Baseball Almanac - 1902 American League Retirements

1902 American 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 American League League players who hung up their spikes in 1902.

"I'll never make the mistake of being seventy (70) again." - Casey Stengel comment made after being told to quit following the 1960 World Series

American League Retirements
1902

# Name Team Pos Age

n/a C.B. Burns Baltimore Orioles PH 24

n/a Ike Butler Baltimore Orioles P 29

n/a Frank Foreman Baltimore Orioles P 40

n/a Dad Hale Baltimore Orioles P 23

n/a Crese Heismann Baltimore Orioles P 23

n/a Slats Jordan Baltimore Orioles OF 24

n/a Jack Katoll Baltimore Orioles P 30

n/a Bob Lawson Baltimore Orioles P 26

n/a Jimmy Mathison Baltimore Orioles 3B 24

n/a Bill Mellor Baltimore Orioles 1B 28

n/a Andy Oyler Baltimore Orioles 3B 23

n/a George Prentiss Baltimore Orioles P 26

n/a Wilbert Robinson Baltimore Orioles C 39

n/a Ernie Ross Baltimore Orioles P 23

n/a George Yeager Baltimore Orioles C 28

n/a Bert Husting Boston Americans P 25

n/a George Prentiss Boston Americans P 26

n/a Dave Williams Boston Americans P 22

n/a Gary Wilson Boston Americans 2B 24

n/a John Durham Chicago White Stockings P 21

n/a Jack Katoll Chicago White Stockings P 30

n/a Dummy Leitner Chicago White Stockings P 30

n/a Sam McMackin Chicago White Stockings P 30

n/a Ginger Clark Cleveland Blues P 24

n/a Zaza Harvey Cleveland Blues OF 24

n/a Dummy Leitner Cleveland Blues P 30

n/a Jack Lundbom Cleveland Blues P 26

n/a Hal O'Hagan Cleveland Blues 1B 33

n/a Lou Polchow Cleveland Blues P 23

n/a George Starnagle Cleveland Blues C 29

n/a Oscar Streit Cleveland Blues P 29

n/a Dike Varney Cleveland Blues P 22

n/a Cal Vasbinder Cleveland Blues P 22

n/a Erve Beck Detroit Tigers 1B 24

n/a Ed Fisher Detroit Tigers P 26

n/a Pete LePine Detroit Tigers OF 26

n/a Arch McCarthy Detroit Tigers P 22

n/a Sam McMackin Detroit Tigers P 30

n/a Win Mercer Detroit Tigers P 28

n/a John O'Connell Detroit Tigers 2B uk

n/a Lew Post Detroit Tigers OF 28

n/a Lou Schiappacasse Detroit Tigers OF 22

n/a Luis Castro Philadelphia Athletics 2B 26

n/a Bert Husting Philadelphia Athletics P 25

n/a Ed Kenna Philadelphia Athletics P 25

n/a Odie Porter Philadelphia Athletics P 26

n/a Farmer Steelman Philadelphia Athletics C 27

n/a Bill Carrick Washington Senators P 29

n/a Tim Donahue Washington Senators C 32

n/a Bones Ely Washington Senators SS 39

n/a Cy Vorhees Washington Senators P 28

# Name Team Pos Age

1902 American League Retirements

Find out which players made their Major League debut in the American League during the 1902 season as this group of players bid farewell to their field's of dreams.

On July 28, 1976, Blue Moon Odom pitched the final five innings of his Major League career. He was relieved by Francisco Barrios in the sixth inning and the two White Sox combined to pitch a 2-1 no-hitter versus the Oakland Athletics.

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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