Michael jordan birmingham barons baseball card

In 1993, following his father's passing, Michael Jordan retired from the NBA and decided he would fulfill his father's dream of playing professional baseball. In 1994, Michael Jordan signed with the Chicago White Sox and was assigned to Double-A. From behind the mic, Curt Bloom takes us through the journey that brought the greatest and most famous athlete in the world to minor league baseball. 

Game 1 for Michael Jordan

At 7:58 pm on April 8, 1994, Michael Jordan stepped to the plate for the first time as a Birmingham Baron. After missing the season opener due to his participation in The White Sox / Cubs Windy City Classic, Jordan stared down Duke product John Courtright to leadoff the bottom of the 3rd inning.

The First Hit

On Sunday, April 10, 1994, after going hitless in his first two games as a Baron, Jordan found himself 0-for-7 as he prepared to do battle with Knoxville’s Joe Ganote. Jordan breaks his early-season slump with a liner to centerfield on a 1-0 pitch.  When he got to the bag, he was greeted by future Heisman Trophy winner, Chris Weinke, who was playing first base for the Smokies. 

The First Home Run

On the night of July 30, 1994, Jordan had nearly gone deep in his previous two plate appearances, flying out to deep centerfield in the 4th inning and doubling off the wall in the 6th inning. Now in the 8th, he faced Carolina Mudcats reliever Kevin Rychel in front of 13,751 fans at the Hoover Metropolitan Stadium. And there it was. Deep to left field. He had done it. For the first time – it was Gonzo Jordan!

One-on-One Interview

Michael was gracious with the media throughout his time in Birmingham, but earning his trust wasn’t going to happen over night. After four months with the club, in mid-August, Michael agreed to sit down for the only one-on-one interview he gave during his time with the Barons.

Video

Curt Bloom recounts his fond memories of the summer of 1994 with CBS42 as The Last Dance debuts. 

Curt Bloom sits down with ABC 33/40 to provide an inside look at what life was like during the 1994 season with Michael Jordan. 

MiLB.com

A look at Michael Jordan's MiLB career

In baseball, everyone starts at zero.

Michael Jordan stepped into the box for his third professional game on April 10, 1994. He had three NBA MVPs and three championship rings to his name, but he also had a .000 average.

ESPN

The true story behind MJ's brief-but-promising baseball career

Nowadays, sports fans look upon Michael Jordan's foray into baseball as a whim, and when they look up his numbers and see that he batted .202, they conclude that his baseball career was a bust. They could not be more wrong.

Sports Illustrated

Photos: Michael Jordan in baseball

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. Jordan had last played baseball as a high school senior in 1981. His father, James, who was murdered the previous summer, had always wanted Jordan to be a baseball player. "You tell me I can't do something," Jordan said, "and I'm going to do it."

Is Michael Jordan's baseball card worth anything?

Estimated Base PSA 10 Value: $95 Arguably Jordan's most recognizable rookie baseball card, the 1994 Upper Deck #19 shows him chasing down a fly ball in his White Sox uniform. Every one of the 550 cards in the set's checklist also came in an "Electric Diamond" parallel at a rate of one per pack.

How many Michael Jordan rookie cards were printed?

Of the 23 cards released this way, only 14 have been identified, graded and remain in the hands of private collectors, and the card up for sale with Christie's has the second-highest quality grading ever given to one of the Jordan rookie cards.

Did Jordan play for Barons Birmingham?

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. He batted just . 202/.