Fritz Connally was a powerful hitter whose baseball career spanned from Pasadena High School to Major League Baseball. A standout at Pasadena High, he led the Eagles to the state semifinals as a sophomore and was twice named all-district and second-team all-state in both baseball and basketball. 

At Baylor University, Connally was a four-time All-Southwest Conference third baseman and helped lead the team to its first two College World Series appearances. He set school records with 38 home runs and 156 RBIs. Drafted by the Chicago Cubs, he later played for the Baltimore Orioles, hitting grand slams for his first two MLB home runs. Connally was inducted into the Baylor Athletics Hall of Fame in 1996.