Edwin Jackson's explanation for his longevity: "Everyone always needs pitching"

As pitcher Edwin Jackson prepared to settle in to the Orioles clubhouse, a reporter asked him about the role with his the team.

The role doesn't matter. "I've done a little bit of everything,'' Jackson says.

Talk about an understatement.

The Orioles are Jackson's fourth American League team and 12th big league team, one short of the record held by pitcher Octavio Dotel. The two were teammates with the World Series champion Cardinals in 2011.

Jackson is 33. Dotel was 38 when he reached his 12th team, so Jackson is likely to beat Dotel's record.

"Everyone always needs pitching,'' Jackson says.

Jackson was drafted as an outfielder by the Dodgers and converted to a pitcher.

He's been traded six times, pitched in an All-Star Game and a World Series, and signed a four-year $52 million contract with the Cubs, who ended up eating $13 million of the contract after he had seasons of 18 and 15 losses.

A few more notes on Jackson:

* At 20 in 2003, he made his big league debut for the Dodgers, pitching six innings and beating Arizona's Randy Johnson.

* His most famous game came as a Diamondback, when he pitched a no-hitter against Tampa Bay on June 25, 2010. Jackson threw 149 pitches with eight walks and a hit batter in a 1-0 win.

* A month later, the Diamondbacks traded him to the White Sox, making him the second pitcher in history to throw a no-hitter and be traded in the same season. The other was Cliff Chambers of Pittsburgh in 1951.

* Jackson represented the Tigers in the 2009 All-Star Game and retired the side in order in the fifth inning on four pitches, getting Yadier Molina, Ryan Zimmerman and Hanley Ramirez.

* He pitched for the Cardinals in 2011 World Series. He started a game against Texas and had seven walks in 5 1/3 innings. Overall, he made four postseason starts for the Cardinals with a 5.60 ERA.

* Jackson signed as a free agent with the Nationals in 2012 and finished the season with168 strikeouts and 58 walks. He also started Game 3 of the National League Division Series against the Cardinals, who beat the Nationals 8-0.

* He is no relation to the NFL's Edwin Jackson. How could he be? The football Jackson has been with only Indianapolis and Arizona.