A while back I took a look at what I consider to be the Dodgers best 20-and under team. I certainly enjoyed looking at the achievements of the youngsters in the farm system who had played the 2015 season mostly as teenagers.

Yesterday while browsing a bit randomly I came across an article about Charles ”Tim” Thompson in Dodger Blue World. Thompson will turn 92 on March 1st and his story caused me to wonder who the oldest living Dodger player is. It turns out there are a fair number of former Dodgers older or close to the age of Thompson.

I decided it might be fitting to acknowledge them regardless of how many games they played as a Dodger. Each one of these men had a dream similar to the dreams of the young high school and college players today. That was, to play professional baseball at the MLB level.

It might be said that their path as a professional baseball player was as difficult or even more difficult than the path of present day youngsters. They had to play through World War II, try to gain a roster spot on one of only 16 MLB teams in the pre-1961 expansion days, secure other employment during the off season to supplement their low pay and play through injuries or with injuries that shortened careers in the pre-sports medicine days. How long could left-hander Karl Spooner have played if he had been the beneficiary of the medical treatment afforded to today’s athletes?

It is interesting that among those Dodgers that are 90 years of age or older we could still fill out a starting line up card.

The oldest living MLB player is catcher Mike Sandlock who turned 100 last October. He played with the Dodgers in 1945 and 1946 primarily as a catcher but also spending some time at third base and shortstop. He hit .262 with an OBP of .327 as a Dodger. Although he never made it back to Brooklyn when Jackie Robinson broke the color barrier in 1947 Sandlock did have a conversation with Branch Rickey regarding Jackie Robinson.”In the office, Branch Rickey, sat us down and he asked me, ‘Would you play pepper with Jackie Robinson?'” Sandlock said. “I said, ‘I have no problem. I will play pepper with Jackie Robinson.'”

Mike Sandlock (100) holds a 1945 photo of himself as a catcher with the Brooklyn Dodgers behind the plate at Ebbets Field. (Photo credit – Bob Luckey)

Ninety-six year old Luis Olmo was born in Arecibo, Puerto Rico. He played four years with the Dodgers beginning in 1943. His best year in the majors was 1945 when he hit .313 (sixth in the league), with 13 triples to lead the league, 10 home runs, and 110 RBI (third in the league). Olmo was the second Puerto Rican to play MLB after pitcher Hiram Bithorn of the Chicago Cubs who debuted in April of 1942. Olmo was primarily an outfielder but played some second base and third base as well.

Right-handed pitcher Lee Pfund (96) broke in with the Dodgers on April 21, 1945 which was to be his only season in MLB. In 62.1 innings he had an ERA of 5.20. He might have been ahead of his time with what was a “no-Sunday” contract.

Outfielder Marv Rackley (94) played parts of four seasons with the Dodgers. His best year was in 1948 when he hit. 327 in 88 games with an OBP of .370. An oddity occurred in 1949 when Rackley was traded to the Pittsburgh Pirates and then returned to the Dodgers 11 games later. Stories tell of how Rackley and another Montreal Royals teammate sat with Robinson when violence erupted after his appearance at a game in Baltimore.

Eddie Basinski at 93, is the oldest living major leaguer mentioned in the Dave Frishberg song Van Lingle Mungo. He played shortstop for two years with the Dodgers in 1944 and 1945 with a batting average of .261. He was a 1945 National League All-Star

The aforementioned catcher Tim Thompson (91) was called up to Ebbets Field with the Dodgers for the first time at age 30 in 1954. His stint with the Dodgers lasted but 10 games. In his debut he played in the outfield for the first time. Thompson thought he had nailed Dick Schofield at the plate with a good throw, but the young Cardinals shortstop slid between Roy Campanella’s legs to score. Thompson kidded Campanella that if he had blocked the plate he (Thompson) would have been a hero.

Former Yankee Irv Noren (91) was signed as a free agent on June 7, 1960 after being released by the Chicago Cubs. Noren played 26 games with the Dodgers hitting .200 while being used primarily as a pinch hitter.

Right-hander Johnny Rutherford (90) was signed as an amateur free agent by the Dodgers before the 1947 season and made his MLB debut on April 30 ,1952 in a relief role against the St. Louis Cardinals. On the season he went 7-7 with a 4.25 ERA in 97.1 innings. Rutherford won the pennant clinching game for the Dodgers against the Philadelphia Phillies in late September. That was to be his only season in MLB. Nicknamed “Doc” the 27-year-old rookie was born in Belleville,Canada

Second baseman Wayne Terwilliger (90) played 666 MLB games but only 37 of them with the Dodgers in 1951. He had only 50 at bats with the Dodgers after being acquired from the Chicago Cubs in the same trade that brought catcher Rube Walker and left fielder Andy Pafko to Ebbets Field. After a game winning pinch-singleby Terwilliger off Harry Brecheen of the St. Louis Cardinals Jackie Robinson and Pee Wee Reese can be seen rushing onto the field,with Jackie and Terwilliger leaning into a celebratory handshake. The photograph of Jackie Robinson reaching out to grab his hand remains a treasure in the Terwilliger household hanging on the wall near his favorite chair.

Chris Haughey (90) at 18 years of age in 1943 was the second youngest player to appear in a National League game that season. Coincidentally he made his Dodger debut on October 3 which was the last day of the season as well as his birthday. He pitched seven innings against the Cincinnati Red losing the decision to left-hander Johnny Vander Meer. It was to be the only appearance the young right-hander would make in major league baseball.

Ralph Branca (90) is perhaps remembered for the Bobby Thompson home run that was – The Shot Heard ‘Round the World. The big right-hander broke in with the Dodgers in 1944 as an 18-year old. His best season was in 1947 when he won 21 games which was the second most in the league. He pitched with the Dodgers for 11 years years recording a 3.70 ERA and 80 wins. Branca and Jackie Robinson became good friends.

At 90 years old, Ralph Branca is perhaps the most famous Dodgers nonagenarian.
(Image courtesy of Wikipedia.org)

Third baseman Randy Jackson (90) played three years with the Dodgers after a trade in December of 1955 with the Chicago Cubs which also netted Don Hoak, Russ Meyer and Walt Moryn. He was the Dodgers most-used third baseman in 1956 – when they won the pennant – hitting .274 with 8 homers and 53 RBIs in 101 games. On June 29, 1956 in a game against the Philadelphia Phillies Duke Snider, Randy Jackson and Gil Hodges went back-to-back-to-back in the bottom of the ninth inning to pull out a 6-5 win. It is still the only game in major league history that ended with three consecutive batters hitting home runs in the bottom of the last inning.

Bob Borkowski (90) came to the Dodgers as the player to be named later in a trade that send Dodger pitcher Joe Black to then Cincinnati Redlegs. The outfielder and pinch hitter acquired on June 14th had only 19 at bats with the Dodgers playing his last MLB game on July 10th.

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(Editor’s note: Worthy of mention for the Dodgers 90 and older team are prospects Bobby Morgan (89), Carl Erskine (89), Don Newcombe (89) and Tommy Lasorda (88).