Veteran pitcher just joined record-tying 13th MLB team
In sports, you just never know when you’re going to see history being made.
Consider Monday night’s seemingly mundane matchup in Detroit between the mediocre Oakland A’s and the Detroit Tigers, who are a step below mediocre.
It will also feature the Oakland debut of pitcher Edwin Jackson, who has a much-less-than-mediocre career record of 98-120.
So what’s the potentially historic element to this game?
When he throws his first pitch Monday, he’ll become the second player in MLB history to appear for 13 different teams in his career.
Jackson is the poster child for teams not knowing what a player might turn into.
Prior to the 2004 season, he was a member of the Dodgers farm system, the fourth-highest rated prospect in all of baseball.
Since then, he’s been an All-Star (2009 with the Tigers), and even threw a no-hitter (a six-strikeout, eight-walk masterpiece for Arizona in 2010).
He also was part of a World Series champion in 2011 with St. Louis.
Along the way, E-Jax has been traded six times — including twice on the same day in 2011.
The native of Germany has pitched for … in order: the Dodgers, Devil Rays, Tigers, Diamondbacks, White Sox, Cardinals, Nationals, Cubs, Braves, Marlins, Padres and Nationals again.
Note: Toronto is not listed, because he was traded to the Blue Jays on July 27, 2011, then dealt from the Jays later that day.
The deal from Toronto to St. Louis was noteworthy, because part of the trade coming back to the Jays was Octavio Dotel, who just so happens to be the only other player to suit up for 13 big league teams.
In fact, Oakland will become the fifth team that the two vagabonds have in common, joining Atlanta, the White Sox, the Dodgers, and Cardinals.
Jackson opted out of a minor league contract with Washington on June 6 to sign with the A’s.
It’s not like Jackson’s been tearing up the minors. He was 0-1 with the Triple-A Nashville Sounds, pitching 15 2/3 innings with 16 strikeouts but eight walks.
But Oakland’s starting rotation has been decimated by injuries, losing five pitchers.
https://twitter.com/SwingDingers/status/1010877316938043392
In Monday night’s start, Jackson will be pitching in familiar surroundings, but after already playing for 12 teams, he’s familiar in just about every surrounding.
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