Which ballplayer has won World Series rings for the most different teams?

Question

Not as a manager, as a player. I know there are a few players with two, so I'm looking for a player with at least three.

Answer 1

Recycling my own stuff...

The answer is Three.

If you want specifically men who played in a victorious World Series per franchise, there are six: McInnis, Morris, Schang, Bush, Stewart, and Smith.

Fourteen players have played for three different franchises in eventual World Series champion seasons. Playing for any part of the season counts.

Player, WS champions -- teams (* == played in World Series)

1. Herb Pennock, 7 -- 1913 Philadelphia Athletics, 1915-16 Boston Red Sox, 1923*-27*-28-32* New York Yankees

2. Stuffy McInnis, 5 -- 1910-11*-13* Philadelphia Athletics, 1918* Boston Red Sox, 1925* Pittsburgh Pirates

3. Jack Morris, 4 -- 1984* Detroit Tigers, 1991* Minnesota Twins, 1992*-93 Toronto Blue Jays

4. Wally Schang, 4 -- 1913*-30 Philadelphia Athletics, 1918* Boston Red Sox, 1923* New York Yankees

5. Bullet Joe Bush, 3 -- 1913* Philadelphia Athletics, 1918* Boston Red Sox, 1923* New York Yankees

6. Lonnie Smith, 3 -- 1980* Philadelphia Phillies, 1982* St. Louis Cardinals, 1985* Kansas City Royals (was also on the 1991 Atlanta Braves, which came so very close, and would have made Smith the only four-franchise champion)

7. Dave Stewart, 3 -- 1981* Los Angeles Dodgers, 1989* Oakland Athletics, 1993* Toronto Blue Jays

8. George Burns, 3 -- 1920* Cleveland Indians, 1928 New York Yankees, 1929* Philadelphia Athletics

9. Steve Carlton, 3 -- 1967* St. Louis Cardinals, 1980* Philadelphia Phillies, 1987 Minnesota Twins

10. Jay Johnstone, 3 -- 1973 Oakland Athletics, 1978* New York Yankees, 1981* Los Angeles Dodgers

11. Dolf Luque, 3 -- 1914 Boston Braves, 1919* Cincinnati Reds, 1933* New York Giants (an embarassed tip of the Reds cap to the White Sox for assisting in their championship efforts)

12. Luis Polonia, 3 -- 1989 Oakland Athletics, 1995* Atlanta Braves, 2000* New York Yankees

13. Nick Altrock, 3 -- 1903 Boston Americans (Red Sox), 1906* Chicago White Sox, 1924 Washington Senators (for the 1924 team, he pitched 2.0 innings in one game, his first appearance since 1919 and his last as a pitcher; he later batted, one time each, in 1929, 1931, and 1933 -- at age 56)

14. Lew Burdette, 3 -- 1950 New York Yankees, 1957* Milwaukee Braves, 1964 St. Louis Cardinals

Some interesting bits that cropped up -- there's a handful of men who played on three different champion teams and never appeared in the World Series. Here's some particularly well-timed ones:

1. Butch Wensloff played in only three seasons -- for the 1943 and '47 Yankees and the 1948 Indians, all champions.

2. Blaine "Kid" Durbin also played in only three seasons -- for the 1907-08 Cubs, and then in 1909 for the Reds, and got traded in late May to the Pirates -- the eventual WS winner. He played in one game for Pittsburgh, on June 30. (Just try to imagine playing 3-for-3 on champion teams, and two of them were the Cubs!)

3. Mike Gazella played for the 1923 and '26-28 Yankees, three WS champions and one loser (1926). In his only World Series appearance, 1926, he entered Game 5 as a defensive replacement in the bottom of the ninth. In the tenth, he came to bat with two out, Ruth on second, Gehrig on first -- and got hit by a pitch. The eventual winning run had already scored (Lazzeri had a sac fly immediately before Gazella came up), and the inning ended with him on first, final Yankees 3 - Cardinals 2 in 10. What a World Series moment that must've been; his only time up, in a Series the Yankees lost, and he got plunked. At least he made two clean plays on defense.

And, finally...
Jay Tessmer pitched, ever so briefly, for the 1998, 1999, and 2000 Yankees -- all champions -- and blew his perfect record by pitching 1.1 not-very-good innings for the 2002 team. Well, maybe the Yankees blew his perfect record for him, but he didn't help much.

Answer 2

Most World Series Appearances

Answer 3

This Site Might Help You.

RE:
Which ballplayer has won World Series rings for the most different teams?
Not as a manager, as a player. I know there are a few players with two, so I'm looking for a player with at least three.

Answer 4

Most World Series Rings

Answer 5

Jack Morris won with the Tigers (1984), Twins(1991), and Blue Jays(1992).

I'm not sure about any others.

Answer 6

Pitchers mostly
Joe Bush
Roger Craig (if you count Brooklyn & LA Dodgers as two teams)
Clem Labine (if you count Brooklyn & LA Dodgers as two teams)
Jack Morris
Dave Stewart


Also interesting that only two hitters were with 3 separate WS winners: Stuffy McInnis and Wally Schang.

Answer 7

Interesting question. I just could find Jack Morris

Answer 8

Add John Lackey to the list