Was Michael Jordan Good At Baseball?
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Many people know that Michael Jordan was a great basketball player, but did you know that he also played baseball? Some people argue that he wasn’t very good at it, but others say that he was just as good at baseball as he was at basketball. What do you think?
Michael Jordan’s Baseball Career
Michael Jordan is considered by many to be the greatest basketball player of all time. He won six NBA Championships with the Chicago Bulls and was named the NBA Finals MVP a record six times. But what many people don’t know is that Jordan also had a brief stint in baseball.
His time with the Birmingham Barons
Jordan played for the Birmingham Barons, a Double-A affiliate of the Chicago White Sox, in 1994. He batted .202 with three home runs, 51 RBIs, 30 stolen bases and 114 strikeouts in 127 games. His contract included a $1 million signing bonus.
His time with the Scottsdale Scorpions
Michael Jordan’s time with the Scottsdale Scorpions was short-lived, but he made the most of it. Jordan hit .202 with three home runs, 51 RBIs, 30 stolen bases and a .289 on-base percentage in 127 games. He was also named to the All-Star team.
Why Michael Jordan Wasn’t Good At Baseball
Michael Jordan, one of the greatest basketball players of all time, tried his hand at baseball and failed miserably. Why was he so bad at baseball? Let’s take a look.
He was already 31 years old when he started playing baseball
Michael Jordan is considered by many to be the greatest basketball player of all time. He was a 10-time NBA All-Star, a six-time NBA champion, and the 1993 NBA Finals MVP. In 1998, he was named the NBA’s 50th anniversary All-Time Team. But what about his baseball career?
Many people don’t know this, but Jordan actually took a break from basketball in 1994 to try his hand at baseball. He ended up playing for the Birmingham Barons, a minor league affiliate of the Chicago White Sox. Unfortunately, his baseball career wasn’t nearly as successful as his basketball career. In fact, he was pretty terrible.
The main reason why Jordan wasn’t good at baseball is because he was already 31 years old when he started playing. That’s ancient in baseball terms. Most players peak in their early 30s, so by the time Jordan started playing baseball, he was already past his prime. In addition, he had zero experience playing organized baseball. He didn’t even play in high school or college.
So while it’s fun to imagine what might have been if Jordan had stuck with baseball, the reality is that he would have likely never made it to the big leagues. He was simply too old and too inexperienced.
He hadn’t played baseball in over a decade
When Michael Jordan decided to try his hand at professional baseball, he hadnt played the sport in over a decade. He hadnt even played it at a competitive level since high school. So it shouldnt have come as a surprise when he struggled in his first season with the Birmingham Barons, a minor league affiliate of the Chicago White Sox.
Jordan hit just .202 with three home runs, 51 RBI and 30 stolen bases in 127 games. He struck out 114 times and struggled in the field, making 11 errors.
It was clear that Jordan wasnt ready for the major leagues, but he persisted, playing another season in the minors before finally retiring from baseball for good in March 1995.
He was rusty and didn’t have the same skillset
Michael Jordan is considered by many to be the greatest basketball player of all time. He was a dominate force in the NBA for over a decade, winning six championships with the Chicago Bulls. But in 1994, at the age of 30, Jordan retired from basketball to pursue a career in baseball.
Jordan had always been a fan of the sport, and he thought he could be successful at it. However, he was rusty after not playing for so many years and his skillset didn’t translate to baseball. He spent one season in the minor leagues before returning to the NBA.