signed instead with the Minnesota Twins for $12,000. After a 13-4 season in the minors, he pitched well for the Twins in 1963, going 2-4 with four saves and 2.16 ERA. His ERA in 34 relief outings was 1.44. He missed all of 1964 after elbow surgery and was never the same. In 79 career games with three clubs, he went 6-9 with 7 saves and 3.64 ERA.
Ricketts, 6-7, averaged 12.5 points and 8.5 rebounds in 212 NBA games for three teams (1955-58) after being the No. 1 overall pick by the St. Louis Hawks in 1955 out of Duquesne, which had won the NIT. He had already signed with the St. Louis Cardinals and had a 10-4 record in the minors before going to the NBA in the fall.
Ricketts preferred baseball and gave up the NBA, but had only a 1-6 record in 12 games for the Cards in 1959. He won 99 games over 10 years in the minors.
Thirty-some years later 6-9 Mark Hendrickson was drafted five times by MLB clubs before finally signing as a 20th-round pick with the Toronto Blue Jays out of Washington State in 1997. In 10 seasons with five teams, he had a 58-74 record and 5.09 ERA over 398 games. In 114 NBA games for four NBA teams (1996-2000), he averaged 3.3 points and 2.8 rebounds.
Others In The NBA & MLB
Eight other non-pitchers also played in the NBA and MLB. The most famous is Chuck Connors. He played 66 games for the Dodgers and Cubs at first base and 53 games for the NBA Celtics. He gave up sports and became a multi-millionaire as an actor, primarily known for his starring role as “The Rifleman” on television.
Dick Groat played 26 games in the NBA — and 1,929 as an infielder. He was the 1960 National League MVP when he hit .325 and led the Pittsburgh Pirates to a World Series Championship.
Danny Ainge played 1,042 games for four NBA teams and six positions over 211 games for the Toronto Blue Jays (1979-81).
Outfielder Frank Baumholtz hit .290 over 10 years for three MLB teams and averaged 14 points in a 45-game pro hoops career.
Others who played a few games in each league were Cotton Nash, John Simmons, Hank Biasatti and Howie Schultz.
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