Sorry, I plead guilty. Guilty on all counts of daring to address the possibility, however remote, that Michael Jordan might play professional baseball.
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I didn’t know this was a crime, but to hear some of the purists howl from the peanut gallery, it’s a borderline felony. I should stick to writing about probation at Texas A&M, the vagrant who attacked Nancy Kerrigan and Cubs budget cuts that have pared pitchers from an already threadbare staff and solid front-office types like Ned Colletti, too.
Last time I checked, one of the media’s functions is to report on topics about which the public wants information. Inasmuch as people gather around a barber shop when Jordan gets his head shaved, it’s no surprise that he would create a stir by entering the batting cage at Comiskey Park during the middle of winter. At least he’s more interesting than the Bears’ offense, isn’t he? Certainly more unpredictable, and everybody’s talking about it.
If Michael’s taking us all for a little ride, well, so be it. The last one was pretty good. He put in nine years with the Bulls, sticking out his tongue at convention. If he wants to tuck his tongue in his cheek and tell us he thinks he can play with the White Sox, so what? Who’s he hurting? It’s his life and always has been, no matter how often we’ve invaded his privacy. Besides, would he give up golf somewhere else in January just to tweak the media here? We’re not that important.
Jerry Reinsdorf, boss of the Bulls and White Sox, issued the key phrase when he said Michael isn’t going to embarrass himself. Reinsdorf thus dismissed this whole idea as unlikely, which is true. Reinsdorf also might be delving into misdirection, but again, where’s the harm? He’s competing against a 10-ton gorilla in the Cubs and doing nicely. If Jordan’s batting practice keeps the White Sox warm and on the front pages in January, that’s legal.
I’m not about to worry for the “integrity” of baseball. Only a handful of athletes ever played two professional sports in successive seasons, and you can count the baseball-basketball guys with fingers left over. Chuck Connors, Dave DeBusschere, Gene Conley, Danny Ainge. Jordan’s a better athlete than all four together, and he’s retired from basketball. Jordan is also 30 and far removed from Little League. His chances are 1 in infinity, but if baseball can survive itself, baseball can survive his fantasy.
The White Sox probably can handle having Jordan around, too. Spring training isn’t exactly six weeks of high intensity. If he goes there, he won’t destroy any sliding drills. White Sox players who think management is too gimmick-oriented should feel free to put aside their inhibitions. Maybe just hanging around Jordan will help them learn what it takes. He’s a winner, whether he plays cards or golf, so some exposure to Jordan’s unique competitive passion can’t hurt.
If Jordan ever completes his mission implausible and makes it to home plate during a Grapefruit League game, all he’ll do is what he’s always done. Sell tickets. What baseball will lose in integrity baseball will recover at the box office. That’s never been a problem for baseball before, and it shouldn’t be now, not after last season’s TV ratings. And if Jordan abandons his experiment, then baseball can relax with its dignity intact. Baseball can resume talking about realignment and revenue sharing for the next decade.
With due respect to Jordan, professional golfers snickered when he said he’d like to try that sport. Now baseball is raising doubts, as it should. But if Jordan is serious, he’s entitled to some space. And if we can’t share in his dream, we’re missing out on some fun, a scarce commodity lately. I don’t know if Michael’s throwing us a curve, but I do know he’ll see a lot of sliders.
Maybe the hardest thing in sports isn’t hitting a baseball. Maybe the hardest thing is retiring at 30 as the best basketball player ever. That’s why they make batting cages. Loosen up.