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Michael Jordan’s foray into baseball was covered in Episode 7 of “The Last Dance” on Sunday night.
Jordan retired from basketball to fulfill a wish of playing professional baseball. Jordan played for the Birmingham Barons of the Southern League in the Chicago White Sox’s organization in 1994. He hit .202 with three home runs and 51 RBI in 127 games for the Barons.
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While the sample size for Jordan’s success is small, his former manager Terry Francona said in the episode that Jordan was on track to making the majors.
“He had it all. Ability, aptitude, work ethic. He was always so respectful of what we were doing and considerate of his teammates ... I do think with another 1,000 at-bats, he would've made it,” Francona said.
Francona wasn’t the only person who thought Jordan could have made the major leagues, according to CBS Sports. Former All-Star catcher John Stearns told an Arizona newspaper in 1994 that he could have seen a team taking a flier on Jordan.
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Michael Jordan #45 of the Birmingham Barons bats during an August 1994 game against the Memphis Chicks at Hoover Metropolitan Stadium in Hoover, Alabama. (Photo by Jim Gund/Getty Images)
“Michael can't really play baseball, but he's not terrible. He doesn't have power. His defense is way below average. He can't throw. His baseball instincts are poor,” Stearns said. “But he can run a little bit and can hit a little bit. Considering he's never played baseball all these years, it's incredible that he's able to hold his own here. He's not a prospect for me. But he may play in the big leagues. You may take him as a 25th guy. Why not?”
Jordan could have had a one-way ticket to the majors if he took the Oakland Athletics’ deal.
Former Athletics general manager Sandy Alderson told ESPN’s “Baseball Tonight” podcast last month that he was looking to put Jordan on the major-league roster.
“You recall when Jordan stopped playing basketball and decided to try baseball, and ultimately went down to the Birmingham Barons — the Chicago White Sox affiliate,” Alderson said. “When I heard that was happening, or about to happen, I called his agent right away and said, 'Hey look, I understand he may be going to Double-A. I don't even know who the 25th man is on our major league team right now, I will sign him and put him on the major league roster. He'll be part of our 25-man team. Tomorrow.'”
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Alderson said he wasn’t thinking about whether the Chicago Bulls star was going to fill a need.
“It wasn’t about, 'We’ve got a spot for him, he’s got a particular skill,’” he said. “That wasn’t the idea. The idea was, 'We’ve got Michael Jordan on our team' and the interest that would have generated.”
Jordan’s agent, David Falk, explained why his client didn’t want to go to the majors right away.
“I was excited about [the offer], and Michael was very appreciative,” Falk told MLB.com. “But he wanted to do the baseball thing from the ground up. He didn’t feel he deserved a spot on the Major League roster and didn’t feel he was ready. He didn’t want to be a Herb Washington type who would just steal bases and be a part-time outfielder.
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“Michael’s an amazingly loyal guy. If not for his relationship with the White Sox, [the A’s offer] might have been something he might have done.”
Major League Baseball’s strike in 1994 ultimately ended Jordan’s baseball career. He refused to cross the picket line and become a replacement player for the league.