1909 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 1909.

"You start chasing a ball and your brain immediately commands your body to: Run forward. Bend. Scoop up the ball. Peg it to the infield. Then your body says, 'Who, me?'" - Retirement comment made by Joe DiMaggio
 

National League Retirements

1909

n/a Chick Autry Boston Doves 1B 25
n/a Jake Boultes Boston Doves P 25
n/a Frank Bowerman Boston Doves C 41
n/a Bill Dam Boston Doves OF 25
n/a Ernie Diehl Boston Doves OF 32
n/a Gus Dorner Boston Doves P 33
n/a Vive Lindaman Boston Doves P 32
n/a Tom McCarthy Boston Doves P 26
n/a Forrest More Boston Doves P 28
n/a Claude Ritchey Boston Doves 2B 36
n/a Al Shaw Boston Doves C 37
n/a Hosea Siner Boston Doves 3B 25
n/a Charlie Starr Boston Doves 2B 31
n/a Fred Stem Boston Doves 1B 24
n/a Tom Tuckey Boston Doves P 25
n/a Whitey Alperman Brooklyn Superbas 2B 30
n/a Tom Catterson Brooklyn Superbas OF 25
n/a Wally Clement Brooklyn Superbas OF 28
n/a Red Downey Brooklyn Superbas OF 21
n/a Joe Dunn Brooklyn Superbas C 25
n/a Pembroke Finlayson Brooklyn Superbas P 21
n/a Jul Kustus Brooklyn Superbas OF 27
n/a Doc Marshall Brooklyn Superbas C 34
n/a Leo Meyer Brooklyn Superbas SS 22
n/a Jim Pastorius Brooklyn Superbas P 28
n/a Harry Redmond Brooklyn Superbas 2B 22
n/a Jimmy Sebring Brooklyn Superbas OF 28
n/a Ray Brown Chicago Cubs P 21
n/a Chick Fraser Chicago Cubs P 36
n/a Irv Higginbotham Chicago Cubs P 28
n/a Del Howard Chicago Cubs 1B 32
n/a Carl Lundgren Chicago Cubs P 30
n/a Rudy Schwenck Chicago Cubs P 26
n/a Joe Stanley Chicago Cubs OF 29
n/a Chick Autry Cincinnati Reds 1B 25
n/a Billy Campbell Cincinnati Reds P 36
n/a Chet Carmichael Cincinnati Reds P 22
n/a Kid Durbin Cincinnati Reds PH 23
n/a Emil Haberer Cincinnati Reds C 32
n/a Bill Moriarty Cincinnati Reds SS uk
n/a Claire Patterson Cincinnati Reds OF 22
n/a Si Pauxtis Cincinnati Reds C 24
n/a Bunny Pearce Cincinnati Reds C 25
n/a Ralph Savidge Cincinnati Reds P 31
n/a George Daly New York Giants P 22
n/a Bull Durham New York Giants P 32
n/a Arlie Latham New York Giants 2B 50
n/a Red Waller New York Giants P 26
n/a Jake Weimer New York Giants P 36
n/a Wally Clement Philadelphia Phillies PH 28
n/a Pep Deininger Philadelphia Phillies OF 32
n/a Ben Froelich Philadelphia Phillies C 22
n/a Fred Osborn Philadelphia Phillies OF 26
n/a Frank Scanlan Philadelphia Phillies P 20
n/a Charlie Starr Philadelphia Phillies PH 31
n/a Kid Durbin Pittsburgh Pirates PR 23
n/a Alan Storke Pittsburgh Pirates 1B 25
n/a Charlie Wacker Pittsburgh Pirates P 26
n/a Joe Bernard St. Louis Cardinals P 28
n/a Coonie Blank St. Louis Cardinals C 17
n/a Joe Delahanty St. Louis Cardinals OF 34
n/a Charlie Enwright St. Louis Cardinals SS 22
n/a Billy Gilbert St. Louis Cardinals 2B 33
n/a Irv Higginbotham St. Louis Cardinals P 28
n/a Bert James St. Louis Cardinals OF 23
n/a Steve Melter St. Louis Cardinals P 24
n/a Forrest More St. Louis Cardinals P 28
n/a Howard Murphy St. Louis Cardinals OF 28
n/a Champ Osteen St. Louis Cardinals SS 33
n/a Charlie Rhodes St. Louis Cardinals P 25
n/a Alan Storke St. Louis Cardinals SS 25
n/a Harry Sullivan St. Louis Cardinals P 22
1909 National League Retirements



Find out which players made their Major League debut in the National League during the 1909 season as this group of players bid farewell to their field's of dreams.

On September 28, 1960, broadcaster Curt Gowdy uttered, "It's got a chance. It's got a chance. And it's gone!" Those words were used to describe the final at-bat of slugger Ted Williams.

Hank Aaron ended his Major League career on October 3, 1976, with a sharp single during the sixth inning off Dave Roberts of the Detroit Tigers.