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| Jack Quinn | |
|---|---|
 Quinn in 1921 | |
| Pitcher | |
| Born:(1883-07-01)July 1, 1883 Stefuró,Austria-Hungary | |
| Died: April 17, 1946(1946-04-17) (aged 62) Pottsville, Pennsylvania, U.S. | |
Batted: Right Threw: Right | |
| MLB debut | |
| April 15, 1909, for the New York Highlanders | |
| Last MLB appearance | |
| July 7, 1933, for the Cincinnati Reds | |
| MLB statistics | |
| Win–loss record | 247–218 |
| Earned run average | 3.29 |
| Strikeouts | 1,329 |
| Saves | 56 |
Stats atBaseball Reference  | |
| Teams | |
| Career highlights and awards | |
John Picus Quinn (bornJoannes "Jan"Pajkos, July 1, 1883 – April 17, 1946) was a Slovak-American professionalbaseball player.[1] He played as apitcher for eight teams in three major leagues (theAmerican,Federal, andNational), most notably as a member of thePhiladelphia Athletics dynasty that won three consecutive American League pennants from 1929 to 1931, and won theWorld Series in 1929 and 1930. Quinn made his final major league appearance at the age of 50.[2]
Born in Stefuró,Hungary (modern-dayŠtefurov,Slovakia), Quinn emigrated to America as an infant with his parents Michael Pajkos and Maria Dzjiacsko, arriving in New York on June 18, 1884. His mother died nearHazleton, Pennsylvania, shortly after the family's arrival in the US, and Quinn's father moved the family to Buck Mountain, nearMahanoy City, Pennsylvania. In 1887 Quinn's father remarried, to Anastasia ("Noska") Tzar.
Quinn spent his early years working as a swimmer andblacksmith, while playing recreational ball for mining teams. He got his start as a professional in an unusual way. While watching a semi-pro game inConnellsville, the 14-year-old Quinn threw a foul ball back from the stands to the catcher, hitting his mitt right in the middle. The visitingmanager, from the nearby town of Dunbar, was impressed by the throw, and he offered Quinn a contract.
Quinn went on to spend 23 seasons in the major leagues with eight different teams. He won 247 games and lost 218 games, also collecting 57saves. Quinn debuted on April 15, 1909, and he played until he was 50 years old; his final game was on July 7, 1933. Quinn's professional longevity enabled him to achieve several age-related milestones. He was the oldest Major League player to win a game untilJamie Moyer broke the record on April 17, 2012.[3] Quinn is also the oldest to lead his league in a major category (saves, in 1932—although saves were unknown in that era, and were only retroactively awarded in 1969). He is furthermore the oldest pitcher to start games in theWorld Series (with thePhiladelphia Athletics, in1929) and on Opening Day (with theBrooklyn Dodgers, in 1931).[4] He was the oldest player to hit a home run in the majors, at age 46, until 47-year-oldJulio Franco did so in 2006. He remains the oldest Major League pitcher to hit a home run.[5] He was the oldest person to ever play for theCincinnati Reds, and at the time of his retirement, the eight teams for which he had played also constituted a record, which has since been broken. He was also the last major leaguer who had played in the 1900s decade to formally retire (not countingCharley O'Leary, who in 1934 made a comeback stint). Quinn is one of only 31 players in baseball history to date who have appeared in a Major League game in four decades. He remains the oldest player to play regularly, having pitched 871⁄3 innings in 1932 at age 48 and 49, and 15 innings in 1933 at age 49 and 50. (Franco andPhil Niekro were also regular players at age 48, but were one and five months younger respectively during their seasons at that age.)
During his career, Quinn played alongside 31 different members of theBaseball Hall of Fame and collected twoWorld Series rings in three tries. He was also one of the last pitchers in baseball permitted to throw thespitball, grandfathered in along with sixteen others reliant on the pitch when it was banned in 1920. He frequently used his spitball after he was grandfathered in, in addition to hisfastball,curve, andchangeup.
Quinn posted a .184batting average (248-for-1349) with 90runs, 38doubles, eighthome runs, 115runs batted in and drawing 89bases on balls. He recorded a .969fielding percentage including playing several games in the outfield.
Quinn died inPottsville, Pennsylvania on April 17, 1946, three months after being diagnosed with a liver infection.[6] His wife passed on July 9, 1940 inDolton, Illinois due to injuries related to a fall and necessary amputation of her right leg.[7]
In 2006, Jack Quinn was inducted posthumously into the National Polish-American Sports Hall of Fame.[8]
· Baseball Almanac| Preceded by | Brooklyn Robins/DodgersOpening Day Starting pitcher 1931 | Succeeded by |
| International | |
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| National | |
