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When Hall-of-Famer Harry Wright played his first game of the 1871 season on May 5, 1871 , he became the oldest person to ever play major league baseball. That's not to say that nobody ever took the field who was older than Wright's thirty-six. Rather, no player who was born earlier than Wright has ever played in the majors. Even with expansion, it's unlikely that Wright's record will be broken. As far as I know, there isn't a person alive who was born earlier than January 10, 1835.
Pitcher Fred Chapman was the youngest player to make his debut (14 years 7 months 29 days). But the youngest person to ever play baseball keeps changing. At the end of the 1998 season, that distinction belongs to Pirates thirdbaseman Aramis Ramirez. Born June 25, 1978 , he's more than a year younger than Kerry Wood and almost a month younger than Mike Caruso. No doubt, someone younger than Ramirez will make their major league debut sometime next year.
One of the reasons this list is interesting is it helps to answer a question I'm frequently asked -- "who was the first person to reach the majors who was younger than me?" If you were born on June 1, 1969 , the answer is Ken Griffey. Here's the list of players who have held the title "Baseball's Youngest Player."
Player Birthdate Debut MATHEWS, BOBBY 11/21/1851 5/4/1871 ANSON, CAP 04/11/1852 5/6/1871 STEARNS, BILL 03/20/1853 6/26/1871 McCARTON, FRANK 10/06/1854 4/26/1872 BRITT, JIM 02/25/1856 5/2/1872 BOND, TOMMY 04/02/1856 5/5/1874 LUFF, HENRY 09/14/1856 4/21/1875 CROWLEY, BILL 04/08/1857 4/26/1875 KEENAN, JIM 02/10/1858 5/17/1875 PEARCE, FRANK 03/30/1860 10/4/1876 LEE, LEONIDAS 12/13/1860 7/17/1877 STEARNS, ECKY 10/17/1861 8/17/1880 McGINNIS, JUMBO 02/22/1864 5/2/1882 SCOTT, MILT 01/17/1866 9/30/1882 WARD, PIGGY 04/16/1867 6/12/1883 SEWARD, ED 06/29/1867 9/30/1885 FULLER, ED 03/22/1868 7/17/1886 SMITH, ELMER 03/23/1868 9/10/1886 BISHOP, BILL 12/27/1869 9/13/1886 CHAPMAN, FRED 11/24/1872 7/22/1887 Player Birthdate Debut McGILL, WILLIE 11/10/1873 5/8/1890 CLYMER, BILL 12/18/1873 6/26/1891 HESS, TOM 08/15/1875 6/6/1892 SOMMERVILLE, ANDY 02/06/1876 8/8/1894 SAMULS, IKE 02/20/1876 8/3/1895 BATTAM, LARRY 05/01/1878 9/28/1895 MARTIN, FRANK 02/28/1879 6/30/1897 BRESNAHAN, ROGER 06/11/1879 8/27/1897 STANLEY, JOE 04/02/1881 9/11/1897 McLEAN, LARRY 07/18/1881 4/26/1901 SCOTT, DICK 02/05/1883 6/26/1901 ST.VRAIN, JIM 06/06/1883 4/20/1902 KANE, HARRY 07/27/1883 8/8/1902 BENDER, CHIEF 05/05/1884 4/20/1903 BARTLEY, BILL 01/08/1885 9/15/1903 LUSH, JOHNNY 10/08/1885 4/22/1904 BADER, ART 09/21/1886 8/2/1904 COBB, TY 12/18/1886 8/30/1905 ROWAN, JACK 06/16/1887 9/6/1906 HITT, ROY 06/22/1887 4/27/1907 Player Birthdate Debut BUTLER, KID 08/09/1887 4/30/1907 BURNETT, JACK 12/02/1889 7/2/1907 McINNIS, STUFFY 09/19/1890 4/12/1909 BLANK, COONIE 10/18/1892 8/15/1909 CURRY, JIM 03/10/1893 10/2/1909 PENNOCK, HERB 02/10/1894 5/14/1912 O'ROURKE, FRANK 11/28/1894 6/12/1912 ACOSTA, MERITO 05/19/1896 6/15/1913 ROCHEFORT, BEN 08/15/1896 10/3/1914 DAVIS, BUD 12/07/1896 4/19/1915 MALONE, LEW 03/13/1897 5/31/1915 BROWN, JIM 03/31/1897 9/13/1915 GRIMM, CHARLIE 08/28/1898 7/30/1916 SHEA, RED 11/29/1898 5/6/1918 SHELLENBACK, FRANK 12/16/1898 5/8/1918 TUERO, OSCAR 12/17/1898 5/30/1918 BERMAN, BOB 01/24/1899 6/4/1918 REES, STAN 02/25/1899 6/12/1918 HEHL, JAKE 12/08/1899 6/20/1918 WEINERT, LEFTY 04/21/1902 9/24/1919 Player Birthdate Debut HENRY, DUTCH 05/12/1902 9/16/1921 HOGAN, KENNY 10/09/1902 10/2/1921 BRILLHEART, JIM 09/28/1903 4/17/1922 JACKSON, TRAVIS 11/02/1903 9/27/1922 ROSENBERG, LOU 03/05/1904 5/22/1923 CORTAZZO, JESS 09/26/1904 9/1/1923 LINDSTROM, FREDDY 11/21/1905 4/15/1924 CLOUGH, ED 10/28/1906 8/28/1924 OGRODOWSKI, JOE 11/20/1906 4/27/1925 FOXX, JIMMIE 10/22/1907 5/1/1925 OTT, MEL 03/02/1909 4/27/1926 HARDER, MEL 10/15/1909 4/24/1928 CICERO, JOE 11/18/1910 9/20/1929 BROWN, BOB 04/01/1911 4/21/1930 KRAUSSE, LEW 06/08/1912 6/11/1931 FIEBER, CLARENCE 09/04/1913 5/18/1932 SALVESON, JACK 01/05/1914 6/3/1933 HAYES, FRANKIE 10/13/1914 9/21/1933 Player Birthdate Debut MAULDIN, MARK 11/05/1914 9/10/1934 DIGGS, REESE 09/22/1915 9/15/1934 CAVARRETTA, PHIL 07/19/1916 9/16/1934 RIPLEY, WALT 11/26/1916 8/17/1935 GUMPERT, RANDY 01/23/1918 6/13/1936 FELLER, BOB 11/03/1918 7/19/1936 LUCADELLO, JOHNNY 02/22/1919 9/24/1938 HUTCHINSON, FRED 08/12/1919 5/2/1939 MASTERSON, WALT 06/22/1920 5/8/1939 SISTI, SIBBY 07/26/1920 7/21/1939 KENNEDY, BOB 08/18/1920 9/14/1939 NEWHOUSER, HAL 05/20/1921 9/29/1939 FILE, SAM 05/18/1922 9/10/1940 FREIBURGER, VERN 12/19/1923 9/6/1941 EYRICH, GEORGE 03/03/1925 6/13/1943 MARTIN, RAY 03/13/1925 8/15/1943 McKEE, ROGERS 09/16/1926 8/18/1943 SCHEIB, CARL 01/01/1927 9/6/1943 NUXHALL, JOE 07/30/1928 6/10/1944 CURRIN, PERRY 09/27/1928 6/29/1947 SWARTZ, BUD 06/13/1929 7/12/1947 Player Birthdate Debut STOBBS, CHUCK 07/02/1929 9/15/1947 ANTONELLI, JOHNNY 04/12/1930 7/4/1948 BAUMER, JIM 01/29/1931 9/14/1949 BOLGER, JIM 02/23/1932 6/24/1950 CHITI, HARRY 11/16/1932 9/27/1950 DelGRECO, BOBBY 04/07/1933 4/16/1952 WAUGH, JIM 11/25/1933 4/19/1952 CONSOLO, BILLY 08/18/1934 4/20/1953 MILLER, BOB 07/15/1935 6/25/1953 JAY, JOEY 08/15/1935 7/21/1953 LEJA, FRANK 02/07/1936 5/1/1954 KILLEBREW, HARMON 06/29/1936 6/23/1954 CARROLL, TOM 09/17/1936 5/7/1955 BOYER, CLETE 02/09/1937 6/5/1955 SMALL, JIM 03/08/1937 6/22/1955 KUHN, KENNY 03/20/1937 7/7/1955 PAGLIARONI, JIM 12/08/1937 8/13/1955 GEORGE, ALEX 09/27/1938 9/16/1955 McCORMICK, MIKE 09/29/1938 9/3/1956 Player Birthdate Debut MOELLER, RON 10/13/1938 9/8/1956 DERRINGTON, JIM 11/29/1939 9/30/1956 SKAUGSTAD, DAVE 01/10/1940 9/25/1957 MILLER, ROD 01/16/1940 9/28/1957 ELLSWORTH, DICK 03/22/1940 6/22/1958 McCARVER, TIM 10/16/1941 9/10/1959 MURPHY, DANNY 08/23/1942 6/18/1960 KRAUSSE, LEW 04/25/1943 6/16/1961 MANNING, JIM 07/21/1943 4/15/1962 KIRKPATRICK, ED 10/08/1944 9/13/1962 KRANEPOOL, ED 11/08/1944 9/22/1962 DAHL, JAY 12/06/1945 9/27/1963 CRAWFORD, WILLIE 09/07/1946 9/16/1964 DIERKER, LARRY 09/22/1946 9/22/1964 BETHKE, JIM 11/05/1946 4/12/1965 COLEMAN, JOE 02/03/1947 9/28/1965 MONTANEZ, WILLIE 04/01/1948 4/12/1966 NOLAN, GARY 05/27/1948 4/15/1967 BRETT, KEN 09/18/1948 9/27/1967 McMATH, JIMMY 08/10/1949 9/7/1968 GAMBLE, OSCAR 12/20/1949 8/27/1969 Player Birthdate Debut ALLEN, LLOYD 05/08/1950 9/1/1969 VALENTINE, BOBBY 05/13/1950 9/2/1969 McQUEEN, MIKE 08/30/1950 10/2/1969 GULLETT, DON 01/06/1951 4/10/1970 MOORE, BALOR 01/25/1951 5/21/1970 BLYLEVEN, BERT 04/06/1951 6/5/1970 FORSTER, TERRY 01/14/1952 4/11/1971 PORTER, DARRELL 01/17/1952 9/2/1971 FRANKLIN, JAY 03/16/1953 9/4/1971 CHRISTENSON, LARRY 11/10/1953 4/13/1973 CLYDE, DAVID 04/22/1955 6/27/1973 YOUNT, ROBIN 09/16/1955 4/5/1974 CLARK, JACK 11/10/1955 9/12/1975 WYNEGAR, BUTCH 03/14/1956 4/9/1976 TEMPLETON, GARRY 03/24/1956 8/9/1976 MONROE, LARRY 06/20/1956 8/23/1976 GRIFFIN, ALFREDO 10/06/1957 9/4/1976 ROMERO, ED 12/09/1957 7/16/1977 TRAMMELL, ALAN 02/21/1958 9/9/1977 GREER, BRIAN 05/14/1959 9/13/1977 MORGAN, MIKE 10/08/1959 6/11/1978 Player Birthdate Debut CONROY, TIM 04/03/1960 6/23/1978 SEILHEIMER, RICKY 08/30/1960 7/5/1980 DAVIS, MARK 10/19/1960 9/12/1980 VALENZUELA, FERNANDO 11/01/1960 9/15/1980 NELSON, GENE 12/03/1960 5/4/1981 MANRIQUE, FRED 11/05/1961 8/23/1981 NUNEZ, EDWIN 05/27/1963 4/7/1982 OQUENDO, JOSE 07/04/1963 5/2/1983 REYES, GILBERTO 12/10/1963 6/11/1983 SABERHAGEN, BRET 04/11/1964 4/4/1984 RIJO, JOSE 05/13/1965 4/5/1984 LEE, MANUEL 06/17/1965 4/10/1985 CORREA, ED 04/29/1966 9/18/1985 GARCIA, MIGUEL 04/03/1967 4/30/1987 JEFFERIES, GREGG 08/01/1967 9/6/1987 ALOMAR, ROBERTO 02/05/1968 4/22/1988 MARTINEZ, RAMON 03/22/1968 8/13/1988 SHEFFIELD, GARY 11/18/1968 9/3/1988 GRIFFEY, KEN 11/21/1969 4/3/1989 ALVAREZ, WILSON 03/24/1970 7/24/1989 AVERY, STEVE 04/14/1970 6/13/1990 Player Birthdate Debut GARCES, RICH 05/18/1971 9/18/1990 RODRIGUEZ, IVAN 11/27/1971 6/20/1991 VanPOPPEL, TODD 12/09/1971 9/11/1991 NIEVES, MELVIN 12/28/1971 9/1/1992 GIL, BENJI 10/06/1972 4/5/1993 NEWFIELD, MARC 10/19/1972 7/6/1993 TAVAREZ, JULIAN 05/22/1973 8/7/1993 PARK, CHAN HO 06/30/1973 4/8/1994 VALDES, ISMAEL 08/21/1973 6/15/1994 RODRIGUEZ, ALEX 07/27/1975 7/8/1994 GARCIA, KARIM 10/29/1975 9/2/1995 RENTERIA, EDGAR 08/07/1976 5/10/1996 JONES, ANDRUW 04/23/1977 8/15/1996 CARUSO, MIKE 05/27/1977 3/31/98 WOOD, KERRY 06/17/1977 4/25/98