Life Begins @ 30

“Over the hill” is a phrase commonly used when someone is turning 30 years old. For some people, that may be the case, but for others it’s far from the truth. Some MLB players toiled for seemingly countless years in the minors and independent leagues, and never debuted until their 30’s. Today I take a look at some of the recent 30-something rookies in honor of my Hebro (Burton) who is turning the magical age of 30 tomorrow. Happy birthday buddy!!!

Bobby Scales- found himself inserted into the lineup because of injury woes to the Cubs infield and has produced admirably. He’s a 31 year old rookie this season playing 2nd and 3rd for Chicago. ’09 #’s: through 18 games he’s batting .239 with a .808 OPS with 10 runs scored.

Chris Coste- has penned a book about his endeavors of finally making it to the Big Show as a “33 Year Old Rookie”. He’s currently 36 years old, working in his 4th season as the Philadelphia Phillies backup catcher. Career #’s: .285/.791, 74 r, 41 dbl, 23 hr, 97 rbi, and 1 World Series ring.

Brendan Donnelly- was a “scab” back in the strike of 1994, but never made it to the majors officially until 2002 at the ripe age of 30. He’s since gone on to win a World Series with the Angels in 2002 and pitch for others clubs such as the Red Sox, Indians, and is currently trying to work his way back to the majors in the Astros farm system. Career #’s: 26-9, 319 gm, 329.1 ip, 318 k, 3.12 ERA, 1.21 WHIP, and a all-star in ’03.

Jim Morris- Disney showcased his rise to fame in their feel good movie “The Rookie”. The Devil Rays were a lousy club in those days, desperate for any positive national exposure, so Jim had fast-tracked through the minors after signing at the age of 35. Career #’s: 21 games, 15 ip, 13 k, 4.80 ERA.

Mark DiFelice- throws about as hard soft as Jamie Moyer, but is getting batters out at an amazing rate. He’s pitching in crucial situations for the Milwaukee Brewers as one of their setup men and is doing a tremendous job. Not to mention, he’s been a boon for my fantasy team in the holds department. Career #’s: 4-0, 37 gm, 42.1 ip, 43 k, 1.91 ERA, 0.95 WHIP.

Billy Taylor- the most prolific member of this bunch ended up achieving closer status over a 4 year period with the Athletics. Aside from pitching for Oakland, he also took the mound for the Mets, Devil Rays, and Pirates. Career #’s: 16-28, 317 gm, 324.2 ip, 100 sv, 307 k, 4.21 ERA, 1.38 WHIP.

Chris Jakubauskas- I have no friggin idea how the hell to pronounce his name, so I refer to this Seattle Mariner rookie as Chewbacca. ’09 #’s: 3-5, 44.2 ip, 6.45 ERA, 1.46 WHIP.

*Players who were from Japan or Cuba were not included on this list.


Smashing Pumpkins- 1979