Quote:
|
Originally Posted by redmarkYankees
Almost like the game is trying to create DHs. HOF-calibre players - in a non-DH era - should retire, rather than pinch-hitting for several years.
|
Either that or they should go down to the minors to finish out their careers there. Plenty of examples of that in the earlier days of the minors.
The most famous of these is Joe "Iron Man" McGinnity.
He first played pro baseball in the Southern League in 1893. After playing the next year in Kansas City, he dropped out for a couple of years. He returned to baseball in 1898, playing for Peoria. He was brought up to the majors in 1899 and played some ten seasons in the big leagues, including two 30-win seasons and pitching both games of a doubleheader three times in 1903. His last major league season was in 1908, when he was 38.
After his major league stint, he played in the Eastern (now International) League for four seasons which included a 30-win season. He followed this up with several seasons of baseball on the west coast, mostly with the Northwestern League. He took another break from pro baseball after WWI, this one of four years, before returning and playing for Danville of the Three-I League. McGinnity finished up his baseball career in 1925, at age 54, posting a 6-6 record for Dubuque of the Mississippi Valley League.
His 422 innings pitched and 11 shutouts he posted in the 1909 season are still records in the International League. His total W-L record in his professional baseball career was 482-357.