Editorial recap
After the third consecutive championship and amid the emotional blow of his father's murder, Jordan announced his retirement from the NBA on October 6, 1993. The announcement shook American sports: he was leaving basketball at the top, after seven consecutive scoring titles and three straight championships.
During 1994, he turned to professional baseball within the Chicago White Sox organization. He played for the Birmingham Barons at Double-A and appeared in 127 games as an outfielder. That stage is not part of his NBA legacy, but it is part of the human and competitive dimension of his career: a personal, public and demanding pursuit in another sport.
1994 statistics with the Birmingham Barons (Double-A)
| J | AB | H | TB | 2B | 3B | HR | RBI | BB | SO | SB | AVG |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 127 | 436 | 88 | 116 | 17 | 1 | 3 | 51 | 51 | 114 | 30 | .202 |
AB = at-bats · H = hits · TB = total bases · RBI = runs batted in · BB = walks · SO = strikeouts · SB = stolen bases · AVG = batting average.
Key moments
- He announced his departure from the NBA at age 30.
- He fulfilled the wish to test himself as a professional baseball player.
- He remained in competition throughout the 1994 campaign with the Barons.
Honors and distinctions
- Did not play the 1993-94 NBA season.