Jon Rauch turns 48 today; the roundup also marks Len Matuszek (72), Jason Phillips (50) and Matt Shoemaker (40). Rauch played 11 MLB seasons for seven teams and recorded 62 saves; in 2011, he posted 11 saves and a 4.85 ERA as the closer.
Rauch missed time in 2011 after an appendectomy and a tear of cartilage in his right knee; he also had five blown saves, allowed 11 home runs in 52 innings, walked 14 and struck out 36. Over 556 career appearances, he posted a 3.90 ERA. His best stretch was five seasons with Washington, where he had a 3.24 ERA in 245 games.
Matuszek played 62 games for Toronto in 1985 before being traded to the Dodgers for Al Oliver in early July. Phillips backed up Gregg Zaun in 2006–07, appearing in 80 games. Shoemaker posted a 1.57 ERA in five starts before an ACL tear ended his season. In 2020, he had a 4.71 ERA in six games and missed a month with a shoulder injury. After 16 appearances and an 8.06 ERA with Minnesota, he was released Aug. 6 and soon signed a minor-league deal with the Giants.
