Chicago Cubs: The real story of Michael Jordan

Chicago Cubs: The only MLB park Michael Jordan played in during his attempt at professional baseball was Wrigley Field.

Before everything went south for baseball in the 1994 regular season, the MLB preseason gave sports fans something special on April 7, 1994. The Cubs and White Sox faced off in their annual exhibition crosstown matchup (before the days of inter-league play) at Wrigley Field on a chilly but Sunday afternoon. Nobody cared about the teams playing; they just came to see the White Sox right fielder, Michael Jordan.

Jordan’s attempt at professional baseball was not successful, and he returned to his true calling in 1995. Still, he tried it out with the White Sox organization after his first retirement from basketball. Over 33K showed up to cheer him on and applaud every little thing he did that April afternoon. Harry Caray did a pregame interview with Jordan, who brought up his late father, James Jordan, who played baseball.

In the game itself, Jordan ended up with an RBI single and RBI double (which tied the game at four). Even when Jordan caught a routine flyball off the bat of Dave Otto, the crowd stood and cheered.

There was a play Sox second baseman Joey Cora went out into the outfield to catch a popup in front of Jordan, and the crowed playfully booed Cora for not letting Jordan catch the ball. When Caray got the crowd up to sing the stretch, he exclaimed, “What a day for Michael Jordan!”

The final score was a 4-4 tie in 10 innings. Jordan left the field when the game was called and would proceed to join the Sox Double-A club in Birmingham for the regular season. That day was the only time Jordan played in an MLB ballpark as he never made it to the majors. Fitting it was at old and historic Wrigley Field.