Joe Strong

Career

Strong attended the University of California, Riverside, where he played college baseball for the Highlanders during the 1984 season. He was drafted by the Oakland Athletics in the 15th round of the 1984 Major League Baseball draft. He was a replacement player during spring training in 1995, and was barred from joining the Major League Baseball Players Association. After being released by the Chicago Cubs organization in 1995 and playing for the independent Surrey Glaciers of the Western Baseball League, he was inactive for two years, but returned to play in the Korea Baseball Organization in 1998. In February 1999, he signed with the Tampa Bay Devil Rays, became a free agent at the end of the season, and signed with the Florida Marlins in February 2000. After having played in five different countries over a period of 16 years, Strong made his major league debut for the Marlins on May 11, 2000, becoming the oldest major league rookie in 40 years. He played for the Marlins again in 2001 and became a free agent after the season ended. In 2002, he played for the Milwaukee Brewers' Triple-A affiliate, the Indianapolis Indians. In 2004, his final season, he played for the independent Camden Riversharks of the Atlantic League.