'The Last Dance': Michael Jordan's baseball career examined
After retiring from the NBA, Jordan spent a season in the Chicago White Sox's minor league system.
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Michael Jordan’s brief bid to launch a professional baseball career after his sudden retirement from the NBA in 1993 is expected to be a major storyline in an upcoming episode of ESPN’s documentary series “The Last Dance.”
Jordan stunned the sports world in Oct. 1993 when he announced his retirement after leading the Chicago Bulls to three consecutive NBA titles. Just four months later, Jordan delivered another shock by signing a contract with the Chicago White Sox, whose owner, Jerry Reinsdorf, also owned the Bulls.
WHY DID MICHAEL JORDAN RETIRE?
The NBA superstar’s decision to switch sports was motivated in part by the death of his father, James Jordan, an avid baseball fan who was found murdered at a rest stop in North Carolina in Aug. 1993. Jordan’s father had always hoped his son would become a pro baseball player.
Michael Jordan runs during a base running drill at a workout at the Chicago White Sox' spring training camp in Sarasota, Florida, February 15, 1994. Jordan, known for his success as a Chicago Bulls' basketball player, is trying to become a major leag … (Reuters)
After a spring training stint with the White Sox, Jordan was assigned to the White Sox’s Double-A affiliate, the Birmingham Barons, with no guarantee that he would ever reach the majors. While the financial terms of his deal were not publicly known, the Bulls were still paying Jordan a salary of $4 million for the season.
WHO IS BULLS OWNER JERRY REINSDORF?
Jordan’s minor league career generated plenty of fanfare, but his on-field performance was largely forgettable. In 127 games with the Barons, he hit just .202 at the plate with three home runs and 51 RBIs. He committed 11 fielding errors while playing in the outfield.
UNSPECIFIED - CIRCA 1994: Michael Jordan #45 of the Birmingham Barons the Double A minor league affiliate of the Chicago White Sox in action during a minor league baseball game circa 1994. Jordan played for the Barons from 1994-95. (Photo by Focus on …
At the time, the Barons were managed by Terry Francona, who later managed the Boston Red Sox to a World Series title.
WHAT IS NIKE'S JORDAN BRAND WORTH TO THE SPORTSWEAR COMPANY?
Jordan’s experiment with a baseball career proved to be short-lived. When MLB dealt with a player strike in 1995, Jordan opted for an NBA comeback with his old team, the Bulls. With Jordan back on the roster, the Bulls embarked on a second “three-peat” of NBA championships, culminating in the 1997-98 season.
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Episodes seven and eight of “The Last Dance” will air on Sunday night on ESPN.