Page 8 THE REVERE ADVOCATE – FRIDAY, FEBRUARY 23, 2024 FATEFUL DECISION: Michael Jordan’s 1994 foray into pro baseball – 30 years ago this month – had a ripple effect on Carmine Cappuccio’s career Cappuccio had longest pro baseball career for any Malden resident ever, but his career path was irretrievably altered by Jordan’s dalliance in the sport Following is Part One of a two-part series telling the story of how a decision by the greatest player in NBA history, Michael Jordan, had an irretrievably adverse effect on the professional baseball fate of Malden High School’s greatest baseball player, Carmine Cappuccio By Steve Freker T here has been plenty of discussion and reminiscing about the time the NBA’s greatest player left three world title rings behind – 30 years ago this month – to embark on a career in a second professional sport. Those of us who know local sports history are acutely aware of an unspoken “what might have been” connected to that choice. The greatest-ever NBAer’s choice undoubtedly had a direct, ripple eff ect on the professional career of another “greatest ever,” Malden High School legend Carmine Cappuccio. A baseball star on three dif425r Broadway, Saugus Located adjacent to Kohls Plaza Route 1 South in Saugus at the intersection of Walnut Street We are on MBTA Bus Route 429 781-231-1111 We are a Skating Rink with Bowling Alleys, Arcade and two TV’s where the ball games are always on! PUBLIC SKATING SCHEDULE 12-7 p.m. Sunday Monday Tuesday Wednesday Thursday Friday Saturday $9.00 Price includes Roller Skates Rollerblades/inline skates $3.00 additional cost Private Parties 7:30-11 p.m. $10.00 Price includes Roller Skates Adult Night 18+ Only Private Parties Private Parties 4-7 p.m. $9.00 12-9 p.m. 7:30-11 p.m. $10. 18+ Adults Only After 7 PM $9.00 Everyone must pay admission after 6 p.m. Sorry No Checks - ATM on site Roller skate rentals included in all prices Inline Skate Rentals $3.00 additional BIRTHDAY & PRIVATE PARTIES AVAILABLE www.roller-world.com Jordan shocked the world in 1994 W hen Michael Jordan shocked the world for the second time in four months on February 7, 1994, and announced he was coming out of retirement to take a swing at a professional baseball career, it was seismic. It made LeBron James’ “The Decision,” when he dumped Cleveland for the fi rst time to run off to Miami in 2010, look like a run-of-the-mill TMZ snippet. Jordan’s foray into the world of pro baseball was back in the news four years ago in 2020 due to the wildly popular, 10-part ESPN introspective on his life and career, The Last Dance. One of the installments delved into Jordan’s choice to leave basketCarmine Cappuccio, Malden High Class of 1988, played for the South Bend White Sox in his professional debut for the Chicago White Sox organization in 1992. (Courtesy Photo) ball behind and move on to another sport. This month, February 2024, marks the 30th anniversary of that fateful decision. NBA fans, particularly those in Chicago, were already still shellshocked from Jordan’s previous news missile, which he launched one day shy of four months earlier. On October 6, 1993, he told the world he was retiring from the Chicago Bulls at the age of 31, after winning ferent stages – in high school, college and at times, on the pro level – Cappuccio played professional baseball longer than anyone from Malden ever: • Nine seasons • Over 800 games • More than 3,400 plate appearances and 77 homers • A career.291 batting average and 499 career RBIs Cappuccio, a 1988 Malden High School graduate and a former three-time First Team NCAA All-America selectee, played 249 games over three years at MLB’s Triple-AAA level – one step from the big leagues. But that was a big step that was never taken. NBA legend Michael Jordan shocked the world when in October 1993 (above) he announced he was retiring from basketball, just months after leading the Chicago Bulls to their third straight World Championship. Four months and a day later, in February 1994, he did it again when he announced he would be pursuing a career in professional baseball. (Courtesy Photo) the previous three consecutive NBA World Championships. Baseball announcement came out of deep left field T he baseball announcement “came out of left fi eld,” but the stature of Jordan in the sports world – there was no one even close at the time – gave his choice instant credibility. It’s Michael Jordan, he can do anything! It certainly did not hurt that two other larger-than-life sports celebrities, Bo Jackson, of “Bo Knows everything” fame, was in the midst of a highly successful two-sport (football, until 1990; baseball, until 1994) career, as was Deion “Prime Time” Sanders. In fact, at the very time Jordan made his baseball bombshell, Jackson was a member of the Chicago White Sox organization. They would end up being in spring training together two weeks later. There were plenty of skeptics when this front-page news came out, and lots of sports fans were intrigued by the novelty
9 Publizr Home