By Today, we will discuss the 6 oldest Major League Baseball (MLB) pitchers you need to know about.
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Satchel Paige
Full name: Leroy Robert “Satchel” Paige
Born: July 7, 1906
Died: June 8, 1982 (aged 75)
Team(s): Cleveland Indians (1948–1949); St. Louis Browns (1951–1953); and Kansas City Athletics (1965).
Position: Pitcher
Paige was a right-handed pitcher who played his last match for the Kansas City Athletics at the age of 59. He first played for Mobile Tigers – a semi-professional team from 1924 to 1926. Paige started his pro baseball career in 1926 with the Chattanooga Black Lookouts of the Negro Southern League. It didn’t take for him to become one of the most well-known and established players from the Negro leagues.
In 1948, he marked his debut at age 42 for the Cleveland Indians making him the oldest player to debut in the National League or American League history. Paige is widely known for his monster pitching style and was feared and admired by his teammates and other players.
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Nick Altrock
Full name: Nicholas Altrock
Born: September 15, 1876
Died: January 20, 1965 (aged 88)
Team(s): Louisville Colonels (1898); Boston Americans (1902–1903); Chicago White Sox (1903–1909); and Washington Senators (1909, 1912–1915, 1918–1919, 1924, 1929, 1931, 1933).
Position: Pitcher
A left-handed pitcher, Nick Altrock played his final match for the Washington Senators at the age of 57 and became known as the second oldest pitcher to have played in a major league game.
He was a two-time World Series champ in 1903 and 1906 and won his third one in 1924 while as a coach for the Washington Senators. Altrock was drafted into the league as pitcher and played from the period of 1898–1919. He remained on the payroll as a pinch hitter until 1933 to extend his career.
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Jack Quinn
Full name: John Picus “Jack” Quinn or Joannes (Jan) Pajkos
Born: July 1, 1883
Died: April 17, 1946 (aged 62)
Team(s): New York Highlanders (1909–1912); Boston Braves (1913); Baltimore Terrapins (1914–1915); Chicago White Sox (1918); New York Yankees (1919–1921); Boston Red Sox (1922–1925); Philadelphia Athletics (1925–1930); Brooklyn Robins / Dodgers (1931–1932); and Cincinnati Reds (1933).
Position: Pitcher
A right handed pitcher, Jack Quinn played his final match for the Cincinnati Reds at the age of 50. He was a two-time World Series champion in 1929 and 1930 when he was a member of Philadelphia Athletics.
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Hoyt Wilhelm
Full name: James Hoyt Wilhelm
Born: July 26, 1922
Died: August 23, 2002 (aged 80)
Team(s): New York Giants (1952–1956); St. Louis Cardinals (1957); Cleveland Indians (1957–1958); Baltimore Orioles (1958–1962); Chicago White Sox (1963–1968); California Angels (1969); Atlanta Braves (1969–1970); Chicago Cubs (1970); Atlanta Braves (1971); and Los Angeles Dodgers (1971–1972).
Position: Pitcher
Wilhelm nicknamed “Old Sarge” was a right handed pitcher. He played his final match for the Los Angeles Dodgers at the age of 49. He is also a part of the Major League Baseball (MLB) Hall of Fame with his name inducted in 1985.
Born and raised in North Carolina, Wilhelm was busy fighting in the 2nd World War before spending several years playing in the minors, and made his debut in the major league at 29 years old. He may have debuted late but he holds the record for 124 matches as a relief pitcher. Wilhelm was also mainly recognized for his insane knuckleball skills, which helped him to have incredible longevity.
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Jamie Moyer
Full name: Jamie Moyer
Born: November 18, 1962 (age 60)
Team(s): Chicago Cubs (1986–1988); Texas Rangers (1989–1990); St. Louis Cardinals (1991); Baltimore Orioles (1993–1995); Boston Red Sox (1996); Seattle Mariners (1996–2006); Philadelphia Phillies (2006–2010); and Colorado Rockies (2012).
Position: Pitcher
A left handed pitcher, Jamier Moyer played his final match for the Colorado Rockies at the age of 49 years making him one of the oldest pitchers in the major leagues and having the most wins, defeats, and strikeouts of any active Major League Baseball (MLB) pitcher.
In 2015, Moyer was inducted into the Mariners Hall of Fame.
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Phil Niekro
Full name: Philip Henry Niekro
Born: April 1, 1939
Died: December 26, 2020 (aged 81)
Team(s): Milwaukee / Atlanta Braves (1964–1983); New York Yankees (1984–1985); Cleveland Indians (1986–1987); Toronto Blue Jays (1987); and Atlanta Braves (1987).
Position: Pitcher
A right-handed pitcher, Philip Niekro played his final match for the Atlanta Braves at the age of 48. Neikro was an essential supporter of the Braves, gaining victory in their only two division titles before 1991. He was a member of the National Baseball Hall of Fame with his induction in 1997.
Also, don’t forget to check out The Oldest MLB Players!
