Edwin Jackson is set to make MLB history by joining his 13th major league team, which will tie Octavio Dotel’s record for most by a player.
The Oakland Athletics plan to call up the 34-year-old right-handed pitcher to start Monday’s game against the Detroit Tigers, according to the San Francisco Chronicle.
The move will make the Athletics the 13th big league club Jackson has played for over in his 16th year, joining the Los Angeles Dodgers, Tampa Bay Devil Rays, Tigers, Chicago White Sox, Washington Nationals, Chicago Cubs, Atlanta Braves, Miami Marlins, San Diego Padres and Baltimore Orioles.
Retired relief pitcher Dotel also played for 13 teams over 15 years, which included the New York Mets, Houston Astros, Athletics, New York Yankees, Kansas City Royals, Braves, White Sox, Pittsburgh Pirates, Dodgers, Colorado Rockies, Toronto Blue Jays, St. Louis Cardinals and the Tigers.
That got us thinking of the other athletes in American sports who hold the quirky honour of playing for the most teams.
NBA
Four players in NBA history are tied with time spent on 12 teams – Chucky Brown, Jim Jackson, Tony Massenburg and Joe Smith.
Smith is the most recent one, having played from 1996 to 2011 with the Golden State Warriors, Philadelphia 76ers, Minnesota Timberwolves, Detroit Pistons, Milwaukee Bucks, Denver Nuggets, Chicago Bulls, Cleveland Cavaliers, Oklahoma City Thunder, Atlanta Hawks, New Jersey Nets and Los Angeles Lakers.
His journeyman career is surprising considering he was the number one overall pick in the 1995 draft and was named to the All-Rookie First Team as a member of the Warriors.
Jackson was similarly a high draft pick, selected fourth overall in 1992 by the Dallas Mavericks before going on to play with the Nets, 76ers, Warriors, Portland Trail Blazers, Hawks, Cavaliers, Miami Heat, Sacramento Kings, Houston Rockets, Phoenix Suns and the Lakers.
Coincidentally, both Massenburg and Brown were drafted in the second round with the 43rd overall pick, with the former taken in 1990 by the San Antonio Spurs and the latter in 1989 by the Cavaliers.
Massenburg also played for the Charlotte Hornets, Boston Celtics, Warriors, Los Angeles Clippers, Toronto Raptors, 76ers, Nets, Vancouver Grizzlies, Rockets, Utah Jazz and Kings, while Brown was part of the Lakers, Nets, Mavericks, Rockets, Suns, Bucks, Hawks, Hornets, Spurs, Warriors and Kings.
NFL
No one in NFL history comes close to matching Shayne Graham’s mark of 15 teams played for over his 15-year career.
Dave Rayner, Billy Cundiff and J.T. O’Sullivan are next on the list with 11 each.
Graham was able to move around the league so often over a long career because he was a kicker. After going undrafted, Graham didn’t catch on in the NFL until being picked up by the New Orleans Saints in 2000. From there he joined the Seattle Seahawks, Buffalo Bills, Carolina Panthers, Cincinnati Bengals – where he spent seven seasons – Baltimore Ravens, New York Giants, New England Patriots, Washington, Dallas Cowboys, Miami Dolphins, Houston Texans, Cleveland Browns, Pittsburgh Steelers and Atlanta Falcons.
His peak came in 2005 with the Bengals when he was named a First-team All-Pro and a Pro Bowler.
NHL
Like Graham, Mike Sillinger sits alone atop the NHL record books, having played with 12 teams over his 17-year career.
The centre was drafted 11th overall by the Detroit Red Wings in 1989 and went to also play for the Mighty Ducks of Anaheim, Vancouver Grizzlies, Philadelphia Flyers, Tampa Bay Lightning, Florida Panthers, Ottawa Senators, Columbus Blue Jackets, Phoenix Coyotes, St. Louis Blues, Nashville Predators and New York Islanders.
He was traded times, which is also an NHL record.
