Entertainers with Sons in the Major Leagues

The Major League Baseball draft seems to lack some of the drama of that of the NBA and NFL, primarily because the MLB draftees are not well-known. Both football and basketball have much more collegiate exposure than baseball, resulting in familiarity of the first round picks in the NBA and NFL.

However, one interesting characteristic of the MLB draft is the number of offspring whose fathers played in the Majors. According to the June 2010 issue of Baseball America, at least a dozen draftees had fathers who played professional baseball. Among them was the highly touted Delino DeShields, Jr., whose father was a talented second baseman for the Expos and Dodgers.

The tendency to draft sons of big leaguers has been evident over the last two decades. The most famous case happened in the 1980s, when the Seattle Mariners drafted the son of outfielder Ken Griffey. Junior, of course, would go on to become an MVP and win more than a few Gold Gloves.

While Griffey got the opportunity to play beside his father for a season, most draftees do not get that opportunity. It is also rare for draftees to get to play for the same team as their fathers, such as Tony Gwynn, Jr. suiting up for the Padres.

Even rarer, though, is when a draftee has a parent famous outside of baseball. Blue Jays outfielder Vernon Wells is the son of a professional athlete, but Vernon, Sr. was a football player. Former Angels and Giants first baseman J.T. Snow is the son of Jack Snow, who had been a popular wide receiver for the Rams.

Occasionally, a baseball player has a father who is famous outside of sports all together. Here are the five most noteworthy professional baseball players whose fathers were famous in the entertainment world. Several of these players are currently on Major League rosters.

Pete LaCock: The son of game show host Peter Marshall played first base and outfield for the Cubs and Royals in the 70s. His dad is most commonly associated with Hollywood Squares.

Rex Rundgren: The son of innovative rock musician and producer Todd Rundgren played infield professionally for the minor league teams of several organizations, most recently the Florida Marlins. His dad had several top 40 hits, such as Hello It's Me.

Tory Lovullo: The son of television producer Sam Lovullo played infield for several Major League teams and is currently the manager of Boston's Triple-A team, the Pawtucket Red Sox. His dad was a producer for the popular variety show Hee Haw.

Conor Jackson: The son of actor John M. Jackson plays outfield for the Oakland Athletics after spending several seasons with the Arizona Diamondbacks. His dad is a star on the television series JAG.

Drew Storen: The son of a popular talk show host is a reliever for the Washington Nationals. His dad, Mark Patrick, currently hosts a radio talk show on WNDE 1260-AM in Indianapolis.