A Clubhouse Encounter with Michael Jordan

By Jerry Spradlin

One memorable experience during my time in Philadelphia was meeting Michael Jordan. During one of our trips to Chicago, Michael came into the clubhouse to say hello to Terry Francona. Before becoming manager of the Phillies, Tito had managed Michael when he was playing baseball with the Birmingham Barons.

As luck would have it, I happened to be walking through the tunnel at the same time Michael was. We ended up talking for a few minutes and discovered we had a couple of mutual acquaintances. It wasn't a long conversation, but it was a pretty cool experience.

What made it especially memorable for me was that Michael Jordan wasn't just a basketball player. He was arguably the most recognizable athlete in the world at the time. Yet there he was, walking through a baseball clubhouse like everybody else.

Baseball allowed me to meet a lot of interesting people over the years, but getting the chance to chat with Michael Jordan was definitely one of the more unique experiences.