Blue & Gold Illustrated: America's Foremost Authority on Notre Dame Football
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44 JUNE/JULY 2024 BLUE & GOLD ILLUSTRATED IRISH IN THE PROS BY TODD D. BURLAGE T he date was Sept. 17, 2019, and MLB Hall of Fame infielder and Astros legend Craig Biggio snuck out early from his former team's game in Houston to get home to watch his son Cavan play on television. Cavan was a rookie infielder for the Toronto Blue Jays that season. He was playing in Baltimore that night, and he was about ready to make some MLB history. On a chilly night inside Oriole Park at Camden Yards in Baltimore, Cavan — with his mother in the stands and his father in front of the TV — homered in the third inning, singled in the sixth, doubled in the eighth inning and com- pleted his memorable cycle with a triple in the ninth inning. The feat made the younger Biggio only the third Blue Jays player to ever hit for the cycle, and Craig and Cavan Biggio only the second father-son duo to ever to share in the rare accomplish- ment. Craig Biggio did it for the Astros in 2002. Gary Ward (1980) and Daryle Ward (2004) is the only other father- son duo to each hit for the cycle in a career. "I knew my dad had one," said Cavan, who will also forever remain the first opposing player to hit for the cycle at Camden Yards. "I've had a ticket to the game from when he did it in my room my whole life." Cavan, a standout infielder at Notre Dame from 2014-16, recently began his sixth season with the Blue Jays as the starting second basemen and a versatile utility player. In 464 career games with Toronto, Biggio has 329 hits, 237 runs scored, 77 doubles, 47 home runs and 172 RBI. As the son of a MLB Hall of Famer, a seven-time all-star with the Astros and a member of the exclusive 3,000-hit club, Cavan spent his entire childhood following in his father's footsteps. And while there are plenty of takeaways from his dad, Cavan said one in particular stands out. "Keep it simple. Baseball is a hard game," Cavan said. "Hitting a base- ball is probably the hardest thing you do in sports, especially a fastball. And, the more complicated you make it, the harder it's going to be. So keep it simple, and always play the game hard." ✦ Cavan Biggio Is Following His Father's Lead FIGHTING IRISH HEADLINERS Pat Connaughton (Played at Notre Dame from 2011-15), SG, Milwaukee Bucks (NBA) After a regular season hindered by a nagging ankle injury, the former star Irish guard began his quest for a second NBA championship April 21 against the Indiana Pacers. Through two games in the best-of-seven series, Connaughton was averag- ing 5.5 points, 4.5 rebounds, 1.5 steals and 1.5 assists. Playing in his sixth season in Milwaukee, the Arlington, Mass., native was an integral piece to the Bucks NBA championship run in 2021. Landon Slaggert (2020-24), LW, Chicago Blackhawks (NHL) The former Irish forward tallied the first goal of his NHL career April 10. The South Bend native took a cross-ice pass, cleared the defenders and ripped a shot past the St. Louis Blues netminder in a 5-2 loss for the Blackhawks. In his first 16 games after being called up to Chicago in April, Slaggert averaged 11:16 minutes per game and tallied 4 points (1 goal, 3 assists). Blake Wesley (2021-22), SG, San Antonio Spurs (NBA) The 2022 first-round draft pick recently completed his second NBA season with the Spurs and averaged 4.4 points, 2.7 assists and 1.5 rebounds in 61 games as a valuable substitute. The South Bend native, who was drafted by the Spurs 25th overall, remains the last Irish player to be drafted and the most recent to go in the first round since Jerian Grant in 2015. Biggio appeared in 25 games with the Blue Jays through the first month of the MLB season and was hit- ting .229 with 1 home run, 6 RBI and 1 steal. PHOTO COURTESY TORONTO BLUE JAYS