Stars in unusual uniforms at the end of their careers.

[refz]

I love this one

[7nohitter]

Originally Posted by refz

I love this one

If you know the backstory, I don't think this one applies...

[Mike D.]

Dwight Evans as a Baltimore Oriole always throws me.

Not a HOF caliber player, but I've met former Red Sox catcher Rich Gedman a few times...the last time he was signing autographs and someone presented him a card of him as a member of the Houston Astros. I said "Oh wow, I forgot you played for the Astros." His reply? "Me too.".

[Gary Dunaier]

Since we're talking about players whose final seasons were with teams fans wouldn't associate them with, I thought this would be of interest.

Bobby Abreu played his final season with the Mets. I don't have a card showing him as Met - I don't know if one exists - but I was at his last game in 2014, and after his final Major League at-bat the Mets put a graphic on the scoreboard thanking him for 18 great Major League seasons.



I thought that was weird, because 17 of those great seasons were against the Mets.

Waite Hoyt

[Peter_Spaeth]

Spahn

[G1911]

And the companion 1965 Met. He played in only 4 games for them.

[Rich Klein]

Originally Posted by Peter_Spaeth

Spahn

And if you remember, the 1966 2nd series checklist originally had Spahn as card #115 otherwise we would have a San Francisco Giants card of Spahn to conclude his career.

And you know, I would have like to have seen a capper card for Spahn with the complete career record.

Regards
Rich

[Mike D.]

Originally Posted by Gary Dunaier

Since we're talking about players whose final seasons were with teams fans wouldn't associate them with, I thought this would be of interest.

Bobby Abreu played his final season with the Mets. I don't have a card showing him as Met - I don't know if one exists - but I was at his last game in 2014, and after his final Major League at-bat the Mets put a graphic on the scoreboard thanking him for 18 great Major League seasons.

I thought that was weird, because 17 of those great seasons were against the Mets.

Abreu did appear on a few Mets cards, and I agree, it's weird.

[thechefs2003]

Originally Posted by refz

I love this one

Ok, this one has me baffled. I know DiMaggio almost got traded to the Red Sox but the deal fell through. What's the story here?

[G1911]

Always forget he ended up in St. Louis.

[G1911]

And his Dodger partner, with 2 obscure stints near the end.

[nat]

The A's are, and always have been, the masters of this.

OTOMH:

Cobb (2 years)
Speaker
Lajoie (although he also played there early in his career)
Billy Williams (although 2 seasons)
Cepeda (3 games, but not right at the end)
Piazza
Joe Morgan
Satchel Paige
Wheat

Other fun ones:

Ed Walsh on the Braves
Eddie Plank on the Browns
Ray Schalk on the Giants

We tend to associate Hughie Jennings with the Tigers (or at least I do) since that's the team he's on for all of his 20th century cards, but he was actually a Baltimore Oriole (19th c. edition). All those cards of Ee-yah in Detroit gear should look weird, even if they don't.

And then there are the ones that didn't actually happen. Rollie Fingers was traded by the Padres to the Cardinals on Dec. 8th 1980, and then traded to the Brewers four days later. Similarly, Robin Roberts was traded to the Yankees before the 1962 season, but then the Yankees traded him to the Orioles before the season started. His 1962 Topps card says that he's on the Yankees, but it shows him in his Phillies uniform, because he never actually suited-up for the Yanks. (Sorry, Fingers and Roberts won't help you with IG.)

[mrmopar]

Frank Thomas mader a stop in Oakland as well.

The Dodgers were equally skilled at picking up aging players near the ends of their careers.

Off the top of my head: A. Vaughan, Cuyler, Maranville, both Waner Bros, Ruth (Coach), Maglie, F. Robinson, B Powell, E Murray, Bunning, Boyer, G Carter, Marichal, Thome, Pujols, Maddux, Utley, V. Romo, Belanger. I am sure given a few hours to think, I could list many more.

Originally Posted by nat

The A's are, and always have been, the masters of this.

OTOMH:

Cobb (2 years)
Speaker
Lajoie (although he also played there early in his career)
Billy Williams (although 2 seasons)
Cepeda (3 games, but not right at the end)
Piazza
Joe Morgan
Satchel Paige
Wheat

Other fun ones:

Ed Walsh on the Braves
Eddie Plank on the Browns
Ray Schalk on the Giants

We tend to associate Hughie Jennings with the Tigers (or at least I do) since that's the team he's on for all of his 20th century cards, but he was actually a Baltimore Oriole (19th c. edition). All those cards of Ee-yah in Detroit gear should look weird, even if they don't.

And then there are the ones that didn't actually happen. Rollie Fingers was traded by the Padres to the Cardinals on Dec. 8th 1980, and then traded to the Brewers four days later. Similarly, Robin Roberts was traded to the Yankees before the 1962 season, but then the Yankees traded him to the Orioles before the season started. His 1962 Topps card says that he's on the Yankees, but it shows him in his Phillies uniform, because he never actually suited-up for the Yanks. (Sorry, Fingers and Roberts won't help you with IG.)

[judsonhamlin]

The Red Sox have a pretty good (or bad) record in late career pickups as well. You can go back to Herb Pennock (the second time), Bing Miller, Rube Walberg, Rudy York, Luis Aparicio, Bob Veale, Juan Marichal, Orlando Cepeda, Bob Bailey, Tony Perez and Tom Seaver. And that just scratches the “maybe they have one more good year in them” pile