"He was named Mr. Baseball" - When NBA icon Michael Jordan's baseball exploits drew comparisons to Derek Jeter

Michael Jordan's name is synonymous with greatness. Dubbed the best player to ever play basketball, Jordan's larger-than-life persona has made him much more than an athlete but an icon. From his dynasty with the Chicago Bulls in the 90s to his incredibly successful shoe brand, Jordan is a cultural phenomenon to this day.

"The Air Jordan 1 "Black Toe Reimagined" will feature the AIR JORDAN text on the ankle as seen in this early photoshoot with Michael Jordan. There will be no other changes to the shoe (no aging/yellowing, standard leather materials)" - @SneakerNews

There will always be a spirited debate among fans about whether Michael Jordan or Lebron James is the best player in NBA history. There may be no settling the debate as both camps are firm in which player they believe is better and which made more of an impact on the game of basketball.

That being said, there was once a time when Jordan's career trajectory could have been entirely different. In the book, Michael Jordan: The Life by Roland Lazenby, it was revealed that many inside the Hall of Famer's family believed that Michael could have been a superstar baseball player.

Michael's father James Jordan and his cousin William Henry Jordan saw the potential inside the Chicago Bulls star when he was 12 years old. William once described a game in which he saw Michael pitch against his own son, saying that the future basketball star struck out all 12 batters that he faced. This performance led him to believe Michael was going to be a star player one day.

"Michael Jordan's Babe Ruth League Baseball coach, Dick Neher, on Jordan....“I don't care what you did with him, he wanted to be No. 1" - @Coach_Campbell

Dick Neher, who served as Michael's coach in the Babe Ruth League said that a young Jordan reminded him of another Hall of Fame talent, Derek Jeter. Neher said that MJ's ability to throw to first base on a jump reminded him of the New York Yankees captain. "He was named Mr. Baseball in North Carolina,” Neher said as he explained Jordan's prowess at shortstop.

Michael Jordan did play minor league baseball with mixed results

Although Jordan was dubbed an elite player when he was a kid, the Chicago Bulls superstar was eventually given a shot to play America's pasttime at a professional level. Following the murder of his father, Jordan announced his retirement from the NBA in 1993.

As if his retirement was not surprising enough, Jordan shocked the sports world yet again in 1994 by agreeing to a minor league contract with the Chicago White Sox. During his lone season in the minors, Jordan appeared in 127 games and posted a .202 batting average with 3 home runs, 51 RBIs, and 30 stolen bases.