Like the rest of the sports world, I was enthralled by the early episodes of The Last Dance, ESPN’s ten-part documentary series about the Michael Jordan-Chicago Bulls dynasty of the 1990s.
Though the basketball content in The Last Dance has been riveting, the series will also delve into Jordan’s brief stint in professional baseball.
I have long wondered why the world’s most revered basketball player would abruptly change sports in the prime of his career. That question led me to research his baseball experience, which in turn revealed some surprising information.
Here’s what you need to know about Jordan’s short-lived baseball experiment:
Jordan Was Managed by a Future Hall of Famer
Terry Francona will likely be a Hall of Famer one day. The manager broke an 86-year curse with the Red Sox in 2004 before leading Boston to another championship three years later.
Since joining the Cleveland Indians in 2013, the man affectionately known as “Tito” has won an American League pennant and steered the Tribe to three division titles.
Before he became a big league skipper, Francona plied his trade in the minors. He was the manager of the White Sox Double-A affiliate, the Birmingham Barons, when Jordan played his sole minor league season in 1994. Francona remembers Jordan fondly, and has commended him for his work ethic.
Francona believes that Jordan had potential as a baseball player, stating, “I do think with another 1,000 at-bats, he would’ve made it.” He has also called managing MJ “the greatest learning experience I’ve ever had.”
Jordan’s First Home Run Came a Day Before His Father’s Birthday
Jordan’s public explanation for his foray into baseball was the desire to fulfill his father’s dream.
James Jordan was murdered three months before his son announced his retirement from the NBA in 1993. According to Michael, his father had always envisioned him becoming a baseball player. So while the retirement decision was shocking at the outset, it was not without reason.
The impetus for Jordan’s sudden career change made the timing of his first home run all the more profound. After a 353 at-bat homerless stretch to start the 1994 season, Jordan finally connected on a roundtripper in front of a record crowd in Birmingham on July 30, 1994.
It was the eve of what would have been James Jordan’s 58th birthday, a fact that MJ acknowledged by pointing skyward when he reached home plate.
Jordan Had More Baseball Success Than You Might Think
Jordan’s minor league numbers (.202/.289/.266 slashline, 3 HR in 127 games) are abysmal, but there are signs he could have been a decent player had he dedicated himself to baseball from the beginning. For instance, he enjoyed a 13-game hit streak for the Barons, during which he hit .378 (17-45 AB).
He also had the second-highest stolen base total on Birmingham in 1994 (30), albeit with 18 caught stealings thrown in.
Later that year, “His Airness” hit .252 in the Arizona Fall League, typically a showcase for the game’s top prospects. Although that .252 mark was a far cry from greatness, it was still a noticeable improvement over his performance with the Barons.
Jordan Became Friends with Derek Jeter in the Arizona Fall League
Michael Jordan and Derek Jeter have a lot in common: both are celebrated athletes whose legacies are defined by an insatiable desire to win. They’ve also both become team owners in their post-playing days; Jordan has been a majority owner of the NBA’s Charlotte Hornets (then known as the Bobcats) since 2010, and he had a small stake in the Jeter-led investment group that bought MLB’s Miami Marlins in 2017.
Jordan and Jeter’s relationship dates back to 1994, when they met as fellow minor league baseball players in the Arizona Fall League. The two have grown closer over the years, and Jordan called Jeter his “idol” during Jeter’s retirement ceremony at Yankee Stadium in 2014.
When Jeter’s #2 was officially retired by the Yankees years later, Jordan published a congratulatory letter on the Jeter-created Players’ Tribune website.
Jordan Had a Shining Moment at Wrigley Field
Before the advent of regular season interleague play in 1997, the only time the Cubs and White Sox met outside of the World Series was in the annual Crosstown Classic.
Jordan participated in that very contest on April 7, 1994, starting in right field for the White Sox at Wrigley Field. The exhibition game was Jordan’s first appearance on a major league diamond, and he was surrounded by established stars like Robin Ventura and Ozzie Guillen.
Penciled in the sixth spot in the White Sox batting order, Jordan somehow managed to outshine his more experienced teammates. The Wrigley crowd cheered Jordan’s every action; he could have gone 0-for-5 with five strikeouts and still been met with thunderous applause.
Jordan wasn’t content to rest on his laurels, however, and gave the crowd a performance worthy of their adulation. That afternoon, Jordan proved he could hit major league pitching by going 2-for-5 with a double. Both of his hits scored runs, and the second hit tied the game for the White Sox.
Jordan never played a regular season game in the big leagues, but his performance at Wrigley suggested that he could one day reach the sport’s highest level.
Searle’s Final Say
Michael Jordan’s baseball career is unfairly remembered as an outright failure. Yes, he struggled mightily at times and often looked out of his depth. But despite his limitations, Jordan displayed impressive speed and the ability to make gradual improvements. His trial run in baseball was brief, but it yielded stories that will forever serve as a quirky footnote in the “Air Jordan” legacy.
