Eighty-year-old Minnie Minoso was activated by the independent St. Paul Saints in order to become the first player to play in seven different decades. He DH'ed and walked as part of St. Paul's annual Negro League tribute. It should also be pointed out that Minoso did not appear in a major-league game until almost 27 and is one of the best ballplayers ever, no matter how you look at it, after the age 30 (James has extensive research on this).

On June 30, 1993, he DH'ed for St. Paul and grounded out to become the first six-decade player. Two years earlier commissioner Fay Vincent had barred Minoso from playing in a Single-A Florida State League game to set the mark. The then-independent Miami Miracle had wanted to sign him for a game on April 13.

I have to think that Minoso is a borderline Hall-of-Fame candidate but his great career has been eclipsed with this avuncular image. It can't help buttress his legitimacy for the Hall. Also, the article says that he is 77, but his official birth date is November 29, 1922. However, the assumption may be that Latin players' ages are shaved by three years automatically.

Besides, the man whose "record" he broke, Nick Altrock, who played five decades, did so more as an on-field mascot than as a legitimate player. Altrock had been an ace pitcher for three years (1904-06-62 wins) but blew out his arm and became a coach. He would appear in games from time to time: he pitched a couple of innings in 1924, he played right field for the last game of the season in 1929 (along with old-timers Jimmie Austin and Johnny Evers), and he pinch-hit at the end of 1933. He had a clown-coach act with "The Clown Prince of Baseball" Al Schacht until Schact left the Senators.

By the way, Minoso will be 87 in 2010. Will there be any team willing to allow him one AB to extend his record? Will anyone care? Read the book!