DaleC76
05-23-2004, 01:12 PM
Here's an interesting article from the Birmingham News.
http://www.al.com/sports/birminghamnews/index.ssf?/base/sports/1085303873134240.xml
Yes, Jordan Could Have Made The Majors
Poets and novelists, not to mention country music singers, have long lamented the tragedy of loss, be it loves, or dreams, or opportunities.
If poet John Greenleaf Whittier didn't say it best, he was one of the most quotable in his work "Maud Muller": "For of all sad words of tongue or pen, the saddest are these: `It might have been!'"
A decade after Michael Jordan spent a summer at The Met in Hoover, it's natural to wonder what might have been if he hadn't walked away from baseball in the spring of 1995.
One story at the time of his retirement from baseball speculated he was disappointed he wasn't slated for promotion to Triple-A. Another said his decision was based simply on a desire to play basketball again.
There were hints of another reason. Returning to Double-A Birmingham shouldn't have been a negative. Most people believe the biggest difference between Double-A and Triple-A is only that players ride buses in Double-A and fly in Triple-A. It's not unusual to go to the majors from Birmingham.
The biggest factor in Jordan's decision may have been the major league players strike, and a rumored plan by White Sox brass to use Jordan to management's advantage against the striking players. He felt a loyalty to major league players, although he was a major leaguer in another sport.
Had there not been a strike, Jordan would have started again in the minors, but would he have ended 1995 in Chicago?
In '94 Jordan hit .202 with three home runs, 17 doubles and 51 runs batted in. He had 30 stolen bases, fifth in the league, and 11 errors, the most for a Southern League outfielder.
He did this as a 31-year-old rookie who hadn't played baseball since high school. To me, his numbers were amazing. The late Jimmy Bragan, then president of the Southern League and a longtime scout, said at the time that Jordan had a chance to make the majors.
I believe he would have made it to the majors for a couple of reasons. One, of course, is that his name is Michael Jordan. He would have meant instant sellouts in Chicago and around the American League, just as he did in Birmingham and the Southern League.
But the other reason he would have made it to the majors is because he would have had the statistics to deserve the promotion. I think he would have walked away before accepting a promotion because of his name instead of his numbers.
Perhaps my feelings are not as objective as they should be. In the summer of 1994 I became a Michael Jordan fan. It wasn't that he and I were "tight," that we hung out together or visited on birthdays.
What Jordan did to make me a fan was to respect the fact that the media had its job. More than any other superstar I've ever covered, he made that job easier. He was protective of his privacy and his family, but when a reporter asked a question he took the time to answer. And he did it for the hometown guys just as he did for USA Today or ESPN.
So, do I think Michael Jordan would have made it? You bet I do, and maybe that's because I would have wanted him to make it.
But let's not lament baseball's loss too greatly.
In baseball, his instincts and motion on the field may have made you think of poetry.
In basketball, Michael Jordan was poetry.
He turned the eyes of the sports world on Birmingham for a summer in the game he chose to play. But he went back - for whatever reason - to the game he was born to play.
News staff writer Wayne Martin covered the Barons during Michael Jordan's season with the team.
http://www.al.com/sports/birminghamnews/index.ssf?/base/sports/1085303873134240.xml
Yes, Jordan Could Have Made The Majors
Poets and novelists, not to mention country music singers, have long lamented the tragedy of loss, be it loves, or dreams, or opportunities.
If poet John Greenleaf Whittier didn't say it best, he was one of the most quotable in his work "Maud Muller": "For of all sad words of tongue or pen, the saddest are these: `It might have been!'"
A decade after Michael Jordan spent a summer at The Met in Hoover, it's natural to wonder what might have been if he hadn't walked away from baseball in the spring of 1995.
One story at the time of his retirement from baseball speculated he was disappointed he wasn't slated for promotion to Triple-A. Another said his decision was based simply on a desire to play basketball again.
There were hints of another reason. Returning to Double-A Birmingham shouldn't have been a negative. Most people believe the biggest difference between Double-A and Triple-A is only that players ride buses in Double-A and fly in Triple-A. It's not unusual to go to the majors from Birmingham.
The biggest factor in Jordan's decision may have been the major league players strike, and a rumored plan by White Sox brass to use Jordan to management's advantage against the striking players. He felt a loyalty to major league players, although he was a major leaguer in another sport.
Had there not been a strike, Jordan would have started again in the minors, but would he have ended 1995 in Chicago?
In '94 Jordan hit .202 with three home runs, 17 doubles and 51 runs batted in. He had 30 stolen bases, fifth in the league, and 11 errors, the most for a Southern League outfielder.
He did this as a 31-year-old rookie who hadn't played baseball since high school. To me, his numbers were amazing. The late Jimmy Bragan, then president of the Southern League and a longtime scout, said at the time that Jordan had a chance to make the majors.
I believe he would have made it to the majors for a couple of reasons. One, of course, is that his name is Michael Jordan. He would have meant instant sellouts in Chicago and around the American League, just as he did in Birmingham and the Southern League.
But the other reason he would have made it to the majors is because he would have had the statistics to deserve the promotion. I think he would have walked away before accepting a promotion because of his name instead of his numbers.
Perhaps my feelings are not as objective as they should be. In the summer of 1994 I became a Michael Jordan fan. It wasn't that he and I were "tight," that we hung out together or visited on birthdays.
What Jordan did to make me a fan was to respect the fact that the media had its job. More than any other superstar I've ever covered, he made that job easier. He was protective of his privacy and his family, but when a reporter asked a question he took the time to answer. And he did it for the hometown guys just as he did for USA Today or ESPN.
So, do I think Michael Jordan would have made it? You bet I do, and maybe that's because I would have wanted him to make it.
But let's not lament baseball's loss too greatly.
In baseball, his instincts and motion on the field may have made you think of poetry.
In basketball, Michael Jordan was poetry.
He turned the eyes of the sports world on Birmingham for a summer in the game he chose to play. But he went back - for whatever reason - to the game he was born to play.
News staff writer Wayne Martin covered the Barons during Michael Jordan's season with the team.