Ageing Minor Leaguers

Baseball Analysts just posted two pieces about the older minor league players who keep on playing despite probably never getting another chance in the majors (parts one and two). There's some pretty great reading in there, so I recommend them if you're bored or whatever. This, for example, is awesome:

Former big league pitcher Angel Moreno may have finally reached the end of the line, as he went 0-2 with a 10.50 ERA during brief stints with Veracruz and the Angeopolis Tigres (Tigers) of the Mexican League. Moreno has a legitimate excuse for his subpar performance, as he turned 51 during the season. The Mexican-born lefty pitched for the Angels in 1981 and 1982 before returning to a nearly quarter century run in his native country. Moreno wasn't kept on the Veracruz Aguilas (Eagles) roster out of pity, as he went 8-4 with a 2.27 ERA as a 48-year old in 2003. He followed that performance with winning records in 2004 and 2005.

51! That's so awesome. And who knew that Juan Gonzalez was still playing? My favorite little tidbit came from the comments though:

I never played in the major leagues but spent nine years in the minors and independents. I was never on scholarship but graduated from a great liberal arts school in the south and have a pretty decent job now. Not great, but manageable and the money is good. And every single day when I get up in the morning to go for a run or jog I wish I was getting on a bus for a nine hour ride to play in Nashua or Huntsville or Jackson or Peoria. Sad but true.

God bless.