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Generalissimo John Franco is Still Pitching
2005-01-24 00:26
by Mike Carminati

The Astros signed 44-year-old John Franco today to a one-year contract to actually pitche for them next season. I guess the ineffectiveness of lefty Mike Gallo and the rest of his pen-mates in the playoffs last year were cause enough for Houston to sign a reliever who has not been effective since the last Bush's administration.

At least this forty-something pitcher did not cost them another $18 M, like 42-year-old Roger Clemens did. It made me wonder how many teams had multiple forty-year-olds on their roster. Here are the ones with the most:

TmLgYr#
Chicago White SoxAL19475
Philadelphia AthleticsAL19284
Philadelphia PhilliesNL19834
Brooklyn DodgersNL19444
Brooklyn DodgersNL19454
New York YankeesAL19454
New York YankeesAL19584
Pittsburgh PiratesNL19453
Cincinnati RedsNL19453
St. Louis CardinalsNL19963
New York YankeesAL19443
Pittsburgh PiratesNL19483
Boston BravesNL19353
St. Louis CardinalsNL19343
St. Louis CardinalsNL19633
Philadelphia AthleticsAL19303
New York YankeesAL20033
Philadelphia AthleticsAL19273
Oakland AthleticsAL19993
Chicago White SoxAL19463
Detroit TigersAL19063
Seattle MarinersAL20043
Seattle MarinersAL20033
Brooklyn DodgersNL19433
Brooklyn RobinsNL19313
Detroit TigersAL19123

The '47 White Sox had Luke Appling (40), Red Ruffing (42), Joe Kuhel (41), Thornton Lee (40), and Earl Caldwell (42). I can name the Wheez Kids ('82 Phils) by heart Pete Rose, Tony Perez, Ron Reed, and Bill Robinson. They also had a 39-year-old Joe Morgan.

As far as teams with multiple 40-year-olds on their pitching staffs, seven are tied with three:

TmLgYr#
Chicago White SoxAL19473
New York YankeesAL19583
New York YankeesAL20033
Cincinnati RedsNL19453
St. Louis CardinalsNL19343
Brooklyn RobinsNL19313
New York YankeesAL19453

The forty-something pitchers on the '03 Yankees staff were Roger Clemens, David Wells, and Jesse Orosco, for a time. There are another 38 with at least two 40-year-olds.

So it's not as rare as I thought, but when you add in a 39-year-old outfielder in Craig Biggio, a 35-year-old catcher (Brad Ausmus), a 36-year-old first baseman (Jeff Bagwell), a 36-year-old utility infielder who always ends up starting wherever he goes (Jose Vizcaino), and a 36-year-old bench player (Orlando Palmeiro). That makes seven potential key players on the Houston roster that are at least 35 years old.

The record for players who are at least 35 is 13 for the 2002 D-Backs, but with some luck the Astros can catch them:

TmLgYr#
Arizona DiamondbacksNL200213
New York YankeesAL200012
New York YankeesAL200412
Arizona DiamondbacksNL200412
Brooklyn DodgersNL194511
Philadelphia PhilliesNL194511
California AngelsAL198611
New York YankeesAL200310
Brooklyn DodgersNL194310
Chicago White SoxAL196110
Atlanta BravesNL200110
New York MetsNL200310
California AngelsAL198510
Seattle MarinersAL200410

Aside from two World War II teams, all these teams are expansion-era.

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