The Barons don't play at Hoover Metropolitan Stadium anymore. But until they moved to Regions Field in downtown Birmingham in 2013, the facilities at the previous ballpark
south of the city paid homage to some of the greats who had International
League Iron On Transfers passed through. There was the Rollie Fingers
Bullpen Deck, named for the Hall of Fame reliever who Eastern
League Iron On Transfers experienced pitched for the A's farm club there in
1967 and '68, and the Robin Ventura Pavilion, honoring the third baseman who had
been a Baron in 1989 before getting called up to the Chicago White Sox, and the
Frank Thomas Picnic Area, dedicated to the Hall of Fame slugger who put a
Double-A Hurt on Southern League pitchers in 1990. The dining facility? Well,
that bore the name of a certain, .202-hitting right fielder for the 1994 Barons.
There was a particular delicious irony to calling it The Michael Jordan Banquet
Hall. After all, he started quite a feeding frenzy on the night of April 8,
1994, at the Hoover Met when he made his established professional baseball
debut. Wearing No. 45, his old Laney (North Carolina) High number, the
31-year-aged émigré from basketball drew a crowd of 10,359, as well as 130
members of the mass media. They watched him fly out in his initial at-bat
against Chattanooga starter John Courtright. For the night time, and for the
record, he went 0-for-3 in a 10-3 loss to the Lookouts. The masses went home
mildly disappointed. Jordan is long gone from Birmingham, and so are most of the
players and coaches who have wore the Barons uniform that calendar year. The
skipper, Terry Francona, is now in his 20th Liga
Mexicana de Beisbol Iron On Transfers year of handling in the bigs, with
Hall of Fame credentials that include the breaking of the Boston Florida
State League Iron On Transfers Red Sox's 86-12 months curse in 2004, another
World Series trophy three years afterwards and another trip to the Fall Classic
with his current team, the Indians. Of the players on that '94 roster, 20 were
either coming down from, or going up to the majors. Jordan never made it to the
bigs, but at least he could console himself with his and the Chicago Bulls'
second NBA three-peat.