List of Major League Baseball players who played in four decades


Playing Major League Baseball in four decades has been attained by only 29 players in the league's history, dating from the 1870s to the present day.

Introduction

Several qualities are virtually essential. Outstanding skill and durability are paramount, and a player must also have some "generational luck" to have started his career in the later years of a decade, so that if he is still playing 21–24 years later, he is playing in the early years of a fourth decade. For example, Pete Rose started his career in 1963, so he would have had to play 28 seasons to make the list. Whereas Bill Buckner, whose career started in the last year of the 1960s, finished his career in the first year of the 1990s, requiring only 22 seasons to make the list. Most of the players on the list started their careers in the final or second-to-last year of their first decade and finished their careers in the first or second year of their fourth decade. Only Nick Altrock and Minnie Miñoso appeared in major league baseball games in five decades.
Since 1900, every decade except the 1940s has added at least one player to the list, including the current one. There is no current active player who played in the 1990s.

List of players

The players are listed by primary position played and years spanning their careers. Ten players from the group have been inducted into the National Baseball Hall of Fame. Of the 29 players, 11 were primarily pitchers, six were primarily catchers, six were primarily outfielders, and six were primarily infielders; the group covers virtually the complete range of baseball positions, missing only a third baseman.
Member of the National Baseball Hall of Fame

PlayerPositionFirst seasonLast season
First baseman18791904
Outfielder18721904
Pitcher / Second baseman18881912
Catcher18841912
Catcher18871912
Catcher18891913
Pitcher18981933
Second baseman19061930
Pitcher19091933
Pitcher19291953
First baseman19391960
Outfielder19391960
Pitcher19391963
Outfielder19491980
Pitcher19591983
Catcher19591980
First baseman19591980
First baseman19691990
Catcher19691992
Catcher19691993
Pitcher19691990
Pitcher19661993
Outfielder19792003
Pitcher19782002
Pitcher19792003
Outfielder19792002
Outfielder19892010
Pitcher19862012
Shortstop19892012