Define “greatness”? For me, no matter how you specify the word, one pro athlete is at the top of my list, and he is NBA’s Michael Jordan. But this isn’t a story about the basketball version of Michael Jordan. It is about the time I saw Jordan play minor league baseball.
In 1994, Jordan was coming off of three NBA championships with the Chicago Bulls. He decided to retire from the game and give pro baseball a try. Indeed, the press and sporting public were surprised (some even shocked) that Jordan would give up the game in which he excelled, but they were also curious to see how he’d do in a very different sport.
Baseball had always been his passion, which he played as a youth growing up in North Carolina. Plus, those who knew him (and how competitive he is) understood that it made sense for Jordan to cash in on a game he had mastered to seek greatness in a very different game.
Jordan signed with the Chicago White Sox, and, after a brief stint of practicing with the team, he was sent down to the organization’s minor league affiliate, the Birmingham (AL) Barons. And that’s where I saw Jordan play.
My family made the trip from our home in Houston to Birmingham, and, one night, my dad thought it would be fun to see Jordan in action. Luckily, we were able to get tickets (Jordan was a big draw), and I remember entering the ballpark and witnessing a jam-packed stadium. We were fortunate to get terrific seats (3rd baseline), and there wasn’t any question about who most of those fans were there to see. It was Michael.
Jordan signs were all over the park, and we couldn’t wait for Michael to come to bat. The experience was generally uneventful, though. Jordan struck out several times that night, but he did get a hit. He advanced to third base, too. And there I was…but a few short feet from one of the greatest athletes of all time.
As I walked out of the stadium that night, I couldn’t help but think that the baseball Jordan wouldn’t be anything close to the basketball version. I was right. Jordan never made the majors, although I think he might have had a chance had he stuck with the game a bit longer. To the delight of NBA fans everywhere, he decided to return to basketball, where he excelled again, winning three more championship rings.
The basketball Mike is a player I saw on TV. It was the baseball Mike that I saw in person. That night in Birmingham is a memory I’ll cherish always.
