Jordan’s Swing at Baseball Ends : Basketball: The move further fuels speculation of a return to the Bulls.

Michael Jordan announced Friday that he was giving up baseball, adding to speculation that he will soon return to basketball, the sport he left two years ago.

In a statement released by his agent, Jordan said the baseball strike “made it increasingly difficult to continue my development at a rate that meets my standard.”

Jordan was unavailable for comment. After working out with the Chicago Bulls for three days, he skipped Friday’s practice.

The Chicago Tribune reported that Jordan has told his old Bull teammates that he intends to return to the team but will need a week or two to get in shape.

The guessing in Chicago: news conference announcing Jordan’s return next week, then he returns for a nationally televised game March 19 at Indiana, or the Bulls’ last visit to Boston Garden on March 22 or a game at Chicago against Orlando on March 24.

Bull Coach Phil Jackson said Jordan quit baseball because “he needed the opportunity this year to get better, and the window was closing too quickly and he decided it wasn’t going to happen for him.

“It means Michael has the opportunity to come back and play basketball without baseball being the dream he’s been holding on for.”

In his release, Jordan said his year in the minor leagues had allowed him to live his dream, adding, “I firmly believe that I have made considerable improvement as a baseball player.”

However, Jordan batted only .202 with two home runs as a 31-year-old outfielder at double-A Birmingham, Ala., last season. After a good start in the Arizona Instructional League, he tailed off, showing modest progress at best.

Jordan told Bull players he wants to meet with owner Jerry Reinsdorf before committing himself, seeking assurances that the basketball team will be rebuilt. The team that won championships in Jordan’s final three seasons is now 31-30, sixth best in the Eastern Conference.

Jordan also is believed to have told Scottie Pippen, who has been insulting Bull officials publicly in an effort to be traded, that he will ask Reinsdorf to give Pippen a new contract.

Jordan was reportedly set to fly to Phoenix for a charity event, but on Friday he was spotted at a downtown Chicago hotel. After he was seen there, a large crowd began to gather.

“I spoke with him last (Thursday) night in Chicago,” Reinsdorf said. “He’s definitely not meeting with me today. I have no idea where he’s going to be today.”

Meanwhile, Chicago held its breath.

“Jordan Works Out and the Whole City Sweats,” said a headline in the Tribune, noting that Las Vegas had dropped the odds on the Bulls’ chances of winning the NBA title from 18-1 to 6-1.

The Sun-Times devoted eight pages to the story, with a headline that said, “Say It’s So Mike.”

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