The Oldest Pair of Starting ________ in a Game

Years ago when I was a child, I remember it being a  big deal that the American League featured two 42 year old catchers, which was remarkable durability for a position that is extremely rough on the bodies of its players. Recently,  a discussion  in the comments section about chronologically challenged opposing  pitchers piqued my interest and I though it might be interesting to identify the games featuring the oldest tandem of starting players at each position. It took me 20 years to realize, but Boone-Fisk was more than just a big deal for catchers, it was a big deal for any position. In fact, since 1919, catcher is the only position other than pitcher for which two players, both 42 or older have started in the same game.

Using the PI game finder, which limits us to games since 1919 we can find the oldest pair of starters at each position for a given game. For our purposes, "oldest" will be defined as the highest age which was reached by both players in the game (as opposed to the sum of their ages).

Pitchers

07/21/2007 PHI @ SDP

	Player	Age	Tm	Rslt	App,Dec	IP	H	R	ER	BB	SO	HR	Pit	Str	GSc	WPA
	Jamie Moyer	44.245	PHI	W 12-4	GS-7 ,W	6.2	8	4	4	3	6	1	122	72	45	0.040
	David Wells	44.062	SDP	L 4-12	GS-5 ,L	4.1	7	7	7	2	1	3	79	50	20	-0.401

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Close Calls:  While this was the only game with two 44 year old starting pitchers, the 2007 season  featured the only 4 games since 1919 in which both starting pitchers were at least 43 years old.  Randy Johnson mixed it up along with Moyer and Wells for part of that season.

Catchers

09/05/1990 KCR@CHW

	Player	Age	Tm	Rslt	PA	AB	R	H	2B	3B	HR	RBI	BB	SO	GDP	WPA
	Bob Boone	42.290	KCR	L 0-3	3	2	0	0	0	0	0	0	1	0	0	-0.018
	Carlton Fisk	42.253	CHW	W 3-0	3	3	0	0	0	0	0	0	0	0	1	-0.116

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Close Calls:  The last of four 1990 meetings as opposing starters  by the 42 year old catchers.

First Base

05/10/2003 SFG@ATL

	Player	Age	Tm	Rslt	PA	AB	R	H	2B	3B	HR	RBI	BB	SO	WPA
	Andres Galarraga	41.326	SFG	L 3-6	4	4	1	2	0	0	1	2	0	0	0.233
	Julio Franco	44.260	ATL	W 6-3	4	4	0	1	0	0	0	0	0	1	-0.032

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Close Calls: The last of six match-ups by the duo as 41+ year-olds.

Second Base

08/16/2007 HOU@LAD

	Player	Age	Tm	Rslt	PA	AB	R	H	2B	3B	HR	RBI	BB	SO	GDP	WPA
	Craig Biggio	41.245	HOU	L 2-6	4	4	0	2	0	0	0	0	0	0	0	0.029
	Jeff Kent	39.162	LAD	W 6-2	4	3	1	3	3	0	0	2	1	0	0	0.177

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Close Calls: The last of 4 matchups by the elderly second basemen.

Third Base

07/04/1986 CHC@SDP

	Player	Age	Tm	Rslt	PA	AB	R	H	2B	3B	HR	RBI	BB	SO	HBP	WPA
	Davey Lopes	41.062	CHC	L 1-2	1	0	0	0	0	0	0	0	0	0	1	0.061
	Graig Nettles	41.318	SDP	W 2-1	3	3	0	1	0	0	0	0	0	0	0	-0.004

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Close Calls: The latter of 2 games on consecutive days.

Shortstop

08/29/1948 CHW@PHA

	Player	Age	Tm	Rslt	PA	AB	R	H	2B	3B	HR	RBI	BB	SO
	Luke Appling	41.149	CHW	W 7-2	5	3	1	2	0	0	0	0	2	0
	Skeeter Webb	38.299	PHA	L 2-7	5	5	1	2	1	0	0	0	0	0

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Close Calls: Appling and Webb both started the first game as well, but by the time second game had rolled around both players were older. Other games that featured 38+ year old shortstops included Rabbit Maranville/Dave Bancroft (2) and Jimmy Austin/Terry Turner.
 

Left Field

05/09/2007 NYM@SFG

Rk	Player	Age	Tm	Rslt	PA	AB	R	H	2B	3B	HR	RBI	BB	IBB	SO	WPA
55	Moises Alou	40.310	NYM	W 5-3	4	4	0	1	0	0	0	0	0	0	0	-0.116
56	Barry Bonds	42.289	SFG	L 3-5	4	2	0	0	0	0	0	0	2	1	0	0.046

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Generated 12/29/2011.

Close Calls: The last of a three game series involving the two quadragenarians. Other games included  a matchup between Willie McGee and Rickey Henderson in 1999, as well as one between McGee and Otis Nixon that same year.

Center Field

07/17/1998 MIN@OAK

	Player	Age	Tm	Rslt	PA	AB	R	H	2B	3B	HR	RBI	BB	SO	SB	CS	WPA
	Rickey Henderson	39.204	OAK	L 7-8	5	4	0	1	0	0	0	0	1	1	0	1	0.080
	Otis Nixon	39.189	MIN	W 8-7	6	6	0	3	0	0	0	1	0	1	1	0	0.108

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Close Calls:  There have been 9 games in which both starting center fielders were at least 39 years old. In addition to the Henderson/Nixon game above, Kenny Lofton and Steve Finley matched up 3 times in 2006, and Tris Speaker and Ty Cobb did it 5 times in 1927.

Right Field

07/16/1991 BAL@CAL

	Player	Age	Tm	Rslt	PA	AB	R	H	2B	3B	HR	RBI	BB	IBB	SO	WPA
	Dwight Evans	39.255	BAL	L 1-2	4	4	0	0	0	0	0	0	0	0	1	-0.149
	Dave Winfield	39.286	CAL	W 2-1	3	3	0	0	0	0	0	0	0	0	1	-0.063

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Close Calls:  There have been 19 games in which both starting right fielders were at least 39 years old. This includes 2 games with Willie McGee and Tony Gwynn in 1999,  5 games with Dwight Evans and Dave Winfield in 1991, a single game with Lee Lacy and Reggie Jackson in 1987 and 11 games from 1934. Those 1934 games involved Babe Ruth pitted against Sam Rice 9 times and twice against Bing Miller. Ruth rarely finished those games (or many others) in his last season for the Yankees. (Check out this 1934 see-saw battle.  It must have been something.)

Designated Hitter

09/18/1992 TEX@TOR

	Player	Age	Tm	Rslt	PA	AB	R	H	2B	3B	HR	RBI	BB	SO	SB	CS	WPA
	Brian Downing	41.345	TEX	L 0-13	3	3	0	1	0	0	0	0	0	1	0	0	-0.001
	Dave Winfield	40.351	TOR	W 13-0	4	3	2	2	0	0	1	3	1	0	0	0	0.154

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Close Calls:  While no game has featured two starting DHs that were both at least 41 years old, there have been 32 games with both players past their 40th birthdays including the following pairings: 
Ken Griffey, Matt Stairs.  2008 Matt Stairs / Frank Thomas (2),  Rafael Palmeiro/ Ellis Burks , Rickey Henderson / Harold Baines , Wade Boggs / Paul Molitor  (3),  Molitor / Eddie Murray(4),  Andre Dawson/Dave Winfield,  Winfield/ George Brett (4), Winfield/Brian Downing (3), Winfield/Carlton Fisk, Downing/DaveParker(6),  Darrell Evans/Reggie Jackson,  Rico Carty/Carl Yastrzemski (2),  Hank Aaron/Frank Robinson (2)