"You tell me I can't do something," Jordan said, "and I'm going to do it. In 1994 Michael Jordan played one year of minor league baseball for the Double-A Birmingham Barons, a Chicago White Sox affiliate. https://bpv.baseball-reference.com/bpv/index.php?title=Michael_Jordan&oldid=1151087. The bus, operated by Thrasher Brothers Tours, was used by the Barons through the 2002 season. Total Zone Rating and initial framework for Wins above Replacement calculations provided by Sean Smith. 17, 1963, Brooklyn, N.Y.Recommended/Signed By: Ron Schueler (White Sox)How Obtained: Signed as a free agent by the White Sox, Feb. 7, 1994Retired from baseball: March 10, 1995, The true story behind MJ's brief-but-promising baseball career. We have tools and resources that can help you use sports data. All images are property the copyright holder and are displayed here for informational purposes only. He was integral in helping to popularize the NBA around the world in the 1… In 2017, his name re-emerged in a baseball context, as a member of the group of the investors led by Bruce Sherman and former player Derek Jeter that made a successful bid to buy the Miami Marlins for $1.2 billion. Anthony Castrovince: "The real story of MJ’s baseball career". Anthony Castrovince: "Jordan to the A's? In February 1994, four months after the first of his three retirements from the NBA, Michael Jordan signed a minor league contract with the Chicago White Sox. Question, Comment, Feedback, or Correction? Wore No. Become a Stathead & surf this site ad-free. Michael Jordan was arguably the greatest basketball player on the planet Earth. Ended one of the wildest finishes in club history on July 6 ... Barons were no-hit by Huntsville's Steve Wojciechowski through 8 innings ... Barons rallied in the 9th and pulled within 5-3 with the bases loaded and 2 out ... Jordan hit a grounder to third, which was thrown away into right field, clearing the bases for a 6-5 win. All rights reserved. Tremie, who hit .225 that year, came to the majors the following year, and Brady, who hit .248, was also up in the majors in 1995. Many thanks to him. Jordan was already the owner of the NBA's Charlotte Hornets. His biography on the official NBAwebsite states: "By acclamation, Michael Jordan is the greatest basketball player of all time." Are you a Stathead, too? The latest Jordan Groshans Stats, Video Highlights, News and more from MiLB.com. Find out more. More Michael Jordan Pages at Baseball Reference. Full-year historical Major League statistics provided by Pete Palmer and Gary Gillette of Hidden Game Sports. 45 for the Barons, the number he wore for his Laney (NC) High School baseball team. Find out more. Bob Nightengale: "White Sox owner Jerry Reinsdorf says Michael Jordan would have reached the majors". ", Team: Birmingham BaronsMLB affiliate: Chicago White SoxPosition: OutfieldHeight: 6-6 Weight: 205Batted: RightThrew: RightNumber: 45Born: Febr. Minor Lg Stats. Drove in first of seven game-winning runs on the season April 28 at Huntsville with a 7th-inning double ... it broke a 4-4 tie and gave the Barons a 9-4 win. Logos were compiled by the amazing SportsLogos.net. The latest Michael Jordan Stats, Video Highlights, News and more from MiLB.com. Logos were compiled by the amazing SportsLogos.net. Our reasoning for presenting offensive logos. The bus was then used by Thrasher Brothers for trips to the Philadelphia and Biloxi, MS casino tours. The JordanCruiser made its debut April 14 as the bus took the Barons to Chattanooga for the first road trip of the season ... contrary to popular belief, Jordan did NOT buy the bus, but his likeness did. We present them here for purely educational purposes. In February 1994, four months after the first of his three retirements from the NBA, Michael Jordan signed a minor league contract with the Chicago White Sox. While Jordan hit only .202, the team average was .248 in a park that typically had low averages. Many historical player head shots courtesy of David Davis. Additionally Jordan said that he had nothing more to prove in basketball after three straight NBA titles. It was then sold to Wilson Bus Lines in Washington D.C. and makes regular trips to New York City. Much of the play-by-play, game results, and transaction information both shown and used to create certain data sets was obtained free of charge from and is copyrighted by RetroSheet. Do you have a sports website? Jordan's agent, David Falk, later explained that he contacted a few teams other than the White Sox to see if any would also be interested in signing Jordan. Michael Jordan stepped into the box for his third professional game on April 10, 1994. Assigned to the Barons roster March 31, 1994, setting of a frenzy of interest never before seen in minor league history. All Professional Baseball Statistics for Michael Jordan. He had three NBA MVPs and three championship rings to his name, but he also had a .000 average. Chris Landers: "MJ's baseball career wasn't the failure you think: Why His Airness doesn't deserve to be a punchline". Matt Monaghan: "Enjoy these old photos of Michael Jordan looking really cool at Spring Training", "Cut4". (Air, Superman, Mike, M.J., Air Jordan, His Airness, Captain Marvel, The Black Cat, Money). Arguably the greatest basketball player in NBA history, Michael Jordan retired from the Chicago Bulls in 1994 to join the Chicago White Sox AA minor league team, the Birmingham Barons. Do you have a blog? Some defensive statistics Copyright © Baseball Info Solutions, 2010-2020. Some defensive statistics Copyright © Baseball Info Solutions, 2010-2020. Copyright © 2000-2020 Sports Reference LLC. Do you have a blog? Our reasoning for presenting offensive logos. In 497 plate appearances the the NBA legend hit .202 with a .289 OBP and a .266 slugging percentage for a paltry .556 OPS. Join our linker program. Do you have a sports website? Michael Jordan stepped into the box for his third professional game on April 10, 1994. He was tied with Mitch Simons for 5th in the Southern League in steals with 30, but was gunned down 18 times. Arguably the greatest basketball player in NBA history, Michael Jordan retired from the Chicago Bulls in 1994 to join the Chicago White Sox AA minor league team, the Birmingham Barons. All rights reserved. His 11 outfield errors tied for the league lead. Watch our How-To Videos to Become a Stathead, Subscribe to Stathead and get access to more data than you can imagine. He had three NBA MVPs and three championship rings to his name, but he also had a.000 average. He had 17 doubles, 1 triple and three homers. Many thanks to him. Some high school data is courtesy David McWater. us, More Michael Jordan Pages at Baseball Reference, More Michael Jordan Pages at Sports Reference, Every Sports Reference Social Media Account, Site Last Updated: Saturday, October 17, 2:04AM. All Rights Reserved. Every Sports Reference Social Media Account. All images are property the copyright holder and are displayed here for informational purposes only. His minor league manager was Terry Francona. All logos are the trademark & property of their owners and not Sports Reference LLC. A look back at MJ's time in the Southern League. Full-year historical Major League statistics provided by Pete Palmer and Gary Gillette of Hidden Game Sports. The Book: Playing the Percentages in Baseball. Subscribe to our Free Newsletter, This Month in Sports ReferenceFind out when we add a feature or make a change. While with the Barons, Jordan helped finance a new bus for the team. Thrasher Brothers was able to sell the bus for a profit; it still has Jordan's autograph on the door. This page was last edited on 16 July 2020, at 11:21. Jordan autographed the door and the autograph was treated with a protective coating. Drove in 1st run, a bases loaded single which scored Steve Sax, and stole 1st base April 11 vs. Knoxville. Michael Jeffrey Jordan (born February 17, 1963), also known by his initials MJ, is an American former professional basketball player who is the principal owner of the Charlotte Hornets of the National Basketball Association (NBA). Michael Jordan page at the Bullpen Wiki Note: This article is about the minor league baseball player who also played basketball in the NBA; for the player from the 1890s, see Mike Jordan. Or write about sports? Jordan had last played baseball as a high school senior in 1981. He cited the recent death of this father as his motivation to give baseball a try; baseball had been his father's favorite sport. One of his outfield teammates was Scott Tedder, who had also played basketball very well, being NCAA Division III Player of the Year as a senior. Watch our How-To Videos to Become a Stathead, Subscribe to Stathead and get access to more data than you can imagine. Richard Justice: "5 lessons from watching Jordan on the diamond". When the sale was approved that September, he joined the ranks of major league owners just like one of his main rivals for basketball supremacy in the 1980s, Magic Johnson, had done a few years earlier by buying a share of the Los Angeles Dodgers. The following season, Jordan returned to the NBA and wound up winning three more NBA titles. February 17, 1963 Jordan's teammates while at Birmingham included Chris Snopek, Matt Karchner, Steve Gajkowski, Chris Tremie, Doug Brady and Larry Thomas, among others who eventually came to the majors. His Airness had MLB offer". College: UNC Total Zone Rating and initial framework for Wins above Replacement calculations provided by Sean Smith. Subscribe to our Free Newsletter, This Week in Sports ReferenceFind out when we add a feature or make a change. Born: Much of the play-by-play, game results, and transaction information both shown and used to create certain data sets was obtained free of charge from and is copyrighted by RetroSheet. It should be noted that at the time, Jerry Reinsdorf was the principal owner of both the White Sox and the Bulls, so it was a natural fit. in Brooklyn, NY Collected first hit (8th at-bat) off Joe Ganote of Knoxville, a single in the 3rd inning April 10 at the Hoover Met (now known as Regions Park) ... the 2-hit day started a 13-game hit streak from April 10-26 (.378, 17-45). Michael Jordan. His father, James, who was murdered the previous summer, had always wanted Jordan to be a baseball player. Michael Jeffrey Jordan (Mike, Air Jordan, M.J., His Airness, Money, Black Cat, Mr. June, G.O.A.T., Superman, Captain Marvel, Black Jesus) Position: Small Forward and Shooting Guard Shoots: Right 6-6, 198lb (198cm, 89kg) Born: February 17, 1963 in Brooklyn, New York us. The 45-foot bus has reclining chairs and a large U-shaped lounge area in the back and was nicknamed the "Jordan Cruiser". Are you a Stathead, too? They could not be more wrong. College Basketball at Sports-Reference.com. Copyright © 2000-2020 Sports Reference LLC. He batted just .202/.289/.266 and played outfield in his only season in baseball. His share in the Marlins' capital was estimated at 0.5%. Our reasoning for presenting offensive logos. Apparently, the Oakland A's were not only interested, but would have been ready to place Jordan directly at the major league level. Michael Jeffrey Jordan