The idea for this post was proposed to me by my friend Lee, who has been a frequent reader and supporter of my blog. He messaged me about it and I agreed that it was a really good idea for a post. I decided to add a certain criteria for this one. The player had to play the majority of his career games for that team. I can only choose retired players, no currents. Also I decided I would not include any player who made any of my positions lists in an attempt to keep things fresh. So while Ken Griffey Jr. is definitely my favorite Mariners player of all-time, I will be writing about someone different when I do Seattle. And as always the subjects have to have played during my lifetime, so 1980 and forward. Also to keep the post from being too lengthy I will be breaking it up into AL and NL as they are currently aligned in today’s game. So even though the Astros were in the National League for the majority of my life, their representative will be included in the American League post. So without further ado, I present to you My Favorite Player From Every American League Team…Of My Lifetime.

Baltimore Orioles: Brady Anderson

My boy Brady Anderson looked more like he belonged on the cast of Beverly Hills 90210 instead of belting baseballs in Baltimore. He had the Hollywood looks and the sideburns made popular by the boys of Fox’s hit teen drama series. His name even seemed like it could be one of a Beverly Hills character. I was never really a fan of 90210 but I knew that the girls my age were. They were all swooning over Dylan and Brandon and that’s why one reason I liked Brady Anderson so much. He was real life cool and a mixture of what girls liked and what I liked. Sideburns and baseball. Anderson was a 3x All-Star and out of nowhere hit 50 home runs in 1996. By far the highest HR total of his career. He hit 21 in 1992 and 24 in 1999. Those were the only seasons in his career that he eclipsed the 20 homer mark. That random 50 homer season and those sensational sideburns is why Brady Anderson is my favorite Oriole.

Boston Red Sox: Johnny Damon

Ok, so I cheated my own criteria a little with this one as Johnny Damon actually played about 200 more career games with the Kansas City Royals than he did with the Red Sox. But let’s face it, this man was a Red Sock. Even after leaving for the Evil Empire Yankees. The reason Damon was a Red Sock is because he was a crucial member of the 2004 Boston World Series Championship team that broke “The Curse of the Bambino.” They did so in improbable fashion going down 0 games to 3 to the aforementioned Yankees and getting absolutely trounced in Game 3 by a score of 19-8. Things looked bleak in Boston and it looked as though the Red Sox would be eliminated from the playoffs by the hated Yankees yet again. The gritty Sox team somehow found the fortitude to squeak out extra innings wins in Games 4 and 5. Then came Curt Shilling’s bloody sock performance in Game 6. The Red Sox had miraculously evened the series at 3 games a piece. Enter Johnny Damon in Game 7. Damon hit a 2nd-inning grandslam into the right field stands in Yankee Stadium and the celebration in Boston was underway. He added another homer later in the game and the Red Sox rolled to a 10-3 victory. They then swept the Cardinals in the World Series and the curse was no more. It was hard not to be a fan of that underdog Boston team and it was hard for me not to be a fan of Johnny Damon and his hippie hair and bushy beard.

Chicago White Sox: Jack McDowell

“Black Jack” McDowell seemed to take his nickname seriously because he was a straight dealer on the mound. He was drafted by the Chicago White Sox with the 5th pick of the 1st round in the 1987 draft and set out to prove he wouldn’t bust. He made his MLB debut late in the 1987 season and starting in 1991 he doubled down on his efforts and made 3 consecutive All-Star teams. McDowell had the house edge against opposing hitters in 1993 when he led the AL in wins (22) and shutouts (4) on his way to winning the Cy Young Award. After the 1994 season he was dealt to the New York Yankees where he continued to stand on his stellar pitching. He was a favorite of mine because of his blacked out cleats and his Black Jack nickname.

Cleveland Indians: Travis Hafner

Well before the NFL gave us the gift of Gronk, the Cleveland Indians had their own version, Pronk. Travis Hafner’s Pronk nickname was actually a combination of two other nicknames, The Project and Donkey. Standing 6’3″ and weighing 240 pounds, Pronk looked like he should be catching balls from Brady on the gridiron. Instead he enjoyed catching bodies on the baseball diamond. Hafner was a slugger, pure and simple. I liked Hafner because he hit a lot of homers, he hit them a long way and he had a unique nickname that just fit.

Detroit Tigers: Cecil Fielder

Cecil Fielder broke into the majors in 1985 with the Blue Jays. He toiled in mediocrity during his time in Toronto before leaving America to play baseball in Japan. He discovered something in the land of the rising sun and when he returned to the states with the Detroit Tigers in 1990 he turned MLB on its head. He went on a home run tear the likes of which baseball hadn’t seen since 1977. Fielder became the first player since then to surpass the 50 homer plateau. He hit 51 that season and also led the league in RBI. SportsCenter was just becoming a big deal around that time and during the summer of 1990 I was glued to ESPN every night and most mornings, watching Cecil’s pursuit of 50. It was exciting to see him blast baseballs onto the roof at Tiger Stadium and see his home run total climb. His unlikely career path from part-time player, to Japan and back to become the premier power hitter in baseball along with the fact that he was the first 50 home run guy… Of My Lifetime, made Fielder a favorite of mine.

Houston Astros: Jeff Bagwell

Jeff Bagwell played his entire 15 year career for the Houston Astros. I liked Bagwell because of his extreme crouch batting stance. Because of his exaggerated eye-black. Because of his menacing goatee. But none of that stuff would’ve mattered if he didn’t put up Hall of Fame numbers to make it all awesome. Bagwell was a rare power hitter who also produced high batting averages. Evidenced by his 1994 MVP season in which he blasted 39 homers and hit for a .368 average. He was a key cog for the terrific Astros teams of the late 90’s and early 2000’s. He helped transition the team from the “rainbow” Astros of the 80’s into the more modernized Houston Astros with the slick star logo. I liked that logo and remember buying an Astors fitted when they first came out and one of the main reasons I did so was Jeff Bagwell.

Kansas City Royals: Bo Jackson

This was probably the easiest choice I had to make for this list. My favorite Kansas City Royal of all-time is unquestionably Bo Jackson. For a guy that played baseball as his secondary sport, Bo was pretty amazing. Jackson was a superior athlete that played football and baseball at the highest levels. Nike was quick to capitalize on this phenom and launched a wildly popular “Bo Knows” ad campaign to go along with the release of his signature sneaker. The ads depicted Bo as an athlete that could excel at any and every sport imaginable. And in reality it probably wasn’t far from the truth. He also ran track at Auburn in addition to playing baseball and football. Bo Jackson became the stuff of legend for so many different reasons. For being the only athlete in history to be an “All-Star” in two different sports. He actually won the MVP in the 1989 MLB All-Star game when he hit a lead off homer and later stole a base, putting his 5-tool talent on display for a national audience. For winning the Heisman Trophy. For his character in Tecmo Bowl that basically couldn’t be tackled if you were able to break into the open field and employ the “zig-zag” running technique. For trucking Brian Bosworth on his way to the endzone on Monday Night Football. For breaking baseball bats over his knee after striking out. For running up the wall in the outfield after making a spectacular catch. For his unmatched combination of speed and power on the baseball field. For his rocket arm throwing out runners. Bo was a real life superhero for a kid growing up obsessed with sports and that’s why he is one of my favorite players ever.

Los Angeles Angels: Wally Joyner

Wally Joyner played the first seven seasons of his career for the Angels and that’s how I best remember him. Joyner made a splash upon entering the majors in 1986 by making his only career All-Star game and finishing 2nd in the AL Rookie of the Year voting. He was always a solid player who hit for a good average and had decent power. I liked those things about him but what made him my favorite was the 80’s Angels uniforms and his red cleats and leggings combo. I remember looking at his baseball cards and being drawn to that look. I’m sure other Angels players of that time wore their uniforms similarly but Joyner was the best player on the team at the time and he was young and exciting so he quickly became my favorite.

Minnesota Twins: Joe Mauer

Joe Mauer actually probably deserved to be included in two of my prior lists, The Top MLB Prospects…Of My Lifetime and Top Catchers…Of My Lifetime. Mauer was an exceptional three-sport athlete in high school. In his senior year, he became the only athlete ever to be selected as the USA Today High School Player of the Year in two sports, as a quarterback in football and catcher in baseball. Mauer’s high school sports exploits are the stuff of legend. He passed for 3,000 yards and 40 touchdowns with just 5 interceptions during his senior season on the football field. But his high school baseball numbers and accomplishments were simply ridiculous. Mauer only struck out once in his entire high school baseball career and hit above .500 all 4 years, including a ridiculous .605 for his senior year. The infamous hitting tool device that his dad invented for him, The Quickswing, definitely did its job. Mauer committed to Florida State to play quarterback but instead entered the MLB draft and was selected first overall by the hometown Minnesota Twins. He made his MLB debut in 2004 and played his entire 15 year career with the Twins. And what a career it was. 6x All-Star, 5x Silver Slugger winner, 3x Gold Glove winner, 3 AL batting titles and the 2009 AL MVP winner. Mauer’s awesome hometown hero story and elite career made him my favorite Minnesota Twin.

New York Yankees: Dave Winfield

Next up we have another Minnesota native that had a legendary MLB career, Dave Winfield. Also much like the man mentioned before him on this list, Joe Mauer, Winfield was an amateur sports star. He played college baseball and basketball for the University of Minnesota and was such an incredible athlete that he was selected in the drafts of MLB, NBA and NFL. The San Diego Padres drafted him 4th overall in 1973 and placed him directly on the MLB roster. Although Winfield was a standout pitcher in college, (winning the 1973 College World Series MVP as a pitcher) the Padres elected to put him in right field because of his powerful bat. Turned out to be a wise decision. Starting in 1977 Winfield was elected to his league’s All-Star team for 12 consecutive years. In 1980 Winfield signed a huge free agent deal with the New York Yankees, making him the highest paid player in the game and kicking off Yankees owner George Steinbrenner’s legendary sport-changing spending. He played almost the entirety of the 80s for the Yankees (9 seasons) and that’s how I best remember him. As a big man with a big mustache putting up big numbers.

Oakland Athletics: Barry Zito

Due to the fact that the Atlanta Braves teams of the late 80s weren’t very good, my secondary favorite team of that time was the Oakland A’s. The A’s team from that era was filled with some of baseball’s best and most exciting players. I’ve covered many of those players in my previous top positions posts. So due to my own criteria I’m going with a pitcher from the Moneyball A’s, Barry Zito. Zito pitched his entire career for the two Bay Area teams, the A’s and Giants. He was successful in both cities but his most dominant years were in Oakland. While pitching for the A’s Zito made 3 All-Star teams and took home the AL Cy Young Award in 2002 when he led the league in wins with a 23-5 record, pitching to a 2.75 ERA. Zito is best known for his knee buckling curve ball. It was a big high-arching curve that could drop 3 or 4 feet. One of the best curves that baseball has ever seen and one of the main reasons Zito was one of my favorites.

Seattle Mariners: Felix Hernandez

Hear ye, hear ye! All bend the knee before King Felix from House Mariner of Seattle. First of his name, Lord of The Perfect Game, Protector of the Mound, Ruler of The King’s Court. Felix Hernandez was baseball royalty while pitching in Seattle for the Mariners, where he reigned over the diamond for 15 seasons. Hernandez was arguably the best pitcher in baseball in his prime. Making 6 All-Star teams, winning 2 ERA titles and being crowned the AL Cy Young winner in 2010. King Felix produced minuscule ERA numbers and massive strikeout totals. The latter led to the fans in the left field sections at Mariners creating the “King’s Court”. The fans in the outfield at Safeco Field would hold up “K” cards and become whipped into a frenzy as Felix made opposing hitters look like court jesters with his blazing fastball and wipeout changeup. It was an electric atmosphere, especially on August 15, 2012, when King Felix threw the 23rd perfect game in MLB history. The Pacific Northwest remembers and so do I, King.

Tampa Bay Rays: David Price

David Price was another phenomenal amateur athlete. He had a career 0.43 ERA in high school and upon graduation Price enrolled at Vanderbilt to play baseball. As a junior in college he won the Dick Howser Award for the nation’s best player and was selected first overall by the Rays in the 2007 MLB Draft. He made his MLB debut for Tampa Bay the following September and was added to the playoff roster that postseason. He was a key component in the team making their first ever World Series. He was the winning pitcher in Game 2 of the 2008 ALCS and got the save in Game 7 to send his team to the Fall Classic. I was in Las Vegas during that postseason and remember watching Price close out the series while in the sportsbook. It’s another example of how sports or athletes can transport you to a certain place or time in your life and another reason why I love sports. A superstar was born that postseason. Price went on to make 4 All-Star teams and win the 2012 AL Cy Young Award as a member of the Rays. He was traded to the Tigers at the deadline in 2014. He pitched for several more teams during his career and won a World Series with the 2018 Red Sox. But I’ll always remember him as Ray and mentally link him to my first time in Vegas.

Texas Rangers: Ruben Sierra

I liked Ruben Sierra as a kid because he seemed to do everything well on the baseball field. He switch-hit. He hit for power and average. He had above average speed and had a good arm in right field. I thought he looked cool and I liked his name itself. I liked his batting stance and high leg kick when he hit. I liked collecting his baseball cards and his 1990 Donruss Diamond King card was one of my favorite cards I owned. I liked using his player when I played R.B.I. Baseball 2. All of these things added up to Ruben Sierra being my favorite Texas Rangers player…Of My Lifetime.

Toronto Blue Jays: Kelly Gruber

I liked Kelly Gruber so much as a kid primarily for one of the same reasons I like Ruben Sierra. Because of his 1990 Donruss Diamond Kings card. I was a huge fan of the Diamond Kings series. I liked the art and the little paragraph about the player on the back of the card. I liked that they were different from most other cards at the time and pulling one from a pack was always thrilling. Honestly, I don’t remember seeing Gruber play that much. Whatever I knew about him was from baseball cards. He seemed to be one of the best third basemen in the game during the late 1980s and that was enough to make him one of my favorites.