Inter-League Play: Top 10 Players Who Played for the Rangers and the Phillies

The Texas Rangers are in town to play the Philadelphia Phillies this weekend as Major League Baseball kicks off the first round of Inter-League Play.  

The matchup, of course, pairs Phillies' pitcher Cliff Lee against his former team, the Rangers, for the first time since Lee (re-)signed with the Phillies this off-season, spurning the Rangers and the New York Yankees in the process.

Lee is not the only prominent player to ever play for these two franchises.  Here is a look at the top 10 players to play for both the Philadelphia Phillies and the Texas Rangers.

10. Sparky Lyle

After 10 successful seasons with the Red Sox and Yankees, Sparky Lyle spent the twilight of his career with the Rangers and then Phillies, accomplishing very little.

9. Doug Glanville

Doug Glanville came up with the Chicago Cubs, enjoyed the solid part of his career with the Phillies, then spent 20 minutes with the Texas Rangers before finishing his career with partial seasons back in Chicago and then back in Philly.

8. Kenny Lofton

He did not make his name playing for either team, and years from now most people won't remember that he even played for the Phillies or Rangers.

But Kenny Lofton played for both teams in the doesn't-matter part of his career, and managed to hit .300 for both squads.

7. Pete Incaviglia

Pete Incaviglia had a monster rookie year in 1986 with the Rangers, but he slowly faded over the ensuing years before enjoying a resurgence with the Phillies' 1993 World Series team.

6. Marlon Byrd

Marlon Byrd came up through the Phillies system and had a sublime 2003 campaign, but his career never gained traction until he went to Texas in 2007.  

Byrd made his first All Star team with the Cubs in 2010.

5. Jamie Moyer

Part of the Rafael Palmeiro/Mitch Williams trade back in the 1980s, Jamie Moyer would finish his career with the Phillies (assuming he is, in fact, done).

4. Mitch Williams

Mitch Williams came up with the Texas Rangers before being traded to the Cubs for Jamie Moyer and Rafael Palmeiro.

Williams helped the 1989 Cubs win a rare division title before moving on to the Phillies and helping them get to an even rarer World Series.

3. ClIff Lee

Cliff Lee has not pitched a full season for either the Rangers or the Phillies, but he has led them both to the World Series.

2. Dave Stewart

Check out these Dave Stewart stats:

1985 Rangers: 0-6, 5.42 ERA

1985 Phillies: 0-0, 6.23 ERA

1986 Phillies: 0-0, 6.57 ERA

1987-1990 Athletics: 84-45, 3.20 ERA, four 20-win seasons.

Go figure.

1. Ferguson Jenkins

In 1966, the Phillies traded this 23-year-old pitcher to the Chicago Cubs with some players whose names do not matter for some other players whose names do not matter.

He would go onto a Hall of Fame career with the Cubs and Rangers.

(Incidentally, how many of these guys also played for the Cubs?  Weird, right?)