In any sport, playing past the age of 40 is a pretty impressive feat. The body of an athlete may-for the most party, at least-be in better shape than that of someone who is less active, but the wear and tear of sports increases the age/feel of bones and joints by at least 5-10 years. Football, hockey, soccer, tennis, and basketball are most notable for retiring at, what we would consider, an early age. Baseball, on the other hand, can be (aside from catching and pitching) a little easier on the body, and provide the athlete with a longer playing span.
I have compiled a list-in no particular order-of thirteen athletes who have played past the expected age of retirement. There will be quite a few baseball players on here, because: A.) I have played baseball all my life, and I remember more names, and B.) because of what I mentioned up above about baseball not taking as big of a toll on the body.
Remember, these are athletes that I know, and unfortunately some who should be on this list, won't be. If there is someone you feel I forgot, mention it in the comments, and maybe, just maybe, I will include your suggestion/request.
1. Omar Vizquel - He is 43 years of age, and is still playing like he is 25. He has played pivotal roles on numerous teams, and has always been a great teammate.
2. Nolan Ryan - Lasting more than 15 years as a power pitcher is impressive. Nolan was a power pitcher who threw for 27 seasons-and could probably still touch 90 in this current day. We can't forget his 7 no hitters throughout his career either.
3. Shaquille O'Neal - Like a power pitcher lasting more than 15 years, a big man (at least 7'0″) in the NBA may only last for 8-13 seasons. Shaq-although he has had some injuries-is still going strong in his eighteenth season.
4. Jack "The Golden Bear" Nicklaus - He is the oldest to ever win a Master's Tournament (46), and continued to play on the Senior Tour through 2005. Tiger has nothing on old Jack.
5. Julio Franco - Unless you know baseball, you may have never heard of Julio. He made his MLB debut back in 1982, and continued to play until 2007. He had some of his best statistical years while in his 40′s, and has always been a classy person/player.
6. Satchel Paige - He pitched in the Negro leagues from about 1926-1947. He became an MLB rookie at the age of 42 (1948) and played for about another 17 years, making his last appearances in 1965.
7. Martina Navratilova - She is probably the greatest woman's tennis player in the history of the sport. She made her professional debut in 1975 and won 18 grand slam singles titles throughout her career. After 1994 she retired from full-time competition, but continued to play doubles, and periodic singles matches.
8. Jamie Moyer - He was never overpowering, but was always intelligent with his pitch selection and location. He made his MLB back in 1986 and is still pitching to this very day. It just goes to show you that velocity is not everything, instead it's: location, location, location.
9. Gary Roberts - Hockey-in my mind-is one of, if not, the toughest sport to play. Gary made his NHL debut in 1986 and retired in 2009. He played in more than 1,000 games, won a Stanley Cup, and was a great role player throughout his career.
10. George Blanda - He made his NFL debut in 1949 with Bears. He had a lot of ups and downs with the team through 1958 and retired. He came back (this time to the AFL) in 1960 and rejuvenated his career. Go to his Wiki page to see how much shit he went through.
11. Lindsey Hunter - Coming out of Jackson State, Lindsey joined the NBA in 1993. He has always been and average, but reliable, point guard throughout his career. He "retired" (I use quotations because I secretly believe he is still on someone's roster) in 2010.
12. Doug Flutie - He played in the NFL, Canadian Football League, and United States Football League. He is about 5 feet nothing, but has the freaking heart of a lion. He finished up his career in 2005 for the Patriots, but will always be remembered for his Hail Mary pass against Miami (FL) while play for Boston College.
13. Brett Favre - You didn't think I was going to leave Brett off the list, did you? He debuted in the NFL with the Atlanta Falcons, but made his career with Green Bay Packers. He was always my favorite quarterback to watch growing up (Peyton Manning has taken that mantle over now), and still has a soft spot in my heart-even with his recent antics. He has retired, and come out of retirement, at least 10 times in the last 3 years (is that possible?); so I have given up on figuring out when his final game will be.
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