Mark Hendrickson stands out as one of only 13 athletes to have played in both Major League Baseball (MLB) and the National Basketball Association (NBA). The former Orioles player, who ended his athletic career with the team in 2011, is also the most recent athlete to do so.
The 6’9 Hendrickson’s NBA journey as a power forward began after being drafted 31st overall by the Philadelphia 76ers in 1996, following his college career at Washington State (1992-1996). He went on to play for the Philadelphia 76ers (1996-1997), Sacramento Kings (1997-1998), New Jersey Nets (1999 and a short stint in 1999-2000), and the Cleveland Cavaliers (1999-2000). Over 114 NBA games, he averaged 3.3 points, 2.8 rebounds, and 0.6 assists per game, with a 41.6% field goal percentage and an 80.3% free throw percentage.
Transitioning to baseball, Hendrickson became a left-handed pitcher, making his MLB debut on August 6, 2002, with the Toronto Blue Jays. He pitched for the Blue Jays (2002-2003), Tampa Bay Devil Rays (2004-2006), Los Angeles Dodgers (2006-2007), Florida Marlins (2008), and Baltimore Orioles (2009-2011), with his final MLB appearance on August 28, 2011. In his MLB career, he compiled a 58-74 win-loss record, a 5.03 ERA, and 666 strikeouts over 328 games (166 starts), also notching one save.
After his playing career, Mark Hendrickson served as a pitching coach for the Aberdeen IronBirds in 2017-2018. More recently, he has transitioned into the real estate business and has also started his own performance coaching company. He has also expressed interest in pursuing professional golf.