Michael Jordan has been the talk of the sports world for the past week, his 50th birthday giving every columnist and their surprisingly literate dog a chance to reminisce about their favourite MJ memories.
We've also been reminded, ad nauseum, of a quote from Jordan's Hall of Fame induction speech a few years back: "One day you may look up and see me playing the game at 50."
The question is, which game?
In a rather clever publicity stunt, The Joliet Slammers — a low-profile team in baseball's Frontier League — have offered Jordan, who famously flirted with minor league baseball in 1994, a chance to lace 'em up at 50.
The terms of the offer are certainly enticing. Jordan would be granted a max Frontier League contract of $1,600 per month, with $20 daily meal money and a host family if needed. Most Slammers players receive only two tickets per game for family and friends, but Jordan has been offered a Loaded Luxury Suite for 23 people that includes all-you-can-eat-and-drink hamburgers, hot dogs, pasta salad, mustard potato salad, baked beans, cookies and Pepsi products for 90 minutes every game.
The team is also "open to" signing a shoe deal with Brand Jordan for the upcoming season, and would look into purchasing the JordanCruiser, the bus that Jordan bought for his minor league baseball team in the '90s.
"Who knows how the book is written if there was no Major League Baseball strike in 1994?" said Slammers general manager Chris Franklin, referencing the strike that ended Jordan's baseball career prematurely. "It worked out pretty well for Michael and basketball fans around the world, but we would like to offer MJ the opportunity to write the final chapter by playing baseball for the Joliet Slammers or, at the very least, honour him in a way nobody else has."
The Slammers play their home games at Silver Cross Field in downtown Joliet, IL, 45 miles south of the United Center (home of the Chicago Bulls) and slightly shorter from US Cellular Field (home of the Chicago White Sox).
"Again, we're serious about giving Michael the opportunity to play professional baseball with the Slammers this summer," Franklin said. "We do have an age limit in our league, but like Nike and the red and black Air Jordans his rookie year in the NBA, we'll take the fine. There are dozens of gimmicks we could throw out there in the offer, but we're playing by the rules and think he would respect that. It could be one last challenge for the greatest competitor of all time."
If the unthinkable happens and Jordan declines the Slammers' offer to play, the team will still look to honour him by retiring his number 45 at Silver Cross Field on Wednesday June 5. Details for that event are "pending Jordan's decision".
"Although his baseball statistics may not warrant a retired number, the reason and purpose he played professional baseball do," Franklin said. "That's something we want to recognise here on the South Side and give Bulls and Sox fans one last chance to honour him if he decides this is not a challenge he wants to pursue."
The Slammers concluded their stunt by letting fans know that if they want to receive the same Loaded Luxury Suite deal Jordan would, they can call the club and pre-order their all-you-can-eat-and-drink package for $45.
Joliet Slammers, we salute you.
(Via Sports Page Magazine)
