Baseball is my life.

[Utter Chaos]

Who are the top 20 players who spent most of their life as an active player?
(Using the formula Number Of Seasons Played / Age At Death )

I'll give you #1 to get you started.
1. Roberto Clemente (18 seasons / 38.40) = 46.88%
2. Ed Delahanty (16 seasons / 35.69) = 44.83% RMB
3. Lou Gehrig (17 seasons / 37.98) = 44.76% RMB
4. King Kelly (16 seasons / 36.88) = 43.38% Josh24
5. Met Ott (21 seasons / 49.76) = 42.21% dgarza
6. Babe Ruth (22 seasons / 53.56) = 41.08% EdTarbusz
7. Herb Pennock (22 seasons / 54.00) = 40.74% ipitch
8. Nellie Fox (19 seasons / 47.97) = 39.61% ubiquitous
9. Jake Beckley (20 seasons / 50.92) = 39.27% RMB
10. Val Picinich (18 seasons / 46.27) = 38.90% ubiquitous
11. Cap Anson (27 seasons / 70.04) = 38.55% ubiquitous
12. Jimmie Wilson (18 seasons / 46.88) = 38.39% ipitch
13. Buck Ewing (18 seasons / 47.04) = 38.27% dgarza
14. Bill Donovan (18 seasons / 47.18) = 38.15% ubiquitous
15. Harry Steinfeldt (14 seasons / 36.90) = 37.94% ubiquitous
16. Christy Mathewson (17 seasons / 45.18) = 37.63% EdTarbusz
17. Gil Hodges (18 seasons / 48.03) = 37.48% EdTarbusz
18. Willie Keeler (19 seasons / 50.86) = 37.36% ubiquitous
19. Jake Daubert (15 seasons / 40.53) = 37.01% gman5431
20. Al Simmons (20 seasons / 54.05) = 37.00% ipitch

21-25. Rabbit Maranville, Herman Long, Hal Carlson, Donnie Moore, Jack Quinn
26-30. Cliff Heathcote, Ken Caminiti, Bobo Newsom, Eddie Collins, Sherry Magee
31-35. Darryl Kile, Ned Williamson, Silver Flint, Deacon McGuire, Walter Johnson
36-40. Joe Niekro, Frank Chance, Eric McNair, Rube Waddell Germany Schaefer
41-45. Arky Vaughan, Bo Diaz, Rogers Hornsby, Bob Moose, Frankie Hayes
46-50. Willie Stargell, Lave Cross, Thurman Munson, Cy Seymour, Urban Shocker

Hint: Think of guys that played at least 14 years and died relatively young.

[RuthMayBond]

Gehrig????

[RuthMayBond]

maybe E Delahanty

[RuthMayBond]

maybe Munson?

[RuthMayBond]

maybe Joss?

[Utter Chaos]

maybe Munson?
Munson only played 11 seasons. He's 48th on the list. Joss played even less.

[RuthMayBond]

Jake Beckley?

[RuthMayBond]

Quisenberry? Tug McGraw?

[dgarza]

Julio Franco's up there. Rickey Henderson. Must they have passed on to be eligible?

[dgarza]

Rod Beck?
Joe Niekro?
Caminiti?
Kyle?
Eddie Grant?

[Utter Chaos]

Rod Beck?
Joe Niekro?
Caminiti?
Kyle?
Eddie Grant?

Caminiti - 27th
Kile - 31
Niekro - 36
Beck - 59
Grant - 132
Franco - not dead
Henderson - not dead

[EdTarbusz]

Babe Ruth
Chrity Mathewaon
Gil Hodges

[ipitch]

Herb Pennock?
Cliff Heathcote?
Eddie Collins?
Gil Hodges?
Jack Quinn?
Al Simmons?
Jimmie Wilson?

[dgarza]

Bobo Newsom
Mel Ott

[Macker]

Tiny Bonham

[gman5431]

Hal Carlson, Marv Goodwin, and Jake Daubert may be just short.

G Rizzle

[dgarza]

Herman Long is probably just shy, but I think Buck Ewing would make the Top 20.

[dgarza]

Eddie Collins, right?

[josh24]

Tip O'Neill?

[josh24]

King Kelly?

[josh24]

Eddie Plank?

[josh24]

Kiki Cuyler?

[josh24]

Vern Stephens?
Vada Pinson?
Chuck Klein?

[Ubiquitous]

This is the top 20 that I found:

name seasons life %
Roberto Cleme 18 38.33 46.96%
Ed Delahanty 16 35.75 44.76%
Lou Gehrig 17 38.00 44.74%
Mel Ott 22 49.67 44.30%
King Kelly 16 36.92 43.34%
Babe Ruth 22 53.50 41.12%
Herb Pennock 22 53.92 40.80%
Nellie Fox 19 48.00 39.58%
Jake Beckley 20 50.83 39.34%
Eddie Collins 25 63.83 39.16%
Val Picinich 18 46.25 38.92%
Cap Anson 27 70.00 38.57%
Jimmie Wilson 18 46.83 38.43%
Buck Ewing 18 47.00 38.30%
Bill Donovan 18 47.17 38.16%
Harry Steinf 14 36.92 37.92%
Christy Mathe 17 45.17 37.64%
Gil Hodges 18 48.00 37.50%
Willie Keeler 19 50.83 37.38%

[Utter Chaos]

This is the top 20 that I found:

name seasons life %
Roberto Cleme 18 38.33 46.96%
Ed Delahanty 16 35.75 44.76%
Lou Gehrig 17 38.00 44.74%
Mel Ott 22 49.67 44.30%
King Kelly 16 36.92 43.34%
Babe Ruth 22 53.50 41.12%
Herb Pennock 22 53.92 40.80%
Nellie Fox 19 48.00 39.58%
Jake Beckley 20 50.83 39.34%
Eddie Collins 25 63.83 39.16%
Val Picinich 18 46.25 38.92%
Cap Anson 27 70.00 38.57%
Jimmie Wilson 18 46.83 38.43%
Buck Ewing 18 47.00 38.30%
Bill Donovan 18 47.17 38.16%
Harry Steinf 14 36.92 37.92%
Christy Mathe 17 45.17 37.64%
Gil Hodges 18 48.00 37.50%
Willie Keeler 19 50.83 37.38%



That's all of them. Some of the numbers are slightly different. For instance I had Mel Ott for 21 seasons because I was counting his fielding years and he only pinch hit in his 22nd season. I also didn't consider leap days when calculating ages but it looks like we have the same names listed.

Good job everybody!