Bo Jackson, California Angels
Bo Jackson became a larger-than-life icon while wearing the powder-blue of the Royals and the silver and black of the Raiders. Unfortunately, the man who was arguably the greatest natural athlete in history had his career derailed by a devastating hip injury in 1991 — but he still made an impressive comeback with the Chicago White Sox, with whom he played in 1991 and 1993, and made his only postseason appearance. Jackson finished his career as a professional athlete as a California Angel; after the players’ strike wiped out the final month (and playoffs) of the 1994 season, Jackson called it quits.
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Michael Jordan, Washington Wizards
In September 2001, after three years away from the NBA, Michael Jordan decided that he wanted to endure two frustrating years on a losing team. So, he un-retired for the third time and joined the Washington Wizards. But he’s Michael Jordan, so he can do whatever the hell he wants.
Ted Williams, Washington Senators
Teddy Ballgame’s illustrious career as a member of the Boston Red Sox included many loving gestures to the Fenway Faithful, including flipping off and spitting at the crowd when they booed, and refusing to acknowledge them when they cheered. Williams wouldn’t even deign to tip his cap in his final career at-bat, which led writer John Updike to gush that “gods do not answer letters” (rumor has it that Williams was in the room with Updike when he wrote those words, and helped him wipe the jizz off the typewriter). Given his tumultuous relationship with Beantown, it’s no surprise that he was never offered a managerial position with the Sox. He managed the Senators from 1969 to 1971, and went with the team when they became the Texas Rangers, leading them to a 54-100 record in 1972.
Dwight Evans, Baltimore Orioles
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Only Carl Yastrzemski played in more games or had more career at-bats for the Boston Red Sox, and only Yaz, Williams, and Jim Rice had more hits. And nobody has won more Gold Gloves in Red Sox history than Evans, who earned eight while patrolling right field at Fenway Park for 19 seasons. Regardless of these feats, the Red Sox have yet to retire Evans’s number 24. One of the Red Sox’s all-time greats finished his career by playing one final year for the Baltimore Orioles, retiring after the 1991 season.
Ray Bourque, Colorado Avalanche
Ray Bourque, another Boston hero, had played his entire career with the Bruins until a trade sent him to the Colorado Avalanche on March 6, 2000. The move was the result of an exceptional display of loyalty to Bourque by Bruins general manager Harry Sinden, who wanted Bourque to have a chance to win the Stanley Cup, which had eluded him throughout his 21 years in Boston. Sure enough, in 2001 (his only full season with the team), the Avalanche won the Cup, and Bourque went out a champion.
Eric Lindros, Toronto Blue Jays
In 1991, as part of a publicity stunt, the Score sports card company created a baseball card showing then-17-year-old Eric Lindros as a third baseman for the Toronto Blue Jays. While a talented and versatile athlete, Lindros was in no way the hockey-playing equivalent of Bo Jackson or Deion Sanders. The closest he came to a professional baseball career was taking batting practice with the Blue Jays.
Willie Mays, New York Mets
After six years as the star of the New York Giants, Willie Mays would move with the team and continue as a San Francisco Giant for the next 14-plus seasons. An early-season trade in 1972 allowed him to play two more seasons in the same city where his legendary career began more than two decades prior. In his final season, despite batting only .211, he was named to the 1973 All-Star team.
Hank Aaron, Milwaukee Brewers
Like Mays, Hank Aaron began his career for a team in one city and moved with that team to another city. He played 11 years for the Braves in Milwaukee and another nine in Atlanta, belting a record-breaking amount of home runs along the way, and returned to Milwaukee in 1975. Aaron played the final two seasons of his career for the American League’s Brewers, hitting his final 22 home runs.
Shaquille O’Neal, Boston Celtics
Playing for the Celtics in 2010-’11 in hopes of earning one final NBA championship, O’Neal found himself dogged throughout the season by a variety of nagging injuries to his right leg, including his knee, calf, hip, and Achilles tendon. He missed the first round of the 2011 playoffs, and despite a cortisone shot, played only 12 minutes in two games during the Conference Semifinals, in which the Heat eliminated the Celtics. And just like that, Kazaam‘s career was over.
