Expert: Tom Schott - 4/20/2008

Question
Hi...   I won some tickets to a Texas Rangers game many years ago with this question, but unfortunately I wasn't listening to the radio the night they actually answered it.  I'm hoping you can help.

These days, very few players spend their whole major league career with the same team.  The ones that come to mind... George Brett, Alan Trammell...  were all position players.  Who was the last pitcher to have a significant (10+ years or so) major league career and spend it all with one team?  

Answer
Hey Jon,

Last pitcher to do this is still doing it. John Smoltz has been with Atlanta for 20 years, including this year. If you're looking for the latest pitcher to spend a long career with one team, both Paul Spittorff and Jim Palmer retired in 1984, with 15 and 19 years respectively. Sorry but I cannot do careers less than 15 years long.

This is a pretty rare category for pitchers, 20 years or more with one team. Others:

Walter Johnson, Washington, 21
Ted Lyons, Chicago (A), 21
Red Faber, Chicago (A), 20
Mel Harder, Cleveland, 20

Other pitchers with one team for career of 15+ years:

Paul Spittorff, Kansas City, 15
John Hiller, Detroit, 15
Bob Lemon, Cleveland, 15
Hooks Dauss, Detroit, 15
Vern Law, Pittsburgh, 16
Tommy Bridges, Detroit, 16
Carl Hubbell, New York (N), 16
Whitey Ford, New York (A), 16
Bob Gibson, St Louis, 17
Bob Feller, Cleveland, 18
Jim Palmer, Baltimore, 19