The MLB is one of the oldest leagues in American sports. With that comes some legendary players and names for all of its teams, but nothing is better than watching your team acquire someone legendary from your rivals, or pass on someone who turned out to be a hall of famer because they weren’t all that good early in their career but turned out to be amazing afterwards. Here are some MLB players who you might have forgotten playing for another franchise.
You may remember Manny being Manny in L.A. — and perhaps Chicago — as his career wound down. But Ramirez’s final MLB appearances came with the Rays. He played five games with the club, managing just one hit in 17 at-bats.
Between his memorable stints with the Dodgers and Mets was his eight-day tenure with the Marlins. He played in five games for the Fish. The Hall of Fame catcher went back to Cali to end his career, playing for the Padres and A’s.
Vladdy was a multi-time All-Star in Montreal and Anaheim — and again qualified for the Midsummer Classic in his lone season with the Rangers at age 35 — but quietly finished his Hall of Fame career in Baltimore.
Sizemore was one of Cleveland’s young stars. The CF had earned three All-Star selections, two Gold Glove awards, and a Silver Slugger before injuries caused him to miss both the 2012 and ‘13 seasons. Upon his return, he joined the Red Sox for 52 games before getting released. He signed with the Phillies, playing in 99 games over two seasons before being released. Sizemore final 58 games were played for the Rays.
Pedro actually pitched well for Philly, knocking Jamie Moyer out of the rotation and throwing seven scoreless innings against the Dodgers in the NLCS. But he struggled in the World Series against the Yankees, whom he previously called “his daddy.”
Pujols won Rookie of the Year and three MVPs with the Cardinals. While he didn’t find the same kind of success with the Angels, he was there for a decade after signing a 10-year, $240 million deal. But before he returned to St. Louis, made his final All-Star game and hit his 700th career homer, Pujols played 85 games with the Dodgers.
The Big Unit started 11 games for the Astros, recording a decision in each. He went 10-1 with a sterling 1.28 ERA. Perhaps that was a sign of things to come, as he won four consecutive Cy Young Awards after joining the Diamondbacks.
Rose split the 1984 season between the Cincinnati Red and the Expos, playing 95 games. He hit his 4,000th career hit as an Expo (against the Phillies to really rub some dirt in it), becoming the second player to even have 4,000 hits in the MLB, behind Ty Cobb. He eventually passed Cobb and holds the all-time career hits record with 4,256.
Everybody knows the story of The Great Bambino’s move from the Red Sox to the Yankees, where he became one of the most iconic players in the sport’s history. But the Sultan of Swat finished his career in 1935, playing 28 games for the Boston Braves, who were founded as the Boston Red Stockings. The team later moved to Milwaukee and Atlanta.
Bartolo Colon, known primarily for his time with Cleveland early in his career and the Mets for the end of his career, spent the 2008 season with the Red Sox and earned his 150th career win in Boston. He appeared in seven games and compiled a 4-2 record, with a 3.92 ERA.
Murray starred for the Orioles for 13 years, winning Rookie of the Year honors, earning six of his seven All-Star nods, three Gold Gloves, and was a key part of Baltimore’s 1983 World Series-winning squad.
However, he logged 46 games with the Angels — before rejoining the Dodgers — in his final season.
Murray hit three homers with Anaheim to finish with 504 for his Hall of Fame career.
Henderson played for nine teams during his 25-year Hall of Fame career. But he appeared in just 32 games for the Angels during the 1997 season, alongside Murray. Henderson swiped 16 of his record 1,406 stolen bases while in Anaheim.
Yogi is most famously synonymous with the Yankees, winning 10 rings as the Bronx Bombers’ backstop. (Add two more as a coach.) But he played his last four games as a Met before managing the club for four years.
The former Cy Young winner pitched only 1 game with the ‘Stros in 2000. That same season, he was also a member of the Tampa Bay Rays and the World Series champion New York Yankees.