Minoso One of the Oldest

    Minnie Minoso’s appearance in three games for the White Sox in September 1976 at age 53 serves as a reminder that major league baseball has had some pretty old performers over the years. The only distinction Minoso gained in his brief stint was to be the oldest player to collect a hit in a regulation game. He banged a single in three trips as a designated hitter in a game against the Angels on September 12. He also became the third oldest to play in the majors.

    Prior to Minoso getting a hit, Nick Altrock of the Washington Senators was the oldest. On October 6, 1929, he played one inning in right field and collected a single in his one time at bat against the Red Sox. He was also 53, but about nine months younger than Minoso.  Altrock, long-time coach and clown of the Nationals, made periodic appearances in Washington end-of-season home games ever since he signed on as a coach with the Senators in 1912. He was a pitcher by trade, but his last stint on the mound was in 1924, on which occasion he also hit a triple. At 48 he was the oldest player to hit a threebagger.  He was a pinch hitter in 1931 and again in 1933 when he was 57.

    He was the oldest to appear in a regulation game until Satchel Paige started on the mound for Kansas City on September 25, 1965.  Paige did a good job, too, giving up only one hit (to Carl Yastrzemski) in three well pitched innings.

    Most of the real graybeard appearances have been token affairs-more of a gimmick than anything else. For those 47 and over, the list is primarily made up of former players who quit the coaching lines on the last day of the season to take a turn at bat or in the field to satisfy their own vanity or as a stunt to stimulate fan interest. This was more common in the old days when playing regulations were not so strict and it was not difficult to “qualify” a player for one-day service.

    This fad was initiated in this century by the New York Giants at the end of the 1904 season. On September 22 of that year, James “Orator” O’Rourke, who had been out of majors for 11 seasons but had been playing minor league ball, returned to the Giants at the age of 52 and caught Joe McGinnity in a full-game victory over the Cincinnati Reds. This was not an ordinary game for the Giants. It was their 100th victory of the season and turned out to be the one that clinched the pennant for John McGraw’s crew. Although charged with one error, O’Rourke played creditably, collected a hit and scored a run. He was the oldest player ever to play a full game.

    Later that season, Dan Brouthers, 46, who had played with McGraw on the Orioles in the 1890s, played a full game for the Giants at first base on October 3. But Christy Mathewson, by fanning 16 Cardinals, stole the show from Big Dan, who failed to hit in four trips.

    In the latter part of the 1909 season, Arlie Latham, who was hired by McGraw that year as the first regularly-employed baseball coach, made four appearances in Giant games. Then 50, Arlie played second twice, was a pinch hitter once and a pinch runner once. In the first game of the August 18 twinbill with the Phils, the former base stealing great was credited with a theft, one of ten in a 14-1 rout of the Phils.  He was easily the oldest player to steal in the majors.

     If any team needed to stimulate fan interest it was the St. Louis Browns. Jimmy Austin, a “Sunday Manager” for the Sabbath-conscious boss Branch Rickey, was a coach on that team in the 1920s. A peppery player for the Browns, the fans usually clamored for the Welshman to take part in the last game of the season. He did so for several years. In 1926 when he was 46 he hit a double to knock in a run on September 26, and then stole home. He was the oldest player to do that. The last day of the 1929 season saw Austin, then 49, play three innings of flawless ball at third base fro the Browns. He wasn’t the only oldtimer playing that day. Johnny Evers, 48, coach and assistant manager of the Boston Braves, played one inning at second and made an en-or. This was also the day Altrock played rightfield for the Nats and got a hit.

    On September 30, 1934, two veteran Browns’ coaches got into the second game of a twinbill with the Tigers. Grover Hartley, 46, went behind the bat, the fifth time he had played that season. Charlie O’Leary, almost 53, who was a weak-hitting shortstop with the Tigers 30 years before, pinch hit for pitcher George Blaeholder in the sixth and singled. He also scored a run, the oldest player to do so.

    Still in St. Louis, the late Gabby Street was not averse to stunts, such as catching balls thrown from the top of the Washington Monument. Late in the 1931 season he pulled one on the diamond. Then almost 49 and manager of the pennant-winning Cardinals, he went behind the bat for three innings against the Dodgers on September 20.  Sylvester Johnson was hurling for the Cards and the Johnson-Street battery was supposed to be a reminder of the famous Johnson-Street battery with Washington 20 years before.

    Some oldtimers got into regulation games, not because of any stunt, but because of an immediate and desperate need for their services. In the summer of 1906 the Detroit Tigers found themselves in a tight spot when several of their regular players, Ty Cobb included, were down with injuries. The call went out for help and 46-year-old Sam Thompson, who had played with Detroit 20 years before, volunteered. He helped out in 8 games, getting some timely hits, including a triple, and playing both games of a doubleheader.

    Another emergency came up in May 1912 when Cobb received a three-day suspension. There would have been little difficulty, but the whole Tiger team supported Cobb and refused to play unless the suspension was lifted. To avoid a $5,000 fine which would result from forfeiture, Tiger Manager Hugh Jennings fielded a team of local collegians, semipros, and two former players-Joe Sugden, 41, and Jim McGuire, 48. Sugden, who played first, and McGuire, who caught, both singled in the fifth inning and scored the only two runs for the Tigers in the 24-2 farce against the Athletics. By playing in this one game in 1912, McGuire officially established the all-time record for number of years played, 26. In this same game, Jennings, then 43, pinch hit, but failed to deliver. He pinch hit again for the Tigers in 1918 when he was 49.

    Who was the oldest regular roster type player to take part in a game? There were two relief pitchers who stood out in this regard.  One was of recent vintage, Hoyt Wilhelm, who was released by the Dodgers five days before his 49th birthday in 1972. The other was Jack Quinn, one of the last of the spitball pitchers, who pitched one game for the Reds shortly after his 49th birthday on July 5, 1933.  Quinn was the oldest pitcher to win a game and lose a game. The win came August 14, 1932 when he was with the Dodgers. Carl Hubbell and Van Lingle Mungo were hooked up in a 1-1 duel when Quinn relieved Mungo in the ninth. In the 10th the Dodgers went ahead when Hack Wilson doubled and Tony Cuccinello drove him home for a 2-1 win for Quinn. The final loss came on June 28, 1933, shortly before his 49th birthday and his release.

    Wilhelm was a poor hitter and established no bat marks for old-timers. Quinn was somewhat better and did hit a 3-run double for the Dodgers on June 7, 1932. He was almost 48 and became the oldest player to hit a double and drive in a run. Quinn also hit a home run on June 27, 1930 when he was with the Athletics, and just eight days shy of his 46th birthday. He was the oldest player to connect in this century. However, going back to 1897, Cap Anson closed out his long career with two home runs against St. Louis on October 3. He was 46’/2 and the oldest non-pitcher to perform on a regular basis. He played in 114 games and batted .302 that final season, figures more generally associated with a star ten years younger.

     Satchel Paige was another who performed at age 46 like some one ten years younger. In 1952, he led the American League in relief wins and innings pitched. He started occasionally and his best showing in the majors came on August 6 when he outdueled Virgil “Fire” Trucks 1-0 in 12 innings. He was 46 and no one that old had pitched a complete game before, say nothing of a shutout in extra innings. He tossed another shutout in September 1952. It was very appropriate that this remarkable player should have the added distinction of being the oldest player, at 59 in 1965, of appearing in a major league game.

    From Joe Nuxhall at 15 to Ole Satch at 59, that is a stretch of 44 playing years into which all other players log their careers of varying lengths. In listing the oldest players to perform in the majors each year of this century, we thought it might be interesting to carry in the same tabulation the youngest player each year. Obviously, there is much less flexibility at the early end of the scale. The youngest players were either 15, 16, 17, 18, or 19, while the oldest ranged from 40 to 59.  Who was the “oldest” youngest player to make his debut in this century. It was Rowland Office of the Braves in 1972. He was about two months short of his 20th birthday.

    Also, there were very few repeaters among the youngest players, which is only logical. While Hoyt Wilhelm was the oldest player in the majors for seven consecutive seasons, only Merito Acosta, Mel Ott, Bob Feller and Harry Chiti were the youngest for more than one season. It is interesting to note that Lew Krausse, Sr., was the youngest in 1931 and his son was the youngest in 1961. While almost all of the oldest are recognizable names (14 are in the Hall of Fame), there are many of the youngest who never really made it in the majors. Only five have been selected for the Hall of Fame, thus far.

    In the list below it is necessary to explain that the selection of the youngest or oldest player is at any one point in the season when that person played. For example, when Mel Ott broke in in April 1926, he was 17 years and about two months old. By the close of the 1926 season he was 17 years and seven months old. It is possible that another person played in September 1926 who was 17 years and three months-actually several months younger than Ott was in September.  But Ott was still the youngest to play during the 1926 season. Also, depending on when a player’s birthday falls and when he plays, he could have the same age, like 42 for Ellis Kinder in 1956 and 1957.

 

YOUNGEST AND OLDEST PLAYERS, 1901-1976

Year	Youngest Player	Age		Oldest Player	Age
1901	Larry Hoffman, 3B, Cubs	19		Chief Zimmer, C, Pirates	40
1902	Jim St. Vram, P, Cubs	19		Chief Zimmer, C, Pirates	41
1903	Owen Shannon, C, Browns	17		Chief Zimmer, C, Phils	42
1904	Art Bader, OF, Browns	18		Jim O’Rourke, C, Giants	52
1905	Ty Cobb, OF, Tigers	18		Jim McGuire, C, Yanks	41
1906	Jack Rowan, P, Tigers	19		Sam Thompson, OF, Tigers	46
1907	Bill Bailey, P, Browns	18		Jim McGuire, C, Red Sox	43
1908	Amos Strunk, OF, A’s	18		Jim McGuire, 1B, Indians	44
1909	Stuffy McInnis, SS, A’s	18		Arlie Latham, 2B, Giants	49
1910	Dave Skeels, P, Tigers	17		Jim McGuire, C, Indians	46
1911	BobWilliams, C, Yanks	17		Cy Young, P, Braves	44
1912	MikeLoan, C, Phils	17		Jim McGuire, C, Tigers	48
1913	Merito Acosta, OF, Nats	17		John Ryan, C, Nats	44
1914	Merito Acosta, OF, Nats	17		Clark Griffith, P, Nats	44
1915	Lew Malone, 2B, A’s	18		Fred Clarke, OF, Pirates	42
1916	Charlie Grimm, OF, Pirates	18		Harry Davis, IB, A’s	43
1917	Bruce Hitt, P, Cardinals	19		Harry Davis, lB. A’s	44
1918	Ed Corey, P, White Sox	18		Hugh Jennings, 1B, Tigers	48
1919	Phil Weinert, P, Phils.	18		Nick Altrock, P, Nats	43
1920	Emmett McCann, SS, A’s	18		Jimmy Austin, 3B, Browns	40
1921	KennyHogan, OF, Reds	18		Irv Wilhelm, P, Phils	43
1922	Jim Brillheart, P, Nats	18		Jimmy Austin 3B, Browns	42
1923	ShineCortazzo, PH, W.Sox	18		Jimmy Austin 3B, Browns	43
1924	Fred Lindstrom, 3B, Giants	18		Nick Altrock, P, Nats	48
1925	Jimmie Foxx, C, A’s	17		Jimmy Austin, 3B, Browns	45
1926	Melvin Ott, OF, Giants	17		Jimmy Austin, 3B, Browns	46
1927	Melvin Ott, OF, Giants	18		John Quinn, P, A’s	43
1928	Mel Harder, P, Indians	18		John Quinn, P. A’s	44
1929	JoeCicero, OF, Red Sox	18		Nick Altrock, OF, Nats	53
1930	Bob Brown, P, Braves	19		John Quinn, F, A’s	46
1931	Lew Krausse, P, A’s	19		Nick Altrock, PH, Nats	55
1932	Clar. Fieber, P, W. Sox	19		John Quinn, P, Dodgers	48
1933	Frank Hayes, C, A’s	18		Nick Altrock, PH, Nats	57
1934	Phil Cavarretta, 1B, Cubs	18		Chas. O’Leary, PH, Browns	52
1935	Walt Ripley, P, W. Sox	18		Dolf Luque, P, Giants	44
1936	Bob Feller, P, Indians	17		Jess Haines, P, Cardinals	43
1937	Bob Feller, P, Indians	18		Jess Haines, P, Cardinals	44
1938	John Lucadello 3B, Browns	19		Fred Johnson, P, Browns	44
1939	Hal Newhouser, P, Tigers	18		Fred Johnson, P, Browns	45
1940	Sam File, SS, Phils	18		Charlie Root, P, Cubs	41
1941	Vern Freiberger, 1B, Ind.	17		Charlie Root, P, Cubs	42
1942	Ted Sepkowski,2B,Ind.	18		Ted Lyons, P, W. Sox	41
1943	Carl Scheib, P, A’s	16		John Cooney, OF, Dodgers	42
1944	Joe Nuxhall, P, Reds	15		Merv Shea, C, Phils	44
1945	Erv Palica, PR, Dodgers	17		Hod Lisenbee, P, Reds	46
1946	Art Houtteman, P, Tigers	18		Ted Lyons, P, W. Sox	45
1947	Bud Swartz, P, Browns	18		Red Ruffing, P, W. Sox	43
1948	John Antonelli, P, Braves	18		Earl Caldwell, P, W. Sox	43
1949	Jim Baumer, SS, W.Sox	18		Satchel Paige, P, Indians	43
1950	Harry Chiti, C, Cubs	17		Luke Appling, SS, W. Sox	43
1951	Harry Chiti, C, Cubs	18		Satchel Paige, P, Browns	45
1952	Jim Waugh, P, Pirates	18		Satchel Paige, P, Browns	46
1953	R.G. Miller, P, Tigers	17		Satchel Paige, P, Browns	47
1954	Harm Killebrew, 2B, Nats	17		Connie Marrero, P, Nats	43
1955	Alex George, SS, A’s	16		Ellis Kinder, P, R. Sox	41
1956	Jim Derrington, P, W. Sox	16		Ellis Kinder, P, W. Sox	42
1957	Rodney Miller, PH, Dodgers	17		Ellis Kinder, P, W. Sox	42
1958	Dick Ellsworth, P, Cubs	18		Enos Slaughter, OF, Yanks	42
1959	Tim McCarver, C, Cards	17		Enos Slaughter, OF, Braves	43
1960	Danny Murphy, OF, Cubs	17		Mickey Vernon, PH, Pirates	42
1961	Lew Krausse, P, A’s	18		Early Wynn, P, White Sox	41
1962	Ed Kranepool, IB, Mets	17		Early Wynn, P, White Sox	42
1963	Jay Dahi, P, Astros	17		Early Wynn, P, Indians	43
1964	JohnOdom,P,A’s	17		Warren Spahn, P, Braves	43
1965	Joe Coleman, P. Nats	18		Satchel Paige, P, A’s	59
1966	Will Montanez, lB. Angels	18		Hoyt Wilhelm, P, W. Sox	43
1967	Gary Nolan, P, Reds	18		Hoyt Wilhelm, P, W. Sox	44
1968	John Mayberry, Astros	18		Hoyt Wilhelm, P, W. Sox	45
1969	Mike McQueen, P, Braves,	19		Hoyt Wilhelm, P, Braves	46
1970	Bert Blyleven, P, Twins	19		Hoyt Wilhelm, P, Cubs	47
1971	Jay Franklin, P, Padres	18		Hoyt Wilhelm, P, Dodgers	48
1972	Rowl. Office, OF, Braves	19		Hoyt Wilhelm, P, Dodgers	48
1973	David Clyde, P, Texas	18		Don McMahon, P, Giants	43
1974	Robin Yount, SS, Brewers	18		Don McMahon, P, Giants	44
1975	Jack Clark, 3B, Giants	19		Henry Aaron, DH, Brewers	41
1976	Al Griffin, SS, Indians	18		Minnie Minoso, DH, W. Sox	53