Jordan's Bat

Michael Jordan cards have gone crazy. And I doubt they get less crazy from here, so I figured last week it would be a good idea to add a game-used card since an auto was out of my budget.

Even the most basic warmup pieces now are really high, but I came across this one and it fit the bill for me: serial numbered, unusual, and captures a pivotal moment in his career. Behold, a game-used bat card from MJ's time in Birmingham when he took a break from basketball to play in the minor leagues.

I was 16 when Jordan made his surprise retirement announcement and his move to baseball (my favorite sport) didn't have a lot of precedence in my experience watching pro sports. But if anyone could do this, it was Jordan, right?

It quickly was obvious that MJ could make a play here and there, but he wasn't that good at baseball. And seeing this unquestionably great athlete struggle but stick with the game even when it was clear he had a long way to go meant something to me at that age when you get so many lessons from sports.

I like that this card commemorates one of his 3 home runs in the minors and has as solid game-used language as you'll get from Upper Deck.

A nice overview of MJ's time in the minors was the 30/30 doc "Jordan Rides the Bus" if you're too young to remember that time or you want to remember it again.