Signed Baseball Cards - Oldest MLB Players Alive

[Rikki Gins]

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Time to wish player Ron Teasley a very Happy Birthday. Ron turned 99 on January 26. He is the third oldest Major League Baseball player.
Ron is 1 year, 4 months, and 1 day younger than second place player Bobby Shantz, and 2 years, 4 months, 24 days behind the longest lived ball player, Bill Greason.

By the way, Ron's nickname was “School Boy Teasley.”  Ron liked to educate himself during his playing days by reading lots of books.

[Walks_At_Night]

^^^^

Nice little write up on Mr. Teasley

https://nlbemuseum.com/history/players/teasley.html

[Rikki Gins]

^^^^

Nice little write up on Mr. Teasley

https://nlbemuseum.com/history/players/teasley.html

Good article, WAN, thanks! I like how in addition to all of his sports related hall of fame awards and other recognitions, he had time to become a member of the Meals on Wheels Hall of Fame.

[Rikki Gins]

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Just when I was about to place another player on this list of long lived baseball players, I was greeted with the news of the passing of Zack Monroe. Zack was 94 years old and was the 11th oldest ex-Major League Baseball player. Needless to say, all the players that were behind Zack, will move up a spot.

Newsweek wrote an article about Zack, though they spelled his first name Zach, with an H. Not sure how long the link will last, but here it is: https://www.newsweek.com/sports/mlb/yankees-world-series-champion-dies-11420958

Here is Zack's (or Zach's, it appears to be written both ways) initial appearance on this thread:
https://ellgab.com/index.php?topic=1874.msg519548#msg519548

[Rikki Gins]

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On a more cheerful note, we welcome Bob Skinner to the oldest, living Major League Baseball player list. Bob was born on October 3, 1931, making him 94 years, 3 months and 28 days old. He is currently number 15 on the list. Just a week or so ago, Bob was in 16th place until the sad passing of Zack Monroe, as recorded above.

Ron was a first baseman for the Pittsburgh Pirates during the year 1954. He surely wanted to play for the Pirates because he turned down offers from the Brooklyn Dodgers, St. Louis Cardinals, Detroit Tigers and the Boston Red Sox. The Pirates repaid Bobs loyalty by sending him to the minors while keeping two other first base players. The two players have both since died, so I guess Bob had the last laugh there. Bob was back with the Pirates in 1956 as a backup outfielder and first baseman. In 1957, Bob was a fulltime outfielder and he played in that position clear up to 1963 when he was traded to the Cincinnati Reds. He would end his career with the St. Louis Cardinals, retiring from MLB in 1967. Ooops, I almost forgot to mention that Bob played in the 1960 World Series which his team, the Pittsburgh Pirates, won. After his retirement from MLB, Ron stayed in baseball by becoming a manager in both the minor and major leagues for a number of years.

Wikipedia notes that:

During the off season as a player he worked as an x-ray technician in a jet engine plant in San Diego; and also worked in promotions for a San Diego newspaper. Skinner is the father of former MLB catcher and coach, and minor league manager, Joel Skinner.

Bob currently lives in a nice looking house in sunny San Diego, California.

Robert Ralph Skinner at Wikipedia: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Bob_Skinner

[Rikki Gins]

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From a colorful birthday cake to funerial flowers, our number three oldest Major League Baseball player, Ron Teasley, has passed away, just yesterday in fact. Ron was 99 years old as of just 8 days ago. Quite a number of still living ballplayers have now moved up a spot on the oldest living players list. RIP, Ron.

Ron's initial appearance on this thread:  https://ellgab.com/index.php?topic=1874.msg521689#msg521689

[Walks_At_Night]

These old guys are sure dropping off.  I've got a Tiger fave moving up just about every week it seems.  May make your report yet.

[Rikki Gins]

These old guys are sure dropping off.  I've got a Tiger fave moving up just about every week it seems.  May make your report yet.

Good. I hope he makes it, WAN. I'm hoping that Sandy Koufax will make the list. He will have to see 28 predecessors pass away in order to reach the fiftieth spot. I hope to have 50 players in place by then.   

[Rikki Gins]

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Pitcher Gary Blaylock is number 15 on the list of longest living Major League Baseball players. He was born on October 11, 1931, making him 94 years, 3 months, and 28 days old at the time of this posting. I read an interesting factoid the other day that pointed out that Gary, yourself, I and everyone else were once the youngest human being in the entire world at the time of our birth, if only for a split second in time.

I think it is safe to say that Gary has had a lifetime full of baseball. He was a player in both minor and major (St. Louis Cardinals and New York Yankees) leagues, pitching coach (Kansas City Royals), and scout & minor league manager for the Yankee farm system. He also managed the Billings Mustangs of the Rookie-level Pioneer League.

Gary also played internationally, as Wiki points out:

He spent three seasons in the Venezuelan Professional Baseball League, two with the Industriales de Valencia and one with the Licoreros de Pampero, going 15–13 in 35 career games.

Gary resides in Malden, Missouri.

Gary Nelson Blaylock at Wikipedia:  https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Gary_Blaylock

[Rikki Gins]

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We wish a Happy Birthday to Al Worthington, our fifth oldest Major League Baseball player. Al turned 97 years old just two days ago.

Al's first appearance on this thread: https://ellgab.com/index.php?topic=1874.msg518468#msg518468

[Rikki Gins]

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No sooner did we welcome player Gary Blaylock to the longest lived MLB players list, then we (or I, rather) must report that Gary passed away this past Saturday. He was 94 years old.

Gary was number 15 on the list. His initial appearance on this thread can be located above. (Coincidentally, Gary died on the same day that the signed card was posted.) Rest in Peace, Gary.

[Walks_At_Night]

Saw where Elroy Face, whom appeared earlier in the thread died today at age 97.

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[Rikki Gins]

Saw where Elroy Face, whom appeared earlier in the thread died today at age 97.

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Thanks, WAN. I always check a certain list to see if any changes have occurred in the lineup. The thing is, it doesn't tell me if a death has occurred, a name will just disappear from the list. So I get my stack of cards and check them one by one until I come across a player whose name is no longer on the 'alive' list. That's what I did earlier today, & found that Mr. Blaylock had passed away. Interestingly, when I checked Elroy's name, it was still on the alive list, and I remember thinking, 'good...glad he's still alive.' Actually, Elroy is still on the list, as we talk. I'm pretty sure his name will be stricken in no time at all.

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[Rikki Gins]

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As our in-house baseball expert @Walks_At_Night pointed out in a previous post, relief pitcher Elroy 'Baron' Face died earlier today. Elroy, or Roy for that matter, was way up there on the longest living list of Major League Baseball players. He was number three.

Here is a link to his first appearance on this thread: https://ellgab.com/index.php?topic=1874.msg518006#msg518006 

A Newsweek article announcing his death: https://www.newsweek.com/sports/mlb/six-time-mlb-all-star-world-series-champion-dies-11516487

Rest in Peace, Elroy Leon Face, the "Baron of the Bullpen."

[Rikki Gins]

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Please welcome St. Louis Cardinals first baseman Neal Hertweck to the oldest, living Major League Baseball players list. Doesn't he look so youthful and, dare I say, very MLB-ish? Actually, Neal only played two games for the Cards back in 1952.

Wikipedia fills us in on the rest of Mr. Hertweck's baseball career:

His professional career lasted for eight seasons (1949–56) with his only audition for the MLB Cardinals happening after the 1952 campaign, during which Hertweck appeared in 152 games for the Omaha Cardinals of the Class A Western League.

Two games is all he needs to be on this list, though. Neal currently occupies number 14 on it. He is 94 years, and 3 months old at the time of this posting.

Neal lives in a nice looking two story home, with other identical looking houses on a big chunk of acreage not too far from the famous Suwannee River in south Georgia. Yes, the same river in the popular Stephen Foster song. All together now... 

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 Way down upon the Suwannee River,
Far, far away,
There's where my heart is turning ever,
There's where the old folks stay. visitors can't see pics , please register or login


Neal Charles Hertweck at Wikipedia: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Neal_Hertweck