Michael Jordan’s brief pursuit of a professional baseball career in 1994 is something few can truly assess. But former NFL star Ed Smith, who also dabbled in the minor leagues around the same time as Jordan, saw the Chicago Bulls legend up close. He spoke about this period of his career during an appearance on The Coach JB Show with Big Smitty.
Advertisement
“I played against Michael Jordan the year Jordan played his baseball season. I was actually in Orlando with the Cubs that year. It was 94. Michael was in Birmingham in the Southern League. We got to know each other really well,” he told the show hosts.
1994 was a bittersweet and challenging year for Jordan. His Bulls had just completed a historic NBA title three-peat, only a year after his father, James, was murdered. That loss reminded him of his father’s dream: wanting his son to become a professional baseball player. This prompted the future NBA Hall of Famer to sign with the Birmingham Barons, a Double-A minor league team affiliated with the Chicago White Sox.
Jordan didn’t fare too badly either. In his one season with the Barons, he finished with a .202 batting average, which included 3 home runs and 51 RBIs.
Some called these horrible numbers for a ballplayer. Smith, however, thought differently. “Hitting a baseball is one of the most difficult things in all of sports, if you ask me,” said the ex-baseball and football player, who defended Jordan’s stats.
“I watched him hit .200 at that level. For him to hit .200, people are like, ‘He failed.’ I’m telling you, there are not many people on this planet that can stay away from the game as long as he did, then in one season at Double-A,” he stated. “That is not easy to do.”
The fact that Jordan, 31 years old at the time, decided to leave basketball to pursue a completely different game alongside hungry 20-year-olds is as commendable a feat as it gets. The perception that Double-A ball was filled with chumps is completely misguided. If anything, it makes MJ’s .200 batting average stand out even more, adding to his GOAT legacy.
Not to mention, as Smith insisted, it’s not easy striking a baseball with a bat.
Pitchers routinely throw at velocities around 98, 99, even 100 mph—and those aren’t just fastballs. Trying to connect with a pitch going that fast, that’s also a sinker, cutter, or two-seamer? Good luck. Plus, now you have pitchers like Pirates star Paul Skenes, who can blow you away with a blazing fastball and have you swinging at a sweeping curveball.
Jordan’s numbers in the minor leagues—after not playing baseball since high school—deserve more recognition in the conversation. Dismissing them feels like something a fan would do just to sound smart. It’s the same with those who criticize Jordan’s Washington Wizards run (2001–2003), even though he was still averaging 21 points per game at 38 years old.
Ed Smith knows MJ as an athlete is one of a kind. Hopefully, the haters start to realize that too.
