It’s easy for sports fans to ruminate over former world champions while thinking about a sports legend making a winning play, a team leader who is held in high regard or a player that inspires the nation with an amazing performance. These athletes make watching the game worthwhile, and they drive fans to watch a big championship matchup in the first place.
Then there are the players that we soon forget are champions — those whose play was never spectacular, who tainted their reputation, who were not with the ball club they are synonymous with or were overshadowed by their teammates, opposition, or, in some instances, their own family members. Several World Series champions can fit into one of these categories, as fans may have never thought of them as having a championship ring, or it may have just slipped spectators’ minds, completely.
Let’s take a look at 10 Players You Won’t Believe Won A World Series.
Ivan Rodriguez
To many baseball fans, the team Ivan Rodriguez — better known as “Pudge” — is best known for playing with the Texas Rangers. He played there for 13 seasons, was an All-Star Catcher for them in 10 consecutive years from 1992-2001 and won the 1999 American League Most Valuable Player in Arlington.
Rodriguez signed on with the then-Florida Marlins for one season, where he won his only World Series ring. He signed on with the Detroit Tigers the following season. In 2006, he made another World Series appearance, but his Tigers fell in five games to the St. Louis Cardinals.
Mark McGwire
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When fans think of Mark McGwire, they usually think of two things. The first is the home run race that revitalized baseball in 1998 between himself and Sammy Sosa. McGwire went on to win and set the new record at 70. The second is the outcome of all those balls being sent into the bleachers, now referred to as the steroid era.
McGwire became one of the faces for this period that mired baseball along with other notable names, including a former teammate (who will be mentioned later in this list.) McGwire did win a World Series with the Oakland Athletics in 1989 and appeared in two others in 1988 and 1990.
Bob Uecker
Bob Uecker created an outstanding career in the broadcast booth. At age 89, he is still calling games for the Milwaukee Brewers. He started his play-by-play announcing career in 1971 and is best known for his memorable role in the baseball classic “Major League,” which includes scene-stealing quotes used by many baseball fans over the years.
Surprisingly, Uecker played six seasons in “The Show,” playing for the Braves, Cardinals, and Phillies. He won a World Series with St. Louis but never had an at-bat during the series. During his career, he had a .200 batting average and hit only 14 home runs making him much more noteworthy off the field than on it.
Ken Griffey Sr.
Griffey is a name that has become synonymous with the game of baseball. Griffey Sr. was part of one of the greatest lineups in history. Dubbed the “Big Red Machine,” Griffey Sr. was part of two World Series Champions in 1975 and 1976.
He was a three-time All-Star. However, he was often overlooked because of his superstar teammates, Pete Rose, the all-time leader in hits, and Joe Morgan, a two-time National League Most Valuable Player.
It also doesn’t help that his son Ken Griffey Jr. is arguably the most gifted player to ever set foot on a baseball field and became the most recognizable player of his generation.
Pedro Martinez
Yes! Martinez is one of the greatest to ever step foot on a mound. Yes! He was part of the legendary 2004 Red Sox team that finally broke through to win a World Series after 86 years.
No! He is not one of the players that fans think of during that magical run! Red Sox faithful think of Manny Ramirez winning the World Series MVP, Johnny Damon becoming a household name, and Curt Schilling’s heroic performance and bloody sock.
When they think of Martinez, it’s of him giving the now memorable quote: “Just tip my hat and call the Yankees my daddy” after a loss to the Red Sox arch-rival in that year’s ALCS — saying that would stick with him the rest of the series.
Jose Canseco
Jose Canseco made this along with his teammate and fellow “Bash Brother” McGwire because, like McGwire he was more known for his PED use than the outcome of what he did on the field.
After admitting to using anabolic steroids in his tell-all book and naming others that used steroids, Canseco’s reputation became tarnished in many of the fans’ eyes. He was part of the 1989 Athletics team that won the World Series as well as the 2000 Yankees that beat the New York Mets. Canseco only had one at-bat in that series.
Darryl Strawberry
Strawberry was on four different World Series championship teams. The 1986 Mets and the Yankees in 1996, 1998, and 1999. He was also suspended from Major League Baseball on three separate occasions, each time for substance abuse.
An eight-time All-Star Strawberry became known for having altercations with his teammates, showing up late, and missing workouts. He also questioned decisions made by a multitude of team managers. Strawberry goes down as a story of untapped potential.
Kris Bryant
Things have changed since the 2016 Chicago Cubs team made history and broke the 108-year curse. The team has been disassembled and has begun a rebuild. One of the first players gone in the rebuild, Bryant had been the top prospect before being called up by the Cubs.
He made an immediate impact, winning the 2015 National League Rookie of the Year and the 2016 National League Most Valuable Player, before inconsistent play and being in and out of the lineup. He was traded away to the San Francisco Giants and is now with the Colorado Rockies.
Jose Molina
With two brothers that are also catchers in the Major Leagues, Jose is often the one overlooked. His older brother Bengie started over him with the Angels in 2002 when they both won a ring.
Meanwhile, his younger brother Yadier Molina was busy winning two World Series with the Cardinals in 2006 and 2011. Jose won a second championship in 2009 as he was backing up Yankees legend Jorge Posada. In both of Jose’s World Series appearances, he went on to have two at-bats with 0 hits.
Bucky Dent
Bucky Dent is a player who parlayed one historic postseason making him a baseball legend. In 1978 as a shortstop for the Yankees, he hit a three-run home run against the Red Sox to give his team a 3-2 lead in the seventh inning and help them clinch the American League East.
He went on to have an outstanding World Series against the Dodgers as he hit .417 and batted in seven runs to claim the Most Valuable Player award. However, Dent was a lifetime .247 hitter and only had 40 home runs in his career.
