Did Michael Jordan Play Baseball?

A lot of people don’t know this, but before Michael Jordan became the greatest basketball player of all time, he actually played professional baseball.

So the answer to the question “did Michael Jordan play baseball?” is a resounding yes!

However, his baseball career wasn’t nearly as successful as his basketball one. In fact, he only played for a short while before returning to basketball.

Still, it’s interesting to note that this legendary athlete actually tried his hand

Michael Jordan’s Baseball Career

Michael Jordan, one of the greatest basketball players of all time, tried his hand at baseball in 1994. Jordan had just retired from the NBA, and was looking for a new challenge. He played for a minor league team called the Birmingham Barons. Although he was a talented player, he ultimately decided to return to basketball.

Michael Jordan’s time with the Birmingham Barons

Michael Jordan’s time with the Birmingham Barons, a Double-A minor league affiliate of the Chicago White Sox, was one of the more bizarre episodes of his post-basketball life. After announcing his first retirement from the NBA in October 1993, Jordan joined the Barons in March 1994. He played right field and batted cleanup for most of his stay with the team.

Jordan struggled mightily at the plate, posting a batting average of just .202 with three home runs, 51 RBIs and 11 stolen bases in 127 games. His struggles were compounded by the fact that he was playing in front of sparse crowds in small venues. Nevertheless, Jordan kept at it and even earned a promotion to Triple-A after just one season in Double-A.

Unfortunately, Jordan’s stint in Triple-A lasted just one game. After going 0-for-4 with two strikeouts, he decided to call it quits on his baseball career and announced his second retirement from basketball just a few months later.

Michael Jordan’s time with the Scottsdale Scorpions

In 1994, during his first retirement from the NBA, Jordan took up baseball as a hobby, signing a minor league contract with the Chicago White Sox organization. He was assigned to play for the team’s Double-A affiliate, the Birmingham Barons, in Birmingham, Alabama. While playing for the Barons, Jordan hit .202 with three home runs, 51 RBIs and 30 stolen bases.

In early March 1995, just before spring training was set to begin for the 1995 MLB season, Jordan announced his retirement from baseball. In his announcement, he stated that his desire to be a Major League Baseball player had been sincere but that he ultimately did not possess enough skill to play at that level.

Why Michael Jordan Played Baseball

Michael Jordan, arguably the greatest basketball player of all time, played baseball for a short time in his life. Why did he make this choice? Let’s explore the reasons behind his decision.

Michael Jordan’s love of the game

Michael Jordan’s love of the game is what drove him to play baseball. He had always loved baseball, and when he retired from basketball, he decided to give it a try. Unfortunately, it didn’t quite work out the way he had hoped. He wasn’t able to make it back to the majors, but he did play for a minor league team for a short time.

The challenge of playing a new sport

Michael Jordan is one of the greatest basketball players of all time. He is also one of the most competitive athletes in any sport. So, when he decided to retire from basketball in 1993 and take up baseball, it was no surprise that he wanted to see how far he could take his new endeavor.

Jordan played minor league baseball for a season and a half before returning to the NBA, but his short time in the sport was marked by both incredible highlights and frustrating lows. Here’s a look at why Michael Jordan decided to play baseball, how he fared during his time on the diamond, and what ultimately led him back to basketball.

How Michael Jordan’s Baseball Career Ended

Michael Jordan is a retired American basketball player, businessman, and principal owner and chairman of the Charlotte Hornets of the National Basketball Association (NBA). He played 15 seasons in the NBA, winning six championships with the Chicago Bulls. His biography on the official NBA website states: “By acclamation, Michael Jordan is the greatest basketball player of all time.” Jordan was one of the most effectively marketed athletes of his generation and was considered instrumental in popularizing the NBA around the world in the 1980s and 1990s.

Michael Jordan’s retirement from baseball

After a brief foray into professional baseball, Michael Jordan returned to the sport he loved and excelled at: basketball.

In March of 1995, Jordan announced his retirement from the NBA, citing a loss of passion for the game. He took up baseball shortly thereafter, signing a minor league contract with the Chicago White Sox. Jordan played for the Birmingham Barons, a Double-A affiliate of the White Sox, for one season before returning to basketball in March of 1996.

Jordan’s time playing baseball was not without its highlights. In his debut season, he hit .202 with 3 home runs, 51 RBIs and 30 stolen bases. While his numbers were nothing to write home about, he did show flashes of brilliance on occasion. In one game against the Chattanooga Lookouts, he hit a long home run to deep left-center field.

Ultimately, Jordan’s baseball career was cut short due to a lack of consistent success at the plate. He retired from baseball for good in March of 1996 and returned to the NBA later that year.

Michael Jordan’s return to the NBA

Michael Jordan’s return to the NBA came after a short stint in baseball. After his father’s death, Jordan decided to try his hand at baseball, and ended up playing for the Birmingham Barons, a minor league affiliate of the Chicago White Sox. However, after just one season, he decided to return to basketball.

While most people believe that Jordan left baseball because he was homesick or because he wasn’t good enough, the real reason is actually much more practical. At the time, baseball players were subject to a different drug testing policy than basketball players. Baseball players were tested for drugs once per year, while basketball players were tested four times per year.

This meant that if Jordan had continued playing baseball, he would have had to give up his endorsement deals with Nike and Gatorade. Since those deals were worth tens of millions of dollars per year, it’s not hard to see why Jordan decided to return to the NBA instead.