1994 Birmingham Barons
The 1994 Birmingham Barons were the eighth Barons team to represent the Chicago White Sox organization in the AA Southern League. The 1994 season was made especially notable by the presence of NBA legend Michael Jordan in a Barons uniform as he attempted to start a career in baseball. His presence drew record numbers of fans and media to every game, a situation that was intensified even more by the Major League Baseball players' strike that year. ESPN televised four Barons games nationally and two others regionally. This was also the second of three Barons clubs managed by Terry Francona who went on to manage the World Champion 2004 Boston Red Sox.
On the field, the Barons failed to defend their 1993 Southern League Championship. They finished the season with a 65-74 mark (.468), good for 4th in their division. Season attendance was 467,867, a franchise record unlikely to be surpassed in the near future.
Roster
- Infielders: Doug Brady, Ken Coleman, Glenn DiSarcina, Troy Fryman, Chris Snopek
- Outfielders: Kevin Coughlin, Randy Hood, Michael Jordan, Mike Robertson, Scott Tedder, Kerry Valrie
- Catchers: Rogelio Nunez, Chris Tremie
- Pitchers: Luis Andujar, Steve Gajkowski, Brian Givens, Mike Heathcott, Barry Johnson, Matt Karchner, Al Levine, Steve Olsen, Larry Thomas, Joey Vierra
- Manager: Terry Francona
- Coaches/Trainers: Sam Hairston, Kirk Champion, Mike Barnett