Many great players, even before the advent of free agency, played on teams that are not associated with them.
Remember Harmon Killebrew as a Royal? Billy Williams as a Oakland A? Ty Cobb, Eddie Collins and Tris Speaker playing for Connie Mack’s Athletics in 1928? Pete Rose as an Expo? Babe Ruth in the togs of the Boston Braves? Cap Anson as the manager of the 1898 NY Giants?
As I was sorting through cards recently, I stumbled across this one. I remembered Murray in all of his stops, and I thought his victory lap in Baltimore, where he hit home run #500, was it.
Then I see this card.
I totally forgot that Murray was signed by the Angels for the 1997 season. I also forgot the Angels had THOSE uniforms in 1997. So seeing Murray in the winged Angels uniforms reminded me of another Baltimore great, Boog Powell, in the blood clot Indians uniforms of the mid-70′s.
Murray’s coda season wasn’t successful. He had an OPS+ of just 53 and was visibly spent. The Angels released him and he had a farewell 6 weeks with the Dodgers, going 2-7 with two walks as 1997 drew to a close.
In the ‘perfect’ world, Murray’s last at bats would have been with the Orioles in 1996 – after he hit the milestone home run in the orange, black and white. But the world isn’t perfect. Just Google Michael Jordan + Wizards.
Leave a comment on who you think did worst as far as retiring on a different team than the one he was known for playing (Emmitt Smith as a Cardinal is the worst for me). All who leave a comment are eligible to win a hit from ITG Hits for FREE! Winner will be chosen at random Sunday morning.
For me it’s Ron Santo as a White Sox.
As a Cards fan, Jim Edmonds as a Cub/Brewer/Red was pretty tough to take.
I’m sure he wasn’t the worst, but for me he might be.
For me, probaly Trevor Hoffman. It was great seeing him play most of his career here and dominate. However, it was a bitter 2008 offseason and the Padres pulled their offer to him. It was rough seeing him in a Brewers jersey, even though their jerseys look just like the Padres ones, since i only knew him as only a Padre before that. It also bummed me to see him get his 600th save with another team since most of them were as a Padre and a big milestone wasn’t…
I would have had to say brett farve as a jet, but if tiki barber comes back this season is going to be disapointing. But I have to say Ken Griffey Jr. on the white sox
I’m still not terribly happy about John Smoltz’ final season in Boston and St. Louis.
The worst of recent memory will be Brett Favre, but at least he had a modicum of success with his post-Packer teams. I think Jordan is lucky that at this point very few people even remember he played for the Wizards. I’m sure he likes it that way.
I can think of a lot of them, but if I’m going with the very recent, Garret Anderson as a Dodger. Just hideous.
Tom Seaver in a Red Sox uniform on his 1987 Topps card was a kick in the gut for me. Tom Terrific should always have been a Met.
you won, send me your address and I’ll get it out to you.
Hakeem Olajuwon as a Toronto Raptor was just so random and weird. He never fit on that team,averaged career lows in points and rebounds and it was just a one and done year just like that. No doubt in my mind he should’ve been a career Rocket.
Bobby Orr with the Blachawks…it just didn’t seem right
How about the Say Hey Kid? Willie Mays played his last season and a half with the New York Mets.
canseco as an expo/angel. I mean WTF at least we know bonds was a liar now. Sucks to be black balled I guess.
Mike Modano as a Red Wing… yuck! Should have been a Star for life!
For football I would say either Tony Dorsett as a Bronco or Namath as a Ram. Baseball wise, Dale Murphy as a Rockie. Murph was a shell of himself that final year.
Hank Aaron in his final 1 1/2 seasons as a Brewer. Those were not up to his standard, always think of him as a Brave not Brewer. Ironic that Braves were once in Milwaukee.
ken griffey jr with the whitesox after all the years with the mariners and reds? he ranks right up there with babe ruth in statistical categories
Willie Mays on the Mets. At least he retired before being traded to the Dodgers…
Although he was still the man, it was tough to see Trevor Hoffman as a Brewer.
For hockey, it would be Marcelle Dionne as a New York Ranger and playing part of his last year in the AHL
For football, Johnny Unitas as a San Diego Charger
For baseball, Frank Thomas as a Oakland A and Toronto Blue Jay
Among the worst in my book is Brian Dawkins as a Bronco. I’m not an Eagles fan, but that man should have stayed in Philly. That franchise really dropped the ball there, and they paid for it with a lack of veteran leadership on the defense the past two seasons.
Favre, and Emmitt are among the big ones, but where are mentions of Montana as a Chief, or Rice as a Seahawk?
We had two in the first two years of the Rockies.
1993 Dale Murphy
1994 Howard Johnson
Very tough to see.