What If? -- Michael Vick as a baseball player

[Young Drachma]

Michael Jordan was 30 when he decided to quit basketball and lay low playing minor league baseball for a year.

Michael Vick will leave jail as a 30 year old and seeks to return to the NFL as a quarterback or hang on any way he can.

Who would've made the better major leaguer, if both had played only baseball from 30 until retirement?

[muns]

I went with Jordan. One of the most competitive guys ever. Eventually he would have been alright I think just because failing would not have been an option in my mind. The time would have been put in.

Vick is just a bum to me and doesnt have that work ethic

[Young Drachma]

Michael Vick was the 30th round pick of the Rockies in the 2000 draft, by the way. He hadn't played since 8th grade. So this isn't completely out of left field [/cues laughtrack]

[samifan24]

I voted for Jordan as well. He has so much natural athletic ability and the work ethic to match. I don't see the same for Mr. Vick.

[Big Fo]

At least Jordan would draw fans to the park even if neither guy could play. And he did make it to AA ball and hit around .200

[Ramzavail]

I saw what Jordan did and I'll opt for Vick, hoping for something better.

[M GO BLUE!!!]

I think Michael Vick would shock a lot of people.


(of he had a people fighting business)

[Young Drachma]

I think Vick would be the better player, but he'd have a hard time humbling himself to do what it takes to be good enough to be a decent baseball player. But he's got off the chart athletic ability and I think he could translate that into a much longer baseball career than whatever he'll do left in football.

Whereas, MJ was just driven to compete and win at whatever he was doing. I mean, if there was no lockout the following season, he'd probably have played that year with the White Sox as a 4th or 5th outfielder. The attendance alone would've made it worthwhile.

[Crim]

I think Vick would be the better player, but he'd have a hard time humbling himself to do what it takes to be good enough to be a decent baseball player. But he's got off the chart athletic ability and I think he could translate that into a much longer baseball career than whatever he'll do left in football.

Whereas, MJ was just driven to compete and win at whatever he was doing. I mean, if there was no lockout the following season, he'd probably have played that year with the White Sox as a 4th or 5th outfielder. The attendance alone would've made it worthwhile.

Source? Or is this just speculation on your part?

[stevew]

Vicks good at throwing it hard and low. I think he could probably develop into a serviceable LOOGY and pinch runner. And he is theoretically still athletic enough that you could put him in left for a batter or two til a lefty came up again.

[stevew]

Dola

I don't think anyone would question his arm strength I don't think he could develop into a hitter but hed likely throw in the high 90s and he's a lefty.

[Young Drachma]

Source? Or is this just speculation on your part?

Sports Illustrated was the only reliable print source at the time and of course, they were on the outs with MJ, so they don't count.

I wasn't blogging in '94, sorry. ;)

But I got it from reading about it on a few sources online (googling and such) not something I made up. But surely if they'd done it, it would've been for the butts in the seats factor not the "MJ is a talented baseball player" factor.

[Young Drachma]

Dola

I don't think anyone would question his arm strength I don't think he could develop into a hitter but hed likely throw in the high 90s and he's a lefty.

I didn't even think of this. But that makes him even more interesting. I'd wonder about control, but...if he could be a decent middle inning guy...that'd be interesting and he could develop pitching pretty fast, I bet with the right teaching.

[molson]

I remember seeing Jordan hit and I thought he looked like a regular baseball player, except really tall.

His stat line, considering he just showed up and played at the AA level, wasn't all that bad:

http://www.infoplease.com/ipsa/A0779388.html

[stevew]

Hmm. He had a decent walk rate, a .285 OBP with a .202 average isn't that bad. 30 steals, but not sure how many attempts. If he was 20 when he pulled that line, he'd probably be considered a decent prospect. Although he would have gotten sent down with that kind of average.

[KWhit]

Jordan. He wins based on work ethic and competitiveness.

[Raiders Army]

For those who voted for Jordan based on his competitiveness and desire to win, isn't it a false statement since he didn't actually "win" and make it past AA ball?

I mean, I'm really not knocking the guy since he had the balls to go into another professional sport while at the top of his game in another. Are you stating that his will to win would give him the edge over Vick or over other professional baseball players or both? There are plenty of times that pure athletic talent wins over desire, although it's always a good story when someone "overcomes the odds".

[KWhit]

For those who voted for Jordan based on his competitiveness and desire to win, isn't it a false statement since he didn't actually "win" and make it past AA ball?

I mean, I'm really not knocking the guy since he had the balls to go into another professional sport while at the top of his game in another. Are you stating that his will to win would give him the edge over Vick or over other professional baseball players or both? There are plenty of times that pure athletic talent wins over desire, although it's always a good story when someone "overcomes the odds".

I'm saying that he has the edge over Vick. If you would take any established NBA or NFL player and plop him down in Spring Training at the age of 30, they would suck. Horribly. I think Jordan did about as well as anyone in that situation could have done. And MUCH better than Vick would do. Vick was/is a fuck-up who happened to have amazing athletic ability.

But stacking Jordan (or Vick, or anyone) against lifelong ballplayers who have taken 1000 swings a day for their entire lives? No, I don't think he stacks up.

But if Jordan had decided at age 18ish or so to devote himself to baseball, then we're having a much different discussion.

[muns]

For those who voted for Jordan based on his competitiveness and desire to win, isn't it a false statement since he didn't actually "win" and make it past AA ball?

I mean, I'm really not knocking the guy since he had the balls to go into another professional sport while at the top of his game in another. Are you stating that his will to win would give him the edge over Vick or over other professional baseball players or both? There are plenty of times that pure athletic talent wins over desire, although it's always a good story when someone "overcomes the odds".

I think thats where you now have to define "WIN"

Did he win and actually hit a baseball at age 30 without any major training till that point? Did he do it enough to keep playing? Both answers to that are yes in my mind.

I think its funny that people actually think hitting a 90MPH fastball is easy, and anyone can do it, let alone trying again at 30. Not saying you think that, but other people here are thinking it.

I went with Jordan because he would want it more than Vick, just Vick. I like KWhit think that Vick is a screw up, and even if he had the talent to play baseball (seems he did per DC) that he wouldnt work at it enough to overcome Jordan and his work ethic

[Raiders Army]

I think thats where you now have to define "WIN"

Did he win and actually hit a baseball at age 30 without any major training till that point? Did he do it enough to keep playing? Both answers to that are yes in my mind.

I think its funny that people actually think hitting a 90MPH fastball is easy, and anyone can do it, let alone trying again at 30. Not saying you think that, but other people here are thinking it.

I went with Jordan because he would want it more than Vick, just Vick. I like KWhit think that Vick is a screw up, and even if he had the talent to play baseball (seems he did per DC) that he wouldnt work at it enough to overcome Jordan and his work ethic

I don't think hitting a 90 mph fastball is easy...although to me it'd be easier than hitting an 86 mph slider. :)

I can understand the argument, and it's probably moot since Vick will probably never play baseball. All I was saying was that you guys are making the assumption that Jordan and Vick had approximately the same baseball skills, and that isn't necessarily true. There does come the point where all the desire and hard work in the world will not make a difference to someone with a lot of natural ability.

[KWhit]

There does come the point where all the desire and hard work in the world will not make a difference to someone with a lot of natural ability.

Except the person we're talking about is Michael Vick, who had as much natural football ability as anyone and ultimately he was a failure even at the sport in which he trained his whole life.