Astros fans have probably already forgotten that top Yankees nemesis used to play for Houston

It's been a little while, but the Houston Astros and the New York Yankees rivalry is still simmering. From the mid-2010s on, the Yankees have become Houston's arch-nemesis, and the Astros have typically come out on top, vanquishing the Yankees from the playoffs in each of the clubs' last four matchups, and owning a 13-5 record in the postseason against New York.

The brawl that was the 2017 ALCS, which saw Houston emerge victorious in seven games, gave birth to one of the Astros' greatest pinstriped rivals. Following that bitter defeat, the Yankees dismissed manager Joe Girardi and hired Aaron Boone, who has been known to make silly excuses and stir up drama whenever the clubs meet.

Who can forget Boone blaming the roof in Minute Maid Park for losing Game 2 of the 2022 ALCS? Boone was at it again this past season, protesting that Taylor Trammel's bat was illegal, moments after the Astros reserve outfielder hit a double off of his closer, David Bednar. The reason for the protest had nothing to do with a competitive advantage and everything to do with the bat's color. The whole incident left fans wondering why this guy doesn't have better things to worry about.

Astros fans might have forgotten that Aaron Boone once played for the team

Boone came up as a player with the Cincinnati Reds, spending the first six and a half years of his big league career in southwest Ohio before being traded to the Yankees at the 2003 trade deadline. That's where Boone's career-defining moment came, hitting a dramatic walk-off homer in the 11th inning of Game 7 of the 2003 ALCS against the Boston Red Sox.

That offseason, Boone would tear his ACL while playing pickup basketball, effectively ending his Yankees tenure after only half a season. From there, he scuffled with Cleveland for a couple of seasons before bouncing around the NL East, playing for both the Marlins and the Nationals.

Never a star, Boone was basically a replacement-level player following his knee injury, and when the 2008 season came to a close, the third baseman hit free agency for the last time. He signed with the Astros, though he had to undergo heart surgery during the offseason, making it unclear if he'd ever suit up for Houston.

Boone made a full recovery and managed to return to action during the 2009 season's final days. In total, the now-Yankees manager appeared in 10 games for the Astros, serving mostly as a pinch hitter. He logged 14 plate appearances and did not record a hit. His only time on base came via a hit-by-pitch.

That's not exactly a memorable tenure, but it is true that the long-time Yankee agitator's final playing days came in a Houston Astros uniform.