40 Worst 'Divorces' in Baseball History

When players, coaches, or even executives leave teams, things do not always go well. There is occasionally tension between both the team and the people who have left.

Many of these players and managers have worn out their welcomes when they are finally let go.  Team members are not the only ones that have had issues. Broadcasters for networks such as ESPN have had their own issues as well.

40) Carlos Zambrano and the Chicago Cubs

This is not actually a divorce at the moment. It is more like a trial separation.

With Zambrano’s latest actions and retirement talk leading to him being placed on the disqualified list, it will likely not be long before Zambrano and the Cubs split for good.

39) Colby Rasmus and the St. Louis Cardinals

Colby Rasmus is a talented young player. However, he has had issues with the St. Louis Cardinals coaching staff throughout his short career.

Tony LaRussa has said that Rasmus did not listen to the Cardinals coaches when they were trying to help him. This eventually led to his trade to the Toronto Blue Jays.

38) David Wells and the New York Yankees

After David Wells joined the rival Boston Red Sox in 2005, it was clear that he had worn out his welcome in New York.

Wells said that he did not get along with Yankees manager Joe Torre. He also called out Alex Rodriguez and Brain Cashman.

37) Roger Clemens and the Boston Red Sox

Throughout the early part of his career, it appeared that Roger Clemens would be a Boston Red Sox legend.

Then, left for the Toronto Blue Jays. This did not cause much drama, but once Clemens was traded to the New York Yankees, there were tensions between him and the Red Sox.

36) Yunel Escobar and the Atlanta Braves

The Atlanta Braves believed that Yunel Escobar was going to be their shortstop of the future. However, he ran into some struggles with his production.

That is not what got him traded to the Toronto Blue Jays though. Escobar’s attitude worsened and this is what led to his trade.

35) Oliver Perez and the New York Mets

Every time Oliver Perez was discussed early on in his career, the term potential was mentioned often. Unfortunately, Perez never lived up to his potential.

The New York Mets wanted to send Perez down to the minors to work on his game and he refused. The Mets then had him pitch out of the bullpen. The team eventually released him.

34) Alex Rodriguez and the Texas Rangers

Alex Rodriguez publicly said that he regretted signing with the Texas Rangers instead of the New York Mets. Rodriguez was eventually traded to the New York Yankees.

It is hard to imagine how much differently the game would have been the past 10 years had Rodriguez actually decided to become a member of the Mets.

33) Vernon Wells and the Toronto Blue Jays

Vernon Wells had a number of impressive years for the Toronto Blue Jays and eventually received a big contract as a result.

Wells struggled to live up to that deal. Fans would boo Wells at home games and management questioned the deal. Wells was traded away to the Los Angeles Angels.

32) Manny Ramirez and the Boston Red Sox

Manny Ramirez’s escapades are well documented. Ramirez was a great player, but stunts such as bringing a little person into the clubhouse and going into the Green Monster during the game led to Ramirez wearing out his welcome.

The Red Sox eventually traded Ramirez away to the Los Angeles Dodgers.

31) Jocko Halligan and the Baltimore Orioles

Jocko Halligan did not even last a full season with the Baltimore Orioles because of bad blood between him and the team.

During a poker game in 1892, Halligan punched teammate Cub Stricker in the face and broke his jaw. He was then released from the Orioles and blacklisted from baseball.

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30) Jose Lima and the Detroit Tigers

Jose Lima was having a difficult time finding a place to call home after the Detroit Tigers had released him. It appeared that Lima Time would be coming to an end.

Lima eventually signed with the Kansas City Royals. It was stated that the reason it took Lima so long to sign was because he was a clubhouse cancer.

29) Jose Guillen and the Los Angeles Angels

It is known that players do not like being replaced. However, most players hold their tongue and don’t say anything. 

This was not the case with Jose Guillen after he was taken out of a game for a pich runner. He yelled at manager Mike Scioscia and was suspended for the rest of the season. He was traded to the Nationals in the off season.

28) Johnny Damon and the Boston Red Sox

The bad blood between Johnny Damon and the Boston Red Sox actually did not start until after he left the team. Damon had said that there was no way that he would play for the Yankees and yet he signed with them.

This caused him to be vilified by many Red Sox fans. Damon also shaved off his beard and cut his trademark “caveman” hair, which further alienated him from the Red Sox.

27) Joe Torre and the New York Yankees

Joe Torre did not start of his managerial career with the New York Yankees on a great note. However, Torre quickly was able to lead the team to World Series titles.

Tensions began to build and get worse after Torre wrote a book, The Yankee Years, which mentioned his negotiations with Brian Cashman and in which he called A-Rod, "A-Fraud".

26) Shea Hillenbrand and the Toronto Blue Jays

The Toronto Blue Jays have always been in a tough position in the American League East. Shea Hillenbrand was apparently done with the team's struggles and wrote "the ship is sinking" on the clubhouse message board.

When he was confronted by manager John Gibbons, a fight almost ensued. Hillenbrand was eventually traded.

25) Ted Lilly and the Toronto Blue Jays

Shea Hillenbrand was not the only Tornoto Blue Jay who had issues with the team and its management in 2006. Ted Lilly eventually had a messy divorce from the team as well.

Manager John Gibbons had tried to take out Lilly after he gave up seven runs. He punched his manager in the face. There continued to be tension between Lilly and the organization after the incident.

24) Carl Everett and the Seattle Mariners

Carl Everett had his own unique set of issues while he was in Boston. While there, he questioned the validity of the Apollo Moon Landing and dinosaurs.

In Seattle, Everett had other problems. He made a number of controversial comments while he was with the Mariners. Everett also got into a fight with manager Mike Hargrove before he was eventually released.

23) Jeff Shaw and the Cincinnati Reds

Jeff Shaw had resigned with the Cincinnati Reds for a hometown discount because of a handshake agreement that he would not be traded.

Just three months later, he was moved to the Los Angeles Dodgers. Shaw expressed his disgust and anger towards the organization for the move.

22) Ed Whitson and the New York Yankees

Billy Martin was known for his fiery attitude. This occasionally led to scuffles with players. One such incident occurred with Ed Whitson.

After an argument, a fight between Whitson and Martin occurred. Whitson broke Martin's arm. It is no surprise that Whitson did not spend much more time with the Yankees.

21) Mo Vaughn and the Boston Red Sox

Mo Vaughn had become a very popular player in Boston because of his charity work and his outstanding play. However, things did not seem to be going well between Vaughn and the Red Sox management in his final season.

The two sides called each other out for various issues and there was clearly a lot of tension between the two. Vaughn signed as a free agent with the Los Angeles Angels after the season and the Red Sox made little effort to resign him.

20) Dick Wakefield and the Detroit Tigers

Dick Wakefield had been one of the first "bonus babies" and was a fan favorite in Detroit for years. Eventually, Wakefield fell out of favor in Detroit.

As Wakefield struggled, the fans began to get on his case. Information came out that he had been getting away with things in the clubhouse because of his relationship with the teams owners. Wakefield was eventually traded away.

Photo Credit:  Baseball Reference

19) Bobby Valentine and the New York Mets

Bobby Valentine was a fan favorite during his time as the manager of the New York Mets. However, he was not exactly a favorite of Fred Wilpon, the Mets owner or Steve Phillips, the Mets general manager at the time.

Valentine was eventually fired after the 2002 season. The issues seem to have been partially resolved as Valentine was a candidate for the Mets managerial opening prior to the 2011 season.

18) Bobby Jenks and the Chicago White Sox

Bobby Jenks had once been the star closer of the Chicago White Sox who helped lead them to the World Series. However, those days were far behind him as his tenure in Chicago ended.

Jenks got into a verbal feud with former manager Ozzie Guillen. The two both make comments to the media about each other.

17) Babe Ruth and the Boston Red Sox

This divorce is not on the list because it was a tumultuous one, but rather because it was one that would help shape the future of baseball.

Trading away Babe Ruth had a negative impact on the Boston Red Sox franchise for years to come and it also helped the Yankees become a league power.

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16) Lenny Randle and the Texas Rangers

Like many other professional baseball players, Lenny Randle believed that he should be a starter. His manager Frank Lucchesi did not feel the same way.

Randle was listed as the backup second baseman on the depth chart in spring training in 1977 and took offense. He then quit the team. Randle got into a fight with Lucchesi and was eventually traded to the New York Mets.

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15) Milton Bradley and the Chicago Cubs

It seems as if Milton Bradley has worn out his welcome almost everywhere that he is been. The reason that he has been able to stay in the MLB despite all of his issues is the fact that he is a pretty good player.

Bradley had a number of tirades during his time with the Chicago Cubs. He was even once asked to leave the dugout by manager Lou Piniella during a game. He was suspended for his negativity towards the end of the 2009 season. Bradley was traded to the Seattle Mariners.

14) Rob Dibble and the Cincinnati Reds

Rob Dibble had been known for his fiery personality. So it comes as no surprise that when Cincinnati Reds manager said that Dibble could not pitch one day, Dibble had no problem giving his opinion.

This eventually led to an hour-long fight between the two. The tension between Dibble and the rest of the organization grew and he eventually left as a free agent.

13) Keith Hernandez and the St. Louis Cardinals

Keith Hernandez was one of the players who had participated in the Pittsburgh Drug Trials. The St. Louis Cardinals had enough with Hernandez and his issues and eventually shipped him off to the New York Mets.

The move worked out tremendously for the Mets as Hernandez became a key piece of their 1986 World Championship team.

12) Dick Allen and the Philadelphia Phillies

Dick Allen had been a star for the Philadelphia Phillies in the 1960's. However, a few incidents led him to lose this reputation.

Allen had gotten into a fight with teammate Frank Thomas. The Phillies fans eventually got on Allen after the incident. A few years later, Allen demanded to be traded away from the Phillies and the team obliged.

Photo Credit: Sports Illustrated

11) Rogers Hornsby and the St. Louis Cardinals

Rogers Hornsby was not only one of the game's best second basemen, but he was also one of the most controversial figures in baseball history. In 1918, Hornsby decided that he didn't want to play under new Cardinals manager Jack Hendricks.

Hornsby let his batting average drop and refused to play. Eventually, Hendricks was fire. Hornsby did not get along well with his teammates and he eventually traded from the Cardinals.

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10) Garry Templeton and the St. Louis Cardinals

Garry Templeton was known for his attitude during his time with the St. Louis Cardinals. He once made an obscene gesture at Cardinals fans during a game. He was taken off the field by his manager, Whitey Herzog, as a result of the incident.

The Cardinals decided that Templeton needed a change of scenery and the San Diego Padres were willing to take him. For the Padres, the deal went down as one of the dumbest trades in MLB history.

9) Vince Coleman and the New York Mets

Vince Coleman had been an outstanding player with the St. Louis Cardinals which is exactly why the New York Mets decided to sign him. However, the Mets did not see anything close to the output that Coleman had with the Cardinals.

Coleman also had a number of personal issues. He injured Dwight Gooden with a golf club. Coleman also threw a lit firecracker into the stands at Dodger Stadium. The Mets suspended him for the rest of the season after the incident. Following the season, the Mets traded Coleman to the Royals.

8) Harold Reynolds and Baseball Tonight

Harold Reynolds was one of the most popular commentators on Baseball Tonight  when he was suspended and eventually fired for sexual harassment.

It turns out that the whole incident had been a big misunderstanding. Reynolds sued ESPN and the two sides eventually settled their case out of court.

7) Steve Phillips and Baseball Tonight

After spending time as general manager of the New York Mets, Steve Phillips eventually landed a job as a commentator on Baseball Tonight. He held that position until 2009.

It was then that Phillips was initially suspended because he had an affair with a 22-year-old production assistant at ESPN. Phillips was eventually fired from the network.

Photo Credit: WEII

6) Marge Schott and the Cincinnati Reds

Marge Schott was a controversial figure throughout her ownership of the Cincinnati Reds. She had been suspended twice during her ownership and was facing another suspension in 1999 when she finally sold the team.

The team's limited partners had also planned to oust Schott if she did not sell her majority share in the team.

5) Jim Bowden and the Washington Nationals

Jim Bowden served as the General Manger of the Washington Nationals from before their first game up until 2009.

Bowden became involved in a scandal which included the skimming of money from signing bonuses of Latin American players. He resigned as a result of this issue.

4) Frank McCourt's Messy Divorce

This is the only actual divorce that makes the list. Frank McCourt's messy divorce has had an impact on the Los Angeles Dodgers.

There have been questions as to if the team can make payroll. McCourt is scrambling to find a way to get more money so that he can retain ownership in the team. If he cannot come up with more capital, he will likely need to sell the team.

3) Tony Bernazard and the New York Mets

Tony Bernazard was the Vice President of Development for the New York Mets but he eventually ran into some controversy that led to his firing.

Bernazard was allegedly influential in the firing of manager Willie Randolph. This however, was not the incident that got him fired. Bernazard was fired after he took off his shirt and challenged members of the Binghamton Mets to a fight.

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2) Pete Rose and Major League Baseball

Yes, Pete Rose bet on baseball, but he never bet against his team. Rose was banned by the MLB as a result of his gambling.

Rose holds the record for hits in a career and yet he is not in the Hall of Fame. Rose has admitted to betting on the game and deserves to be reinstated.

1) Shoeless Joe Jackson and Major League Baseball

The Chicago Black Sox Scandal ranks high amongst the most unforgivable acts in MLB history. Eight players were banned from baseball as a result of the scandal and amongst them is Shoeless Joe Jackson.

While it is known that the other seven players threw the World Series, there is a lot of doubt that Jackson was in on the fix. Jackson hit a World Series leading .375 and committed no errors.

Photo Credit: Baseball Reference