The Last Dance is quickly becoming one of the top sports documentaries to be released. Episodes 7 & 8 debuted last night and there was a lot to take in. One of the biggest moments covered was MJ announcing his retirement in 1993. Jordan, coming off his 3rd consecutive championship decided to call it quits. This was a complete shock to everyone not only around the league but the world.
Jordan let everyone know that once he lost motivation and something to prove he would no longer play the game. Another key contributor to this retirement decision was the murder of his father three months prior. At the time everyone believed they had seen the last of Jordan, at least for the time being. However, four months after his retirement announcement, Michael signed with a new team.
Jordan switched his career from basketball to baseball signing with the White Sox and playing for their minor league affiliate, the Birmingham Barons. Any Chicago sports fan is aware of this fact and knows about Jordan’s short baseball career. One thing that seems to be overlooked is how well Jordan did with the Barons.
MJ’s Baseball Career by the Numbers
After not playing baseball since high school, Jordan, at the age of 31 found himself in the minor leagues. With the Barons, he played in 127 games coming off nine seasons in the NBA. In those 127 games, Jordan held his weight on the field and wasn’t kept on the team solely based on his name.
For someone who hadn’t played in a structured baseball game since he was a teen these stats were quite good. Michael was 4th on the team in RBI’s and was 7th in hits. He was making an impact in games beyond just being Michael Jordan. After flashing to Michael’s baseball career in the Last Dance people believed he deserved more credit for what he did in the minor league.
His numbers may not have been eye-popping given he was playing in the minor leagues. However, he was coming off three straight championships in the NBA and at least 10 years of not formally playing baseball. The media blasted MJ during his baseball career and made it look like he wasn’t cut out for baseball. By the numbers, he looked like a pretty decent baseball prospect (considering age and time in the league).
Jordan was an absolute beast of an athlete and he showed that by playing baseball professionally during his first retirement. Jordan’s baseball career could have possibly continued on longer than just one season if it hadn’t been for the 94-95 baseball strike. With the next season’s status up in the air, Jordan found his way back to basketball and to the Chicago Bulls.
One thing is for sure, everyone in Chicago is grateful that Jordan did to return. Fans all around the world are glued to their TV on Sunday nights watching The Last Dance. With only two episodes remaining this could go down as the best sports documentary of all time.
