‘Generational athlete’ – Footage of Michael Jordan’s only MLB game for Chicago White Sox leaves fans stunned

Much has been said about Michael Jordan’s short-lived baseball career.

Some have argued it was a failure, and all Jordan did was take the spot of someone who arguably deserved it more.

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Jordan surprised the world when he retired in 1993 after the Chicago Bulls had just won their third straight championship.

But the surprises didn’t stop there.

Jordan made headlines again when he decided to switch careers and join the Chicago White Sox.

In February 1994, Jordan signed a Minor League Baseball contract with the Chicago White Sox’s Birmingham Barons.

The White Sox were owned by Bulls owner Jerry Reinsdorf, who honoured Jordan’s basketball contract during his baseball stint.

Some have speculated that Jordan’s short retirement from the NBA was a forced ban forced due to gambling, a theory that then NBA Commissioner David Stern instantly shut down.

With Jordan primed to play baseball, many were ready to see whether he was actually any good or not.

How good was Michael Jordan at baseball?

Considering Jordan hadn’t played baseball since high school, his numbers were pretty good.

In his minor league career with the Barons, Jordan had 88 hits, 17 doubles, and one triple while driving in 51 runs.

He stole 30 bases and hit three home runs in 127 games and 436 at-bats.

Jordan’s minor league career is well documented, but many are unaware that he actually played in an official MLB game at Wrigley Field.

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Did Michael Jordan ever play for the Chicago White Sox?

The 14-time NBA All-Star played for the Chicago White Sox in an exhibition game against the Chicago Cubs in April 1994.

And while it’s an exhibition game, it counts as the only official MLB game Jordan ever played.

Footage of his performance has resurfaced online and left some fans shocked.

On Jordan’s first at-bat, he went up 3-0 in the count before popping up and getting out.

The NBA legend struggled early on, and Chicago fans actually teased their Bulls hero by chanting “rookie.”

However, Jordan started to play better and eventually find his groove.

First, the White Sox trailed 4-0 before Jordan hit an RBI single down the third base line.

His Airness then later connected on an RBI double down the left field when the Cubs’ lead was just 4-3, and he tied the game.

Despite the Cubs being the home team, the crowd roared for Jordan.

The attendance for the exhibition was 37,825, an incredible number for what was a meaningless game.

“Generational athlete, who else could do this?” one fan wrote in the comments of Jordan’s MLB highlights.

“Probably the only time a White Sox player gets that ovation at Wrigley Field!” another fan posted.

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When did Michael Jordan return to the Bulls?

Eventually, Jordan would give up baseball and return to the Bulls midway through the 1994-1995 season.

Jordan announced his comeback to the NBA in March 1995 in a now-famous two-word press release stating: “I’m back.“

And it wouldn’t be long before Jordan and the Bulls were back to winning championships.

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Chicago lost in the Eastern Conference semifinals to the Orlando Magic in 1995, but went into the 1995-196 season highly motivated.

They finished that season with the best regular season record in NBA history at the time, 72-10, a record later broken by the Golden State Warriors in 2016.

The Bulls won the championship in 1996 and went on to complete another three-peat, winning again in 1997 and 1998.

Jordan would end his career in 2003 after a short stint with the Washington Wizards, completing the greatest resume in basketball history.