List of Major League Baseball players who played in four decades
Playing Major League Baseball in four decades has been attained by only 29 players in the league's history, dating from the 1870s to the present day.
Introduction
Several qualities are virtually essential. Outstanding skill and durability are paramount, and a player must also have some "generational luck" to have started his career in the later years of a decade, so that if he is still playing 21–24 years later, he is playing in the early years of a fourth decade.[1] For example, Pete Rose started his career in 1963, so he would have had to play 28 seasons to make the list. Whereas Bill Buckner, whose career started in the last year of the 1960s, finished his career in the first year of the 1990s, requiring only 22 seasons to make the list. Most of the players on the list started their careers in the final or second-to-last year of their first decade and finished their careers in the first or second year of their fourth decade (a notable exception is Nolan Ryan, whose 27 seasons played is a major league record).
Nick Altrock and Minnie Miñoso Satchel Paige are the only three players to appeared in major league baseball games in five different decades. None were full-time players at the end of their careers; Altrock was a coach on the Washington Senators and appeared sparingly over just seventeen games in a twenty-two season span from 1912-1933. Miñoso was also a coach for his former team, the White Sox, and made cameo appearances in two seasons (having not played in the majors in over a decade) at the ages of 50 and 54 as part of a publicity stunt organized by owners Bill and Mike Veeck.[2] Satchel Paige played in professional baseball for over 40 years not all of them in the major leagues but his first major league season was 1926 and his last was 1965
Since 1900 (the first year that a player could play in a "fourth decade"), every decade except the 1940s and 2020s has added at least one player to the list.
List of players
The players are listed by primary position played and years spanning their careers. Eleven players from the group have been inducted into the National Baseball Hall of Fame. Of the 31 players, 12 were primarily pitchers, six were primarily catchers, seven were primarily outfielders, and six were primarily infielders; the group covers virtually the complete range of baseball positions, missing only a third baseman.
Member of the National Baseball Hall of Fame |
Satchel Paige Pitcher 1927 1965 Willie Mays Outfielder 1948 1973
Player | Position | First season | Last season |
---|---|---|---|
Dan Brouthers | First baseman | 1879 | 1904 |
Jim O'Rourke | Outfielder | 1872 | 1904 |
Kid Gleason | Pitcher / Second baseman | 1888 | 1912 |
Deacon McGuire | Catcher | 1884 | 1912 |
Jack O'Connor | Catcher | 1887 | 1912 |
Jack Ryan | Catcher | 1889 | 1913 |
Nick Altrock | Pitcher | 1898 | 1933 |
Eddie Collins | Second baseman | 1906 | 1930 |
Jack Quinn | Pitcher | 1909 | 1933 |
Bobo Newsom | Pitcher | 1929 | 1953 |
Mickey Vernon | First baseman | 1939 | 1960 |
Ted Williams | Outfielder | 1939 | 1960 |
Early Wynn | Pitcher | 1939 | 1963 |
Minnie Miñoso | Outfielder | 1947 | 1980 |
Jim Kaat | Pitcher | 1959 | 1983 |
Tim McCarver | Catcher | 1959 | 1980 |
Willie McCovey | First baseman | 1959 | 1980 |
Bill Buckner | First baseman | 1969 | 1990 |
Rick Dempsey | Catcher | 1969 | 1992 |
Carlton Fisk | Catcher | 1969 | 1993 |
Jerry Reuss | Pitcher | 1969 | 1990 |
Nolan Ryan | Pitcher | 1966 | 1993 |
Rickey Henderson | Outfielder | 1979 | 2003 |
Mike Morgan | Pitcher | 1978 | 2002 |
Jesse Orosco | Pitcher | 1979 | 2003 |
Tim Raines | Outfielder | 1979 | 2002 |
Ken Griffey Jr. | Outfielder | 1989 | 2010 |
Jamie Moyer | Pitcher | 1986 | 2012 |
Omar Vizquel | Shortstop | 1989 | 2012 |
References
- DiComo, Anthony (January 20, 2010). "Four-decade players a rare breed: Griffey, Vizquel, Moyer set to join exclusive company". MLB.com.
- "White Sox legend Minnie Miñoso dies at age 90". SBNation.com. Vox Media. Retrieved March 2, 2015.
External links
- Hunt, Ryan (February 17, 2000). "Been a long time: Three more enter baseball's four-decade club". Sports Illustrated.