While I see where you're coming from, several guys *were* listed earlier. Did you miss them? Admittedly, they did it in more than 4 years. Other very good guys who bounced around more quickly (but may not be in the class of A-Rod or Bonds): Beltran (three teams) Don Sutton (three teams) Randy Johnson (four teams close together, five total) Kevin Brown (four teams) Johnny Damon (three teams) Sandy Alomar, Jr. (CWS, Col, CWS, Tex, LA, CWS????) Robbie Alomar: Cle, Mets, CWS, & Ari in 4 seasons Kenny freaking Lofton -- almost one team per year. That guy should set his goal to play for every franchise before retiring ...and I didn't even try too hard. These guys aren't A-Rod, but we shouldn't act like bouncing around is so freakish. In today's game, it's just not.
Scott Rolen - multiple teams/controversy Gary Sheffield - multiple teams Ivan Rodriguez - multiple teams Curt Schilling - multiple teams Mike Piazza - multiple teams Greg Maddux - multiple teams, multiple times Sometimes, a player is born into an organization and he just sticks... Bagwell, Biggio, Berkman, Oswalt... or Jeter. But most of the time, that doesn't happen. But to say A-rod is worse than a guy like JD Drew is ridiculous. That guy (Drew) passed up on one team that drafted him, went to another, stated he wouldn't sign a long term deal and got traded, then passed up the team that traded him for more money. But, I guarantee you that if JD Drew was a free agent this year... he'd still get a lot of postive vibes from teams... even though the guy is one of the biggest underachievers ever. Hell, tommorow Richard Justice may write an article saying the Astros should propose a trade for JD Drew... stating he "just needs the right enviornment, and minute maid park, to become the player we always knew he would be." or some garbage like that.
McGriff Omar Moreno Sean Casey Tony Perez (but he was OLD) Will Clark--3 teams, 3 years Lee Smith--should be in the Hall of Fame, 7 teams in 8 seasons Maris -- 3 teams, 4 years This happens a *lot*.
trying to think of that pitcher's name....he was on like 4 different teams...won a bunch of cy youngs...won the world series...strikeout pitcher...older guy...anyone?
i guess i did. beltran, johnson and damon were all dealt in the final year of their contracts by clubs hoping to get something in leiu of nothing. and then each moved on when they were free agents several months later. significantly different from trading a recent MVP. in fact, he was dealt the year after winning his first mvp in '03 and could be dealt just a year removed from winning his second mvp. it's unprecendented. most of nick's guys were aging free agents who moved around and begged for takers late in their careers. none (with the expection of rolen and sheffiled) were dealt in their prime, let alone multiple times in their prime. rolen's been on two teams in his career and is nowhere as good as arod, anyway, so i don't see how he's relevant. sheffield has worn out his welcome in A LOT OF PLACES. are you comparing him to arod, because if so.... and how did jd drew fall into the mix? look, arod is one of the five best players in baseball. you could argue he's THE best player in baseball. and he's 31 years old. and about to play on his 3 team in 4 years. after winning MVPs in two of those years. something's amiss.
yes; it happens a lot. to aging veterans, has-beens and never weres. it does NOT happen to guys in their primes who've won 2 of the last 4 MVP awards.
Rogers Hornsby, perhaps the greatest 2B of all time, won the MVP in 1925 for the Cardinals. After the 1926 season (the year after he won the MVP), he was traded to the New York Giants and finished 3rd on the MVP ballot. The very next season, he was with Boston Braves. The very next season, he won his second MVP, only he was with the Cubs. Rogers. Freaking. Hornsby. Four teams, four years, two MVPs (admittedly, the 2nd after the last team). Not quite the same, but I sure found that awfully quick for this to be some freakish anamoly. Yes, the guy's not a clubhouse Bagwell, but you're making a bigger deal of this than it is IMO.
It does when said player was in two of the worst situations possible for any player: The Texas Rangers = baseball's version of the current NY Knicks. The Yankees = he would have had to win the triple crown (which he almost did), save three babies from burning buildings, cure the affore-mentioned cancer, and win the world series every year to live up to the apparent expectations that NY had for him. Yes, he did leave Seattle for the money... are you really faulting him for that? Several "more reputible" citizens have done the exact same thing, performed WORSE once they got to their new team, and haven't gotten even half the criticism that A-Rod did. It wasn't like the guy sucked as a Ranger... his team sucked (mainly because of stupid decisions by their now fired GM). Also, had he worn out his welcome on any of the non-dysfunctional organizations (Astros, Cardinals, A's, Padres, for example)... we could really start to ponder the "inherent flaws" of A-rod. But, if the only sample size is his departure from the clueless Rangers, and his departure from the dysfunctional Yankees... you need more to convince me that there's really something more wrong with A-rod, than the way those organizations have constructed their teams. The only thing left would be for A-Rod to go and fail for the Cubs (another dysfunctional bunch)... his conquest would then be complete.
so, you had to go back 80-something years? you're right; not the least uncommon. again, situations he created. and the rangers are far from baseball's version of the knicks. remember, they won 89 games the year after he left. fair enough. but then again, if teams were trying to right their ship... wouldn't it makes sense to hold onto its best player and the league's best player two of the previous 4 years? you seem to think he'd fix a lot of what ails the astros... wouldn't he also fix what ailed/ails the rangers and/or yankees? i have nothing against arod personally. but he seems to come with A LOT of baggage and he's been a... let's go with, "rough" fit in his last three clubhouses.
Come on, that's a weak response and you typically respond much more strongly than that. You said unprecedented. Without even trying very hard, I found something. So you come back with uncommon. What if I find five more? Are you going to change your adjective again? You're making a bigger deal of this than it is.
Huh? I didn't realize their situations were so similar. You mean the Yankees are struggling for offense as well?
You lay out all these supporting points, but you never really tell us what the F you are saying. Something is amiss? What exactly, can you explain us your entire F-ing argument against Arod? He left Seattle to get paid. He left Texas because they sucked. Texas sucked because the team had no pitching. He might leave New York because the expectations there are so high, it's an impossible situation. How is any of this an indication that something is wrong with the player? Another factor to keep in mind in his changing of teams is his enormous contract. I just fail to see the connection between him changing teams, and something fundmentally wrong with the player which would make his acquisition have a negative impact on the Astros. And nobody is saying that getting him will gaurantee a WS. He will however, undoubtedly improve the offense tremendously by providing enormous right handed production and protection for Berkman in the lineup.
Did he tell the Rangers to go sign Chan Ho Park? Did he demand that the Rangers pay $100 million more than the very next bidder? Had the Rangers woke up and stopped bidding against themselves... maybe they do have enough money to fix the team despite signing park... maybe their GM still has his job. A-Rod would have signed for $150 million... but don't blame the guy for accepting an offer of $250 million when its available. Every single person out there would have done the same thing. Theoretically, on any other team, yes. The Yankees, however, are not just "any other team." Winning 100 games every year, but calling your year a failure if you don't win the World Series are not aspects of "every other team". Unfortunately for A-rod, that's the team he's on... and when that said team also has Abreu, Giambi, Damon, Jeter, and Matsui for offense... you can see why they can afford to "not like his attitude", and throw his offense away. Also, had Biggio or Bagwell been on the Yankees, and struggled like they did in the playoffs for the Astros, they're probably meeting the same fate as A-rod... but since they play for Houston, they're still the face of the franchise that has never won a World Series game. Funny how that works out. Richie Justice said in his column, "he's the last guy you want at the plate with the game on the line." I just thought to myself, "you know what, you're right... I'd much rather have Willy Taveras, Adam Everett, or Morgan Ensberg up... thanks." Rangers and Yankees have plenty of offensive players... the Astros do not. That's totally understandable... and its the price he has to pay for being the world's best player, the world's most expensive player, and playing in the media capitol of the world where every one of his transgressions are magnified. However, Jeff Kent had a ton more baggage. Beltran was a loner. Carl Everett had problems before everywhere else. The Astros aren't exactly inexperienced when it comes to "clubhouse cancers"... if you can really call A-rod that (he doesn't have even close to half the transgressions on him that TO has in that department).
Well, considering that your criteria includes winning 2 MVPs in a 4-5 year span, it's not surprising. There's only been 15 guys to do it in the post-WWII era.
no, i saw them, and addressed them both. nolan ryan spent 8 years with the angels and left as a free agent to come home to texas. he wasn't traded; he certainly wasn't traded (twice) while winning two cy youngs in 4 years. clemens spent 13 years with the red sox and was 5 years removed from his last top 10 finish in cy young voting. he also was not traded, but left via free agency. and had it not been for inept management, both probably would have never made another move.
Clemens didn't just leave the Red Sox as a free agent... he was KICKED OUT. He then gets TRADED after his Cy Young season (and possibly best season) to the Yankees. Granted, its all circumstantial, but still an example of a player being moved after stellar seasons... it does happen. Just like the same inept management that signs a player for more than $100 million than the next highest bidder? Just like the same inept management that gives Chan Ho Park a $60 million dollar deal that completely eliminates payroll flexibility? Come on...
