Comments on: Playing for Four Teams in One Year

By: Raphy

Raphy — Wed, 23 Jan 2008 20:53:08 +0000

BunnyWrangler- you're right and I'm wrong.
http://www.bb-ref.com/pi/shareit/5uT6
PI does include his Milwaukee stint in the total.(Franchises are listed at the end of the line)
Nice catch.

By: BunnyWrangler

BunnyWrangler — Wed, 23 Jan 2008 20:31:08 +0000

I'm only counting 9. Does his moving from St. Louis to Baltimore with the Browns/Orioles count as playing for two franchises?

By: Raphy

Raphy — Wed, 23 Jan 2008 18:26:58 +0000

David, you are correct. However, since there is no franchise count in the Pitching Season PI, it only counts franchises that he batted for. In 1958 Littlefield pitched for Milwaukee without coming to the plate. Therefore PI only had him with 9 franchises. The true count is 10.

By: David in Toledo

David in Toledo — Wed, 23 Jan 2008 18:14:29 +0000

I may be reading his page wrong, but it looks to me as if Littlefield played on 10 franchises in 9 years.

By: Raphy

Raphy — Wed, 23 Jan 2008 01:20:19 +0000

Please not that these lists only include batters. Pitchers who didn't bat are not included. I don't think that there is a "Franchises played for" option in the pitching PI.

By: Raphy

Raphy — Tue, 22 Jan 2008 23:54:11 +0000

Here's your man: http://www.baseball-reference.com/l/littldi01.shtml
Dick Littlefield played on 9 franchises in his 9 year career.

By: kingturtle

kingturtle — Tue, 22 Jan 2008 23:29:18 +0000

wow! that's so cool!

By: Raphy

Raphy — Tue, 22 Jan 2008 23:18:27 +0000

Kingturtle, I don't know if he's the only one to do it and retire, but there have been 72 players who have played on 5 or more teams in the first 5 years of their career. http://www.bb-ref.com/pi/shareit/N9AE
Valmy isn't even included because he played for only 4 franchises.

By: kingturtle

kingturtle — Tue, 22 Jan 2008 22:12:34 +0000

I remember Kingman doing this. I believe he's the only one to hit a dinger for each of the four teams...in fact, he hit at least two dingers for each team. Along the same lines but different, did you know that Valmy Thomas played for five different home cities in his five year career? The New York Giants (1957), the San Francisco Giants (1958), the Philadelphia Phillies (1959), the Baltimore Orioles (1960), and the Cleveland Indians (1961). I don't know if there's any value to it, but I bet he's the only one to do that :)

By: Andy

Andy — Tue, 22 Jan 2008 20:02:46 +0000

No worries, Mike. I am particularly sensitive to readers calling each other names or using profanity directed at each other--obviously what you wrote was in a very different spirit. (And, Sean would have the actual say on such matters...)