Ted "Double Duty" Radcliffe, 1902-2005, was a star of the Negro Leagues before baseball was integrated.  

Ralph Erickson, 1902-2002.  He became baseball's tenth centenarian on June 25, 2002, and died two days later.

P.S.  The oldest-ever Hall of Fame player is Al Lopez, who died in 2005 at 97.  The previous oldest Hall of Famer was Elmer Flick, who died in 1971, two days before his 95th birthday.  Flick played for Philadelphia and Cleveland from 1898 to 1910. 

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(Updated on October 7, 2009) 

by David Fleitz

There's a website called "Who's Alive and Who's Dead" that keeps track of celebrities and tells you, well, who's alive and who's dead.  Click here to see it.

One of their lists (under "Odds and Ends," right next to the lists of astronauts and members of the Mickey Mouse Club) concerns major league baseball players.

They've been busy for the last few years keeping it updated.  Karl Swanson, who played second base for the White Sox in 1928 and 1929, entered 2002 as baseball's oldest living ex-player, but he died on April 3 at the age of 101.  The mantle then passed to Ralph Erickson, who pitched in 8 games for the Pirates in 1929 and 1930.  Erickson, a retiree who lived in Chandler, Arizona, turned 100 on June 25, 2002, but died two days later.

The title of "oldest living former major leaguer" then went to Ray Hayworth, who was born on January 29, 1904.  Hayworth, a catcher, joined the Detroit Tigers in 1926 and was, as far as I can tell, the last living teammate of Ty Cobb.  Hayworth played for the Tigers and other teams until 1945, and participated in the 1934 World Series.  Hayworth was the oldest ex-major leaguer from Ericksen's death until his own demise on September 25, 2002.

Ray Hayworth, 98 years old, was the oldest living major leaguer for about three months.

When Hayworth assumed the title, that created a problem.  The oldest living ex-player was not on the web site's list, because he never played in the major leagues.

The distinction of "oldest living ex-player" should have gone to Ted "Double Duty" Radcliffe, one of the great stars of the Negro Leagues from 1928 to 1950.  He was born in Mobile, Alabama on July 7, 1902, and played sandlot ball as a youngster with fellow Mobile native Satchel Paige.  Radcliffe played semipro ball until he was in his mid-twenties, but then entered the Negro Leagues and enjoyed a long career as a multi-position player and, eventually, a manager.  He was 45 years old when baseball was desegregated in 1947, and never got a chance to play in the majors.  He died on August 11, 2005 at the age of 103.

Though Radcliffe was then the oldest ex-player, Paul Hopkins became the oldest living major leaguer upon the death of Hayworth.  Born in September 1904, Hopkins, a righthander, pitched in two games for the Senators in 1927 and in seven more for the Senators and Browns in 1929.  He made his debut in Yankee Stadium on September 29, 1927, pitching in relief in a 15-4 loss to the Yankees.  Hopkins gave up Babe Ruth's 59th homer of the season, a grand slam, in that game, and he watched from the bench as Ruth hit his record-setting 60th the next day off Tom Zachary.  On October 2, Hopkins made the only start of his major league career and beat the Philadelphia A's by a 9-5 score.  Hopkins turned 99 years old in September 2003 and died on January 2, 2004.

The oldest living ex-major leaguer after Hopkins was Ray Cunningham, born on January 17, 1905, who played the infield for the Cardinals in the middle of the Depression.  Cunningham participated in 3 games in 1931 and 11 more in 1932, with a .154 batting average in 26 times at bat.  He died on July 31, 2005 at age 100, after which Howard (Howdy) Groskloss (Pirates 1930-32) assumed the title.  He died in July 15, 2006 at 100, and the oldest player then became ex-St. Louis Browns pitcher Rollie Stiles, who was born in November of 1906 and played from 1930 to 1933.

Stiles was baseball's only remaining centenarian when he died in a St. Louis nursing home on July 22, 2007, at age 100.  He was succeeded by Bill Werber, who played for the Yankees in 1930 and 1933 and later starred at third base for the pennant-winning Reds of 1939 and 1940.  Werber, who became successful in the insurance business and self-published an autobiography about 15 years ago, was born in June of 1908 and died in January 2009 at age 100.

Tony Malinosky, who played for the Dodgers in 1937 and batted .224 in his only major league season, is now the oldest living player.  Born in October of 1909, he is now 100 years old.

 To find out more about really old celebrities, see the web site that I mentioned above.