article > header{padding:0 16px;}/*!sc*/ .mHQYb header.mlb-header .header__nav-side__subnav--transparent{background-color:rgba(0,0,0,0.7);width:calc(100vw - 145px);}/*!sc*/ He gave up two hits in 2/3 of an inning, but got the side out. "The fans went wild," Gwendolyn says, laughing. Others of note: Ivan Rodriguez, Billy Wagner, Brian Giles, Jason Giambi, Ray Durham 1970: Jim Thome (73.1 WAR) -- The Hall of Fame slugger belted 612 home runs and was a five-time All-Star. .mHQYb header.mlb-header .header__nav-side__nav-item .icon__nav-item{margin-right:8px;width:18px;height:14px;float:left;-webkit-flex-shrink:0;-ms-flex-negative:0;flex-shrink:0;}/*!sc*/ a{background-color:transparent;}/*!sc*/ .hYmwpY{display:block;}/*!sc*/ .blUWSx .share-icon__square{width:30px;}/*!sc*/ He was a stellar player with great longevity, and a career that spanned 16 seasons. So, that's the story. .groqnz.markdown.youtube,.groqnz.photo figcaption.youtube,.groqnz.oembed .social-embed.youtube{padding:0;}/*!sc*/ Listed below are the occurrences of Major League Baseball players who have hit three home runs in a single game. He went on to have an illustrious career, scoring several victories for the Cincinnati Reds. data-styled.g141[id="sharestyle__Wrapper-sc-9nfkvu-1"]{content:"blUWSx,"}/*!sc*/ .mHQYb .p-search__list--multiple-type .p-search-item--team + .p-search-item--player:before{border-top:1px solid #ddd;content:'Players';left:10px;right:10px;}/*!sc*/ Major League Baseball (MLB) is a professional baseball organization in North America. 10. .mHQYb header.mlb-header.mlb-header--side-nav-open .header__nav-top .header__nav-top__button-menu--icon span:nth-child(2){-webkit-transform:rotate(45deg);-ms-transform:rotate(45deg);transform:rotate(45deg);}/*!sc*/ data-styled.g144[id="Styles__StickyHeaderContainer-sc-1wye7kw-0"]{content:"ggWmAj,"}/*!sc*/ .blLcNM .content{display:-webkit-box;display:-webkit-flex;display:-ms-flexbox;display:flex;-webkit-flex-wrap:wrap;-ms-flex-wrap:wrap;flex-wrap:wrap;-webkit-align-items:center;-webkit-box-align:center;-ms-flex-align:center;align-items:center;grid-column:1 / span 12;}/*!sc*/ With his team down so many runs, the crowd not letting up and knowing that Joe could hold his own with the pros -- Ridgeway gave in: he told Joe to "grab a bat." .mHQYb header.mlb-header .header__nav-side__nav-item:focus a{outline:1px dotted #fff;}/*!sc*/ "Mr. Ridgeway was a pretty good ballplayer and he took me under his wing," Reliford told MiLB.com back in 2007. .koKsQt{font-weight:600;}/*!sc*/ Date of Debut: April 27, 1926 Major League Baseball approved a sale of the team and a move to Milwaukee for the 1970 season, where the team was renamed as the Brewers . Carl died at the ripe old age of 91 in 2018, and most people remember him as the American Leaguer to play in baseballs modern era. My Father Mr Joe Louis Reliford will be Honored July 24th Tuesday at the Florida Marlins and Atlanta Braves game at 12:00 https://t.co/jCSvYfxyzq seating $23 a seat contact Mr William Noel at the Marlins office 305-980-1554or 917-957-0757 cell tickets will be mailed to you. Total Zone Rating and initial framework for Wins above Replacement calculations provided by Sean Smith. .mHQYb .mlb-header__login-menu--open{display:block;left:auto;opacity:1;}/*!sc*/ The oldest person ever to play MLB was Satchel Paige, who, at the age of 59, made one token major league appearance twelve years after his Major League career had ended. They were also in the midst of a terrible season, 14 games under .500 and 20 games out of first place. Age of debut: 16 years, eight months, and five days old Become a Stathead today and run queries with our Season and Career Finders to see the best seasons in MLB history. He's also been invited to Nationals games to throw out the first pitch and sit up in the owner's box. .hHLkAw input::-ms-clear{display:none;}/*!sc*/ He was nervous. data-styled.g172[id="Styles__AppContainer-jwcsl0-0"]{content:"hUHmCp,"}/*!sc*/. article > section{font-size:1.2rem;font-family:Georgia,serif;}/*!sc*/ The five hitters with a better OPS+ than Soto: Mike Trout (166 OPS+), Ted Williams (161 OPS+), Jimmie Foxx (156 OPS+), Rogers Hornsby (155 OPS+), and Ty Cobb (153 OPS+). Putsy still is famous as one of the youngest players in the major league. .mHQYb header.mlb-header .account--logged-in.active::after{background:#057AFF;}/*!sc*/ data-styled.g156[id="newsletterOptinstyle__Fieldset-sc-d7sh2p-1"]{content:"HQoYx,"}/*!sc*/ .hHLkAw input::-moz-placeholder{color:#aaaaaa;}/*!sc*/ His closest confidante was player/manager Charley Ridgeway. Ridgeway sang Reliford's praises on the bus ride out of town. .mHQYb header.mlb-header .header__nav-top__button-menu{-webkit-flex:0 0 auto;-ms-flex:0 0 auto;flex:0 0 auto;}/*!sc*/ .mHQYb header.mlb-header .header__nav-top__sponsor-url-logos > *{display:-webkit-box;display:-webkit-flex;display:-ms-flexbox;display:flex;-webkit-box-pack:end;-webkit-justify-content:flex-end;-ms-flex-pack:end;justify-content:flex-end;}/*!sc*/ Bench's MVP performance in 1970 made him the toast of the baseball world for the year. .mHQYb header.mlb-header .header__nav-top__nav-items{display:-webkit-box;display:-webkit-flex;display:-ms-flexbox;display:flex;-webkit-box-pack:center;-webkit-justify-content:center;-ms-flex-pack:center;justify-content:center;width:100%;padding:0px;}/*!sc*/ Do you have a blog? .mHQYb header.mlb-header .header__nav-side__nav-item--parent[aria-expanded='true']{background-color:#057AFF;}/*!sc*/ His luck in playing in the MLB partly has to do with his father, Charles, who was a minor league ball player for the Cleveland Indians. b,strong{font-weight:bolder;}/*!sc*/ .ebrWqN:-moz-loading{color:#f3f3f3;}/*!sc*/ "[The Pioneers] were so far behind, the score was terrible," Gwendolyn says. .blUWSx .share-button__link{cursor:pointer;}/*!sc*/ Even though it was against the rules to play your batboy, Ridgeway thought Joe had earned a chance. Position: Pitcher. Reliford would pinch-hit for Ray Nichting -- who, as Joe described, was the Pioneers' version of "Mickey Mantle." .gkgVOa{display:inline-block;width:100%;height:auto;position:relative;}/*!sc*/ Vladimir Guerrero Jr., 1st Baseman- DH, Blue Jays (2021 age: 22) After showing signs of greatness in his first two seasons, Vladimir Guerrero Jr. is flexing big-time this season. At 16 years old, Putsy made his debut for the Phillies on September 14, 1944. .mHQYb header.mlb-header .header__nav-top__logo--mlb img{margin:auto;}/*!sc*/ Unfortunately for Jim, this was the highlight of his career, as he never played in the MLB again. He asked him if he could be the team's batboy. @font-face{font-family:'proxima-nova';src:url('https://www.mlbstatic.com/mlb.com/fonts/proxima-nova-bold-italic.woff2') format('woff2'), url('https://www.mlbstatic.com/mlb.com/fonts/proxima-nova-bold-italic.woff') format('woff');font-weight:700;font-style:italic;}/*!sc*/ Roger Hornsby McKee is a baseball player whose numbers are often overlooked in the MLB due to the small number of games he played. .mHQYb .p-search__status{left:-9999px;position:absolute;}/*!sc*/ Marlins . Bookmark Quiz Bookmark Quiz Bookmark. data-styled.g161[id="newsletterOptinstyle__Submit-sc-d7sh2p-6"]{content:"huJzbO,"}/*!sc*/ hr{box-sizing:content-box;height:0;overflow:visible;}/*!sc*/ Through two . @supports (-moz-appearance:none){.koKsQt .share-button__square,.koKsQt .share-button__email{-webkit-filter:brightness(0%);filter:brightness(0%);}}/*!sc*/ With this selection, the Royals opted for the youngest player to ever be drafted since the insertion of the . All of them have been position players -- the youngest pitcher on record to start on Opening Day was Catfish Hunter at 20 years, 4 days old in 1966. Debuting Team: Philadelphia Phillies They'd leave and go find one [that would take Joe].". .mHQYb header.mlb-header .header__nav-top__nav-item--spotlight .header__nav-top__nav-item__text{color:#081c3b;}/*!sc*/ (via Library of Congress) When the Los Angeles Rams hired (then) 30-year-old. Maury Wills. 2. "They were both pitchers, and they couldn't win anyway. Photo via Gwendolyn Reliford, Art by Tom Forget, Satchel Paige, Kansas City Monarchs ace, at Yankee Stadium, Reliford poses with a Douglas, GA., sign honoring his moment back in 1952. Age of debut: 16 years and 241 days old At 19 years and 208 days old, Soto is the youngest player to hit a home run in an MLB game since Jurickson Profar of the Texas Rangers back in 2012. .huJzbO{margin-left:auto;margin-right:auto;}/*!sc*/ But nobody, not Joe, not Adams, not anybody associated with that first part of the story, would ever believe that two years later, Reliford would do something that put him in the National Baseball Hall of Fame. The youngest player in MLB is Vctor Robles, who plays for the Washington Nationals. That could've been enough for a legendary story, the fact that he put the ball in play. He shined shoes, carried bats and balls and got water for players. "Not only did he shine shoes and keep up with equipment, they actually let him get out on the field and pitch and hit and practice with the ballplayers. Soto made his MLB debut in 2018 at the age of 19 and has quickly become one of the league's best players. photo source: Baseball history come alive! Ahead we've taken a closer look at the 10 youngest active . @font-face{font-family:'proxima-nova';src:url('https://www.mlbstatic.com/mlb.com/fonts/proxima-nova-black-italic.woff2') format('woff2'),url('https://www.mlbstatic.com/mlb.com/fonts/proxima-nova-black-italic.woff') format('woff');font-style:italic;font-weight:900;font-display:fallback;}/*!sc*/ @media (min-width:768px){.mHQYb header.mlb-header{font-size:14px;}}/*!sc*/ Date of Debut: 16 on September 16, 1955 .mHQYb .p-search-item__container--sm{font-size:12px;height:30px;min-width:150px;}/*!sc*/ photo source: Wikimedia Commons. .mHQYb header.mlb-header .header__nav-top{background-color:#041E42;}/*!sc*/ Required fields are marked *. His youth debut was among the first in the 20th century, and served as a springboard for the future Hall-of-Famer. .mHQYb header.mlb-header.mlb-header--side-nav-open .header__nav-top .header__nav-top__button-menu--icon span:nth-child(3){-webkit-transform:rotate(-45deg);-ms-transform:rotate(-45deg);transform:rotate(-45deg);}/*!sc*/ Ozzie Albies, also 20, is the second youngest. .mHQYb header.mlb-header .header__nav-side__nav-item:last-child{border:none;}/*!sc*/ Mel Ott began his career under 17 just after World War I, and played for 22 years when new 16-year-old talents knocked him off the pedestal as the youngest MLB player of the 20th century. .drUhS{pointer-events:none;width:100%;height:100%;display:inline-block;overflow:visible;fill:#000000;stroke:#000000;}/*!sc*/ @media (min-width:1024px){article > header{padding:0;}}/*!sc*/ Vladimir Guerrero Jr. becomes youngest MLB All-Star Game MVP after hitting 468-foot homer at Coors Field The homer comes 15 years after his father went deep in the Midsummer Classic off Brad. 1. .mHQYb header.mlb-header .header__subnav--teams__team{width:100%;display:-webkit-box;display:-webkit-flex;display:-ms-flexbox;display:flex;-webkit-box-pack:start;-webkit-justify-content:flex-start;-ms-flex-pack:start;justify-content:flex-start;-webkit-align-items:center;-webkit-box-align:center;-ms-flex-align:center;align-items:center;}/*!sc*/ .mHQYb header.mlb-header .header__nav-top .header__nav-top__button-menu--icon span{display:block;position:absolute;height:2px;width:24px;background:#ffffff;opacity:1;-webkit-transform:rotate(0deg);-ms-transform:rotate(0deg);transform:rotate(0deg);-webkit-transition:all 250ms ease-in-out;transition:all 250ms ease-in-out;border-radius:3px;}/*!sc*/ .mHQYb header.mlb-header .header__nav-top__tagline img{max-width:100%;}/*!sc*/ Position: Shortstop, Pinch Hitter, and Leftfielder. 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