5 forgotten faces who've played for both the Rangers and Astros

When the Texas Rangers and Houston Astros meet each other on the field, the series always carries a little extra weight. The Lone Star series is about competing for the AL West crown but also about in-state bragging rights.

It's a bitter rivalry that doesn't have the same feel as Cubs-Cardinals or Dodgers-Giants, but it's getting there. That's why it's a little strange to think about all the players who have been on both the Rangers and the Astros over the years.

Granted, for a very long time, the Texas Rangers and Houston Astros never gave each other a second thought since one team was in the AL and one was in the NL. And way back in the day, the only time the two franchises could have met was in the World Series. These days, things are pretty different, and on occasion, some of these forgotten faces even played on one side of the Lone Star series one season and the other the following year.

5 forgotten faces who've played for both the Rangers and Astros

A total of 77 players have played for both the Texas Rangers and Houston Astros. However, five players stand out from the pack. Only three players in the history of the Major Leagues have played their entire careers with just those two franchises.

Another two spent time with both clubs and were subsequently elected to the Hall of Fame. Thus, these five forgotten faces are worth remembering.

Chuck Jackson

It's not hard to understand why Rangers and Astros fans alike forgot that Chuck Jackson played for either team. His MLB career was neither that long nor very accomplished.

Jackson made his Big League debut in 1987 when he played in 35 games for the 'Stros. Despite slashing just .211/.282/.296/.578 that year, he played 46 games in 1988 and was slightly better, notching a .229/.286/.349/.635 slashline. The infielder/centerfielder was then relegated to minor league purgatory until his final Major League appearance with the Rangers in 1994. He played in one game, got two at-bats, and never again got another plate appearance in the Bigs.

Mike Richardt

Mike Richardt stands out not just because he saw a few more seasons than Jackson, but because he is the rare person who played for both the Rangers and the Astros in the same season. Granted, this was also long before the Lone Star series was a thing.

Richardt spent most of his career in Arlington, starting with 22 games in 1980. The second baseman saw his most action with the Big Club in 1982, when he appeared in 119 games and hit .241 with 3 homers while nabbing 9 stolen bases. The following season, he was back to limited time with 22 appearances.

In 1984, he started the season with the Rangers, appearing in 6 games and hitting .111 before moving over to the Astros to play his final 16 Major League games, where he hit .267 with 2 RBI.

Mike Simms

Of the guys who played for both the Texas Rangers and Houston Astros, Mike Simms had the best career, starting in 1990 with 12 games for the then-National League club.

Simms spent parts of six seasons with Houston before moving over to the Rangers in 1997. His best Big League season came the following year when he hit .296 with 16 homers. However, in 1999 he suffered an injury after just four games, missed the entirety of 2000 and never appeared in MLB again.

Former Rangers and Astros stars in the Hall of Fame

Nolan Ryan

Both the Astros and Rangers consider Nolan Ryan one of the best to have ever played the game for their respective teams. Obviously, he gets a lot from us over on this site.

Ryan pitched for the Astros from 1980 until 1988, compiling a 106-94 record with a 3.13 earned run average. He also compiled 1,866 of his record 5,714 career Ks with Houston. He then made the jump to Arlington, starting in 1989, posting a 51-39 record with a 3.43 ERA.

With the Rangers, he posted his 300th career win and two of his record-seven no-hitters in 1990 and 1991. He was elected into the Major League Baseball Hall of Fame in 1999 and became the first Texas Rangers player to make it to the game's greatest museum

Ivan 'Pudge' Rodriguez

Pudge Rodriguez was not just the best catcher to ever play the game for the Rangers but he was one of the best ever in baseball.

Starting his career in 1991, he was a staple of a Texas ballclub that finally saw itself as contenders more often than not. However, in 2002, he left Arlington amid a heated salary dispute and managed to win his first World Series with the upstart 2003 Florida Marlins.

In 2009, at the age of 39, the aging backstop started his only season in Houston and hit .251 with 8 home runs. At the trade deadline, he was dealt to the Rangers and hit .245 with 2 homers in 28 games down the stretch.

He would play two more seasons for the Washington Nationals before calling it a 21-year career. Pudge finished that career hitting .296 with 311 home runs.

In 2017, Pudge became the second player to be inducted into the Hall of Fame sporting a Texas Rangers ballcap.