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MLB History: Looking Back at Jamie Moyer

By Mike Parchinsky |
Apr 27, 2015; Arlington, TX, USA; A view of a Seattle Mariners hat and baseball glove during the game between the Texas Rangers and the Mariners at Globe Life Park in Arlington. The Mariners defeated the Rangers 3-1. Mandatory Credit: Jerome Miron-USA TODAY Sports
Apr 27, 2015; Arlington, TX, USA; A view of a Seattle Mariners hat and baseball glove during the game between the Texas Rangers and the Mariners at Globe Life Park in Arlington. The Mariners defeated the Rangers 3-1. Mandatory Credit: Jerome Miron-USA TODAY Sports

With the passing of Gordie Howe, one of the oldest player in NHL history, let us look back at some of the oldest players to put on an MLB uniform.

The passing of NHL great Gordie Howe forces baseball fans all across the country to reflect on their greats and appreciate the oldest players to ever grace this beautiful game.

Howe began playing professional hockey at 18 in 1946 and didn’t stop until he was 51 in the year 1980. His career spanned five decades in which he competed in 1767 games.

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As is the case with every sport, baseball has a select few players who have been able to fly in the face of conventional body limits and play at a professional level far beyond the expected retirement age of 35-40. Jamie Moyer is the king of all these men in the game of professional baseball.

Moyer began his major league career in 1986 at the age of 23 with the Chicago Cubs. 27 years later, he hung up his cleats and played his final game with the Colorado Rockies at the age of 49.

Moyer worked his way through the minors with incredible speed. He was drafted out of St. Joseph’s University by the Cubs as a 6th round pick in the 1984 MLB Draft. In just two years, Moyer would make his way to the majors and embark on a career that would go down in the history books.

Moyer did not put any particularly flashy numbers in his career, in fact he only led the league in any statistical category three times over his 25 years in the major leagues. In his second season, he led the league in earned runs with 114. In 1996 he led the league in winning percentage at .813 with a solid 13-3 record and in 2004, he allowed a league leading 44 homeruns.

In his career, Moyer was especially susceptible to the allowing the long ball. In his 4074 innings pitched, he allowed 522 homeruns, a rate of one homerun per eight innings pitched.

Following a disappointing season in 1991, Moyer spent time in the minors until 1993 when he was recalled by the Baltimore Orioles and went 12-9 with a 3.43 ERA.

In his 25-year career that spanned 27 years, Moyer was a part of ten different Major League systems.

He played his final game on May 27, 2012. In his final game, Moyer took the mound against the Cincinnati Reds. Unfortunately, Moyer lost his final contest by allowing seven runs in five innings pitched and allowing five homeruns.

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When you speak of the games oldest players, you can’t neglect to mention the legendary Satchel Paige. Paige did not play his first game in the MLB until he was 41. He had already made in his name in the Negro League. Due to segregation however, he did not get a chance to make his name known in Major League Baseball while he was still young.

Paige played his final game in Major League Baseball at the age of 58 with the Kansas City Athletics, pitching three shutout innings while allowing only one hit in the outing.

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