What to Know
- Jordan signed a baseball contract after retiring from the Bulls following the 1992-93 season.
- Jordan ended up hitting just over .200 with three home runs and 51 RBI in his minor league career.
- He returned to basketball in March 1995.
Thursday marks the 25th anniversary of one of the biggest Chicago sports stories of all time, as Bulls great Michael Jordan officially changed sports and signed a contract with the Chicago White Sox.
Jordan, who was coming off of three straight championships with the Bulls, announced his retirement from basketball in 1993, and the following spring, he inked a contract with the White Sox on Feb. 7, 1994.
According to the legendary player, Jordan decided to play baseball to fulfil a promise to his dad, who was killed during the summer of 1993.
It wasn’t an easy transition to baseball for Jordan, as he was assigned to the team’s Double-A affiliate in Birmingham. He ended up batting just .202 with three home runs and 51 RBI, and he also stole 30 bases in 127 minor league games.
[NATL]Michael Jordan's Top Sports Moments
He did have one triumphant moment that is forever immortalized on YouTube, as he hit a game-tying double in an exhibition game against the Chicago Cubs at Wrigley Field.
Chicago Baseball
Legendary Cubs broadcaster Harry Caray had the call:
As we all know, Jordan then returned to the basketball court, winning three more championships with the Bulls and cementing his legacy as arguably the best player to ever lace up a pair of sneakers.
