Today would be a great day for those old Viagra ads Rafael Palmeiro did before he became famous for (allegedly) doing another enhancing drug.

Today, seven pitchers over the age of forty will be starting games, the most ever. They are Roger Clemens, Tom Glavine, Greg Maddux, Jamie Moyer, Kenny Rogers, John Smoltz, and Woody Williams. Among them are also four pretty strong Hall of Fame candidates (Clemens, Glavine, Maddux, and Smoltz), which may also be a record though I have not gotten to that yet. (And I will be a part of this little bit of history since I will be in attendance at the Phils game, if it doesn't get rained out.)

Considering that there are eleven starting pitchers over forty in the majors this year (the ones above plus Randy Johnson, El Duque Hernandez, Tim Wakefield, and David Wells), this record might not last long. The record has been broken or tied four times already this season.

Prior to 2007, the most 40-year-olds to start on one day was four times previously, once in each of the last three seasons and once in 1983. Then on April 24, Hernandez, Johnson, Moyer, Wells, and Williams all started, setting a new record, 5. That was broken less two weeks later (5/9) when Hernandez, Johnson, Maddux, Moyer, Smoltz, and Williams all pitched for a total of six. This was matched last week (6/22) when everyone going today but Clemens started.

Consider that the first forty-year-old to start a game was John Greening on May 9, 1888, his only game ever in the majors, a complete game with thirteen runs (11 earned) for the Washington Nationals. The record was set at two on June 22, 1927 when Pete Alexander and Jack Quinn pitched. Less than two years later (May 30, 1929), as Red Faber joined Alexander and Quinn to set a new record of three forty-year-old starters. That record stood until September 9, 1983 when four over-forty starters pitched: Fergie Jenkins, Tommy John, Phil Niekro, and Gaylord Perry. Three of those are in the Hall and John may end up there some day. That record stood until this April (5). It was broken again two weeks later (6) and will be broken again today (7).

The record at the season has been matched nine times and will have been exceeded five times after tonight's games. And we aren't even through half the season yet. Here are all the dates on which four or more pitchers have started games:

Now, the eleven over-40 pitchers have started 147 games so far this season (154 as of tonight). The record for most games started by forty-year-old pitchers was set at 227 last year and will probably be obliterated by the trade deadline. Here are all the seasons with a hundred games started by forty-year-olds, with the projected 2007 total. Five of the twelve have come in the last five seasons:

And the Phils haven't even re-signed Paul Abbott out of retirement yet (actually he won't be forty until September anyway).