Michael Jordan and the Athletics: Wouldn't That Have Been Fun?
Michael Jordan was never on the Oakland A’s roster.
General manager Sandy Alderson wanted him there through, as Tom Verducci sketches out today for Sports Illustrated.
Alderson respected Jordan’s athletic abilities and believe he could make the transition from being the face of the National Basketball Association to being a competitive outfielder at the Major League level.
As Alderson said, having of having Jordan in Oakland, “Won’t this be fun?”
Alderson pitched David Falk, Jordan’s agent, on the having his client sign with the A’s, saying Jordan would go immediately onto the A’s 25-man big league roster. Jordan, taking a break from the NBA in 1994, instead signed with the White Sox and played the year at Double-A with Birmingham.
And it was fun, just not in Oakland.
Jason Giambi, who went on to become an MVP with A’s in 2000, was in Double-A in 1994, too, and got to know Jordan a bit.
After the 1994 season was over, Giambi found himself in the Arizona Fall League, where teams sent their best prospects, those likely to have a big league impact soon.
Also in the AFL - Michael Jordan. There were some pickup basketball games that Jordan and Giambi would find themselves matched up in.
One day, Jordan wasn't going to be able to make it. He called Giambi to let him know.
Giambi, talking about that call years later, was still floored by Jordan having reached out.
“He’s Michael Jordan; I’m just another minor league player,” Giambi said. “He didn’t have to call me. But I respected him all the more because he did.”
Come 1995, with major league baseball on strike, Giambi and Jordan and all other minor league players were asked if they would consent to be replacement players. Neither would.
There were no particular repercussions for Giambi, but for Jordan, a star of international proportions, he decided that not only wasn't he going to help the owners break the players' union, but he wasn't going to play baseball any more.
It was on March 2 that Jordan decided that baseball was going nowhere fast. He left and never came back. Not to the White Sox and certainly not to the A's.
By May of 1995, Giambi was in the big leagues. It would have been fun in Michael Jordan had been there to greet him.
Follow Athletics insider John Hickey on Twitter: @JHickey3
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