1989 Upper Deck Tom Gordon rookie card. Tom “Flash” Gordon was one of those pitchers who seemed to reinvent himself to keep playing. He came up with the Royals as a starter, throwing hard and striking out a ton of batters, but later became a shutdown closer and then a dependable setup man for teams like the Red Sox, Yankees, and Phillies. At his peak, he was nearly unhittable — he once saved 54 games in a row for Boston, which was a big deal at the time. Fans loved the “Flash” nickname, and even Stephen King worked him into one of his novels as a kind of hero figure.

He ended up pitching for over 20 years in the majors, racking up wins, saves, and strikeouts, and earning three All-Star nods along the way. More than anything, Gordon’s career shows how much determination and adaptability it takes to last that long in baseball.