On this day in 2000, country music legend Garth Brooks finished spring training with the New York Mets. Unfortunately, the team did not pick him up, but he was thrilled to have had the opportunity.
Brooks actually made four attempts at becoming a professional baseball star. In both 1998 and 1999, he went through spring training with the San Diego Padres. But the team never offered him a contract.
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So, the singer moved over to the Mets the following year and didn’t have a great run. He walked away with a zero-for-17 batting record.
Garth Brooks tried one last time in 2004 with the Kansas City Royals. Once again, he didn’t prove himself worthy enough to join the roster. But, he was happy he tried because it left him with lasting memories.
“Everything is fun, but the locker room is the most fun,” he once told ESPN, per The Boot. “It’s non-stop. These guys are on each other just all day long. But if someone outside says something about them, they let them have it.”
The Baton Rouge singer did have one small success with his baseball career. According to Country Fancast, he played with the San Diego Padres minor league. However, he only hit 1-for-22.
Garth Brooks had been a star athlete during his high school days. During that time, he played baseball, football, and basketball, and he ran track and field.
His Javelin throwing skills earned him a scholarship to Oklahoma State University. But he didn’t make anything of his Baseball passion during college.
The Singer Heads a Baseball Foundation Called Garth Brooks Teammates for Kids
Garth Brooks still finds ways to participate in his favorite sports, however. In 1999, when he was just starting to follow his pro-ball aspirations, he founded the Garth Brooks Teammates for Kids Foundation.
The nonprofit raises money for multiple children’s charities with the help of professional athletes. Each year, stars pledge a certain amount of money to the cause based on their performances.
Initially, Garth Brooks Teammates for Kids Foundation worked solely with baseball teams. At the start, 67 major league players signed up. But over the years, Brooks expanded it to include football, basketball, hockey, soccer, rodeo, and racing, according to the foundation’s official website.
More than 4,700 pros have participated since its inception. And 100 percent of the proceeds go back to the kids. Some of the players who have supported Brooks’ endeavors are Larry Walker, Troy Aikman, and Anthony Munoz.
