Did you hear about the 41-year-old Rays spur?

ST. PETERSBURG Rich Hill is ready for all the obliques that his relative old age causes.

Like last week, when the 41-year-old left jumped to ride the Rays coaches and staff bus to Texas Stadium and didn’t wait for the next player bus. Director Kevin Cash, as he wants to do with most players, began to give him sorrow; Hill played by acting that he could not hear Cash.

Ask about other similar mockings, and Hill laughs that his AARP card is in his wallet.

He’s pretty conscious of that, Cash said. To an old friend.

There is no joke about how Hill has erected. He’s heading into today’s starts against Orioles 5-2 with 3.05 ERA and 4-1, 0.68 for his last seven starts, and the American League Pitcher of the Month award shows it.

Hills ’remarkable performance is one for ages and one of many sports for different ages.

Tom Brady, whose Hill overlapped in Michigan, won the Super Bowl for the Bucs, as you may have heard at the age of 43, the oldest player to have earned a ring. Phil Mickelson finished first in the PGA Championship at the age of 50 last month, the oldest winner in major. Helio Castroneves drove to the Indianapolis 500 title 46.

Stay going! I mean, all, Hill said. I would love to talk to Tom and see how he changed (over time) as things get older. You have different routines. Your body is going through changes. So it’s a very interesting time. And I know a lot of people can join in because, as they say, time is invincible. I mean, I don’t want to go into too much detail, but you have to get up earlier in the morning.

Growing up and still living in the Boston area, Hill is a big Brady fan and hopes to get together to compare notes. He also appreciates what other gentlemen of a certain age have done.

You look at Phil (Mickelson) and the way he changed his career, and adjusted the ship or whatever, Hill said. I love seeing it, and I think a lot of people do too.

I love the youth movement (baseball). I love guys who come in. But I know there are a lot of guys out there who can get involved and not only get involved in a big way. And they bring a lot of experience and knowledge to clubs that can’t really be taught. And that’s where I think older players are valuable.

In particular, Hill, whose work ethic and passion for the game have made him a great role model and mentor with Rays, who is his tenth major league team on a 20-year professional career.

It’s great for all of our guys, and I’m very sure it will rub off, said Cash, who grabbed Hill with the Red Sox in 2010, coached him in Cleveland in 2013 and led him now. There is no player here who does not want to hit or play main league baseball at his age.

They start watching him and how he goes (between his work) in between. And for his praise, he’s always in the printing room, he’s always running, he’s always on his heart, on his bike. So it makes a lot of sense why he climbs the hill and is able to do what he does.

Cash, who turned 43 in December (and last played in 2011), certainly appreciates what Hill is the oldest active pitcher and second-oldest player (behind Albert Pujols).

Like field coach Kyle Snyder, who turns 44 in September (and last played in 2009), is enraged by Hills ’tireless work during the winter, spring and season, his quest to win, his creativity on the hill (like flying in his latest start to mix shifts for the first time this season) , the intensity of the slope and almost everything else he does.

He has a really, really good idea of ​​what he’s trying to achieve, Snyder said.

The teammates are also afraid of how good and old Hill is.

Consider that pitcher Luis Patino, formerly of Triple-A, was born in October 1999 when Hill was in college and is 20 years younger. This rookie left-handed Shane McClanahan, 24, is 17 years younger than Hills. The way he does his business is one that a lot of guys really want to emulate, McClanahan said.

Even the catcher, 30-year-old Mike Zunino, who plays for nine years in big companies, wonders that Hill, who started his pro career in 2002 and got into big companies in 2005, is almost 12 years older than him.

I remember meeting him; Hell, I probably remember watching him on TV, Zunino said. It’s just talking about how he takes care of himself and his passion for the game. You have to really love what you do so you can do it for so long.

And still do it.

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