MLB: Players Who Played at Least 20-Years with One Team

Mel Harder, Cleveland Indians, 433 games

Only 18 when the Cleveland Indians signed him out of Omaha in the Western League, he came to the Indians in 1928 but did not establish himself as a vital part of the team’s rotation until 1930. He went 11-10 in 19 starts and 17 relief appearances that season.

Harder won 20 games in 1934 and 1935, making the first two of his four All-Star teams. Known as a curveball specialist, he remained as an Indians mound mainstay through 1944, going 12-10 as a 34-year-old that season.

With the return of young talent prompted by the end of World War II, Harder gradually transitioned to more of a part-time role, although he still made 38 starts between 1945 and 1947. His retirement with a career 223-186 record following the 1947 season could not have been more poorly timed. Cleveland had never reached the World Series with Harder, but the Indians won the fall classic in 1948.

Harder transitioned into a new role as pitching coach, flourishing in that endeavor for the Indians from 1948 through 1963 when his release terminated a 35-year relationship with the team. He later coached for the Mets, Cubs, Reds, and Royals. He remains today the only man in MLB history to have had both a 20-year playing career and a 20-year coaching career.