By RON CHIMELIS

rchimelis@repub.com

BOSTON - In many ways, Terry Francona remembers Michael Jordan as the quintessential baseball player, even if the world chooses to remember him for some other sport.



"He played for me at a time when it was pretty fashionable to criticize him for playing baseball," said Francona, who managed Jordan with the 1994 Birmingham Barons, a Chicago White Sox Class AA affiliate. "I found that hard to understand, because his attitude was so refreshing. He was playing baseball for all the right reasons."

Jordan's driving reason was the memory of his father, who encouraged him to pursue baseball in the way Bo Jackson and Deion Sanders became two-sport stars. With that commitment came a determination to respect the game's traditions and hierarchy, even if he was in the unique position to ignore them.



That is what Francona, a lifelong baseball man whose father was a major leaguer, remembers most.



"He respected the game, and everyone in it," the Boston Red Sox manager said.



In 127 games, Jordan hit .202 with three home runs and 51 RBIs. By 1995, he was back in basketball, where he won the final three of his six NBA titles with Chicago.

He will be enshrined with the Naismith Memorial Basketball Hall of Fame's Class of 2009 on Sept. 11 in Springfield.



Francona went on to manage the Philadelphia Phillies, but not until a decade later with Boston did he make his mark. The Red Sox ended an 86-year drought with the 2004 World Series title. In 2007, Francona's Red Sox reigned again.



Fifteen years after managing Jordan, Francona concedes he does not remember every detail, such as whether or not the speedy Jordan had the green light to steal.

But, "had he played a couple of more years, I have no doubt he could have made the majors," Francona said. "He stole (30) bases. That's difficult at any level. And his left-to-right (defensive) speed was outstanding."



Jordan's baseball instincts needed honing, but that made him no different than any other young player.



"He hadn't played baseball in something like 14 years," said Francona, who used Jordan in left or right field. "We worked with him, but no more or less than we did with any of the other young players. ESPN didn't care what we were doing with the other guys, though.



"Michael's arm was sore all year. In the minors, you take infield (and outfield) practice every day, and he never asked off."



The White Sox sent Francona instructions on how to develop Jordan's skills. "At the Double A level, you always get that," Francona said.



As for the external distractions, the parent club's concerns were eased by the way Jordan handled the situation.

"Michael was very aware of how hard it is to get (to the big leagues), and how much money the other players were not making," Francona said. "As the season progressed, the anxiety (about distractions) lessened, because of how he handled it."



What made the Barons' 1994 season even more unprecedented was that it coincided with the major league baseball strike. From August until the end of the Southern League season, Birmingham filled the baseball void as America's most popular team.



Jordan was the reason for that popularity. As he treated the situation with aplomb, Francona's respect grew.



"Everybody was pulling at him. Everyone wanted a piece of him," Francona said.

The men could relate. In 1994, Francona was 35 and Jordan 31



"The one word we never wanted to use was 'circus,' Francona said. "We would talk about it, because he was about my age. But he treated everybody with respect.



"That's how he grew up," he said. "He said his mom and dad demanded he show respect."



In 1993, the Barons had won the Southern League title and Francona was named manager of the year. In the 1994 "Jordan season," Birmingham went 65-74. In four years as minor league manager, three of which were in Birmingham (1993-95), it was Francona's only losing season.



He still remembers it fondly, though. The Basketball Hall of Fame has invited Francona to enshrinement, but the Red Sox are playing Tampa Bay that night, so he will not attend.



As the years have passed, the two men have kept in touch, though not as much in recent years. "He's gone to a couple of our games (in Chicago). And I was going to play in his golf tournament last year, but my back was acting up," Francona said.



It is this bond that Francona appreciates, long after details of Jordan's season in Birmingham have faded from memory.



"I enjoyed my time with him, and I value his friendship," Francona said. "Michael is just a good guy."