I’m working on a list of players for an upcoming hockey pool draft. While I was pondering where to place Joe Nieuwendyk I noticed that he has won the Stanley Cup with three different teams (Calgary, Dallas, and New Jersey). That got me thinking – have any players won a championship with more than three different teams, in hockey or in any other sport?
I couldn’t think of any offhand. In fact, winning it all with three different teams seems to be quite an accomplishment. The only other hockey player I can come up with right now is Claude Lemieux (Montreal, New Jersey, and Colorado).
Of course, it’s the big name players who come to mind first. Perhaps there’s a little known career journeyman who holds the record.
The only baseball player I can think of who’s won the World Series with three different teams is Jack Morris, who was on World Champion teams in Detroit (1984) Minnesota (1991) and Toronto (1992 and 1993.) I believe Morris was, and still is, the only player to do this in baseball history.
The first one I thought of was Robert “Big Shot Bob” Horry. He’s been on NBA championship teams with the Houston Rockets, Los Angeles Lakers, and San Antonio Spurs. Wiki mentions the only other pro basketball player to win championships with three differen teams is John Salley (Pistons, Bulls, Lakers).
Dave Stewart was on three winning World Series teams: the 1981 Dodgers, 1989 A’s and 1993 Blue Jays. He didn’t do much in the 1981 and 1993 Series, but he was there and got the rings.
I’m still looking for a player to win it with more than three teams.
Smith is the only player to have played for four different clubs in the World Series.
Yogi Berra played on the most winning teams: 10 (all with the Yankees)
Pee Wee Reese and Elston Howard played on the most losers: 6. Reese’s were all with the Dodgers. Howard lost 5 with the Yankees and one with the Red Sox.
I think there are some NFL guys who have been on 3 different winners.
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How many players have won championships in more than one sport? I know of Gene Conley, who pitched for the Milwaukee Braves in 1957 when they won the Series and was also with the Celtics for their NBA championships in 59, 60 and 61. Anyone else?
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Thanks for the input, guys. I guess no player has ever won on four different teams. It looks like Lonnie Smith is the player who came the closest.
I did some googling and found an article about Claude Lemieux that mentioned he is one of only four players to win the Stanley Cup on three different teams. They didn’t mention their names, so this is going to drive me nuts until I can find out who the other two are.
The NHL record is held by Henri “Pocket Rocket” Richard, with 11 (all with Montreal, obviously).
Don Baylor won the American League Pennant with three different teams in three consecutive years (although only one World Series). He was on the 1986 Boston Red Sox, the 1987 Minnesota Twins and the 1988 Oakland As.
I found three more ballplayers who’ve played with three World Champions:
Luis Polonia played for the 1989 A’s, 1996 Braves, and 2000 Yankees.
Stuffy McInnis, who was a better player than his name suggests, played for the Athletics in 1911 and 1913, and also for the Red Sox in 1918 and Pirates in 1925.
Bullet Joe Bush was a teammate of Stuffy’s in 1913 with the A’s and 1918 with the Red Sox, and then played for the Yankees in 1923.
Another interesting factoid:
Don Baylor played in the World Series for three different teams -** in three consecutive years.** In 1986, he was in the Series with Boston; in 1987, with Minnesota; in 1988, with Oakland.
