According to former Oakland Athletics general manager Sandy Alderson, NBA Hall of Fame shooting guard Michael Jordan — the subject of the ongoing ESPN docu-series “The Last Dance” — could have had a successful MLB career, too.
Alderson told ESPN's Buster Olney (via USA Today Sports) how he attempted to finagle the then first-time basketball retiree to the A's after reports of the the former Chicago Bulls MVP joining the Birmingham Barons surfaced.
“If you recall when Jordan stopped playing basketball and decided to try baseball and ultimately went down the Birmingham Barons — the Chicago White Sox affiliate,” said Alderson of the NBA icon. “When I heard that was happening — or about to happen — I called the agent right away and said, ‘Hey look, I understand he may be going to Double-A. I don’t even know who the 25th man is on our major league team right now. I will sign him and put him on the major league roster. He’ll be part of our 25-man team. Tomorrow.
“It ended up creating some discussion because I ended up getting a phone call or a message from the White Sox saying, ‘Hey what is going on here? This guy is going to be part of the White Sox organization.'”
His Airness is back in the news due to “The Last Dance,” which aired its first two episodes on April 19. In the docu-series, a film crew unearths behind-the-scenes footage of Jordan and the Bulls in the franchise's quest for a second three-peat — six championships in eight years during the 1997-98 NBA season.
Michael Jordan originally retired in 1993 after the Bulls completed their first NBA three-peat and the sudden death of his father, James R. Jordan Sr. MJ then chose to play for the Chicago White Sox's minor league affiliate before turning in 1994.
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