# Whats the oldest sports Rookie there ever was. **URL:** \ **Category:** The Game Room\ **Created:** [October 11, 2005, 9:41am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/whats-the-oldest-sports-rookie-there-ever-was/325728 "2005-10-11T09:41:08Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 20\ **Page:** 1
**Author:** ![fishquail](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/f/90db22/32.png) [@fishquail](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/fishquail)\ **Post date:** [October 11, 2005, 9:41am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/whats-the-oldest-sports-rookie-there-ever-was/325728/1 "2005-10-11T09:41:08Z")
Has any player ever entered a pro sport (football, Hockey, basket, base) at a very old age (for a player) What is the age of the oldest rookie? ---
**Author:** ![Ravenman](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/ravenman/32/2929_2.png) [@Ravenman](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Ravenman)\ **Post date:** [October 11, 2005, 10:08am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/whats-the-oldest-sports-rookie-there-ever-was/325728/2 "2005-10-11T10:08:51Z")
Depending on how you determine what a rookie is, Satchel Paige could qualify. He began pitching in the Negro Leagues at age 19, but didn’t make his major league debut until he was 59. ---
**Author:** ![astorian](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/ad7895/32.png) [@astorian](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/astorian)\ **Post date:** [October 11, 2005, 12:36pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/whats-the-oldest-sports-rookie-there-ever-was/325728/3 "2005-10-11T12:36:46Z")
> [@Ravenman](#): > > Depending on how you determine what a rookie is, Satchel Paige could qualify. He began pitching in the Negro Leagues at age 19, but didn’t make his major league debut until he was 59. > **[Satchel Paige Stats | Baseball-Reference.com](https://www.baseball-reference.com/players/p/paigesa01.shtml)** > > Career: 118-80, 44 SV, 2.70 ERA (82nd), 1438 SO, P, HOF in 1971, 8xAllStar, Browns/BlackBarons/... 1927-1965, t:R, 6x SO Leader, born in AL 1906, died 1982 Paige was a 41 year old rookie. He pitched briefly in 1965, at the age of 59. ---
**Author:** ![astorian](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/ad7895/32.png) [@astorian](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/astorian)\ **Post date:** [October 11, 2005, 12:39pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/whats-the-oldest-sports-rookie-there-ever-was/325728/4 "2005-10-11T12:39:03Z")
As for pro football, I can’t tell if he’s the oldest rookie EVER, but the Jets have a 31 year old Australian punter named Ben Graham who’s a rookie. ---
**Author:** ![Beware\_of\_Doug](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/b/278dde/32.png) [@Beware\_of\_Doug](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Beware_of_Doug)\ **Post date:** [October 11, 2005, 1:12pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/whats-the-oldest-sports-rookie-there-ever-was/325728/5 "2005-10-11T13:12:00Z")
If the header had included an apostrophe, a question mark, and no random cap, I’d have suggested George Plimpton. ---
**Author:** ![astorian](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/ad7895/32.png) [@astorian](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/astorian)\ **Post date:** [October 11, 2005, 1:19pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/whats-the-oldest-sports-rookie-there-ever-was/325728/6 "2005-10-11T13:19:35Z")
> [@Beware of Doug](#): > > If the header had included an apostrophe, a question mark, and no random cap, I’d have suggested George Plimpton. I know Plimpton went to training camp with the Lions (and later the Colts), and got some garbage time in an exhibition game… but I don’t believe he ever actually played in an NFL game. ---
**Author:** ![Philster](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/p/13edae/32.png) [@Philster](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Philster)\ **Post date:** [October 11, 2005, 1:31pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/whats-the-oldest-sports-rookie-there-ever-was/325728/7 "2005-10-11T13:31:01Z")
Some Soviet hockey players didn’t get to the NHL until they were in their 30’s, and one was awarded the Rookie of the Year in his mid-30’s. ---
**Author:** ![Freddy\_the\_Pig](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/f/a587f6/32.png) [@Freddy\_the\_Pig](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Freddy_the_Pig)\ **Post date:** [October 11, 2005, 1:31pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/whats-the-oldest-sports-rookie-there-ever-was/325728/8 "2005-10-11T13:31:35Z")
Diomedes Olivo, a Dominican who pitched for Pittsburgh from 1960 to 1963, rivals Paige for the “oldest rookie in MLB” title. He was listed at 41 years and 7 months when he made his debut in 1960, but was still a rookie under “rookie of the year” criteria in 1961 at age 42. The age of both Paige and Olivo was considered a little uncertain. ---
**Author:** ![Philster](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/p/13edae/32.png) [@Philster](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Philster)\ **Post date:** [October 11, 2005, 1:55pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/whats-the-oldest-sports-rookie-there-ever-was/325728/9 "2005-10-11T13:55:13Z")
Interesting, from Hockey Digest: "…Yet little known Connie Madigan, a defenseman for the 1972-73 St. Louis Blues, also holds a record that will never be broken. At the age of 38, the rugged defender became the oldest “rookie” to make his NHL debut when he took the ice on February 1, 1973, vs. the Montreal Canadiens. Barring a rule change, the record will technically stand forever. Due to the large influx of Russian players in the late '80s, the NHL limited its definition of rookie to players 26 and under. For example, it’s that rule that prevented the Philadelphia Flyers standout goalie Roman Cechmanek, 30, from capturing the Calder Trophy … following his first season in the league…" ---
**Author:** ![Mullinator](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/c2a13f/32.png) [@Mullinator](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Mullinator)\ **Post date:** [October 11, 2005, 6:46pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/whats-the-oldest-sports-rookie-there-ever-was/325728/10 "2005-10-11T18:46:54Z")
> [@astorian](#): > > [Satchel Paige Stats | Baseball-Reference.com](http://www.baseball-reference.com/p/paigesa01.shtml) > > Paige was a 41 year old rookie. He pitched briefly in 1965, at the age of 59. Technically, he was 42, having had his birthday 2 days prior to his debut. He is indeed the player who was the oldest as of his major league debut (thanks to the Lahman database). Of course, all of this is assuming Paige’s listed birthday is correct, which is probably not a safe bet. Heck, most players that show up at the top of the list for oldest rookie were born in a time when birthdate accuracy was pretty poor. Of the top 16 players, the most recent birthday is 1919. And, the recent ones that show up tend to be players that have moved over here recently from the Asian leagues. If you want to take out players that played in some of the more major non-major leagues (Negro, Japan, etc) it looks like the oldest rookie would be Diomedes Olivo, debuting at 41 years, 7 months, 8 days. Of course I have also come across a couple of birth years for him as well. So, let’s just say Satchel, ranging from 41-45 years as a rookie. ---
**Author:** ![Walloon](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/w/fbc32d/32.png) [@Walloon](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Walloon)\ **Post date:** [October 11, 2005, 6:51pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/whats-the-oldest-sports-rookie-there-ever-was/325728/11 "2005-10-11T18:51:47Z")
There was an NCAA football player who was playing as a 39-year-old freshman at a Division III school. I don’t remember his name. ---
**Author:** ![RealityChuck](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/realitychuck/32/195_2.png) [@RealityChuck](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/RealityChuck)\ **Post date:** [October 11, 2005, 7:19pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/whats-the-oldest-sports-rookie-there-ever-was/325728/12 "2005-10-11T19:19:06Z")
> [@Philster](#): > > Interesting, from Hockey Digest: > > "…Yet little known Connie Madigan, a defenseman for the 1972-73 St. Louis Blues, also holds a record that will never be broken. At the age of 38, the rugged defender became the oldest “rookie” to make his NHL debut when he took the ice on February 1, 1973, vs. the Montreal Canadiens. > > Barring a rule change, the record will technically stand forever. Pish tosh: it wasn’t even a record in the first place. Lester Patrick made his NHL debut in 1928 at the age of 44. In the playoffs. Playing goalie. A position he had never played before. And he won the game. ---
**Author:** ![jimmmy](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/j/73ab20/32.png) [@jimmmy](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/jimmmy)\ **Post date:** [October 11, 2005, 11:11pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/whats-the-oldest-sports-rookie-there-ever-was/325728/13 "2005-10-11T23:11:53Z")
> [@astorian](#): > > As for pro football, I can’t tell if he’s the oldest rookie EVER, but the Jets have a 31 year old Australian punter named Ben Graham who’s a rookie. Graham, 31, will become the second oldest rookie to play in an NFL game. In 2004, Ola Kimrin, a kicker for the Washington Redskins, was 32 when he replaced an injured John Hall. Graham will be the oldest rookie ever to start an NFL season, topping Vince Papale, who was 30 when he made his improbable debut Sept. 12, 1976, for the Dick Vermeil-coached Eagles. From [here](http://www.dfw.com/mld/dfw/sports/columnists/charean_williams/12617737.htm) Horace Jenkins was a 30 y.o. NBA rookie ([from here)](http://www.msnbc.msn.com/id/7824479/) I would guess that makes him in the top 3 ever in the NBA (speaking out my bottom) ---
**Author:** ![Cugel](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/cugel/32/1199_2.png) [@Cugel](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Cugel)\ **Post date:** [October 12, 2005, 6:59am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/whats-the-oldest-sports-rookie-there-ever-was/325728/14 "2005-10-12T06:59:19Z")
How about [James Southerton](http://content-aus.cricinfo.com/ci/content/player/20292.html), a bit of a stretch, but 49y 119d on Test debut. ---
**Author:** ![Otto](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/o/bbe5ce/32.png) [@Otto](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Otto)\ **Post date:** [October 12, 2005, 7:54am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/whats-the-oldest-sports-rookie-there-ever-was/325728/15 "2005-10-12T07:54:46Z")
If you consider poker to be a sport, a gentleman played in his first World Series of Poker this year at the age of 90. Got a ten-minute penalty for saying “fuck” at the table and everything. ---
**Author:** ![BobT](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/b/8e8cbc/32.png) [@BobT](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/BobT)\ **Post date:** [October 12, 2005, 11:26am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/whats-the-oldest-sports-rookie-there-ever-was/325728/16 "2005-10-12T11:26:13Z")
> [@RealityChuck](#): > > Pish tosh: it wasn’t even a record in the first place. Lester Patrick made his NHL debut in 1928 at the age of 44. In the playoffs. Playing goalie. A position he had never played before. > > And he won the game. That was just Lester Patrick’s NHL debut, though. He had been a star player long before that in other pro leagues that preceeded the NHL. Also, Patrick had played goalie before, although not much. He was inducted into the Hockey Hall of Fame as a player. [http://www.legendsofhockey.net:8080/LegendsOfHockey/jsp/LegendsMember.jsp?type=Player&mem=P194704&list=ByName](http://www.legendsofhockey.net:8080/LegendsOfHockey/jsp/LegendsMember.jsp?type=Player&mem=P194704&list=ByName) ---
**Author:** ![RealityChuck](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/realitychuck/32/195_2.png) [@RealityChuck](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/RealityChuck)\ **Post date:** [October 12, 2005, 12:41pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/whats-the-oldest-sports-rookie-there-ever-was/325728/17 "2005-10-12T12:41:10Z")
> [@BobT](#): > > That was just Lester Patrick’s NHL debut, though. He had been a star player long before that in other pro leagues that preceeded the NHL. > > Also, Patrick had played goalie before, although not much. > > He was inducted into the Hockey Hall of Fame as a player. > > [http://www.legendsofhockey.net:8080/LegendsOfHockey/jsp/LegendsMember.jsp?type=Player&mem=P194704&list=ByName](http://www.legendsofhockey.net:8080/LegendsOfHockey/jsp/LegendsMember.jsp?type=Player&mem=P194704&list=ByName) You should check the link yourself: the statistics clearly indicate that Patrick had played in only one major league hokey game before he played goalie in the Stanley Cup. He was only a player in the minor leagues; if you count minor league games, then Connie Madigan, listed before, was only 24. Further, one is still a rookie even if you have already played one game in one season. And it’s clear that Patrick was an NHL rookie when he stepped in. ---
**Author:** ![BobT](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/b/8e8cbc/32.png) [@BobT](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/BobT)\ **Post date:** [October 12, 2005, 6:23pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/whats-the-oldest-sports-rookie-there-ever-was/325728/18 "2005-10-12T18:23:18Z")
Of course he was an NHL rookie, there wasn’t an NHL. But Patrick had played professional hockey in what was considered to be its highest level prior to that. ---
**Author:** ![Crandolph](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/c/7cd45c/32.png) [@Crandolph](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Crandolph)\ **Post date:** [October 12, 2005, 8:00pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/whats-the-oldest-sports-rookie-there-ever-was/325728/19 "2005-10-12T20:00:44Z")
Well, Satchel Paige played baseball at the highest level available to him as well so I don’t know that we could consider his MLB debut to be a “rookie” season. ---
**Author:** ![Mr.Jibby\_Jabbish](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/a88e57/32.png) [@Mr.Jibby\_Jabbish](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Mr.Jibby_Jabbish)\ **Post date:** [October 12, 2005, 9:59pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/whats-the-oldest-sports-rookie-there-ever-was/325728/20 "2005-10-12T21:59:43Z")
Anybody dig up info on Clare Alexander, the milkman, who became a defenseman for TO when he was, what – well into his thirties? Clare, to me, is a true old rookie. Sure, there were guys way back when who, for whatever reason, didn’t get into a league until they were 50 or so, but those were the days when fat old bricklayers and construction workers spent half the year working a day job and half the year throwing heat or running for touchdowns. And of course, there’ve been special situations, such as the Russians coming to the NHL in the twilight of their career, or soccer players becoming placekickers. But Clare Alexander – this was only about twenty-five years ago, in the modern era, and he was just a milkman up in North Bay who played for fun in a local senior league. Don’t know how he made it onto the Leafs, but I’m sure he was a pretty old sonofabitch. [Next page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/whats-the-oldest-sports-rookie-there-ever-was/325728.md?page=2)