Tracy McGrady, professional baseball pitcher? He’s trying to make it happen.

The NBA has passed Tracy McGrady by. He was on the bench for most of San Antonio’s playoff run last season then in August he retired from the NBA completely.

Now he wants to be a pitcher. Professionally.

Seriously. This started Friday night when Jeff Van Gundy was the analyst on ESPN’s Friday night broadcast and they were talking about Kevin Durant’s 12-game streak of scoring 30 or more in a game (McGrady had a 14-game streak back in 2002-2003). Van Gundy said this during the broadcast (hat tip to Dan Devine at Ball Don’t Lie):

“Speaking real quickly of McGrady, I think he’s going to play independent league baseball as a pitcher this year. In the independent league… I’m being serious. I’ve heard from sources in Houston, seriously, that he’s throwing over 90 miles per hour. The Sugar Land Skeeters. Roger Clemens pitched for them last year.”

So Randy McIlvoy of KPRC in Houston asked the Skeeters and… yup.

https://twitter.com/RandyMcIlvoy/statuses/429457992249909248

https://twitter.com/RandyMcIlvoy/statuses/429458532367228928

Most people take up golf after retirement, with dreams of the Senior Tour. Well, not Charles Barkley but other people. McGrady decided to try and be The Rookie.

Honestly, I hope it works out. If he can do the job, this is what minor league baseball should be — an entertaining show. And McGrady has always been entertaining.