Baseball Almanac - 1889 American Association Retirements

1889 American Association Retirements

The baseball torch is passed from season to season and in some cases, from game to game. In 1911, Cy Young pitched his final Major League game, lost 1-0, and ended the final season of his career with a losing record of 7-9 and an ERA of 3.77. Young's opponent that particular day was a first-year pitcher named Grover Alexander who received the win, added to his league leading shutout total, and went on to begin his career with a winning record of 28-13 and an ERA of 2.57.

Bob Gibson, who was easily one of the most intense competitors of all time, gave up a grand slam to the last Major League hitter he faced, Pete LaCock of the Chicago Cubs. Fifteen years passed and when the two faced off during an old-timer's game, Gibson hit LaCock on his back with a fastball.

Babe Ruth summed it up when he responded to a question about retirement by saying, "A ballplayer should quit when it starts to feel as if all the baselines run uphill." Baseball Almanac is pleased to present a comprehensive list of American Association League players who hung up their spikes in 1889.

"You are George Brett and all the cheering has stopped. The music is muted, the hour is late, and they will be taking the banners down and emptying your locker any minute now. As the late Jimmy Cannon would say it, 'All your bats are broken.'" - Broadcaster Jim Murray

American Association Retirements
1889

# Name Team Pos Age

n/a Joe Dowie Baltimore Orioles OF 24

n/a Jack Farrell Baltimore Orioles SS 32

n/a Chris Fulmer Baltimore Orioles OF 31

n/a George Goetz Baltimore Orioles P 25

n/a Will Holland Baltimore Orioles SS uk

n/a Pat Whitaker Baltimore Orioles P 24

n/a Charlie Reynolds Brooklyn Bridegrooms C 25

n/a Ted Conovar Cincinnati Red Stockings P 22

n/a Bill George Columbus Colts OF 25

n/a Heinie Kappel Columbus Colts SS uk

n/a Rudy Kemmler Columbus Colts C 30

n/a Sparrow McCaffrey Columbus Colts C uk

n/a Jimmy Peoples Columbus Colts C 26

n/a John Weyhing Columbus Colts P 20

n/a Sam Barkley Kansas City Blues 2B 32

n/a John Bates Kansas City Blues P 22

n/a Red Bittman Kansas City Blues 2B 27

n/a Jim Conway Kansas City Blues P 31

n/a Charlie Hoover Kansas City Blues C 24

n/a Steve Ladew Kansas City Blues OF 27

n/a Jim Manning Kansas City Blues OF 28

n/a John McCarty Kansas City Blues P uk

n/a Henry Porter Kansas City Blues P 31

n/a Charlie Reynolds Kansas City Blues C 25

n/a Ecky Stearns Kansas City Blues 1B 28

n/a Tom Sullivan Kansas City Blues P 30

n/a Park Swartzel Kansas City Blues P 24

n/a Bill Anderson Louisville Colonels P 25

n/a Fred Carl Louisville Colonels OF 31

n/a Charles Fisher Louisville Colonels OF uk

n/a Ed Flanagan Louisville Colonels 1B 28

n/a Jim Galligan Louisville Colonels OF 25

n/a Mike Gaule Louisville Colonels OF 20

n/a Bill Gleason Louisville Colonels SS 31

n/a Mike McDermott Louisville Colonels P 26

n/a Harry Scherer Louisville Colonels OF uk

n/a Harry Smith Louisville Colonels OF 34

n/a Ed Springer Louisville Colonels P 29

n/a John Traffley Louisville Colonels OF uk

n/a George Bausewine Philadelphia Athletics P 21

n/a Barney Graham Philadelphia Athletics 3B uk

n/a Tom Gunning Philadelphia Athletics C 28

n/a Ed Knouff Philadelphia Athletics P uk

n/a Jack Bellman St. Louis Browns C 26

n/a Jim Devlin St. Louis Browns P 24

n/a Jim Gill St. Louis Browns OF 24

n/a Nat Hudson St. Louis Browns P 31

# Name Team Pos Age

1889 American Association Retirements

Find out which players made their Major League debut in the American Association during the 1889 season as this group of players bid farewell to their field's of dreams.

Goose Goslin played for eighteen seasons and averaged one-hundred twenty-seven games played per season. In 1938, during his final at-bat, he twisted his back and was replaced at the plate by a pinch-hitter for the first time in his Major League career.

Did you know that future hall of fame pitcher Walter Johnson ended his Major League career in 1927 with a pinch-hit appearance? During the final game of the season pitcher Tom Zachary, who had just given up Babe Ruth's sixtieth home run of the season, was lifted and Johnson replaced him at the plate.

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