Which Teams Did These Baseball Players NOT Play For?
- by Ben Sherlock
- – on
- in Sports
Baseball players – or any big league professional athletes, for that matter – can’t afford to get too comfortable living in one city, because sure enough, they won’t be staying there for long. Sure, they might last a few years, and if they’re good, it’s in the best interests of the team not to trade them, but sometimes a team will make an offer that the manager can’t refuse. At the end of the day, like every other institution in our capitalist, corporate-sponsored America, baseball is a business. Money talks. And so, every professional baseball player will play for a handful of teams throughout his career, live in a bunch of cities, and try not to get too attached to any of it, because they could get traded away at the drop of a dime (or a lot of dimes). However, that being said, it is all about the game, and the players make the game. There is a certain degree of loyalty, especially if the player has impeccable ability. Some players only play for one Major League team throughout their whole career, like Derek Jeter. But even the best can find themselves being traded at some point in their career, like Hank Aaron. So, without further ado, do you know which teams these players did and did not play for?
Octavio Dotel
Pitcher Octavio Dotel is a record-holding MLB player. When he signed with the Detroit Tigers on December 7, 2011, and later played his debut game with them on April 7, 2012, Dotel had officially joined his thirteen Major League team, making him the holder of the record for most MLB teams played for by one player. He beat the previous holders, Matt Stairs, Mike Morgan, and Ron Villone, who each played for twelve. But which team did he NOT play for?
Barry Bonds
Barry Bonds is one of the most controversial baseball players of all time. He’s a left fielder who began his career in college at Arizona State University, and later in his professional career, he was the center of a steroids scandals, later facing charges of obstruction of justice and perjury (who is he, Donald Trump?!) for lying to a grand jury about his steroid use. But which of these baseball teams did Bonds not play for during his lucrative professional career?
Rick Wilkins
Rick Wilkins was a catcher who played for a whopping eight Major League teams throughout his baseball career. His career lasted ten years from 1991 to 2001, during which he played eleven seasons for those eight different teams. Before being picked up by Major League Baseball and making his MLB debut at the age of 24, Wilkins was ranked the 70th best prospect by Baseball America. He played for so many different teams. But what team did he NOT play for?
Miguel Cabrera
Miguel Cabrera, whose adorable nickname is “Miggy,” is one of the hottest players in baseball right now. Hailing from Venezuela, he doubles as a first baseman and a third baseman. Since beginning his Major League career in 2003, Miggy has been awarded the American League Most Valuable Player title twice and also the 17th Major League Baseball Triple Crown. He has that perfect balance of a high batting average and a low strikeout percentage. The guy is a freaking dynamo. But what team has he never played for?
Ken Griffey, Jr.
George Kenneth Griffey, Jr., whose nicknames include “Junior” and “The Kid” because his father is past MLB star Ken Griffey, Sr., played in Major League Baseball for 22 years. He was a superstar – a 13 time All Star. He has the sixth most career home runs in MLB history with a total of 630, making him one of the greatest and best remembered home run hitters in the history of the sport. Also, for his work in defense, he won 10 Gold Glove Awards in center field. Which team didn’t he play for?
Dale Long
Dale Long, who sadly died at the age of just 64 in 1991, was a brilliant first baseman who enjoyed a long, exciting career in baseball. He was a left handed thrower and batter. He enjoyed eight stints at a total of six teams (he returned to two of them), and he came from Springfield, Missouri. The Green Bay Packers offered him a professional football career, but he decided instead to go with a baseball career, which is a decision that paid off. Which team did he not play for?
Tom Seaver
Nicknamed “Tom Terrific” and “The Franchise,” Tom Seaver had a hell of a career. Throughout his 20 years of professional playing, he built up a statistics list of 311 victories, 3,640 strikeouts, 61 shutouts, and a 2.86 earned run average. When he was inducted into the National Baseball Hall of Fame, it was the highest percentage of votes ever with 98.84%. Ken Griffey, Jr. surpassed it in 2016 with 99.32%, but still that’s impressive. But which team did he not play for?
Mike Piazza
Mike Piazza is known for being one of the best hitting catchers in the history of baseball. He beat the record for number of home runs hit by a catcher with 396 and compiled a career total of 427. He played 16 Major League seasons between the years of 1992 and 2007, during which he was All Star 12 times and won the Silver Slugger Award 10 times. He has a .308 batting average and 1,335 runs batted. But which team didn’t he play for?
Tommy Lasorda
Tommy Lasorda is like a real life Spencer Strasmore from HBO’s Ballers. Since his Major League career, he’s gone into making deals and dollars in sports management. He spent two decades managing the Los Angeles Dodgers. He’s one of the most celebrated figures in the sporting world, and he also has this often quoted piece of inspirational advice: “The difference between the impossible and the possible lies in a person’s determination.” But which team did Tommy Lasorda never play for?
Zack Greinke
Pitcher Zack Greinke has played for five Major League teams throughout his career and he’s still going strong. He was picked up during the 2002 Major League draft after he won the Gatorade National Player of the Year Award while he was a senior in high school, although he didn’t make his MLB debut until 2004. In 2005 and 2006, his struggles with anxiety and depression threatened to kill his career, but he managed to pull through, making a comeback in 2007 as a relief pitcher and getting back into the game in 2008. So, which team didn’t he play for?
Jake Arrieta
Jake Arrieta has come a long way from his humble beginnings in Farmington, Missouri. He’s an All Star and he’s won the Cy Young Award, but perhaps his greatest achievement is the ability to make wise decisions. After his freshman year in junior college, he was offered a position on the MLB team the Milwaukee Brewers and he turned them down, instead deciding that his college education was more important. Imagine that. It paid off, as his career continues to rise – but which team has he NOT played for?
Gil Hodges
Gil Hodges is a true American hero, because he always made baseball his second priority to serving his country. During his college years, he played baseball, basketball, and football, before entering the United States Marine Corps in World War II and serving as an anti-aircraft gunner, eventually being rewarded with a Bronze Star Medal with Combat “V” for heroism under fire. After being discharged from the Marine Corps in 1946, he began a fantastic career in professional baseball. But which team did he not play for?
Don Mattingly
Don Mattingly is a legend of the sport of baseball. If his name doesn’t immediately ring a bell since you may have heard it on ESPN when the subject of baseball legends comes up, then just look at his stats. During his Minor League career, there were concerns about his speed, but look at some of these numbers: a batting average of .307 and 222 career home runs out of 1,099 runs batted in. It’s impressive. But which team did he NOT play for?
Keith Hernandez
Keith Hernandez is a contact hitter with a .296 career average and a walk rate of 12.5%. He’s a five time All Star, won the World Series twice, and now he broadcasts games. He also appeared in a hilarious episode of Seinfeld in which Jerry fell in love with him and Newman and Kramer shared their JFK like story of an encounter with Hernandez in which he apparently spat on them for saying, “Nice game, pretty boy.” But which team didn’t he play for?
Bob McClure
While he’s since become a coach (and a damn good one), Bob McClure used to be a pitcher for Major League Baseball. He played for seven MLB teams throughout his playing career and he’s coached four, most recently the Philadelphia Phillies. As well as his win-loss record of 68-57, his earned run average of 3.81 and the 701 strikeouts he dealt throughout his pitching career, McClure can also be remembered for his cool mustache. But which team did he NOT play for?
Babe Ruth
Babe Ruth is remembered as being the greatest baseball player of all time. They called him “The Bambino” and “The Sultan of Swat.” Thanks to his power and his Jay Gatsby-like charisma, Ruth was the king of the Roaring Twenties, and he holds four of the top ten spots of MLB single season home run records. He was on top of the world. There’s supposedly a curse that one particular team was cursed for almost a century to come after they traded Ruth away, if you believe in superstitions. He played for three Major League teams throughout his career. Which of these wasn’t one of them?
Sammy Sosa
Sammy Sosa doesn’t play in Major League Baseball anymore, but when he did, he was on fire. He played for four teams, capping off his career by making his fifth team switch back to the first team he played for, back where it all began. Sosa’s career reads like a classic story structure devised by the ancient Greeks. Sosa is one of the only three National League players to ever reach 160 RBIs in a single season, going on since 1900. But which team didn’t he play for?
Terry Francona
Terry Francona, better known by his nickname “Tito,” is currently the manager of the Cleveland Indians. Like many great players past, Tito went into coaching and team management after the end of his playing career, because he loves the sport. He got too old to play, but he didn’t get too old to play a hand in the way baseball is played. As a player, he played for five teams between 1981 and 1990 (his playing career wasn’t very long), but which of these teams was not one of them?
Alex Rodriguez
Alex Rodriguez, better known by his nickname “A-Rod,” retired last year to take an advisory position, but he left behind a shelf of awards and honors. He was a 14 time All Star, a World Series champion, a 3 time American League MVP, a 2 time Gold Glove Award winner, a 10 time Silver Slugger Award winner, a 4 time AL Hank Aaron Award winner, the Major League Baseball batting champion, a 5 time American League home run leader, and a 2 time MLB RBI leader. He will be missed. He played for three MLB teams during his career as a shortstop and third baseman. Which one didn’t he play for?
Aaron Boone
A member of the Boone family – also known as the Corleone family of baseball – Aaron Boone is a retired infielder who played for six Major League Baseball teams throughout his career. Even in retirement, he’s still in the game. He’s on the ESPN payroll as a game analyst and appears on their Sunday Night Baseball coverage show to commentate the games. He also contributes to Baseball Tonight. The guy just oozes baseball. But which team didn’t he play for?
Stan Javier
In Major League Baseball, sometimes it’s good to keep it in the family. Stan Javier has many great qualities that made him a dynamo on the baseball field. He was passed from team to team throughout his career, but he had a heck of a strong arm, he was a switch hitter who could prove himself in all areas of the game, and he was versatile – he could play all three outfield positions brilliantly. His father is St. Louis Cardinals second baseman Julian Javier, and he gets his name from his father’s teammate and good friend, the great Stan Musial. Which team didn’t he play for?
Ty Cobb
Ty Cobb was one of the forefathers of baseball. His Major League career began in 1905 and he’s still remembered as one of the best players of the sport. It all goes back to Ty Cobb. If you want a tragic insight into his life, his Major League debut came just three weeks after his mother shot his father dead with a pistol he’d bought her. How’s that for tragedy? But Cobb didn’t let it deter him, as he went on to make sports history. But which team didn’t he play for?
Willie Mays
Willie Mays, “The Say Hey Kid,” is an African American icon. Having to start his career segregated into the Negro Leagues, his sheer talent broke down the barriers of racism and helped to desegregate the game. He made it into Major League Baseball and made sports history as one of the greatest players of all time. He didn’t just have to prove himself; he had to prove his entire race. But which team didn’t he play for during his career?
John McGraw
John McGraw, also known by the nicknames “Little Napoleon” and “Mugsy,” is a legend in the world of Major League Baseball. Not necessarily as a player – although he was good – but as a manager. He was the manager of the New York Giants for a long time. McGraw is famous for his short temper and his brilliant mind for baseball. He played a variety of positions throughout his career: third baseman, shortstop, and the outfield. But what team did he NOT play for?
Del Crandall
Del Crandall is a legend in the world of baseball. He began his career as an amateur free agent, originally being snapped up by the Braves. He went on to enjoy a long and rich career in the sport, both as a player and later a manager. As a manager, he found himself reunited with former teammate Hank Aaron when Aaron, one of the greatest players of all time, was traded for Roger Alexander and Dave May. But which team did Crandall NOT play for?
Wade Boggs
Wade Boggs is a baseball icon. Apart from his countless home runs, record breaking achievements, batting titles, and shelf of awards, he’s probably best known for his beer drinking accomplishment. The actual number is disputed, but it is said that Boggs drank up to 70 or even 100 beers on a flight to a game where, even under the influence of that much alcohol, he managed to hit three home runs. He’s a true American hero. But which team DIDN’T he play for?
Rod Carew
Rod Carew is a first baseman and second baseman from down in Panama. He’s tough as nails and won’t take any crap. He left his first Major League team because his teammate made some racist comments, and also because the team was stingy with money in player negotiations and couldn’t hold onto good, young players. He’s since gone on to have a great career and earn himself all kinds of titles and records. He played for two MLB teams and began in the Minors, but which one did he NOT play for?
Rogers Hornsby
Like many legends of baseball lore, Rogers Hornsby, Sr. (better known by his affectionate nickname “The Rajah”) was actually born as far back as the 19th century. He died in 1963 (the same year as Kennedy) after a long career in baseball, as an infielder, manager, and coach for a grand total of seven teams across 23 seasons of Major League. Of the six teams that Rogers Hornsby, Sr. played for during his MLB career, which of these is NOT one of them?
Lou Brock
Lou Brock is pushing 80 now, but he’s still going strong. The soon to be octogenarian from El Dorado, Arkansas, can still be found with a big smile on his face. He spent six years in the National League as an All Star and came really close to winning MVP (although didn’t quite manage to clinch it, unfortunately). He also spent eight season as the leading base stealer for the National League, so he’s certainly a sneaky one. He enjoyed a wonderful career filled with success, but which of these baseball teams did Lou Brock NOT play for?
Mark McGwire
Nickname “Big Mac,” Mark McGwire’s professional Major League Baseball playing career ended a few years ago, but he continues to be a bench coach for MLB teams to this day. He also appeared in a really great, Bart centric episode of The Simpsons as an NSA-esque spy for Major League Baseball who is exposed and then distracts everyone from the shocking truth by “socking a few dingers.” So, which baseball team did Mark McGwire NOT play for during his career?
Jose Canseco
In addition to being a baseball star, Cuban American player Jose Canseco has also competed in boxing and MMA, so he really gets around. He was also central to the big baseball steroids scandal with his 60 Minutes appearance and his book Juiced: Wild Times, Rampant ‘Roids, Smash Hits & How Baseball Got Big. He was the guy who made the claim that 80% of baseball players were using performance enhancing drugs. He’s played for a bunch of teams, but which one HASN’T he played for?
Don Buford
Don Buford was both and infielder and outfielder. He played as a left fielder, a second baseman, and a third baseman. In other words, he knew the baseball field inside and out, and he was a great player. He’s a World Series champion and an All Star, and he was also the guy who the production team of Field of Dreams brought on to coach the actors. During Buford’s career, he played for a total of four teams. Which one DIDN’T he play for?
Jeff Russell
There seems to be a general unspoken rule that pitchers don’t make particularly great hitters. Jeff Russell is a pitcher with some impressive stats: an earned run average of 3.75, 693 strikeouts, and 186 saves. However, his win-loss record is 56-73, which is far from perfect. He had a 14 year career playing for Major League Baseball between 1983 and 1996, during which he played for a grand total of five MLB teams. But which of these did he NOT play for?
Von Hayes
Von Hayes is the subject of a violent kickoff in the Christmas special of It’s Always Sunny, when Mac is furious at a toy store clerk who doesn’t know who Mike Schmidt or Von Hayes are. Charlie Kelly calms him down by saying, “Dude, nobody knows who Von Hayes is, man, relax!” But it’s not strictly true. Hayes played for three Major League teams, had 143 career home runs, and one team considered him so great that they traded just him for the sum of Manny Trillo, George Vukovich, Jay Baller, Jerry Willard, and Julio Franco. But which team did he NOT play for?
Billy Beane
Billy Beane gets baseball. He gets the game and how it’s played and he understands the players and their needs and which ones are born and bred to be on that field. He went from a successful playing career to a fantastic streak as a sports executive, playing the financial side of things. He understands and connects with baseball through and through, and he’s had a phenomenal career. But perhaps his greatest achievement is being played by Brad Pitt in the movie Moneyball. Beane played for four MLB teams during his career. Which of these WASN’T one of them?