30 Day Baseball Card Challenge

Thursday, July 16, 2020

Hate to Love

Last week, I asked if anyone had any blog bat-around ideas and Chris (The Collector) suggested that I write a post about my favorite players on my least favorite teams.  As soon as I read his comment, I was into it.

Back in the early years of this blog, I actually had a series called "Players I Hate to Love"... which essentially covered this topic.  Unfortunately I haven't added to that series in over eight years.  I considered resurrecting this series... but I've also considered ranking my least favorite sports franchises for several years.  So this gives me a chance to kill two birds with one stone.

But before I reveal my picks, there are a couple of things I wanted to clarify:

#1:  With the exception of the New York Yankees, my least favorite teams are very fluid and constantly change.  My selections are based on how I'm feeling today.  If I did this again next month, they might not be ranked the same way.

#2:  I originally wanted to focus on current players and avoid adding retired players to this list.  Unfortunately, I struggled with this when it came to the sports outside of baseball.  In the end, I decided any player who I actively rooted for during my lifetime was fair game, but retired guys who played before I was born were off limits.

So without further ado... my favorite players on my least favorite teams:


5th Least Favorite TeamLos Angeles Dodgers

When you're the best team in baseball, you're gonna receive some hate.  I honestly don't hate the Dodgers.  I've actually rooted for them on occasion since they represent my home state.  At the same time, they stand in the Padres way to the World Series, so they make this list.

My Favorite DodgerFernando Valenzuela

1988 Fleer Baseball MVP #40

I went back and forth between The Tornado, El Toro, and The ClawThree aces from three different eras.  Today I'm going old school and picking Fernando.  I vividly remember Fernandomania from my childhood and pulling for him, because he was a fellow lefty.  If I didn't already have too many player collections, I'd probably start one of him.


4th Least Favorite TeamHouston Astros

Although I was bummed to hear about the Astros banging on trash cans, I didn't loathe them like some baseball fans.  I'm one of those guys who assumes that most teams are cheating on one level or another which stinks... but is part of baseball.  What put them on this list was the fact that it took some of the players almost a month to come out and apologize to their fans.  Like I tell my students... when you make a mistake... take responsibility for your actions... learn from it... and move forward.  I'm not one to hold grudges, so the Astros may or may not be on this list again in the future.

My Favorite AstroJose Altuve

2019 Topps Chrome Negative Refractor #20

Altuve has been one of my favorite players for a few years now, because of his ability to hit.  Plus he's a fellow member of the "Short Guy Club".  I hope he can leave the scandal behind him and go out there, play hard, and not repeat his mistakes.


3rd Least Favorite TeamDallas Cowboys

I've never liked the Cowboys.  I can't think of a single time I've ever rooted for them and can't think of a scenario where I would.  In fact, picking a favorite player from this franchise was really the only one I struggled with.

My Favorite CowboyEmmitt Smith

1992 Pro Set Ground Force #150

I always rooted for Barry and Thurman over Emmitt back in the 90's.  But pulling an Emmitt rookie, parallel, or insert always brought a smile to my face.


2nd Least Favorite TeamSan Francisco 49ers

Now that the 49ers are Super Bowl contenders again, Niners Nation have dusted off their jerseys and are loud and proud.  Unfortunately... that means I have to hear about it on a regular basis from friends and family.  If there's a season and they return to the Super Bowl, there's an outside chance they'll hop into the #1 spot next year.

My Favorite 49erJerry Rice

1997 SPx Gold #1

As a Bay Area native who grew up in a 49er household, I had the pleasure of watching him play on a weekly basis... even if I was always rooting for the other team.  The guy was in a league of his own... and definitely made life easier for guys like Montana and Young.


Least Favorite TeamNew York Yankees

I was pretty scarred by the trade that sent Rickey Henderson to the Yankees back in 1984.  I'm not sure if I hated the Yankees before then, but I didn't like them either.  "Stealing" my favorite player took things to the next level.  The thing that shot them to #1 was their success from the mid 90's through the 2000's.  These days I'll root for any team that's playing against them.


My Favorite YankeeRon Guidry

1978 Topps #135

Are you surprised that I didn't choose Rickey?  Well... I didn't root for him while he wore Yankee Pinstripes.  I did root for Guidry.  Like Fernando, he's a fellow southpaw.  Plus I think it's pretty cool when a player spends their entire career with the same franchise.

Okay, it's your turn...

Who are your favorite players on your least favorite teams?

Feel free to leave your responses in the comment section below... or better yet... write a post and share a link instead.

Thanks Chris for sharing this awesome topic.  It'll be fun reading everyone's responses.

Happy Thursday and sayonara!

18 comments:

Jongudmund said...

Seeing as how you're including other sports, Manchester United in soccer are just all kinds of awful. But I like one of their current strikers, Marcus Rashford, as much for his activism as for his skills.

Brian said...

Basically anyone that played for Cleveland in the 1990s - Albert Belle, Kenny Lofton, Jim Thome . . . Thome in particular was a favorite throughout his career, even playing for my least favorite teams in Cleveland and Chicago. I imagined watching Thome in the 90s and 00s was what watching Harmon Killebrew was like in the 60s (but left handed).

Right now I am a big Tim Anderson fan even though I'd be happy for Chicago to go 0-60 this year. (well, maybe not that bad, don't want them to get a #1 draft pick.).

I could never bring myself to root for a Yankees player, but I grudgingly respected Mariano Rivera.

Mike said...

- Red Sox: Pedro Martinez
- Patriots: Curtis Martin
- current Astros: Zack Greinke
- late 2000s Phillies: Cole Hamels
- 1990s Broncos: Terrell Davis
- 2000s/10s Lakers: Pau Gasol

friend11 said...


Least favorite team yankees Favorite player: Jim Abbott

Elliptical Man said...

Your least favorite teams list isn't bad.

night owl said...

If they're on my least favorite teams, it's virtually impossible for me to like them. Even if they're decent people on horrible teams, the teams' fans seem to go so overboard in their appreciation for them ("See? We have players who aren't jerks, too!"), that it makes me like the decent player less. ... There's no hiding that I'm talking about the Yankees here.

OhioTim said...

Yankees: Lou Gehrig; Red Sox: Wade Boggs; Browns: Ozzie Newsome; Ravens: J.K. Dobbins; Bengals: Boomer Esaison; University of Michigan: Charles Woodson

OhioTim said...

Forgot one. North Carolina hoops: Jawad Williams

Nachos Grande said...

Cardinals: Scott Rolen

That's about the only Cardinal I remember ever rooting for in any way, shape, or form.

The Lost Collector said...

Hmm, good question. The two teams I hate most are the Red Sox and Dodgers. I don't think I'm capable of liking Red Sox...I guess Wade Boggs since he became a Yankee and won as a Yankee. Is that allowed?

For the Dodgers, I guess I hate Puig the least because I enjoyed him when he came up. Saw him play once at Yankee Stadium (and homer) and once at Dodger Stadium (and homer). I did root for Torre and Mattingly when they managed the team, but don't like any of the players.

Sascards67 said...

Of the teams I hate the most with players I have PCs of there is Dominqie Wilkins on the Celtics, Herschel Walker on the Cowboys and Andruw Jones on the Yankees.

Chris said...

I was hoping you'd consider a post like this :) Lots of great choices here, I always hated the Cowboys and Emmitt Smith but I've softened on him in recent years. I'm not as hard on Altuve as most fans are, and I still don't hate the Astros. The four franchises I really cannot stand (besides Dallas) are the Yankees, Patriots, NY Rangers, and Carolina Hurricanes. My dislike for the 49ers is growing, perhaps they make the list next year.

From that list, I've had a hard time cheering against Aaron Judge (and Andrew McCutchen when he was there.) Rob Gronkowski was fun, and I've mentioned Henrik Lundqvist. Haven't liked a Carolina player since Ron Francis retired. Also I don't mind Ezekiel Elliott.

gcrl said...

I think I'll do a post like this, but I might lose my dodger fan status if I do. I liked reggie jackson even as he broke my heart in 1977 and 1978.

Sean said...

I hate the Yomiuri Giants with a passion, but I like a lot of the guys who have played for them like Sadaharu Oh, Wally Yonamine and Warren Cromartie.

Hate the team, not the player!

Nick Vossbrink said...

Dodgers: Nomo
Yankees: Mussina
Real Madrid: Iker Casillas
Germany: Philipp Lahm

NPB Card Guy said...

I might have to do a post like this for my least favorite NPB teams but for MLB...

Angels: Shohei Ohtani
Marlins: Charles Johnson
Dodgers: Mookie Betts
Mets: Carlos Beltran
Yankees: Mike Mussina

Fuji said...

jongudmund - i wanted to include the earthquakes rivals, but honestly don't know enough about mls or soccer to comment. plus i can barely name five guys on the quakes let alone guys on other teams.

brian - i like tim anderson too. and as much as i disliked mariano while he was playing, i definitely respect his accomplishments. the same can be said for jeter.

mike - the patriots almost made my list. if they had, martin might have been my pick.

friend11 - ugh. i try to remember abbott for his time with the angels and think i mentally block out his years with the yankees

elliptical man - lol. thanks

night owl - i hear ya. when it comes to the yankees, it's hard for me to pick a current player that i'll root for. i don't mind collecting players like jeter, gehrig, munson, and guidry... but that's only because they're no longer playing for the team.

ohiotime - seeing you put college basketball on your list... 20 years ago, i would have had duke on my list with jay williams being my favorite player even though i probably only watched him play a handful of times

nachos grande - there are so many cardinals i've rooted for over the years, i'm surprised i don't call myself a fan (don't worry. i'm not).

the lost collector - lol. that's allowed. when it comes to boggs... he's like abbott. i try to block out his yankees years.

sascards67 - you hit the trifecta. it bothers me to see cards with nique on the celtics, jones on the yankees, and walker on the cowboys. although out of the three... walker bothers me the least.

chris - thanks for the idea. it really made me think. gronk is a good choice for the pats. it'd be a toss up between him and martin.

gcrl - i say go for it. i'd love to read it. i'll match your jackson with my altuve. he's always hit well against a's pitching. in fact, he hit a home run against them at one of the games i attended

sean - i like that you went with an npb team and players. i wish i could separate the two, but i can't. it's really hard to find a current yankee i'd root for. like i don't mind seeing andujar and torres see some success as players, but i also don't see myself rooting for them either

nick vossbrink - i started this post with nomo as my choice. made an audible at the last second

npb card guy - the angels almost made my list too and ohtani came to mind. but ultimately i would have went with carew.

CinciCuse Bill said...

Justin Turner on the Dodgers. I still hang on to the Reds-Dodgers rivalry from the 70's, and former Red Turner is my kind of player.