Jesse Orosco

Jesse Orosco
Orosco with the Minnesota Twins in 2003.
Pitcher
Born: (1957-04-21) April 21, 1957 (age 59) Santa Barbara, California
Batted: Right Threw: Left
MLB debut
April 5, 1979, for the New York Mets
Last MLB appearance
September 27, 2003, for the Minnesota Twins
MLB statistics
Games pitched	1,252
Win–loss record	87–80
Earned run average	3.16
Strikeouts	1,179
Saves	144
Teams
New York Mets (1979, 1981–1987) Los Angeles Dodgers (1988) Cleveland Indians (1989–1991) Milwaukee Brewers (1992–1994) Baltimore Orioles (1995–1999) St. Louis Cardinals (2000) Los Angeles Dodgers (2001–2002) San Diego Padres (2003) New York Yankees (2003) Minnesota Twins (2003)
Career highlights and awards
2× All-Star (1983, 1984) 2× World Series champion (1986, 1988) MLB record 1,252 career games pitched

Jesse Russell Orosco (born April 21, 1957) is a former relief pitcher in Major League Baseball who holds the major league record for career pitching appearances, having pitched in 1,252 games. He pitched most notably for the New York Mets in the 1980s. He won a World Series in 1986 with the Mets and in 1988 with the Dodgers. He threw left-handed, but batted right-handed. He retired in 2003 after having been with the Mets, Dodgers, Cleveland Indians, Milwaukee Brewers, Baltimore Orioles, St. Louis Cardinals, San Diego Padres, New York Yankees, and Minnesota Twins. He retired when he was 46 years old, one of the oldest players to still be playing in the modern age. Orosco is one of only 29 players in baseball history to date to have appeared in Major League games in four decades.

Orosco's longevity was greatly aided by the increasing use of left-handed specialist relief pitchers from the 1990s onward; in his last several years, he was used almost exclusively in this role.

Orosco was drafted by the Minnesota Twins in the 1978 Major League Baseball Draft. In February 1979, the Twins traded Orosco to the New York Mets to complete a deal that had been made two months earlier. In December 1978 the Mets traded veteran starter Jerry Koosman to the Twins for two players, one of whom was a player to be named later. The trade of that player, Orosco, completed the deal.