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I was wondering: Who is the oldest player to make their MLB debut (and how old were they when they debuted), yet still managed to become a Hall of Famer or at least make multiple all-star trips? For instance, have there been any players that made their debut at (or past) the age of 30 and were still inducted into the H.O.F. or at least appeared in 3 or more All Star Games?
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Satchel Paige? MLB debut at 42 and a HOFer.Originally posted by Jobu Voodoo View PostI see great things in baseball. It's our game - the American game.
- Walt Whitman
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Hoyt Wilhelm was pretty old for a rookie. I think he was 29 when he started and he retired when he was 48 or 49.
I always thought it woulda been pretty cool if he had started when he was 19 or 20. He woulda had a career from 1942-1972. Minus three years though due to WW2.
Mike Schmidt's first year was 1972. He retired in 1989 and Omar Visquel started in 1989. It's pretty amazing to think there coulda been a two player gap from now and 1942.Last edited by chicagowhitesox1173; 05-23-2012, 09:59 PM."(Shoeless Joe Jackson's fall from grace is one of the real tragedies of baseball. I always thought he was more sinned against than sinning." -- Connie Mack
"I have the ultimate respect for Whitesox fans. They were as miserable as the Cubs and Redsox fans ever were but always had the good decency to keep it to themselves. And when they finally won the World Series, they celebrated without annoying every other fan in the country."--Jim Caple, ESPN (Jan. 12, 2011)Comment
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When Hoyt Wilhelm passed I recall an obituary saying that he had trimmed 2 years from his age as a rookie and had played MLB at 50!Originally posted by chicagowhitesox1173 View PostComment
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I never knew that. So he actually could have started as a 18 year old in 1939. (doubtful of course) But think if he had. He woulda played from 1939-1972. That woulda been pretty impressive.Originally posted by Steven Gallanter View Post"(Shoeless Joe Jackson's fall from grace is one of the real tragedies of baseball. I always thought he was more sinned against than sinning." -- Connie Mack
"I have the ultimate respect for Whitesox fans. They were as miserable as the Cubs and Redsox fans ever were but always had the good decency to keep it to themselves. And when they finally won the World Series, they celebrated without annoying every other fan in the country."--Jim Caple, ESPN (Jan. 12, 2011)Comment
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Satchel Paige 42
Willard Brown 32
Monte Irvin 30
Hoyt Wilhelm 29 (listed)Indeed the first step toward finding out is to acknowledge you do not satisfactorily know already; so that no blight can so surely arrest all intellectual growth as the blight of cocksureness.--CS PeirceComment
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OK, I knew about Paige, but he had actually played for many years in the Negro Leagues. I am referring to guys that were called up from MLB minor leagues at a late age and wound up a Hall of Famer or a multi-year All-Star.Comment
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So far, Wilhelm is the only one I've seen that is actually deserving.Comment
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You dont think Paige earned the hall?Originally posted by Jobu Voodoo View Post"The first draft of anything is crap." - Ernest Hemingway
There's no such thing as an ultimate stat.Comment
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I believe he means that Paige is in the HoF because of his Negro League career and not what he accomplished in MLB. Fair criticism. I mentioned him because technically he would be the oldest debut and in the HoF.Originally posted by 1905 Giants View PostI see great things in baseball. It's our game - the American game.
- Walt Whitman
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Dazzy Vance is the guy you're looking for. Got his first win at age 31. Although, he had pitched 33 innings years before his rookie year.Si quaeris peninsulam amoenam, circumspice.
Comprehensive Reform for the Veterans Committee -- Fixing the Hall continued.Comment
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Warren Spahn had a brief cup of coffee in 1942, but didn't win his first MLB game until 1946, when he was 25.
And of course Ichiro was 27 in his rookie MLB season.They call me Mr. Baseball. Not because of my love for the game; because of all the stitches in my head.Comment
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Phil Niekro debuted at 25, didn't get his 1st win until 26, and only won 31 games in his 20s (for a 300 game winner, that's unusual).Comment
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Technically, Jocko Conlan is a HOfer and did not play his 1st major league game until age 34.Originally posted by Jackaroo Dave View PostComment
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Of guys who were HOFers because they were players- AND didn't have a Negro League career before they came to the Majors, the answer is Hoyt Wilhelm. He was about 29 years and 9 months old in his first ML appearance. Vance was 24 years and a few months old in his first ML appearance. Freakshow is correct that Vance didn't get his first ML win until he was 31, though.Comment
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