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Although Terry Francona’s most memorable moment in baseball is probably the time he helped lead the 2004 Boston Red Sox back from a 3-0 deficit against the New York Yankees in the ALCS before breaking the “Curse of the Bambino” by winning the World Series, managing Michael Jordan during his minor league stint in 1994-95 is probably up there. Sure, MJ’s baseball career fizzled out and he returned to the NBA — winning three more championships from ’96-’98 — but the GOAT admits that playing minor league baseball helped him appreciate the love of the game.
Numerous times in the two decades since Jordan tried his hand at baseball, the hoops legend described how his minor league teammates inspired him, and how their passion for playing — not for getting paid — is what led them wanting to do those long bus rides and cheap motels. And Terry Francona was at the forefront of most of that, as he and Jordan teamed up on the Birmingham Barons during the 1994 season, with MJ playing in 127 games that season.
Jordan may have been focused on trying to hit a curveball at the time, but Francona recently recalls a time when the superstar couldn’t help but embarrass teammates on the basketball court. Now the current Cleveland Indians manager, Francona told an awesome story about His Airness’ ruthless competitiveness when playing in a pickup game with some Joe Schmoes, so take a look below at the details.
You may not know, but Tito managed Michael Jordan in Double-A.
Of course, Terry has a story or two, like the time he played pickup basketball with MJ.#TheLastDance pic.twitter.com/bDUn68irO6
— Cleveland Guardians (@CleGuardians) April 20, 2020
“It’s Michael and the coaches against anybody. Very first pass of the game, he dislocated my pinkie, because the ball got there before I was; I was like, ‘where’d that come from?’ So I kinda quietly put it back where I was supposed to, and the game’s slowly progressing, and there was a guy who was big and strong and he was kinda being physical with Michael.
“I remember being a little uncomfortable, ’cause I thought ‘man, this is not going in a good direction.’ Finally, Michael had had enough, and he stood at the top of the key and put the ball in the crook of his arm, and he pointed to the guy and said, ‘I’m going right there.’
“So I went over to set a pick, and he told me to get outta there. So I got up, wattled back over to where I was, he took one dribble, left the ground, and, next thing I know, the rim is bent. He slammed the ball through the chain net, and he’s standing over the guy who he pointed out, and said, ‘don’t ever talk to me in my house.’ And I said, ‘game’s over!’
“I get chills talking about it. I don’t know how he got from A to B; because, when he left his feet, I thought it was going to be bad. Next thing I know, the rim was bent, and I was just so glad I got to see that.”
Given the fact we all know about Michael Jordan’s ultra competitiveness, Terry Francona’s story probably isn’t too surprising. Still, for MJ to be so heartless to some poor Average Joe just because they were playing a casual game of hoops just goes to show why the guy should never be messed with on a basketball court.