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Athletes Who Defied Time to Become the Oldest Rookies

Athletes Who Defied Time to Become the Oldest Rookies

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25. Yoshinori Tateyama

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24. Pablo Prigioni

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23. Jim Morris

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22. Dae-Sung Koo

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21. Earle Brucker

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20. Takashi Saito

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19. Butch Songin

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16. Keiichi Yabu

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14. Art Jacobs

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13. Jim Anderson

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12. Billy Williams

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10. Chang-Yong Lim

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9. Joe Strong

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7. Connie Marrero

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6. Masumi Kuwata

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3. Ken Takahashi

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2. Luke Urban

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1. Diomedes Olivo

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25. Yoshinori Tateyama
24. Pablo Prigioni
23. Jim Morris
22. Dae-Sung Koo
21. Earle Brucker
20. Takashi Saito
19. Butch Songin
18. Hank Izquierdo
17. Minnie Mendoza
16. Keiichi Yabu
15. Satoru Komiyama
14. Art Jacobs
13. Jim Anderson
12. Billy Williams
11. Helmut Balderis
10. Chang-Yong Lim
9. Joe Strong
8. Connie Madigan
7. Connie Marrero
6. Masumi Kuwata
5. Les Willis
4. Alex McColl
3. Ken Takahashi
2. Luke Urban
1. Diomedes Olivo

When we reach a certain age, talk of retirement comes into play. The retirement age in the United States is 66 or 67, depending on your birth year. For most people, retirement is in sight when they reach their mid-to-late 50s, although some continue working way beyond. Yet, for athletes, this timeline is a bit different.

In a field that relies heavily on achieving stats and reaching goals by specific ages, many athletes are often considered too old at an age when many are only starting. However, some athletes defy all expectations and continue pursuing their dreams, like Philadelphia Phillies pitcher Mark Appel. He was the first overall pick in the 2013 MLB draft, but injuries forced an early retirement in 2018. He never gave up and signed with the Phillies in 2021, making his MLB debut just before his 31st birthday.

To determine athletes who defied time to become the oldest rookies, 24/7 Tempo reviewed NFL, NHL, NBA, and MLB data from Sports Reference to find the oldest players with rookie status in the modern era of these four sports leagues. Older players who were rookies during the first years of these leagues and those who only debuted because of extenuating circumstances like World War II were not considered.

Athletes who played in upstart competitor leagues before joining the NFL, MLB, or NHL, and were technically listed as rookies even though they had been professional athletes for years, were not considered. All players on this list debuted at age 36 or later, except for former NBA player Pablo Prigioni, who first played in the NBA at age 35 – making him the oldest rookie in NBA history that fit our criteria. To read about sports figures with long careers, check out athletes whose careers lasted into their 40s and beyond.

Here are athletes who defied time to become the oldest rookies.

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