Time is a funny thing in baseball. We track it by innings, by pitch counts, and by the decades that pass between World Series trophies. But for a tiny, elite group of men, time is measured by being the last ones left who remember what the grass smelled like in 1948 or how the dirt felt at Ebbets Field. Honestly, when you look at the list of the oldest living major league baseball players, you aren't just looking at names; you're looking at a living bridge to an era that feels like ancient history.
The Man Who Stands Alone: Bill Greason
Right now, as of early 2026, the title of the oldest living former Major Leaguer belongs to Bill Greason. He’s 101 years old. Think about that for a second. Born in September 1924, Greason didn't just play baseball; he lived a life that sounds like a movie script. He was a member of the legendary Birmingham Black Barons in the Negro Leagues—playing alongside a teenager named Willie Mays—before eventually making it to the Big Leagues with the St. Louis Cardinals in 1954.
Greason is more than a ballplayer. He's a veteran of the Battle of Iwo Jima. He's a minister who has spent decades leading a congregation in Alabama. When people talk about the oldest living major league baseball players, they often focus on stats, but Greason reminds us that these guys were part of the "Greatest Generation" first. He took over the "oldest living" title after Art Schallock passed away in March 2025 at the age of 100. Schallock was a guy who once got called up to the Yankees just so they could send down a struggling rookie named Mickey Mantle. Baseball history is weird like that.
Bobby Shantz and the Century Mark
Not far behind Greason is Bobby Shantz. He turned 100 in September 2025. If you love an underdog story, Shantz is your guy. He was a tiny pitcher—barely 5'6"—who won the American League MVP in 1952 with the Philadelphia Athletics. Imagine a guy that size winning MVP in today's era of 6'6" flamethrowers. It wouldn't happen.
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Shantz was a wizard with the glove, winning eight consecutive Gold Gloves. He's basically the human personification of the idea that you don't need to be a giant to dominate a game. Seeing him reach the 100-year milestone is kinda poetic for a guy who spent his whole career proving people wrong.
Other Legends Still With Us
The list of centenarians and near-centenarians is small but mighty. It changes quickly, which is the sad reality of being a fan of these pioneers.
- Ron Teasley: Born in January 1927, he’s 99. He’s one of the few remaining players with Negro League roots, having played for the New York Cubans.
- Roy Face: He'll be 98 in February. "Elroy" was the king of the forkball and a mainstay for the Pittsburgh Pirates. In 1959, he went 18-1 as a reliever. That's a stat that sounds fake, but it's 100% real.
- Bob Ross: A former pitcher for the Senators and Phillies who is also in the 97-98 age bracket.
Why We Care About These Survivors
Why do we obsess over who the oldest living major league baseball players are? It’s probably because they represent a version of the game that doesn't exist anymore. They played in an era of day games, train travel, and wool uniforms that weighed ten pounds when it rained. There were no iPads in the dugout. No launch angle metrics. Just a guy with a glove trying to make enough money to survive the winter.
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When we lose these players, we lose the first-hand accounts of what it was like to face Ted Williams or Stan Musial. We lose the guys who remember the transition from the Negro Leagues to the integrated MLB. Honestly, it’s a bit of a race against time to document their stories before they're gone for good.
The Hall of Fame Elders
While Greason and Shantz are the oldest overall, the Hall of Fame has its own "elder statesmen" list. Luis Aparicio and Bud Selig (the former Commissioner) are both in their 90s. Then you have Sandy Koufax, who is 90. It feels strange to think of Koufax as an "old man" because in our minds, he's always that young lefty with the devastating curveball, but time catches up to everyone, even the Left Arm of God.
The Evolution of the "Oldest Living" Title
The baton passes frequently. For a long time, it was Eddie Robinson, who lived to be 100. Before him, it was guys like Connie Marrero, the Cuban pitcher who lived to 102. It’s a title nobody "wants" in a morbid sense, but it’s a title of immense respect.
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Being among the oldest living major league baseball players means you survived the rigors of professional sports and the even tougher rigors of a century of life. You've seen the world change from radio broadcasts to 5G streaming. You’ve seen baseball go from a regional pastime to a multi-billion dollar global industry.
What You Can Do to Honor Them
If you're a real baseball nerd, don't just read a list of names. Dive into the archives.
- Watch old film: Go to YouTube and look up Bobby Shantz's delivery. It's beautiful.
- Support the SABR (Society for American Baseball Research): These folks do the hard work of interviewing these players and keeping their biographies accurate.
- Write a letter: Many of these former players still live at home or in assisted living and genuinely enjoy getting mail from fans who remember their playing days.
The story of the oldest living major league baseball players isn't just about longevity; it's about the enduring spirit of the game. These men are the last threads of a fabric that was woven a century ago. We should appreciate them while they're still here to tell us how it really was.
To truly understand the history these men carry, your next step should be to look up the SABR BioProject for Bill Greason or Roy Face. These deep-dive biographies offer the gritty, real-world details of their lives beyond the box scores, providing a perspective on 20th-century America that you won't find in any textbook.