Almost all professional baseball players played at least one other sport growing up. Moreover, many of them were athletically gifted at a young age and thus excelled against their school-age contemporaries in their formative years, often all the way through high school. Fast forward to today, and many continue to play other sports in a recreational capacity — golf is prominent — especially in the offseason.

Watching other sports is also popular activity for ballplayers. Much as they tuned in to see their favorites on the family TV, they now do so as adults. Like the rest of us, they enjoy sitting on their couches, or hanging out with friends at sports bars, rooting for successful shots, goals, and touchdowns. Temporarily apart from the game they get paid to play, they get to be fans.

With those things in mind, I asked a dozen players about their “other” sport. Besides baseball, what did they most enjoy playing, and what do they now most enjoy watching?

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Dansby Swanson, Chicago Cubs shortstop: “Basketball. I was pretty good. I could really shoot. My basketball game was somewhat similar to my baseball game. I kind of did the right things. I knew what to do. I knew where to go. I averaged around 15 points in high school. It was [a big school]. We had over 2,000 kids. There are a lot of big schools in Georgia.

“I grew up in very much a sports family. I love watching all sports, honestly. I love watching football. I love watching basketball. Obviously, I watch a lot of soccer; I watch my wife [Mallory Swanson, who plays for the Chicago Red Stars and the U.S. Women’s National Team]. Golf is on the TV. An underrated sport to watch is tennis. I have sports on TV all the time.”

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Mike Trout, Los Angeles Angels center fielder: “I played basketball and football throughout high school. I’d probably say that basketball was my best other sport. I was a small forward and an OK player.

“I watch a lot of golf. I love golfing. I watch basketball and football games, too. I’m an Eagles fan, a Sixers fan. Golf, I like Tiger [Woods]. I like Scottie [Scheffler]. Justin Thomas. I watch golf all the time.”

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Emerson Hancock, Seattle Mariners pitcher: “I always really enjoyed golf growing up. I never played it competitively, but it was something fun to go out and do. I also played basketball and was pretty good at that, because I had to put a lot more time and practice into it. That was in middle school. In high school it was only baseball. That and football, but I didn’t like football too much.

“I love pickleball. My best friend’s dad got me into it about two years ago. I play it in the offseason. It’s super fun. You get a good group, and the games are competitive. I watch pickleball, too. They’re pretty good.”

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Carl Edwards Jr., Chicago Cubs pitcher: “Basketball. I played basketball as a youth and was pretty good. I could hold my own. I played point, shooting guard, small forward. I could have went and played college. I had some small offers. Nothing major. At the same time, the way I look at it is that no matter where you play, you have a chance to get to the NBA. If I’d have gotten the right coaching, the right fundamentals, cleaned up some areas I wasn’t good at, I could have had a chance.

“What I watch now is basketball and football. That’s it.”

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Corbin Carroll, Arizona Diamondbacks outfielder: “Soccer was my other biggest sport. I played through Grade 8. Baseball and soccer had the same high school season in Seattle. If it was possible, I would have done it. At the higher levels, I was on defense — a right center back, a right back.

“The sport I watch now… that’s a good question. I mostly follow football. I’m a Seahawks fan. They and the Sounders were the really good Seattle sports teams when I was growing up. They went to the Super Bowl in back-to-backs years when I was around 13 years old. That left a mark on me.”

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Adam Cimber, Los Angeles Angels pitcher: “It’s hard to answer that one, because I only played basketball as another sport, and I only played it through [age] 11. It was fun until everyone got way bigger than me. I was kind of a late bloomer. Once everyone grew a foot taller than me, I started to not play very well. From there I gravitated to baseball.

“I don’t watch a lot of sports, to be honest. I guess I did get really into football for awhile. I was a big Seahawks guy. I’m kind of starting to get into hockey, because of the Kraken. I’m from Seattle. But I mostly just go back to the hotel and watch baseball when I’m on the road during the season. I’m kind of baseball through and through.”

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Casey Schmitt, San Francisco Giants infielder: “I loved playing soccer. I think I was better at soccer than baseball for a little bit of my life — up until I was about 10 or 12. Being young I wanted to play different sports. Soccer was the one I played, but baseball was the one I fell in love with.

“I love watching football. I just started getting into watching basketball about a year ago. I don’t watch soccer.”

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Eugenio Suárez, Arizona Diamondbacks third baseman: “Soccer. That’s my favorite sport besides baseball. I love to play soccer. I love to watch soccer. I played until I was 15, I want to say — right before I signed to play professional baseball. I got a lot of goals. Number 9 [traditionally the number worn by strikers/center forwards]. Both feet. I don’t know if I could have [played professionally]. If I would have taken it seriously, maybe.

“I watch Real Madrid. Champions League. Spain. Real Madrid is my favorite team. Yesterday they won 4-0. I watched on my phone.”

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Graham Pauley, San Diego Padres infielder: “In high school, I played football, baseball, basketball. After my junior year I decided to just focus on baseball. After I committed [to Duke University], I didn’t want to hurt myself. But I loved sports growing up. My dad played basketball at Barry College, in Georgia. I think that really helped me as a kid, playing as many sports as possible. In today’s game of baseball, with the rule changes and everything, I think being as athletic as possible is a huge asset.

“I was a quarterback and a linebacker — I played both sides — and in basketball I was a shooting guard. I think I could have played football or basketball [collegiately], but not at a very big school. I could have competed at a smaller D-I, maybe. I really love football season. Towards the end of baseball season, I know I have that to look forward to, both the NFL and college. I love sports in general.”

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Nolan Schanuel, Los Angeles Angels first baseman: “I played everything growing up. Football. Basketball. I would say that I played more football than every other sport. I was a quarterback. I’d say that was my best [other sport]. I played until my freshman year of high school. I stopped playing after that.

“I watch everything now. College basketball. Football. Some hockey. I mean, whatever’s on, I’ll watch. I’m a Miami Dolphins fan. It’s Florida Panthers for hockey. Miami Heat for basketball. I’m a big Florida guy.”

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Kyle Nelson, Arizona Diamondbacks pitcher: “Football, for sure. I love football. I played in high school — I played quarterback — for four years and had some success my last couple of years. Could I have [played in college]? I think so. Colleges didn’t. I did get some junior college offers, but my best season was my senior season and that was kind of past the signing window. I was also committed to baseball and made it clear that’s what I was planning to do.

“I love the NFL. Along with games, I love watching film studies and stuff like that. My favorite team is the 49ers. I pay attention to golf a little bit, but I mostly just hone in on football and baseball.”

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Kyle Hendricks, Chicago Cubs pitcher: “I guess that golf is my other best, or favorite, sport. But I love all of them. I grew up playing ice hockey. I played a little basketball. I pretty much played everything except football — but I love watching football. So, baseball was my best sport, and then golf. They were the same season, and in my junior year I basically played golf matches, played the baseball games, and didn’t practice either. That wasn’t ideal. I couldn’t be on the driving range hitting balls all day long, but I could be on a baseball field hanging out and doing my thing, so it was pretty clear to me, and to my whole family, where my passion lied. I focused on baseball after that.

“I’ll watch any sport. I watch a lot of golf, a lot of basketball, a lot of hockey. College basketball. I watch a lot of college hockey these days. I grew up in Southern California, but my father is from Minnesota and grew up playing hockey. He was actually a professional golfer — he qualified for something like 10 PGA events — but yeah, I love watching sports. My dad loves all sports, too. I kind of got it from him, and it’s still part of our lives.”

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