Stricklin's brush with the legendary Michael Jordan

Georgia baseball coach Scott Stricklin’s five years as a catcher in the minor leagues were filled with memories he will never forget.

Getting to play against basketball legend Michael Jordan certainly stands out.

Although recognized as the best player in the history of the NBA, don’t forget that Jordan stepped away from the hardwood to give baseball a try. He accomplished that by playing the 1994 season with the Birmingham Barons, the Class AA affiliate of the Chicago White Sox.

It was then that the paths of Stricklin and Jordan crossed.

“I was playing for the Nashville Express, which was the AA affiliate of the Minnesota Twins. Birmingham came into town to play us, and we actually played a doubleheader that day,” Stricklin recalled. “I got to catch the second game of the doubleheader, and got to play against him. It was certainly pretty exciting.”

Jordan’s brief baseball career was major news during his one summer in the Southern League.

Hordes of media followed the basketball superstar everywhere he went, with record crowds jamming into stadiums just to catch a glimpse.

Even opponents of the Barons were in awe of getting to play against “MJ.” Stricklin was no exception.

“I was star-struck before the game, during batting practice. We had a player on our team with the Twins named Ed Gerald. Ed played basketball at North Carolina. It was after Jordan, but he played at North Carolina and knew Michael from being an alum,” Stricklin said. “A lot of players were asking Ed, 'Hey, can you get him to sign a ball for me?' or whatever. So, I asked Ed and he said he already told me that if anyone wants his autograph, then they’ve got to ask him himself.”

Stricklin would chicken out.

During the game, however, Stricklin would muster up enough nerve to say a few words during Jordan’s first trip to the plate.

“Yeah, I did will myself to talk to him when he came to the plate. I was fighting, like what the heck do I say to Michael Jordan?” Stricklin said. “When they announced his name, there was a big cheer. I didn’t know what to say, but when they did, I said, 'They don’t cheer like that when they announce me.' He chuckled. I was very proud of myself: I made Michael Jordan chuckle. We didn’t have a conversation; he just chuckled a little bit. That was it. That’s my Michael Jordan story. It’s not very fantastic, but it is a story.”

The tale doesn’t end here.

Also attending the game were Stricklin’s parents, along with his aunt and uncle from Ohio, who came to Nashville to watch him play.

There, Stricklin’s aunt snapped a couple of pictures of her nephew with Jordan during different portions of the game.

Four years would pass.

The year was 1998, Jordan’s last year in the NBA. Stricklin was a volunteer baseball coach at Georgia Tech when a happenstance conversation came up between Stricklin and Yellow Jacket shortstop Jay Hood.

“Jay’s father Jim—his company did marketing with the Atlanta Hawks. It just came up in conversation between Jay and I that Jordan was coming to town. We were talking about, and I was like, yeah, I’ve got a couple of pictures of me and him,” Stricklin said. “He just threw it out there, my dad can probably get him to sign it, because he’ll be in the locker room. So I said, sure, so I gave Jay the pictures, he gave them to his dad. I didn't expect anything, but a week or so later, Jim Hood came in and gave me the pictures.”

According to Stricklin, Jordan was happy to oblige.

“He said Michael was pumped. He was used to seeing basketball stuff, and he was excited to sign them. He was bragging about it," Stricklin said. "The one picture you can see, he made contact with the ball, it’s going up in the air, and Jim Hood was telling me Michael was kind of bragging in the locker room, that yeah, that was a double in the gap right there.

"I remember specifically, it was a pop up to first base. But he signed them, he personalized them, he got them to me, and I was really excited to get them.”

Stricklin laughed that he’s never regretted not asking Jordan for an autograph himself back in 1994.

“I feel strange about asking people for autographs. I always have. I’ve never really liked doing it. Sure, I thought about it, but I’m glad I didn’t. Watching the special, I think it was episode one or two, there was a guy doing something for him as far as getting his audio ready for an interview. He asked him for an autograph, and Jordan gave him a death stare,” Stricklin said. “He doesn’t sign many autographs, so no, I’m glad I didn’t. I have been turned down by someone famous when I asked for an autograph for my son. I said, ‘Hey, would you sign this for my son? And he was like, no, I’m with my family.’ I felt like I was one inch tall, so no, I don’t like asking people for autographs.”