Bouncing Around with Style
Posted by Raphy on December 25, 2008
When Mark Teixeira takes the field for the Yankees next season, he will be playing for his 4th franchise in 3 years. Since 1901, 43 Players (36 if you remove players with multiple overlapping seasons) have been on 4 franchises in 3 years while playing at least 400 games. Here is the list:
| Player | **OPS+** | Tms | G | From | To | Ages | Positions | Teams |
| Cliff Floyd | 142 | 4 | 403 | 2001 | 2003 | 28-30 | *7/9D | FLA-MON-BOS-NYM |
| Roy Cullenbine | 137 | 4 | 415 | 1942 | 1944 | 28-30 | *9/7538 | WSH-SLB-NYY-CLE |
| Roy Cullenbine | 137 | 4 | 410 | 1941 | 1943 | 27-29 | 79/358 | SLB-WSH-NYY-CLE |
| Bobby Bonds | 131 | 4 | 460 | 1977 | 1979 | 31-33 | *9/D | CAL-TEX-CHW-CLE |
| Jose Guillen | 126 | 4 | 432 | 2003 | 2005 | 27-29 | *97/D8 | CIN-OAK-ANA-WSN |
| Ken Harrelson | 126 | 4 | 419 | 1967 | 1969 | 25-27 | *93/7 | WSA-KCA-BOS-CLE |
| Dan McGann | 121 | 4 | 405 | 1898 | 1900 | 26-28 | *3/4 | BLN-WHS-BRO-STL |
| David Segui | 117 | 4 | 414 | 1998 | 2000 | 31-33 | *3/D97 | SEA-TOR-TEX-CLE |
| Todd Zeile | 111 | 5 | 481 | 1996 | 1998 | 30-32 | *5/3 | PHI-BAL-LAD-FLA-TEX |
| Todd Zeile | 109 | 4 | 467 | 1998 | 2000 | 32-34 | *53/D | LAD-FLA-TEX-NYM |
| Sammy Strang | 109 | 4 | 410 | 1901 | 1903 | 24-26 | *5/4896 | NYG-CHC-CHW-BRO |
| Jose Cruz | 107 | 5 | 426 | 2003 | 2005 | 29-31 | *9/87 | SFG-TBD-LAD-ARI-BOS |
| Willie Davis | 106 | 4 | 445 | 1973 | 1975 | 33-35 | *8/97 | LAD-MON-STL-TEX |
| Jeromy Burnitz | 106 | 4 | 436 | 2003 | 2005 | 34-36 | *98/7D | NYM-LAD-COL-CHC |
| Todd Zeile | 105 | 5 | 436 | 1995 | 1997 | 29-31 | *5/37 | STL-CHC-PHI-BAL-LAD |
| Willie Horton | 105 | 6 | 417 | 1977 | 1979 | 34-36 | *D/7 | TEX-DET-TOR-OAK-CLE-SEA |
| Lee Thomas | 105 | 4 | 419 | 1964 | 1966 | 28-30 | 39/78 | LAA-BOS-CHC-ATL |
| Dave Parker | 104 | 4 | 433 | 1989 | 1991 | 38-40 | *D/39 | OAK-MIL-TOR-CAL |
| Tommy Davis | 104 | 4 | 433 | 1967 | 1969 | 28-30 | *7/398 | NYM-CHW-HOU-SEP |
| Willie Davis | 101 | 4 | 434 | 1974 | 1976 | 34-36 | *8/97 | MON-STL-TEX-SDP |
| Kenny Lofton | 100 | 5 | 412 | 2001 | 2003 | 34-36 | *8 | CLE-SFG-CHW-PIT-CHC |
| Tony Fernandez | 100 | 4 | 401 | 1992 | 1994 | 30-32 | *6/54 | SDP-NYM-TOR-CIN |
| Chad Curtis | 100 | 4 | 406 | 1995 | 1997 | 26-28 | *87/9 | DET-LAD-NYY-CLE |
| Jay Payton | 99 | 4 | 424 | 2003 | 2005 | 30-32 | *78/9D | COL-SDP-OAK-BOS |
| Mike Mitchell | 98 | 4 | 414 | 1912 | 1914 | 32-34 | *97/8 | CIN-PIT-CHC-WSH |
| Tony Gonzalez | 97 | 4 | 412 | 1968 | 1970 | 31-33 | *8/79 | PHI-SDP-ATL-CAL |
| Eric Byrnes | 96 | 4 | 412 | 2004 | 2006 | 28-30 | *78/9D | OAK-COL-BAL-ARI |
| Keith Moreland | 95 | 4 | 419 | 1987 | 1989 | 33-35 | 53/D72 | CHC-SDP-DET-BAL |
| Chad Curtis | 95 | 4 | 413 | 1996 | 1998 | 27-29 | *87/9D | LAD-DET-NYY-CLE-NYY |
| Eric Byrnes | 94 | 4 | 429 | 2005 | 2007 | 29-31 | *78/9D | COL-OAK-BAL-ARI |
| Willie Montanez | 93 | 4 | 448 | 1978 | 1980 | 30-32 | *3/D | NYM-TEX-SDP-MON |
| Brian McRae | 93 | 4 | 446 | 1997 | 1999 | 29-31 | *8/D | NYM-CHC-NYM-COL-TOR |
| Steve Finley | 91 | 4 | 413 | 2004 | 2006 | 39-41 | *8/D | LAD-ARI-LAA-SFG |
| Tommy Davis | 91 | 5 | 413 | 1968 | 1970 | 29-31 | *7/398 | CHW-HOU-SEP-CHC-OAK |
| Gary Matthews | 91 | 5 | 407 | 2001 | 2003 | 26-28 | *89/7D | PIT-CHC-NYM-BAL-SDP |
| Jose Hernandez | 90 | 4 | 454 | 2001 | 2003 | 31-33 | *6/58437 | MIL-PIT-COL-CHC |
| Deron Johnson | 89 | 5 | 404 | 1973 | 1975 | 34-36 | *D3 | PHI-OAK-MIL-BOS-CHW |
| Cass Michaels | 88 | 4 | 412 | 1950 | 1952 | 24-26 | *4/5 | WSH-CHW-WSH-SLB-PHA |
| Charlie Hayes | 87 | 4 | 402 | 1994 | 1996 | 29-31 | *5 | COL-PHI-PIT-NYY |
| Lyn Lary | 84 | 4 | 417 | 1934 | 1936 | 28-30 | *6/3 | NYY-BOS-WSH-SLB |
| Royce Clayton | 75 | 4 | 426 | 2004 | 2006 | 34-36 | *6 | COL-ARI-WSN-CIN |
| Roberto Pena | 73 | 4 | 417 | 1968 | 1970 | 31-33 | *6/453 | PHI-SDP-OAK-MIL |
| Tony Womack | 71 | 4 | 401 | 2002 | 2004 | 32-34 | *64/89 | ARI-COL-CHC-STL |
A few notes:
1. Over the last 2 seasons Teixeira has a OPS+ of 151 in 289 games. He has a chance to be at the top of this list.
2. Aside from Texiera, the only player to play at least 270 games and on 3 different franchises in the last 2 years is Jason Kendall. In that time Kendall has had an OPS+ of 68. Should Kendall switch franchises during the season, he could wind up at the end of the list.
3. Todd Zeile appears 3 times on the list. In the 6 years from 1995 to 2000, Zeile played over 900 games for 8 different franchises. Amazingly enough, Zeile would have qualified again just 4 years later, but he fell 5 games short. In all, in the 10 years from 1995-2004 Zeile played for 11 different franchises and still played 1435 games.
December 25th, 2008 at 12:38 pm
there are also some pitchers who appeared for 4 teams in 3 years.
For one, the man who's face appears in the dictionary next to Journeyman: Bobo Newsom. 1937-1939 Washington, Boston, St. Louis Browns, and Detroit. 1941-1944 Detroit (the only team in 1941), Washington, Brooklyn, St. Louis Browns, Washington again, and Philadelphia Athletics (the only team in 1944). 1946-1948 Philadelphia Athletics, Washington, the Yankees, and the Giants.