Baseball Almanac - 1897 National League Retirements

1897 National League 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 National League League players who hung up their spikes in 1897.

"I want to hit a routine grounder to second and run all out to first base, then get thrown out by a half step. I want to leave an example to the young guys that that's how you play the game, all out." - George Brett

National League Retirements
1897

# Name Team Pos Age

n/a George Blackburn Baltimore Orioles P 26

n/a Charlie Ganzel Boston Beaneaters C 35

n/a Jim Sullivan Boston Beaneaters P 31

n/a John Brown Brooklyn Bridegrooms P 21

n/a Buster Burrell Brooklyn Bridegrooms C 31

n/a Jim Canavan Brooklyn Bridegrooms 2B 31

n/a Dan Daub Brooklyn Bridegrooms P 30

n/a Pat Hannivan Brooklyn Bridegrooms OF 32

n/a Sadie McMahon Brooklyn Bridegrooms P 30

n/a George Shoch Brooklyn Bridegrooms 2B 39

n/a Cap Anson Chicago Colts 1B 46

n/a Tom Hernon Chicago Colts OF 31

n/a Jim Korwan Chicago Colts P 24

n/a Fred Pfeffer Chicago Colts 2B 38

n/a Adonis Terry Chicago Colts P 33

n/a Dave Wright Chicago Colts P 22

n/a Stub Brown Cincinnati Reds P 27

n/a Eddie Burke Cincinnati Reds OF 31

n/a Buck Ewing Cincinnati Reds 1B 38

n/a Ira Belden Cleveland Spiders OF 24

n/a Charlie Brown Cleveland Spiders P 26

n/a Fred Cooke Cleveland Spiders OF 24

n/a Mike McDermott Cleveland Spiders P 35

n/a John Pappalau Cleveland Spiders P 23

n/a Win Clark Louisville Colonels 2B 23

n/a Tom Delahanty Louisville Colonels 2B 26

n/a Irv Hach Louisville Colonels 2B 24

n/a George Hemming Louisville Colonels P 29

n/a Art Herman Louisville Colonels P 27

n/a Abbie Johnson Louisville Colonels 2B 27

n/a Bert Miller Louisville Colonels P 22

n/a Jim Rogers Louisville Colonels 2B 26

n/a Perry Werden Louisville Colonels 1B 36

n/a Yale Murphy New York Giants SS 28

n/a Sam Gillen Philadelphia Phillies SS 30

n/a Tom Lipp Philadelphia Phillies P 27

n/a Kohly Miller Philadelphia Phillies 2B uk

n/a Jesse Hoffmeister Pittsburgh Pirates 3B 25

n/a Denny Lyons Pittsburgh Pirates 1B 32

n/a Jack Rothfuss Pittsburgh Pirates 1B 26

n/a Roger Connor St. Louis Browns 1B 40

n/a John Grimes St. Louis Browns P 29

n/a John Houseman St. Louis Browns 2B 28

n/a Bill Hutchison St. Louis Browns P 38

n/a Bill Kissinger St. Louis Browns OF 26

n/a Dan Lally St. Louis Browns OF 30

n/a Con Lucid St. Louis Browns P 24

n/a Mike McDermott St. Louis Browns P 35

n/a Charlie Abbey Washington Senators OF 31

n/a Ed Cartwright Washington Senators 1B 38

n/a Les German Washington Senators P 28

n/a Silver King Washington Senators P 30

n/a Effie Norton Washington Senators P 24

n/a Charlie Reilly Washington Senators 3B 31

# Name Team Pos Age

1897 National League Retirements

Find out which players made their Major League debut in the National League during the 1897 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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