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It's been said that baseball is a young man's game, and maybe it is. Kids play Little League, teens play for their high schools, and many big leaguers couldn't grow stubble if they tried. Still, every once in a while, an old-timer comes along and refuses to leave. Julio Franco is the oldest "regular position" Major League ballplayer in history. The former All-Star was born on August 23, 1958, making him 48 years old now. Franco doesn't just suit up once in a blue moon, either. He plays regularly. The ageless wonder has gone on record saying he'd like to play into his 50s. Normally that would sound absurd, but in this case, it seems downright
likely. When it comes to pitchers, the great Satchel Paige was technically the oldest to ever play in a game at the age of 59. However, this was just for one inning. The oldest guy to throw more than 100 innings in a season was Hall of Famer Phil Neikro. His fluttery knuckleball certainly helped his career longevity. An opposing hitter once said of Neikro: "Trying to hit him is like trying to eat Jell-O with chopsticks." Not that you asked, but the youngest player to ever make it to the Major Leagues in the modern era was Joe Nuxhall of the Cincinnati Reds. The pitcher, who later became a broadcaster for the Reds, was just 15 years old when he first suited up on June 10, 1944.
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