This lot is closed for bidding. Bidding ended on 4/24/2016
Well, here's something you don't see every day: a pair of Michael Jordan game-worn cleats from his memorable professional baseball experiment in 1994. The greatest basketball player on the planet was bored of winning MVPs and NBA titles, so he thought he'd give that simple game of baseball a try, the fundamentals of which takes even superstars years to develop in the minors. I think it is safe to say that MJ finally got humbled. As a Spring Training invite with the Chicago White Sox, Jordan suited up in a No. 45 jersey during Grapefruit League play, but ended up spending the entire '94 season with Birmingham Barons. The big league club had no need for an outfielder who batted .202 with 3 home runs and 114 K's in 436 at-bats at Double-A. So MJ then went back to dominating the NBA for the rest of the decade.
The black Nike high-top shoes have "AIR JORDAN" stamped on the tongue with MJ's No. "45" sewn on the heel next to the Jumpman logo. Size "13.5" is stamped inside the inner ankle of each. The interior tagging appropriately reads "MADE IN TAIWAN" and has an important identification code ("BBMBY6-940310-FT1") that is key to authenticating these. "BBMBY6" is most likely a player-issued serial, following by the 3/10/94 manufacturing date and Taiwan factory code (FT1). The cleats show solid game use, with dirt still stuck to the six metal spikes on the bottom of each. The black suede-like exteriors are lightly dusted with dirt as well. The white laces appear to be the originals. According to the consignor, whose deceased husband was a longtime collector, these were originally procured from a Nike employee in Beaverton, Oregon.