268 at 49, and Mr. Quinn

On this day in 1946, a mere 66 years ago in Pottsville, Pennsylvania, Jack Quinn would pass away.  Born in Austro-Hungarian Empire in 1883, Quinn immigrated to the United States when he was less than a year old.  I know little about Quinn, but discovered his mother died shortly after they arrived in the United States, and he entrance into baseball began when he accurately threw a foul ball to a player at a game he attended as a fan in 1897.  The manager of the visiting team offered him $5 if he could win their next game.

Quinn would go on to pitch in the American, National, and Federal League.  In fact, he won the first Federal League game ever played with the Baltimore Terrapins in 1914, a year in which he won a career high 26 games.  When the Federal League folded after 1915, Quinn played in the Pacific Coast League, and didn't return to Major League Baseball until 1918 with the Chicago White Sox.  After a dispute, the American League granted the New York Yankees rights to him, shortly after the White Sox would be involved in the imfamous Black Sox Scandal of 1919.

He continued to pitch, and continued to pitch.  He appeared with the Yankees, Boston Red Sox, Philadelphia Athletics, Brooklyn Dodgers, and last the Cincinnati Reds in 1933.  On September 13th, 1932, during the first game of a double header against the St. Louis Cardinals, Quinn pitched five innings of relief, winning the game for the Dodgers.  It would be the last win of his career, number 247, and provided the record of the oldest pitcher to ever win a Major League game.

Merely 16 years after Quinn's death, and 65 miles southeast, Jamie Moyer was born in Sellersville, PA.  Moyer, like Quinn, has never the most impressive guy in the league.  This is Moyer's 22nd season in the Major Leagues, and he has appeared in one All-Star game.  He won 20 games in a season once, and it was with a team that tied the Major League record for wins in a season (2001 Mariners).  He more than likely will not retire with 300 wins.  He won't be anywhere near the 3,000 strikeout club.  He is almost amazingly second among active pitchers for strikeouts despite playing 11 more seasons than the one pitcher in front of him (Javier Vazquez).

By making the Colorado Rockies starting rotation out of Spring Training this year, Moyer became the oldest pitcher to truly start a Major League game.  It's worth nothing that in 1965 as a publicity stunt of sorts, the Kansas City Athletics signed the legendary Satchel Paige to pitch the first three innings of a game.  Paige threw three shutout innings allowing one hit at the age of 58.  However, Moyer truly holds the crown as the oldest starter.  

The only pitcher older than him to appear in a game was Jack Quinn in 1933.  Quinn's final game on July 6th, 1933 with the Cincinnati Reds was at the age of 50 years and 6 days.  Moyer doesn't turn 50 until November.

I mentioned that Jack Quinn passed away on this day, April 17, 1946.  Now, exactly 66 years to the day that Quinn passed away, his record of being the oldest Major League pitcher to win a game has been passed on to Jamie Moyer.  Moyer beat the San Diego Padres earlier tonight by a score of 5-3.

Neither Quinn nor Moyer were among the most dominating in the game, but they are two players who used their skill set to not only find other ways to win, but to stick it out in a game that does not favor their ages.  I think one coincidence is enough, but if you disagree, I'll give you one more here.  Quinn pitched in 23 Major League seasons, but would only win his first World Series at the age of 45 while pitching for the Philadelphia Athletics.  Moyer has pitched in 22 Major League seasons now, but only won his first World Series recently...at the age of 45...pitching for the Philadelphia Phillies.

I admire both of these guys for their longevity, and think these are the guys that are worth remembering in this sport.  One more note on Jack Quinn, and then I'll sign off for the night.  In addition to pitching for many years on end, Quinn was the oldest Major League player to hit a home run at age 46 until it was broken by a 47 year old Julio Franco in 2006.