Dodgers' Clayton Kershaw could have pitched for his hometown team 

Clayton Kershaw's upcoming retirement won't just solidify a Hall of Fame-worthy career as one of the best left-handed pitchers ever to toe the rubber. It also ensures he'll never wear an MLB uniform that doesn't display "Dodgers" across the front. 

But that doesn't mean it wasn't close to occurring on several occasions throughout the legendary southpaw's career. In fact, one American League club was tied to Kershaw in the last several free-agency periods: The Texas Rangers. 

Dodgers legend Clayton Kershaw nearly pitched for the Texas Rangers

While it would've been odd to see Kershaw in Rangers colors, the fit would've made sense on a number of levels. First, the 37-year-old has an established relationship with current Texas GM Chris Young from their playing days, when both would throw together in the offseason. 

Of course, Kershaw is also a native of the Lone Star State, hailing from Dallas, and the Rangers are his hometown team. Notably, Kershaw attended high school with Los Angeles Rams quarterback Matthew Stafford. 

Combined with his childhood rooting interests, connecting the dots between a Kershaw-Texas Rangers union was never as far-fetched as many baseball fans would be led to believe. And it couldn't have hurt that the Rangers won the World Series just two years ago, enhancing their pedigree as a franchise.

But as we know, that match was never made, as Kershaw opted to spend his whole career as a Los Angeles Dodger. That'll certainly make things easy for the plaque makers at the Baseball Hall of Fame in Cooperstown, New York. 

Still, the idea of Kershaw pitching for his hometown Texas Rangers was always an intriguing one: Would it have altered the course of his career (and the Dodgers organization) had he decided to return home? We'll never find out the answer to that question.