Jack Quinn didn’t reach the big leagues until age 25 in 1909 but he made up for it. Quinn pitched from the era of T206 to the dawn of bubble gum cards.
While his age was always a bit of a mystery, Quinn was still pitching in relief as he pushed toward age 50 and won a pair of World Series titles as a member of Connie Mack’s Philadelphia A’s in 1929 and 1930.
He’s still the oldest player ever to start a World Series game, having turned 47 during the 1929 season as a member of Connie Mack’s Philadelphia Athletics pitching staff. Now, the World Series ring he earned that fall is coming up for sale.
SCP Auctions says it will offer the ring in its next catalog, set to be delivered in early March. It’s expected to sell for $40,000-$50,000.
The ring features a diamond in the center of two crossed bats with “29” below. The front also shows the team’s elephant mascot and a globe with the word “Champions” engraved in a banner across the middle.
Very few World Series rings from the era have ever been offered for sale and Quinn’s unique place in history makes it rather unique.
After earning his ring, the spitball specialist won another World Series with the A’s in 1930, where he also added the distinction of being the oldest pitcher to finish a game in the Fall Classic. The A’s didn’t create a World Series ring that year but his award–an engraved 14k gold tie clasp–is also in the auction.
Quinn continued to pitch with the Brooklyn Dodgers in 1931 and ’32, leading the league in saves according to modern research. He latched on with the Cincinnati Reds for a brief time in 1933 before returning to the minors in 1934 and throwing his last pitch at age 52 in 1935.
In all, Quinn won 247 games and played alongside 31 players who are now members of the Baseball Hall of Fame.
Quinn eventually moved back to his roots in Pennsylvania where he battled alcohol problems. He died in 1946.
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