Barry Bonds recently made an appearance on All The Smoke and took the opportunity to discuss Michael Jordan and his potential baseball career. As one of the greatest power hitters to ever grace the MLB, Bonds knew exactly what it took to become a household name on the field.
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Jordan notably left his basketball career in the rearview mirror in favor of baseball following his father’s death and the Chicago Bulls’ third championship in 1993.
However, MJ’s immense success on the court clearly didn’t translate to all other sports, as the Hall of Fame guard struggled to get anything going throughout his short baseball career.
Jordan never cracked the major leagues, instead playing with the Chicago White Sox’s Double-A affiliate, the Birmingham Barons. Even at a lower level, MJ wasn’t a standout player, outside of his speed.
In 497 plate appearances, he hit just .202 with a .289 OBP and a .266 slugging percentage for a paltry .556 OPS. Jordan netted just 17 doubles, 1 triple, and three homers while striking out 114 times and walking 51 times. He did come through with 30 steals, but that wasn’t enough to convince MLB managers to take a gamble on him.
So it’s no surprise that when Matt Barnes mentioned how MJ tried to take to Bonds’ “field”, the San Francisco Giants’ great immediately shut down the notion. “Well, that wasn’t gonna happen,” Bonds said with a laugh. “I love Mike, but nah.”
Bonds proved to be correct, as Jordan quickly put down his glove and bat for good after just one season in Birmingham. He’d soon return to the Chicago Bulls for another three championships before announcing his retirement once again.
Barry Bonds discussed his relationship with MJ
Barry Bonds shared how he and Jordan came up together in their respective leagues and spent plenty of time together in Chicago while Mike was with the Bulls. The 60-year-old described how famous MJ was before he even became recognized as an NBA great.
“We went out just to grab a bite to eat, and I ain’t never seen a line of people that wanted to just talk to this guy,” Bonds said of Jordan. The seven-time MLB MVP explained how he was just coming up as well but described himself as a “nobody” at the time.
Bonds couldn’t believe his eyes at MJ’s already buzzing fandom. He remembered how kind Jordan was to fans, signing autographs while eating his lunch. But it was a humbling experience for the baseball legend, who is now used to being the most famous person in any room he walks in.
