Baseball tenure records, baseball age records, and baseball milestones — including four-decade players, five decade players, consecutive years pitching marks, positional record holders, and other tenure and age related records. Research by Baseball Almanac.
"Over the course of 22 seasons he (Nick Altrock) would alternate between the 'coacher's box' and the mound and the batter's box, appearing 14 times as pitcher and 14 more times as a pinch hitter." - Sugar, Bert. The Great Baseball Players from McGraw to Mantle. Dover Publishing. 28 January 1997. Page 6.
Tenure & Age Records in Major League BaseballDecade Specific MLB Records |
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Record | LG | Name(s) | Data | |
4 Decade Players | ML | Dan Brouthers | 4 | 1879-1904 |
Bill Buckner | 1969-1990 | |||
Eddie Collins | 1906-1930 | |||
Rick Dempsey | 1969-1992 | |||
Carlton Fisk | 1969-1993 | |||
Kid Gleason | 1888-1912 | |||
Ken Griffey, Jr. | 1989-2010 | |||
Rickey Henderson | 1979-2003 | |||
Jim Kaat | 1959-1983 | |||
Tim McCarver | 1959-1980 | |||
Willie McCovey | 1959-1980 | |||
Deacon McGuire | 1884-1912 | |||
Mike Morgan | 1978-2002 | |||
Jamie Moyer | 1986-2012 | |||
Bobo Newsom | 1929-1953 | |||
Jack O'Connor | 1887-1910 | |||
Jesse Orosco | 1979-2003 | |||
Jim O'Rourke | 1876-1904 | |||
Jack Quinn | 1909-1933 | |||
Tim Raines | 1979-2002 | |||
Jerry Reuss | 1969-1990 | |||
Jack Ryan | 1889-1913 | |||
Nolan Ryan | 1966-1993 | |||
Mickey Vernon | 1939-1960 | |||
Omar Vizquel | 1989-2012 | |||
Ted Williams | 1939-1960 | |||
Early Wynn | 1939-1963 | |||
5 Decade Players | ML | Nick Altrock | 5 | 1898-1933 |
Minnie Minoso | 1949-1980 | |||
Record | LG | Name(s) | Data | |
Tenure & Age RecordsTeam & Positional Records | Research by Baseball Almanac |
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Record | LG | Name(s) | Data | |
Most Consecutive Years On Same Team |
AL | Brooks Robinson | 23 | Baltimore |
Carl Yastrzemski | Boston | |||
NL | Cap Anson | 22 | Chicago | |
Mel Ott | New York | |||
Most Consecutive Years Pitching |
AL | Sam Jones | 22 | 1914-1935 |
NL | Greg Maddux | 23 | 1986-2008 | |
ML | Nolan Ryan | 26 | 1968-1993 | |
Most Consecutive Years Played |
AL | Eddie Collins | 25 | 1906-1930 |
NL | Pete Rose | 24 | 1963-1986 | |
ML | Nolan Ryan | 26 | 1968-1993 | |
Most Teams (Bold = MLB Records) |
AL | Juan Beniquez | 8 | Boston |
Texas | ||||
New York | ||||
Seattle | ||||
California | ||||
Baltimore | ||||
Kansas City | ||||
Toronto | ||||
Rich Hill | Baltimore | |||
Boston | ||||
Cleveland | ||||
Los Angeles | ||||
New York | ||||
Oakland | ||||
Minnesota | ||||
Tampa Bay | ||||
NL | Dan Brouthers | 9 | Troy | |
Buffalo | ||||
Detroit | ||||
Boston | ||||
Brooklyn | ||||
Baltimore | ||||
Louisville | ||||
Philadelphia | ||||
New York | ||||
ML | Edwin Jackson | 14 | Los Angeles (NL) | |
Tampa Bay (AL) | ||||
Detroit (AL) | ||||
Arizona (NL) | ||||
Chicago (AL) | ||||
St. Louis (NL) | ||||
Washington (NL) | ||||
Chicago (NL) | ||||
Atlanta (NL) | ||||
Miami (NL) | ||||
San Diego (NL) | ||||
Baltimore (AL) | ||||
Oakland (AL) | ||||
Toronto (AL) | ||||
Octavio Dotel | 13 | New York (NL) | ||
Houston (NL) | ||||
Oakland (AL) | ||||
New York (AL) | ||||
Kansas City (AL) | ||||
Atlanta (NL) | ||||
Arizona (AL) | ||||
Colorado (NL) | ||||
Los Angeles (NL) | ||||
Pittsburgh (NL) | ||||
Toronto (AL) | ||||
St. Louis (NL) | ||||
Detroit (AL) | ||||
Rich Hill | 13 | Chicago (NL) | ||
Baltimore (AL) | ||||
Boston (AL) | ||||
Cleveland (AL) | ||||
Los Angeles (AL) | ||||
New York (AL) | ||||
Oakland (AL) | ||||
Los Angeles (NL) | ||||
Minnesota (AL) | ||||
Tampa Bay (AL) | ||||
New York (NL) | ||||
Pittsburgh (NL) | ||||
San Diego (NL) | ||||
Deacon McGuire | 12 | Toledo (AA) | ||
Cleveland (AA) | ||||
Rochester (AA) | ||||
Washington (AA) | ||||
Detroit (NL) | ||||
Philadelphia (NL) | ||||
Washington (NL) | ||||
Brooklyn (NL) | ||||
Detroit (AL) | ||||
New York (AL) | ||||
Boston (AL) | ||||
Cleveland (AL) | ||||
Mike Morgan | 12 | Oakland (AL) | ||
New York (AL) | ||||
Toronto (AL) | ||||
Seattle (AL) | ||||
Baltimore (AL) | ||||
Los Angeles (NL) | ||||
Arizona (NL) | ||||
St. Louis (NL) | ||||
Cincinnati (NL) | ||||
Minnesota (AL) | ||||
Texas (AL) | ||||
Arizona (NL) | ||||
Matt Stairs | 12 | Montreal (NL) | ||
Boston (AL) | ||||
Oakland (AL) | ||||
Chicago (NL) | ||||
Milwaukee (NL) | ||||
Pittsburgh (NL) | ||||
Kansas City (AL) | ||||
Texas (AL) | ||||
Detroit (AL) | ||||
Toronto (AL) | ||||
Philadelphia (NL) | ||||
San Diego (NL) | ||||
Most Teams Played For In A Season |
AL | Ted Gray | 4 | 1955 |
Frank Huelsman | 1904 | |||
Paul Lehner | 1951 | |||
NL | Tom Dowse | 4 | 1892 | |
ML | Oliver Drake | 5 | 2018 | |
Harry Wheeler | 4 | 1884 | ||
George Strief | 1884 | |||
Willis Hudlin | 1940 | |||
Mike Kilkenny | 1972 | |||
Wes Covington | 1961 | |||
Dave Kingman | 1977 | |||
Dave Martinez | 2000 | |||
Dan Miceli | 2003 | |||
Jose Bautista | 2004 | |||
John McDonald | 2013 | |||
Oswaldo Arcia | 2016 | |||
Michael Feliz | 2021 | |||
Yu Chang | 2022 | |||
Mike Ford | 2022 | |||
Most Teams Played For On The Same Day |
AL | Too Many To List | 1 | n/a |
NL | Max Flack | 2 | 05-30-1922 (Gm 1) | |
05-30-1922 (Gm 2) | ||||
Cliff Heathcote | 05-30-1922 (Gm 1) | |||
05-30-1922 (Gm 2) | ||||
Joel Youngblood | 08-04-1982 (Gm 1) | |||
08-04-1982 (Gm 2) | ||||
Most Years Catcher |
AL | Carlton Fisk | 24 | |
NL | Bob O'Farrell | 21 | ||
ML | Deacon McGuire | 25 | ||
Most Years First Base |
AL | Joe Judge | 20 | |
NL | Willie McCovey | 22 | ||
ML | Albert Pujols | 22 | ||
Most Years Outfield |
AL | Ty Cobb | 24 | |
NL | Barry Bonds | 22 | ||
Willie Mays | 22 | |||
ML | Rickey Henderson | 25 | ||
Most Years Pitcher |
AL | Early Wynn | 23 | |
NL | Greg Maddux | 23 | ||
ML | Nolan Ryan | 27 | ||
Most Years Second Base |
AL | Eddie Collins | 21 | |
NL | Joe Morgan | 21 | ||
ML | Joe Morgan | 22 | ||
Most Years Shortstop |
AL | Luke Appling | 20 | |
Derek Jeter | 20 | |||
Alan Trammell | 20 | |||
NL | Bill Dahlen | 20 | ||
ML | Omar Vizquel | 23 | ||
Most Years Third Base |
AL | Brooks Robinson | 23 | |
NL | Mike Schmidt | 18 | ||
Most Years Pitched On Same Team |
AL | Walter Johnson | 21 | Washington |
Ted Lyons | Chicago | |||
NL | Phil Niekro | 21 | Milwaukee / Atlanta | |
Most Years Played In A Career |
AL | Eddie Collins | 25 | |
NL | Pete Rose | 24 | ||
ML | Nolan Ryan | 27 | ||
Most Years Played On Same Team |
AL | Brooks Robinson | 23 | Baltimore |
Carl Yastrzemski | Boston | |||
NL | Cap Anson | 22 | Chicago | |
Stan Musial | St. Louis | |||
Mel Ott | New York | |||
Record | LG | Name(s) | Data | |
Tenure & Age RecordsOldest & Youngest Records | Research by Baseball Almanac |
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Record | LG | Name(s) | Age | First Game |
Oldest Pitcher | AL | Satchel Paige | 59 (02m18d) | 09-25-1965 |
NL | Jack Quinn | 50 (00m06d) | 07-07-1933 | |
Oldest Player | AL | Satchel Paige | 59 (02m18d) | 09-25-1965 |
NL | Jim O'Rourke | 54 (00m21d) | 09-22-1904 | |
Oldest Rookie | AL | Satchel Paige | 42 (00m02d) | 07-09-1948 |
NL | Diomedes Olivo | 41 (07m14d) | 09-05-1960 | |
Youngest Pitcher | AL | Carl Scheib | 16 (08m05d) | 09-06-1943 |
NL | Joe Nuxhall | 15 (10m11d) | 06-10-1944 | |
Youngest Player Non-Pitcher |
AL | Alex George | 16 (11m20d) | 09-16-1955 |
NL | Piggy Ward | 16 (01m27d) | 06-12-1883 | |
Record | LG | Name(s) | Age | First Game |
Tenure & Age Records | Research by Baseball Almanac |
The youngest player in the entire history of the Major Leagues once went to "Fred Chapman" of Philadelphia of the American Association. He was supposedly born November 24, 1872 and appeared in his first Major League game on July 22, 1887, at the age of fourteen (exactly: 14 years 7 months 28 days). However, in March 2009, research based on data from the Sporting Life newspaper revealed that it was not Fred Chapman, but rather a (27 year old) player named Frank Chapman.
Did you know that Sam Jones, Pete Appleton, Bobo Newsom, and Bill Wight each pitched for six of the eight possible American League teams (during their era)?
Did you know that when Ted Williams stole a base on July 22, 1960, he became the first player in basebal history to steal a base in four different decades? Only two players, since The Splended Splinter, have duplicated this amazing baserunning feat; Rickey Henderson and Tim Raines!
Ted Gray is the only pitcher in American League history to pitch on four different American League teams (1955 Chicago White Sox, 1955 Cleveland Indians, 1955 New York Yankees & 1955 Baltimore Orioles) during the same season!