MLB’s Oakland A’s Once Made Stunning Offer to Michael Jordan Almost 30 Years Before Historic Las Vegas Announcement

Published 11/17/2023, 10:00 AM EST

Athletes don’t usually change sports in the middle of their prime. While many greats tend to excel in multiple sports at the high school level, they eventually choose a direction. However, like all other things, Michael Jordan wasn’t like most people. Rather than stick to basketball, MJ would famously retire in the middle of his prime to support baseball. While the reasons for his excursion are disputable, there is one story that isn’t.

During his time away from basketball, Michael famously chose to participate in Minor League Baseball. However, if not for loyalty, he could have been in the Major leagues.

Michael Jordan – the MLB superstar?

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In a story as wild as it is impressive, the Chicago Bulls legend could have been a full-time member of the Oakland Athletics. That is according to his agent, David Falk, who took perfunctory calls with MLB teams about the possible transition.

However, with one enthusiastic response from the A’s Sandy Alderson, perfunctory became a possibility.

According to Falk, “Sandy had the most interesting and impactful response. He offered Michael a spot on the Major LeaguWae roster. “ Since Falk’s comments, even Alderson has confirmed the events. “That’s one that got away. It would have been fun, but it didn’t come to fruition.”

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At the heart of it all, was his loyalty to the Chicago area and the White Sox organization. As Falk relates, “Michael’s an amazingly loyal guy. If not for his relationship with the White Sox, [the A’s offer] might have been something he might have done.”

But, another thing stopping Mike was his dedication to his craft. “I was excited about [the offer], and Michael was very appreciative…But he wanted to do the baseball thing from the ground up. He didn’t feel he deserved a spot on the Major League roster and didn’t feel he was ready.”

Either way, the move to Oakland was more a celebrity gig than an actual baseball impact. “It wasn’t about, ‘We’ve got a spot for him, he’s got a particular skill,’” Alderson told mlb.com. “That wasn’t the idea. The idea was, ‘We’ve got Michael Jordan on our team’ and the interest that would have generated.”

While the unfounded Michael move did not rejuvenate the franchise, a literal “move” might finally do the trick.

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The Athletics find a new home

Since then, the Athletics have been a middling franchise. While they’ve had occasional bright spots, even years where they won the Division Title, there hasn’t been continuity to their success. Moreover, their success hasn’t come at the highest level either.

As a result, desperate times call for desperate measures. Finally taking the plunge, the A’s are moving from their home of 55 years and shifting to Las Vegas. Despite Shohei Ohtani’s remarkable unanimous MVP selection, the news coming out of Vegas became the biggest story on the market.

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Could Jordan look to rekindle his relationship with the Athletics once more? Free from his time with the Charlotte Hornets, could a different ownership deal entice Mike?

“Least Surprising Thing”: Fans Accept Fate as Athletics’ Las Vegas Move Gets Unanimous Approval Amidst Desperate Final Resistance

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My earliest memories of a connection to basketball was through its popularity in my school. Eventually, that gave way to a genuine passion for the sport and the rest, is history. Whether it be gameplay, the tactics, the narratives, or the sheer art on display, the game speaks to me in a way few other things can.

MLB’s Oakland A’s Once Made Stunning Offer to Michael Jordan Almost 30 Years Before Historic Las Vegas Announcement

Michael Jordan – the MLB superstar?

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The Athletics find a new home