Players who wouldve been bigger stars if they were with a different organization

[Jaydumo20]

Which players were hampered by being stuck with the wrong franchise?

People knocked Elway and Eli etc for not wanting to go to certain teams in the draft, but Eli especially can learn from his dad who would've been a bigger star if he weren't with a dismal upstart franchise.

There are a lot of Bball examples, but all sports count here.

Who got screwed?

 

[nelsonmuntz]

Great question.

Start with UConn NBA players:

Rudy Gay - could have some rings if he played on right team

 

[StllH8L8ner]

Any player who begins their career with the Pirates, A’s, Marlins or Royals?

 

[Jaydumo20]

Great question.

Start with UConn NBA players:

Rudy Gay - could have some rings if he played on right team

100% There are a few uconn guys.

 

[Jaydumo20]

Any player who begins their career with the Pirates, A’s, Marlins or Royals?

Baseball is a funny one, since each team gets to spend what they want, the smaller money teams are sometimes an extended farm system.
But there are definitely a ton of guys who languished on the smaller teams.
As a Rays fan, even though he performed well, Evan Longoria would've been a superstar if he'd started on the giants.

 

[Jumpman62114]

Kemba on the bobcats/hornets. Wish he got to Boston sooner and didnt waste his knees on that mess of a franchise.

 

[storrsroars]

Any player who begins their career with the Pirates, A’s, Marlins or Royals?

If the Pirates were willing to pay him, I think Barry Bonds would've had an even better career if he stuck around. He would've abused the Clemente Wall.

A bunch of guys who were key parts of the 2013-2015 competitive Bucs teams had their best years as Pirates. AJ Burnett had his only All-Star season with the Pirates. Yes, the management is cheap and the current GM and the one before Huntington are jokes, but generally speaking, good players are good players anywhere.

The only guys I can think of off top of my head who excelled after being Pirates are the pitchers who went to the Astros - Cole and Morton. Having a hard time thinking of anyone else in the past 20 years.

 

[Jaydumo20]

If the Pirates were willing to pay him, I think Barry Bonds would've had an even better career if he stuck around. He would've abused the Clemente Wall.

A bunch of guys who were key parts of the 2013-2015 competitive Bucs teams had their best years as Pirates. AJ Burnett had his only All-Star season with the Pirates. Yes, the management is cheap and the current GM and the one before Huntington are jokes, but generally speaking, good players are good players anywhere.

The only guys I can think of off top of my head who excelled after being Pirates are the pitchers who went to the Astros - Cole and Morton. Having a hard time thinking of anyone else in the past 20 years.

Maybe Glasnow. He has struggled with injuries but was arguably the best pitcher in baseball for a while.

 

[Apollo]

Barry Sanders - was already a star but get held back by a terrible team.
Ron Francis
Jacob deGrom (in his prime)

 

[Windham4th]

Don Mattingly... not wrong franchise, just wrong decade

 

[Jaydumo20]

Barry Sanders - was already a star but get held back by a terrible team.
Ron Francis
Jacob deGrom (in his prime)

Barry Sanders could be the best example.

 

[Husky68]

Willie Mays playing at night against ocean winds from left field (Seals Stadium and Candlestick Park), kept his homer numbers down. Even Polo Grounds with middle outfield so deep. Similar Joe Dimaggio and Yankee Stadium being right handed and Ted Williams at Fenway Park being left handed.

 

[HU5KIES]

Tracy McGrady

 

[storrsroars]

Maybe Glasnow. He has struggled with injuries but was arguably the best pitcher in baseball for a while.

Good call. He looked like a deer in headlights with Pirates.

Barry Sanders could be the best example.

You're probably right.

But I would add that Steve Carlton would be the answer to "Who was the last 30 game winner?" if he was on any other team but the '72 Phillies.

 

[Northbound]

Any player who begins their career with the Pirates, A’s, Marlins or Royals?

Come on man that is some crazy recency bias foe the A’s, Royals or Pirates. Reggie, Henderson, Brett, Bo, Clemente, Parker, etc etc.

 

[uconnblueinky]

Dominique Wilkins
Mike Trout
Barry Sanders
Ted Williams
Joe Thomas

 

[metsfan2323]

Wesley Walker great Jets WR who played with terrible QB's and mostly bad teams. He was always open. Put him on those great Steeler teams and he would be far more famous than Lynn Swan as he was a much better player.

 

[Mr. French]

Great question.

Start with UConn NBA players:

Rudy Gay - could have some rings if he played on right team

100% There are a few uconn guys.

I think Kemba and Emeka might be first on that list.

Overall, I think guys like Mitch Richmond, Mike Trout come to mind, but man football is probably the easiest sport to do this. You can be a total stud and still not get the proper recognition because you NEED 21 other dudes playing well plus the whole organization.

 

[Horatio]

The number one answer up here should be Kemba. He gave the Hornets everything, including his knees.

 

[AdamaNation]

Which players were hampered by being stuck with the wrong franchise?

People knocked Elway and Eli etc for not wanting to go to certain teams in the draft, but Eli especially can learn from his dad who would've been a bigger star if he weren't with a dismal upstart franchise.

There are a lot of Bball examples, but all sports count here.

Who got screwed?

Imagine if Peyton manning had a defense in Indy.

 

[dennismenace]

I think Kemba and Emeka might be first on that list.

Overall, I think guys like Mitch Richmond, Mike Trout come to mind, but man football is probably the easiest sport to do this. You can be a total stud and still not get the proper recognition because you NEED 21 other dudes playing well plus the whole organization.

Agree. Semi retired Giants fan (their front office has been sabotaging that franchise for some time now) who looks at what Saquon Barkley accomplished (2000 yds rushing) when he went to the Eagles (Giants arch rivals). Unfortunately this will not stop people from buying Giant tickets and patronizing a team with ownership that should be ashamed of themselves. Until new ownership arrives I will rarely watch what their cringe-worthy front office puts on the field.

 

[nelsonmuntz]

Eric Dickerson played for a very good Rams team that couldn’t find a functioning quarterback. Imagine what he could have done without 8 guys on the LOS. I guess the flip side is true, because he always had a great line in front of him so maybe he wasn’t as good as he thought he was.

 

[nelsonmuntz]

The biggest three “what ifs” in NBA history involve the Portland Trailblzers.

1) what if they had picked Jordan instead of Sam Bowie in 1984?

2) What if the Rockets had accepted their offer of Drexler and the #2 pick in the 1984 draft for Ralph Sampson? The Rockets would have had Olajuwon, Drexler and Jordan in 1984, and may have won 8 straight titles.

3) What if Arvydus Sabonis had come to Portland in 1988 when he was one of the best centers in basketball history and Portland just needed a center to win a title rather than in the mid 90’s when Portland’s core had aged out and Sabonis had no knee cartilage left and his body was fully marinated in vodka? Portland would have won 3 titles in a row in the early 90’s, the European invasion to the NBA would have started sooner, and Michael Jordan would have been just another great player rather than a 6 time champion.

 

[husky8273]

Ryan Gomes

 

[Jaydumo20]

I think David Carr would've been way better had he not spent those years in houston