While scanning YouTube for Crosstown Classic clips, I came upon this gem from 1994, back when the game was a yearly charity event before the days of interleague play. The '94 game at Wrigley Field is the only one for which I recall any specific detail, and it's not exactly because the Sox's starting right-fielder was a 31-year-old rookie, but more specifically because the right-fielder was Michael Jordan.
Here, then, are 23 observations and notes on the video in honor of No. 45. (In order of appearance )
>> The game was played Thursday, April 7, 1994. The White Sox had just lost two of three to the Blue Jays in Toronto, while the Cubs opened the season at home against the Mets, getting swept by a combined 11 runs.
>>0:00 Holy crap--it's Harry Caray! This was four years before his death, and I honestly did not remember him being quite so Harry-Caray-y. He's a walking Will Ferrell sketch. Just the sound of his voice ("Michael, I want you to know ...") convinced me that Harry was about to ask Jordan if he would eat himself in the event of being both starving and a hot dog. Sure enough, I scroll down and a commenter has beat me to it. This is gonna be good
>>0:06 Harry tells MJ that seeing the great Bulls guard in a baseball uniform is "the greatest thrill of my life." I have no way to cross check this, but I'd love to know all the other instances in which Harry declared on the air that something was the greatest thrill of his life.
>>0:32 It's 32 seconds before Harry finally asks a question, but it's not even a question--he merely makes a statement about Jordan's dream of becoming a major-leaguer and then pauses, allowing Jordan a chance to speak.
>>0:47 Harry asks Michael if he's "been on the bus yet?" for road trips, and then laughs ferociously and leans way back like he might pass out. >>0:55 In a nod to Jordan's eventual decision to rent a beautiful new team bus for the Birmingham Barons, MJ tells Harry: "You travel as a team, so I will be taking the bus. It may be a nicer bus, but I will be taking the bus."
>>1:01 It's also worth noting that while MJ was popular for his skills and achievements, he was also admired for his looks--not in a handsome sense (though he was that too) but in a "cool" sense. Everything the man did had a touch of the Fonz. Same goes for his baseball uniform. He carried it well and looked fresh as hell in that black White Sox jersey.
>>1:07 Is it me or did Harry almost drop some good, old-fashioned subtle racism? "Michael I tell ya, everybody knows what a tremendous man you are. A real gentleman. A real credit to a community." Good save, Harry!
>>1:18 When Harry holds the mic up for Jordan and the camera sits on that profile shot, Harry's head looks like the caricature the team popularized after his death. I really just don't remember him being this much of a living parody.
>>1:20 Fun to hear MJ use the phrase "the game of baseball," as in how his struggling "really gives credit to the game of baseball.""The game of basketball" was one of Jordan's favorite hoops phrases--he used it four times in one minute during his 1993 retirement speech, and used it eight times total in his 1999 retirement.
>>1:47 Harry Caray, never a man to mince words: "You know Michael, already from reading about what you've done in baseball, I've deducted that hitting a baseball is your biggest problem."
>>2:06 Jordan answers Harry's statement-question about struggling to hit a baseball with confidence, and it's worth noting that he really sounds like a ballplayer when describing the hitting process: "It's tough. You're back there, trying to guess with the pitcher, basically. You're anticipating your rhythm off the pitcher's motions. And all those things come into play that people don't take into account."
>>2:30 Harry asks Jordan what sport might be next for him, facetiously suggesting hockey. He does, however, ask Jordan if he will consider returning to hoops, and Jordan--the man of the "never say never" edict--tells Harry that after baseball, he's just going to enjoy his retirement.
>>3:05 Love the cutaway to the overhead shot of the media scrum around MJ and Harry. The camera angle used throughout the interview makes it look as if the two men are nearly alone in the middle of the field, but this shot tells the full story.
>>4:07 Startling to see MJ as "the star of the day," as Harry calls him, in a Sox lineup that includes Frank Thomas, Robin Ventura and Ozzie Guillen. Those three men already had a combined five All-Star appearances, four Gold Gloves, and one American League MVP award--they were three-quarters of a starting infield on a defending division champion team--and yet Jordan was "the star of the day."
>>4:20 Smooth play in right as Jordan catches a popup from Cubs pitcher Dave Otto. This is the only defensive play of the highlight reel, so maybe he boofed some others, but catching a major-league pop fly is no simple skill. Big cheers from the Wrigley crowd.
>>4:38 MJ drives in the first White Sox run of the game with a single down the third-base line. Tough at-bat for Jordan, who milked a 3-2 count with one out and connected on a curve that he knocked just out of the reach of the Cubs third baseman.
>>5:05 Jordan takes second base on a passed ball, rounding the bag and looking at third before pulling back. He gallops on the base path with loping strides, and scores later in the inning on a two-run homer to cut the Cubs lead to 4-3.
>>5:45 Jordan gets another at-bat late in the game and delivers a game-tying RBI double. The hit gets the full salute from both Harry ("Michael Jordan has tied up the ballgame with a ground double to left, and this crowd is seeing what it came here for.") and more significantly, Steve Stone ("There was nothing fluky about that double. That was a rifle shot down the line."). He finishes 2-4 with two RBI.
>>7:00 Time for the seventh-inning stretch! If you were too young to remember Harry leading the stretch, this one has it all: the organist adjusting on the fly to stay with Harry's ever-changing pace and key, Harry not singing for most of the song, preferring instead to wave the microphone out the window and a big "Hey!" to top it off.
>>7:56 And whadya know--the game went extras. The Sox outhit the Cubs 13-6, but also committed four errors to the Cubs' one. The game ended in a 4-4 tie after 10 innings. Harry tells us the White Sox are now riding a 10-game unbeaten streak in the series, winning eight times and tying twice.
>>9:07 MJ's double wins the Budweiser Play of the Game. Harry describes MJ as "the great basketball star of yesterday, the future major-league ballplayer of today." Gotta love Harry.
>>Okay, here's where things get interesting. We live in a world rife with conspiracy theories, and there is no shortage of such theories in professional sports. Even surrounding Jordan and his retirement, there are people who believe that the NBA forced MJ to temporarily retire in hopes of curtailing the scrutiny over Jordan's gambling, a theory that persists despite the fact that Jordan stated publicly as early as 1991 that he might retire young.
So my question is this: Why haven't I ever read any theories about Jerry Reinsdorf's role in Jordan's return to the Bulls in 1995? Consider the facts:
>> Jordan always said that he wanted to earn a spot in the majors rather than getting there as a replacement player in the event of a strike.
>> Reinsdorf was cited as one of the key figures in forcing the MLB players to go on strike. >> Reinsdorf continued paying Jordan his basketball salary ($4 million per year) even throughout Jordan's retirement, making MJ easily the highest paid minor-league ballplayer of all-time.
Is it so unlikely, then, that one factor driving Reinsdorf's union-busting stance was his desire to have his single best athletic asset returned to its rightful place? Sure, the White Sox were leading their division, but there was no guarantee that they would hold that lead (only one game at the end of the season) nor that they would win a World Series.
On the other hand, return Jordan to the Bulls and they immediately become title contenders, as evidenced by their 13-4 record upon Jordan's return in 1995.
Look, I'm not saying this happened--I'm just saying that I'm surprised I've never read anything about it, considering the myriad of other conspiracy theories floating around the NBA. Just some food for thought here in Crosstown Classic week.
Jack M Silverstein is a RedEye special contributor.
Want more? Discuss this article and others on RedEye's Facebook page.
Here, then, are 23 observations and notes on the video in honor of No. 45. (In order of appearance )
>> The game was played Thursday, April 7, 1994. The White Sox had just lost two of three to the Blue Jays in Toronto, while the Cubs opened the season at home against the Mets, getting swept by a combined 11 runs.
>>0:00 Holy crap--it's Harry Caray! This was four years before his death, and I honestly did not remember him being quite so Harry-Caray-y. He's a walking Will Ferrell sketch. Just the sound of his voice ("Michael, I want you to know ...") convinced me that Harry was about to ask Jordan if he would eat himself in the event of being both starving and a hot dog. Sure enough, I scroll down and a commenter has beat me to it. This is gonna be good
>>0:06 Harry tells MJ that seeing the great Bulls guard in a baseball uniform is "the greatest thrill of my life." I have no way to cross check this, but I'd love to know all the other instances in which Harry declared on the air that something was the greatest thrill of his life.
>>0:32 It's 32 seconds before Harry finally asks a question, but it's not even a question--he merely makes a statement about Jordan's dream of becoming a major-leaguer and then pauses, allowing Jordan a chance to speak.
>>0:47 Harry asks Michael if he's "been on the bus yet?" for road trips, and then laughs ferociously and leans way back like he might pass out. >>0:55 In a nod to Jordan's eventual decision to rent a beautiful new team bus for the Birmingham Barons, MJ tells Harry: "You travel as a team, so I will be taking the bus. It may be a nicer bus, but I will be taking the bus."
>>1:01 It's also worth noting that while MJ was popular for his skills and achievements, he was also admired for his looks--not in a handsome sense (though he was that too) but in a "cool" sense. Everything the man did had a touch of the Fonz. Same goes for his baseball uniform. He carried it well and looked fresh as hell in that black White Sox jersey.
>>1:07 Is it me or did Harry almost drop some good, old-fashioned subtle racism? "Michael I tell ya, everybody knows what a tremendous man you are. A real gentleman. A real credit to a community." Good save, Harry!
>>1:18 When Harry holds the mic up for Jordan and the camera sits on that profile shot, Harry's head looks like the caricature the team popularized after his death. I really just don't remember him being this much of a living parody.
>>1:20 Fun to hear MJ use the phrase "the game of baseball," as in how his struggling "really gives credit to the game of baseball.""The game of basketball" was one of Jordan's favorite hoops phrases--he used it four times in one minute during his 1993 retirement speech, and used it eight times total in his 1999 retirement.
>>1:47 Harry Caray, never a man to mince words: "You know Michael, already from reading about what you've done in baseball, I've deducted that hitting a baseball is your biggest problem."
>>2:06 Jordan answers Harry's statement-question about struggling to hit a baseball with confidence, and it's worth noting that he really sounds like a ballplayer when describing the hitting process: "It's tough. You're back there, trying to guess with the pitcher, basically. You're anticipating your rhythm off the pitcher's motions. And all those things come into play that people don't take into account."
>>2:30 Harry asks Jordan what sport might be next for him, facetiously suggesting hockey. He does, however, ask Jordan if he will consider returning to hoops, and Jordan--the man of the "never say never" edict--tells Harry that after baseball, he's just going to enjoy his retirement.
>>3:05 Love the cutaway to the overhead shot of the media scrum around MJ and Harry. The camera angle used throughout the interview makes it look as if the two men are nearly alone in the middle of the field, but this shot tells the full story.
>>4:07 Startling to see MJ as "the star of the day," as Harry calls him, in a Sox lineup that includes Frank Thomas, Robin Ventura and Ozzie Guillen. Those three men already had a combined five All-Star appearances, four Gold Gloves, and one American League MVP award--they were three-quarters of a starting infield on a defending division champion team--and yet Jordan was "the star of the day."
>>4:20 Smooth play in right as Jordan catches a popup from Cubs pitcher Dave Otto. This is the only defensive play of the highlight reel, so maybe he boofed some others, but catching a major-league pop fly is no simple skill. Big cheers from the Wrigley crowd.
>>4:38 MJ drives in the first White Sox run of the game with a single down the third-base line. Tough at-bat for Jordan, who milked a 3-2 count with one out and connected on a curve that he knocked just out of the reach of the Cubs third baseman.
>>5:05 Jordan takes second base on a passed ball, rounding the bag and looking at third before pulling back. He gallops on the base path with loping strides, and scores later in the inning on a two-run homer to cut the Cubs lead to 4-3.
>>5:45 Jordan gets another at-bat late in the game and delivers a game-tying RBI double. The hit gets the full salute from both Harry ("Michael Jordan has tied up the ballgame with a ground double to left, and this crowd is seeing what it came here for.") and more significantly, Steve Stone ("There was nothing fluky about that double. That was a rifle shot down the line."). He finishes 2-4 with two RBI.
>>7:00 Time for the seventh-inning stretch! If you were too young to remember Harry leading the stretch, this one has it all: the organist adjusting on the fly to stay with Harry's ever-changing pace and key, Harry not singing for most of the song, preferring instead to wave the microphone out the window and a big "Hey!" to top it off.
>>7:56 And whadya know--the game went extras. The Sox outhit the Cubs 13-6, but also committed four errors to the Cubs' one. The game ended in a 4-4 tie after 10 innings. Harry tells us the White Sox are now riding a 10-game unbeaten streak in the series, winning eight times and tying twice.
>>9:07 MJ's double wins the Budweiser Play of the Game. Harry describes MJ as "the great basketball star of yesterday, the future major-league ballplayer of today." Gotta love Harry.
>>Okay, here's where things get interesting. We live in a world rife with conspiracy theories, and there is no shortage of such theories in professional sports. Even surrounding Jordan and his retirement, there are people who believe that the NBA forced MJ to temporarily retire in hopes of curtailing the scrutiny over Jordan's gambling, a theory that persists despite the fact that Jordan stated publicly as early as 1991 that he might retire young.
So my question is this: Why haven't I ever read any theories about Jerry Reinsdorf's role in Jordan's return to the Bulls in 1995? Consider the facts:
>> Jordan always said that he wanted to earn a spot in the majors rather than getting there as a replacement player in the event of a strike.
>> Reinsdorf was cited as one of the key figures in forcing the MLB players to go on strike. >> Reinsdorf continued paying Jordan his basketball salary ($4 million per year) even throughout Jordan's retirement, making MJ easily the highest paid minor-league ballplayer of all-time.
Is it so unlikely, then, that one factor driving Reinsdorf's union-busting stance was his desire to have his single best athletic asset returned to its rightful place? Sure, the White Sox were leading their division, but there was no guarantee that they would hold that lead (only one game at the end of the season) nor that they would win a World Series.
On the other hand, return Jordan to the Bulls and they immediately become title contenders, as evidenced by their 13-4 record upon Jordan's return in 1995.
Look, I'm not saying this happened--I'm just saying that I'm surprised I've never read anything about it, considering the myriad of other conspiracy theories floating around the NBA. Just some food for thought here in Crosstown Classic week.
Jack M Silverstein is a RedEye special contributor.
Want more? Discuss this article and others on RedEye's Facebook page.