No Minor Mania : Robertson Plays in Shadow of Birmingham’s Most Famous Baron

As a young left fielder in the Chicago White Sox farm system, Mike Robertson hopes one day to tangle with the Green Monster, the famed, 37-foot-high left-field wall in Boston’s Fenway Park.

But since Robertson is only on the double-A level, the Birmingham (Ala.) Baron will have to make do with his battle against the Plastic Menace, the not-so-famed, four-foot-high barrier that separated him from a throng of Michael Jordan admirers last month.

Robertson, a former Servite High School and USC standout, already had been fully enveloped by Jordan-mania. There wasn’t a day during a season-opening home stand when he wasn’t interviewed by a newspaper, television or radio reporter, part of the media crush surrounding his new teammate, who, until he retired, was the world’s greatest basketball player.

But the absurdity of it all really hit home when Birmingham hit the road for the first time in mid-April. Awaiting Robertson in Chattanooga’s Engel Stadium was an orange, plastic temporary fence, much like the ones used in construction sites, running from the left-field corner to the center-field wall.

The fence enabled Chattanooga to extend the left-field picnic area so another 700-800 paying customers could pack themselves onto what normally is the playing field to get a glimpse at Jordan. But it also reduced the dimensions from left to center field by about 30 feet and eliminated the warning track.

“It was ridiculous,” Robertson said. “I went over that thing a few times going for balls. There were four or five homers hit over it in two games. They stuffed as many people out there as they could. Some of the owners down here are pretty greedy.”

The fans were a bit of a nuisance during the Chattanooga series, but for the most part Robertson has enjoyed all the attention that comes with being part of Jordan’s supporting cast.

At least two dozen reporters and photographers were on hand for the first home stand, and the Barons have been met by similar media mobs at every road stop.

And then there are the crowds. Birmingham team President Bill Hardekopf had to hire two temporary workers to handle the ticket-order crush before the season opener. One day the phones rang so often he had to go to his car phone just to make a call out.

Birmingham’s home attendance is up 54% over last season, and the response on the road has been as overwhelming. Chattanooga crammed 13,600 into a stadium that normally seats 7,500 for Jordan’s first game there.

Nashville had averaged 882 in eight home games before Birmingham visited. In two games against Jordan and the Barons, Nashville drew 16,842 and 16,852.

“It seems like he’s a rock star,” Robertson said. “People absolutely love him, everywhere.”

The fans come to see Michael, but it’s guys like Mike--Robertson, that is--who benefit.

“It’s real easy to get up and excited when there’s a big crowd,” said Robertson, who was among Southern League leaders in batting (.353), runs batted in (22), doubles (13) and extra-base hits (17) through Thursday’s game. “There’s a buzz of electricity in the air during games, even in batting practice. Last year during BP, there was no one in the stands. It was a real tedious thing to do every day.

“But with the media, the cameras and fans, it’s sort of a big league atmosphere. It’s been more exciting coming to different parks every night. It’s always a grind playing every day, traveling by bus, battling the heat and humidity, but it’s been more enjoyable doing your daily chores this season.”

Jordan has made another dreaded part of minor league life more bearable. Just before the Barons embarked on their first trip, the former NBA great bought a $350,000 bus, which has 35 reclining seats, plenty of leg room, six television sets and a videocassette recorder, for the team to travel the Southern League.

“It’s a lot better than last year’s bus,” Robertson said. “That one was pretty beat up, the seats didn’t work, there was hardly any leg room. This one is more spacious and it has more TVs. Everyone asks me if there’s a spa and a bar in it, but I haven’t seen that yet.”

The other question Robertson hears a lot: So, what’s this Jordan guy like?

“At first it was weird playing baseball with the greatest basketball player of all time,” Robertson said. “But now he seems like a regular guy. I’ve gotten to know him pretty well. He’s a great person and athlete--that shows on the field and off. He plays hard and treats us like equals.”

Robertson said Jordan stays in the same hotels and eats meals with the team. About the only special treatment he receives in Birmingham is a secured parking spot for his black Porsche behind the left-field wall.

Still, the Barons realize they’re in the presence of greatness. After all, have you ever heard of a double-A player signing autographs for opposing players while he’s shagging balls during batting practice? Jordan did for a handful of Carolina Mudcats.

But Jordan is not so huge that he can’t ask a minor leaguer for some batting tips. When he was struggling early in the season, the man who led the Chicago Bulls to three NBA championships and the U.S. basketball team to two Olympic gold medals had a little chat with the 23-year-old who . . . well, he was an All-Orange County, first-team selection in 1987 and ’88.

“He and I were talking about hitting early in the season, and I likened it to basketball,” Robertson said. “When you’re driving down the lane, you don’t think about where your hands or feet are, it just comes naturally. I told him not to worry so much about where his hands were, just see the ball and hit it. That seemed to help.”

Indeed, Jordan rattled off a 13-game hitting streak after the conversation and pushed his average above .300. He has since cooled off and was hitting .265 through Thursday.

“He has all the ability, it’s just a matter of playing the game and playing hard, rather than thinking about every little maneuver,” Robertson said. “Will he make the major leagues? That all depends on if he succeeds at each level he goes to. You need to see him play a full season. That tells you what kind of player he is.”