Last season, Justin Thomas hit the first walk-off home run of his career, a two-run pinch-hit blast against the Orioles on August 3rd that kept the Cubs just two games back of the division-leading Brewers. What the 40 year-old Thomas may not have known was that he had become the oldest Cubs player to hit a pinch home run. After the jump, more on pinch home runs by “experienced” players.

Turner actually first became the oldest Cub with a pinch home run four weeks earlier, in a much less memorable 8-1 loss to the Twins. Before that, the record-holder was none other than Mr. Cub himself, Ernie Banks, connecting off of Tug McGraw in an 11-7 win over the Mets in 1971, one of seven players to go deep on a windy day at Wrigley.

Stathead records 128 games in which a player aged 40 or older hit a home run in a game he entered as a pinch-hitter. In most, but not all, of these games that home run came in a pinch-hit AB. The youngest of these players was Bob Thurman, whose 3-run pinch blast on his 40th birthday in 1957 vaulted his Redlegs into the lead (but one they would later relinquish to the visiting Phillies). Only two players aged 40 or older have hit a pinch home run and then added a second blast in the same game: 42 year-old Albert Pujols on May 22, 2022; and 40 year-old Raul Ibanez on Sep 22, 2012. Ibanez’s game, good for 0.867 WPA, is particularly notable as his second blast capped a 4-run 13th inning comeback by the Yankees to extend a game they walked off in the next frame. The win kept New York atop the AL East, a game ahead of the Orioles, who also won in extras that day.

So, which players hold franchise records as the oldest player with a pinch home run? Here’s the list.

Some comments about these players and games are found below, matched by number to the table above.

1. Unsurprisingly, Methuselah tops this list with record blasts for two franchises. Franco holds down the top 3 spots, and 22 of the top 24, in the list of oldest players with a home run. Included among his 23 blasts in those 22 games are four pinch home runs, including the two shown here. As a Met, Franco’s 8th inning blast delivered the first runs of a 6-run uprising that carried the New Yorkers to a 7-2 win.
2. As a Brave, Franco became the oldest player to hit a grand slam homer, helping his team to another 7-2 win. That was one of four 4+ RBI games for Franco aged 44 or older; nobody else has any. The oldest Braves to hit a pinch home run before the franchise moved to Atlanta were 41 year-old Mickey Vernon for the Milwaukee Braves in 1959, and 37 year-old Ab Wright for the Boston Braves in 1944. Before that season, Wright had last played in the majors nine years earlier; he showed some pop in Beantown to become the oldest Boston Brave to homer in 3.5% of AB in a 200+ PA season.
3. Ichiro‘s home run was the last of his career, a 3 run shot to break open a tied game in the 7th inning. Suzuki’s blast was one of 27 pinch hits for the 43 year-old that season, one shy of John Vander Wal‘s record total in 1995.
4. Deacon McGuire‘s shot was also the last of his career, a game-tying blast in the 9th inning of what is the earliest of the games highlighted here. It is also the only “bounce” homer on this list, and of McGuire’s career (that we know about). If you’re cringing at the thought of a bounce homer making this list (or because McGuire had only 7 PA for Boston), the next oldest Red Sox player is 40 year-old Tony Perez in this 1982 game.
5. Graig Nettles also appears on this list with the last homer of his career, a game-tying shot in the 8th inning of this 1988 game, won by the Expos in extras on a walk-off hit by Tom Foley (Foley is the most recent of 15 modern era players, including two HOFers, to begin a career with twelve consecutive 100+ PA seasons, each with OPS+ under 100). Nettles’ second-to-last homer was also as a pinch-hitter, for Atlanta the season before, when Nettles became the oldest Brave with a pinch home run (until Franco came along). The oldest Washington National with a pinch home run is 37 year-old Jayson Werth in this 2016 game.
6. Carlton Fisk‘s 8th inning blast tied this game for the White Sox in 1991. He would add two multi-HR games later that season, then the oldest player with a two HR game, and still the oldest with a pair of such games in a season.
7. Sam Rice was exactly the same age as Fisk when he made this list for his final home run as a Senator. Playing for the Indians the next season, Rice homered leading off this game to become the oldest player with that accomplishment (Rickey Henderson was three months older than Rice when Henderson homered for the final time of his career, leading off the bottom of the first inning in this 2003 game). The oldest Minnesota Twin with a pinch homer is 39 year-old Jim Thome with a 9th inning blast against the Phillies in 2010 to key a 5-run rally and an eventual 13-10 win in extras.
8. Andres Galarraga makes this list for the last home run and last hit of his career, coming in his final PH appearance. This was the next-to-last game of Galarraga’s career, but just his sixth tilt as an Angel. The next oldest Angel with a pinch homer is 38 year-old Joe Adcock, with an 8th inning game-winning shot in this 1966 contest.
9. Tony Perez makes the list playing for the Reds in 1985 on the day before his 43rd birthday and connecting for a 6th inning granny to break open this tied game against the Phillies. Perez’s 138 OPS+ that season is the best by 25 points among players aged 43+ in a 200+ PA season.
10. Enos Slaughter‘s blast was a 9th inning game-tying shot for the Yankees in this 1959 game. Slaughter’s 6 homers that season was then a record total for players aged 43 or older, a record that would stand for 24 years, until Yaz reached double digit dingers in 1983. Once recognized as the origin of the Yankee franchise, the Baltimore Orioles of 1901-02 hit a total of 57 home runs, but none (that we know of) by pinch-hitters.
11. Nelson Cruz makes the list in his third game, and first PH appearance, as a Padre. Cruz’s 464 career homers are the most among players with none before their 25th birthdays.
12. Jason Giambi makes the list for the Indians with a come-from-behind walk-off shot in the last week of the 2013 season. That blast makes Giambi the oldest player to hit a walk-off home run, as a pinch-hitter or otherwise. The win kept Cleveland one game up on the Rangers in the race for the second (and last) AL wildcard spot (the Indians made it; Texas didn’t).
13. Albert Pujols‘ 8th inning blast drove in all of the Cardinal runs in a 2-0 win and series sweep of the Cubs. This was the first of nine Sep/Oct homers for the 42 year-old Pujols in the final month of his career, tying him with 40 year-old Darrell Evans in 1987 for the most Sep/Oct homers among players aged 40 or older.
14. Willie Stargell‘s 8th inning solo shot won this 1982 game for the Bucs. It would be the last home run of Stargell’s career.
15. Hank Sauer‘s solo shot in this 1959 game was the last home run and last hit of his career, and the only hit of his final season. Sauer’s 39 homers over his three age 40+ seasons was a Giant franchise record until surpassed by Barry Bonds. The oldest New York Giant with a pinch home run is 40 year-old Gabby Hartnett in this game from his final season in 1941. Hartnett retired with 236 career home runs, the most among catchers until he was passed by Yogi Berra in 1956.
16. Steve Finley makes the first of two appearances on this list with a blast leading off the 8th inning that keyed a 5-run Rockies uprising for a come-from-behind 5-3 win over the Giants. It would be the last home run of Finley’s career and the only long ball of his final season.
17. Babe Herman is the most unlikely name on this list. Herman’s major league career had seemingly ended eight years before, after which he compiled seven productive minor league seasons, the last six with the Pacific Coast League’s Hollywood Stars. But Herman had retired from pro ball when the Dodgers came calling in mid-season of the 1945 campaign, desperate for bodies to fill a war-depleted roster. The 42 year-old Herman got a pinch knock in his first game and a pinch homer in this contest, the fourth of his 37 appearances, all but one as a pinch-hitter. The oldest Los Angeles Dodger with a pinch home run is 41 year-old Albert Pujols in this 2021 game.
18. Jim Thome makes the list in his final season and second stint as a Phillie. Thome was still going deep at a good clip, with 8 homers in 163 AB (about a 30 HR rate for a full season), but was a dud as a Phillie pinch-hitter, going 1 for 17 in that role. But the one was memorable, a walk-off blast to beat the Rays in this 2012 contest.
19. Edgar Martinez makes the list with a 9th inning game-tying shot against the Red Sox. That last place 2004 Mariners team was a true greybeard unit, with all nine of the regulars (on the team’s B-R page) aged 30+, including four age 35+ players. Joining Martinez in the over-40 club were reserve catcher Pat Borders and staff “ace” Jamie Moyers (7-13, 5.21 in 202 IP).
20. In a battle between 41 year-olds, Hal McRae took Don Sutton deep for an 8th inning game-tying blast in 1986, but the Angels prevailed in extras, en route to taking the AL West crown (remarkably for a post-season team, those Angels boasted a record seven age 35+ players with 90+ games). McRae saved his best for this last time facing the HoF righty, against whom he managed only 2 for 19 for his career.
21. Reggie Jackson‘s 3-run blast broke open this 1987 game as the A’s trampled the White Sox. This game was the first in which three A’s pitchers each struck out four or more batters, something that has happened only one other time since then. The oldest Athletics with a pinch homer before the franchise moved to Oakland were two 39 year-olds: Jim Rivera for the Kansas City A’s in 1961; and Wally Moses for the original Philadelphia A’s in 1950 (in their first season playing in Sacramento, the A’s connected for four pinch homers, all by players aged 28 or younger).
22. Justin Turner’s game for the Cubs is discussed at the top of this post.
23. Jim Edmonds‘ two-out 8th inning blast won this 2010 game for the Brewers. Edmonds’ 2 WAR season for the Brewers that year is easily the best of only four age 40+ players to play a final season in Milwaukee (actually, the best of six players, if you include these guys). The oldest Seattle Pilot with a pinch home run wasn’t all that old (though he was playing in his final season); 31 year-old Jim Pagliaroni went deep against the Yankees in this 1969 game.
24. For the last home run of his career, 40 year-old Rico Carty went deep for the Blue Jays against 40 year-old Yankees reliever Jim Kaat in this 1979 game. Carty is one of twelve players to finish a career with four consecutive qualified seasons, each with triple digit hits and double digit homers.
25. Two days shy of his 40th birthday, Rafael Palmeiro‘s 9th inning blast for the Orioles tied this 2004 game, but the world champion-to-be Red Sox prevailed in extras. Boston was also the opponent seventy years earlier when 38 year-old player/manager Rogers Hornsby became the the oldest St. Louis Brown with a pinch home run, keying an 8th inning rally and a come-from-behind 4-3 win. In this franchise’s inaugural season in 1901 as the Milwaukee Brewers, the team hit 26 home runs, but none (that we know of) by pinch-hitters.
26. Norm Cash‘s 9th inning two-run blast tied the game as the Tigers topped the White Sox 6-5 in this 1973 contest. Two years earlier, at age 37, Cash edged out HoFer Hank Greenberg as the oldest Tiger with a 30+ HR season; Darrell Evans is the only older Tiger with such a season (or two) since then.
27. Gene Woodling‘s 8th inning shot off of former teammate Ralph Terry keyed a 3-run rally as the expansion Senators edged the defending world champion Yankees in this 1962 game. Woodling moved on to the Mets a month later as he and Bob Cerv (another former teammate) became the only modern era players to post consecutive seasons playing for a franchise in its inaugural campaign. The oldest Texas Ranger with a pinch home run is 36 year-old Shin-Soo Choo in this 2019 game.
28. Craig Biggio‘s solo shot to the Crawford box came in a losing effort for the Astros in this 2004 game. Biggio (1995-2005) and Jason Kendall (1996-2006) jointly hold the modern era record of eleven consecutive seasons with double digit HBP. Tommy Tucker is the all-time record holder with thirteen straight seasons (1887-99), the same number Biggio likely would have had if not for the 1994 strike.
29. Steve Finley‘s 8th inning 3-run blast capped a comeback from 4-0 down as the D-Backs edged the Dodgers in this 2003 game. While Finley surely enjoyed that encounter with the Dodgers, he wanted nothing to do with L.A.’s other team: Finley posted .645 OPS in 112 games as an Angel, and .603 OPS in 38 games playing against the Halos.
30. Gregg Zaun‘s 8th inning granny was the game-winning knock for the Rays in this 2009 game against Zaun’s former team, the Blue Jays. Zaun’s 0.56 WAR per 100 PA leads all Blue Jay catchers with a minimum 400 games caught for Toronto (you actually have to drop below 100 games caught to find anyone with a higher WAR rate).