One of the most surreal memories for NBA fans was when Michael Jordan left basketball, at the top of his game, to fulfill his late father’s wish of becoming a pro baseball player. Not many people close to him were part of that particular journey, but those who were spoke highly of him. Cincinnati Reds manager Terry Francona, who coached His Airness during his time with the Birmingham Barons, was one of them.
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Jordan famously retired from the NBA in 1993, fresh off winning his third consecutive championship with the Chicago Bulls. Some said that the basketball god was tired of the game and was looking for a new challenge. But the truth was much deeper than that. Jordan had made a promise to his father, James, that he would give baseball a shot. When James died in 1993, there seemed to be no better time to keep that promise.
Francona opened up about this wild phase during a recent interview on The Rich Eisen Show. Unsurprisingly, he revealed how much Jordan hated to lose, and Eisen let out a laugh at how obvious this was. Eisen then asked about him losing at cards on the bus. He was probably looking for another fun tidbit, but instead, Francona gave him a great insight into MJ’s psyche at the time.
“There were some long bus rides, and they weren’t super buses, sometimes two to a seat,” the famed MLB manager began. “I’d look at him, and he’d seem so content. It took me a while to figure out that was probably the first time in years where nobody could get at him. He could actually relax, and either listen to music or read a book, or play cards, and nobody could get at him. And he really enjoyed it.”
When you reach the level of global popularity that MJ did, it makes total sense that he would relish the quiet moments as much as possible. That year of traveling the States and playing ball, he won back some of his privacy while proving that he’s still the fiercest competitor known to man.
Francona confirmed this moments later when Eisen asked him about MJ’s ability as a ballplayer. “You tell him no, and he’s going to find a way to make the answer be yes,” he said. “I would have a hard time ever finding something negative to say about him.”
It’s not that Jordan just gave his full effort — it’s that he did it while showing love to a completely different sport, one he knew was outside his comfort zone. “My goodness, I don’t think I’ve ever been around someone that respected the game more,” added Francona. “It made it easy to be patient with him baseball-wise. He worked hard, he was knowledgeable, and he was coachable. It shouldn’t be surprising.”
Jordan finished with the Barons hitting .202, which was considered very respectable at the time since he had not played organized baseball since his college days. His average later jumped to .252 when he played in the Arizona Fall League.
MJ might not have had a bat as fast as Lou Gehrig or the same power as Ken Griffey Jr., but the tales from that one year as a Baron are always spoken about with such grace. It shows a lot of his true character. An athlete through and through, and more importantly, a son keeping a promise to his dad. How can you hate that?
