Final 12 Players By Decade

Active players from the 1990s have been dwindling year by year, and the only ones left in Spring Training 2018 are Bartolo Colon and Adrian Beltre, both of the Texas Rangers. Colon seems to be close to the end, but Beltre has become something of an ageless wonder, putting up productive seasons even into his late 30s.

In honor of a decade's players dropping off the scene, I thought it would be fun to look at previous decades and who their final representatives at the major league level were. Some of these are pretty interesting.

1900s

Stuffy McInnis	8/1/1927
Zack Wheat	9/21/1927
Walter Johnson	9/30/1927
Tris Speaker	8/30/1928
Ty Cobb	9/11/1928
Jimmy Austin	10/6/1929
Johnny Evers	10/6/1929
Eddie Collins	8/5/1930
Gabby Street	9/20/1931
Jack Quinn	7/7/1933
Nick Altrock	10/1/1933
Charley O'Leary	9/30/1934

We have four Hall of Famers at the ends of their careers, five coaches making publicity stunt appearances, one Hall of Famer who was basically just a coach at that point, and two guys who just played a long time. A nice snapshot of the era. An interesting note is that four of the five Hall of Famers played their final game with the Philadelphia Athletics.

1910s

Dazzy Vance	8/14/1935
Bob O'Farrell	9/23/1935
Sad Sam Jones	9/28/1935
Rabbit Maranville	9/29/1935
Tom Zachary	5/28/1936
George Uhle	9/22/1936
Charlie Grimm	9/23/1936
Rogers Hornsby	7/20/1937
Frankie Frisch	8/5/1937
Jesse Haines	9/10/1937
Waite Hoyt	5/15/1938
Jimmy Dykes	10/1/1939

The legendary Babe Ruth just missed the cut here. Here we see six Hall of Famers (about half of which probably shouldn't be in, and one of which only achieving that status thanks to one of the legitimate Hall of Famers on the list). The last man standing though, like Charley O'Leary the decade before, wasn't primarily a player, but a member of the dugout staff taking the field.

1920s

Bill Dickey	9/8/1946
Rollie Hemsley	4/17/1947
Art Herring	6/15/1947
Mel Ott	7/11/1947
Mel Harder	9/7/1947
Rick Ferrell	9/14/1947
Red Ruffing	9/15/1947
Al Lopez	9/16/1947
Si Johnson	9/25/1947
Doc Cramer	5/12/1948
Earl Caldwell	9/15/1948
Bobo Newsom	9/17/1953

Now here's an odder list. A lot of mediocre players on this one. There are three I'd consider legit Hall of Fame players, one I'd consider a legit Hall of Fame manager, and one who was a fine player but not a deserving Hall of Famer. And none of the Hall of Famers appear in the final four. And the last guy standing wasn't a coach or manager giving the fans a token appearance. How times change.

1930s

Phil Cavarretta	5/8/1955
Hank Majeski	7/26/1955
Eddie Joost	9/25/1955
Walt Masterson	9/24/1956
Bob Feller	9/30/1956
Dizzy Trout	9/11/1957
Bob Kennedy	9/29/1957
Murry Dickson	9/14/1959
Enos Slaughter	9/29/1959
Mickey Vernon	9/27/1960
Ted Williams	9/28/1960
Early Wynn	9/13/1963

Looks like old Early was late to leave the game, hanging on for a full three seasons as the only active player from the 1930s. On this list we have four Hall of Famers, two of which I'd definitely put in my personal Hall, while the others are borderline choices. I'll bet even the most hardcore fans couldn't have named Walt Masterson. I know I almost certainly wouldn't have thought of him.

1940s

Billy Pierce	10/3/1964
Duke Snider	10/3/1964
Yogi Berra	5/9/1965
Roy Sievers	5/9/1965
Nellie Fox	7/25/1965
Satchel Paige	9/25/1965
Warren Spahn	10/1/1965
Robin Roberts	9/3/1966
Del Crandall	9/25/1966
Joe Nuxhall	10/2/1966
Smoky Burgess	10/1/1967
Curt Simmons	10/1/1967
Minnie Minoso	10/5/1980

This is actually a final 13, since Pierce and Snider played their last game on the same day. Once again, we see six Hall of Famers, though none are in the last five. Minoso has his supporters, though. Paige's appearance was a publicity stunt too, of course.

1950s

Frank Robinson	9/18/1976
Tony Taylor	9/29/1976
Tommy Davis	10/2/1976
Billy Williams	10/2/1976
Hank Aaron	10/3/1976
Mike Cuellar	5/3/1977
Brooks Robinson	8/13/1977
Ron Fairly	9/23/1978
Willie McCovey	7/6/1980
Tim McCarver	10/5/1980
Minnie Minoso	10/5/1980
Jim Kaat	7/1/1983

Like Early Wynn before him, Jim Kaat was the sole player repping the fabulous '50s for three seasons. Five Hall of Famers on this list, and one who, as mentioned before, has his supporters. Minnie Minoso was brilliant for making that cameo in a non-contending season for the White Sox. I've noticed that if you look at the last "serious" players for each of these decades, the guy you come up with has always been a pitcher so far. Will that change?

1960s

Joe Niekro	4/29/1988
Gene Garber	7/1/1988
Don Sutton	8/9/1988
Graig Nettles	10/1/1988
Ted Simmons	10/2/1988
Tommy John	5/25/1989
Darrell Evans	10/1/1989
Bill Buckner	5/30/1990
Jerry Reuss	10/3/1990
Rick Dempsey	9/27/1992
Carlton Fisk	6/22/1993
Nolan Ryan	9/22/1993

Not yet. But interestingly, only three Hall of Famers on this list, two of which were the last two out the door. Nettles and Simmons have supporters, though.

1970s

Ozzie Smith	10/17/1996
Rick Honeycutt	5/2/1997
Eddie Murray	9/20/1997
Danny Darwin	9/22/1998
Dave Stieb	9/25/1998
Paul Molitor	9/27/1998
Dennis Eckersley	10/2/1998
Dennis Martinez	10/14/1998
Mike Morgan	9/2/2002
Tim Raines	9/29/2002
Rickey Henderson	9/19/2003
Jesse Orosco	9/27/2003

Another pitcher closing out the list. Good old lefty specialists like Jesse Orosco who play forever. Six Hall of Famers once again.

1980s

Kent Mercker	5/30/2008
Tom Glavine	8/14/2008
Kenny Rogers	9/14/2008
Rudy Seanez	9/28/2008
Greg Maddux	10/15/2008
Tom Gordon	5/3/2009
Gary Sheffield	9/30/2009
Randy Johnson	10/4/2009
John Smoltz	10/10/2009
Ken Griffey Jr.	5/31/2010
Jamie Moyer	5/27/2012
Omar Vizquel	10/3/2012

Finally! The last guy on the list isn't a pitcher! Five Hall of Famers make the cut here. Kent Mercker and Rudy Seanez seem like the most unlikely guys to pop up here.

Before we know it, we'll be counting down the last guys from the 2000s. Enjoy the players of this era while they're still with us. One day you wake up, see lists this, and find yourself feeling old.

Obligatory Hall of Fame Update: 2018

We have six new Hall of Famers for 2018, and that means the list of Hall of Famers' first major league home runs has been updated.

My thoughts on our new inductees? In brief:

Chipper Jones, Jim Thome, and Alan Trammell are all deserving, and I'm glad they got in.

Vladimir Guerrero was more of a borderline case, but he had the traditional numbers and the peak value to be a selection I won't complain too much about.

Trevor Hoffman was one of the most overrated players of all-time, but he was perceived as a future Hall of Famer throughout his career, so I guess it was inevitable. It's a shame that those save totals mean so much to voters. Billy Wagner was probably just as good, but with less-gaudy numbers.

And then there's Jack Morris. There's a selection that makes me angry. When he finally dropped off the BBWAA ballot, I breathed a sigh of relief that we wouldn't have to hear about his overrated career any longer. But then this Veteran's Committee thing decides to put him in. What a joke. The guy was never anything but a good, sturdy starter. He never had any dominant seasons. Yes, Pitching a 10-inning shutout in Game 7 of the World Series is a fine achievement, but it puts him in the Mazeroski Zone of worthiness. A fine career plus a legendary Game 7 are enough for a Cooperstown Plaque, apparently. I'm calling it now: Madison Bumgarner has already got his spot locked up.

The Last Living Players From the 1940s

Since we said goodbye to Bobby Doerr in 2017, it's only fitting that we now start keeping track of the last living players from the 1940s. At this point, there are still quite a few out there, and it'll probably be another ten years or so before we get to the last of the last. Before we do though, let's review who the last known survivors were of previous decades:

1870s: Charles Witherow (d. July 3, 1948)
1880s: Dummy Hoy (d. December 15, 1961)
1890s: Charlie Emig (d. October 2, 1975)
1900s: Smoky Joe Wood (d. July 27, 1985)
1910s: Red Hoff (d. September 17, 1998)
1920s: Al Lopez (d. October 30, 2005)
1930s: Bobby Doerr (d. November 13, 2017)

Now the list of the still-living 1940s MLBers:

Chuck Stevens (b. July 10, 1918)
Fred Caligiuri (b. October 22, 1918)
Tom Jordan (b. September 5, 1919)
Bill Mills (b. November 2, 1919)
Val Heim (b. November 4, 1920)
Wally Westlake (b. November 8, 1920)
Eddie Robinson (b. December 15, 1920)
George Elder (b. March 10, 1921)
Clint Conatser (b. July 24, 1921)
Marv Rackley (b. July 25, 1921)
Johnny Hetki (b. May 12, 1922)
Gil Coan (b. May 18, 1922)
Eddie Basinski (b. November 4, 1922)
George Yankowski (b. November 19, 1922)
Red Schoendienst (b. February 2, 1923)
Len Okrie (b. July 16, 1923)
Lee Howard (b. November 11, 1923)
Ed Fitz Gerald (b. May 21, 1924)
Milt Welch (b. July 26, 1924)
Charlie Silvera (b. October 13, 1924)
Bobby Brown (b. October 25, 1924)
Wayne Terwilliger (b. June 27, 1925)
Larry Miggins (b. August 20, 1925)
Billy DeMars (b. August 26, 1925)
Bobby Shantz (b. September 26, 1925)
Chris Haughey (b. October 3, 1925)
Howie Judson (b. February 16, 1926)
Dick Koecher (b. March 30, 1926)
Don Newcombe (b. June 14, 1926)
Bob Miller (b. June 16, 1926)
Johnny Groth (b. July 23, 1926)
Al Naples (b. August 29, 1926)
Carl Erskine (b. December 13, 1926)
Carl Scheib (b. January 1, 1927)
Don Hasenmayer (b. April 4, 1927)
Dick Lane (b. June 28, 1927)
Rocky Krsnich (b. August 5, 1927)
Cloyd Boyer (b. September 1, 1927)
Tommy Brown (b. December 6, 1927)
Curt Simmons (b. May 19, 1929)
Del Crandall (b. March 5, 1930)
Johnny Antonelli (b. April 12, 1930)

Like the 1930s list, we'll keep track of who's still living here. Hopefully these guys have several more years left in them, so we can appreciate the link they provide to a bygone era.

Also, on behalf of all of us at Baseball Junk Drawer, have yourself a Merry Christmas!

Last Updated: January 16, 2025

Annual Updates 2017

So after a year where the Astros got themselves off the "franchises that have never won a World Series" list, we lost the last living major leaguer from the 1930s, and the Indians won an American League-record 22 consecutive games, all the major awards are now in the bag, effectively bringing the 2017 baseball season to its conclusion. A few pages have been updated to reflect the most recent information:

Rookie of the Year Facts
The Second Place Award Winners
The Run That Clinched It

Oldest Ringless Players & Playoff Predictions: 2017 Edition

Yes, it's that time of year again. We're here to look at the soon-to-start postseason and the players who've been waiting the longest for that elusive championship ring. Here we are with the postseason teams (including the stupid second Wild Card that nobody wanted) and their oldest bare-fingered roster occupant:

Arizona Diamondbacks: Fernando Rodney (March 18, 1977)
Boston Red Sox: Rajai Davis (October 19, 1980)
Chicago Cubs: Brian Duensing (February 22, 1983)
Cleveland Indians: Edwin Encarnacion (January 7, 1983)
Colorado Rockies: Ryan Hanigan (August 16, 1980)
Houston Astros: Carlos Beltran (April 24, 1977)
Los Angeles Dodgers: Rich Hill (March 11, 1980)
Minnesota Twins: Bartolo Colon (May 24, 1973)
New York Yankees: Chase Headley (May 9, 1984)
Washington Nationals: Ryan Raburn (April 17, 1981)

Not a bad list. Several names that have showed up here before. Bartolo Colon and Carlos Beltran are two of the three still-active 1990s players (Adrian Beltre is the third), and neither one has managed to add a World Series title to his resume in all that time. If you needed another reason to root against the Yankees (as if there were a shortage of those), there's the fact that their oldest ringless player is the youngest of the bunch.

Now let's shift gears and head to the prediction portion. How do I predict these playoffs will play out? Here you go:

Wild Card Round

Diamondbacks over Rockies
Yankees over Twins

Predicting the outcome of a single game is like predicting the outcome of a coin flip, but since I think both home teams are significantly better than the road teams, the odds would favor them. While it'd be funny to see an upset, since I don't particularly like either top Wild Card, it would also go against my anti-second Wild Card principles, so the fact that both second Wild Cards are more interesting and likable can't be allowed to sway my rooting interest too strongly.

Division Series

Dodgers over Diamondbacks
Cubs over Nationals
Indians over Yankees
Red Sox over Astros

The Dodgers have been up-and-down over the course of the season, so it's hard to know how much confidence to place in them. I'll say they get hot in October though, because they righted the ship at the end.

While I personally love both the Cubs and the Nationals, I feel like Washington is one of those franchises that's snakebitten in October, and it's hard for me to predict them winning a playoff series until I see it. I think the Cubs are confident after last year's run, so they'll take this series for a rematch of last year's NLCS.

I love the Indians too, so it makes me a little nervous to see them facing the up-and-coming Yankees. When October rolls around, there's always that fear that the more favorable media team will get the wind to its back and ride it to an undeserved deep playoff run. I think these Indians are legit though, so they're definitely capable of putting them back in their place. But on that note...

Both the Yankees AND the Red Sox losing in the first round? I won't push my luck that I could ever be so fortunate. Yes, it happened in 2005, but that was 12 years ago. As great a season as the Astros have had, and as great a narrative as it would be to win in the aftermath of Hurricane Harvey, I think it's inevitable that some fanbase's heart is going to get broken big time. The Astros deserve so much better than this, but it is what it is.

League Championship Series

Dodgers over Cubs
Indians over Red Sox

I think the Dodgers and Indians are simply the best in their respective leagues this year, and they have what it takes to win their respective pennants, and the respective respect of their respective competition.

World Series

Indians over Dodgers

In 2004, the Red Sox exorcised the Curse of the Bambino. In 2005, it was the White Sox getting the 88-year monkey off their back. In 2010, the Giants won for the first time since Willie Mays was a youngster manning center field in the Big Apple. And perhaps most memorably, the Cubs in 2016 put to bed any talk of goats, black cats, inopportune fan interferences, or Merkle's Boners. That leaves one franchise with a drought going back to the pre-expansion era, namely the Cleveland Indians, whose fans have been waiting for another since 1948. Is this the year they finally get that one more run that Terry Pluto says they always need? Well, let's just say that they have as good a chance as any Indian club in the past 69 years, and personally, I'm hoping they get it. Good luck, Tribe. Let this be the year.