1915 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 1915.

"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

1915

n/a Walter Ancker Philadelphia Athletics P 23
n/a Howard Baker Chicago White Sox PH 28
n/a Everett Bankston Philadelphia Athletics OF 23
n/a Henry Bostick Philadelphia Athletics 3B 21
n/a Abe Bowman Cleveland Indians P 23
n/a Jim Breton Chicago White Sox 3B 24
n/a Boardwalk Brown New York Yankees P 27
n/a Chris Burkam St. Louis Browns PH 23
n/a Pug Cavet Detroit Tigers P 26
n/a King Cole New York Yankees P 30
n/a Allan Collamore Cleveland Indians P 28
n/a Ray Collins Boston Red Sox P 29
n/a Bob Cone Philadelphia Athletics P 22
n/a Tom Connolly Washington Senators 3B 23
n/a Owen Conway Philadelphia Athletics 3B 25
n/a Rollin Cook St. Louis Browns P 25
n/a Guy Cooper Boston Red Sox P 23
n/a Art Corcoran Philadelphia Athletics 3B 21
n/a Ensign Cottrell New York Yankees P 27
n/a Birdie Cree New York Yankees OF 33
n/a Tom Daley New York Yankees OF 31
n/a Bill Dalrymple St. Louis Browns 3B 25
n/a Harry Damrau Philadelphia Athletics 3B 25
n/a Buck Danner Philadelphia Athletics SS 24
n/a Bud Davis Philadelphia Athletics P 20
n/a Shorty Dee St. Louis Browns SS 26
n/a Harry Eccles Philadelphia Athletics P 22
n/a Ralph Edwards Philadelphia Athletics 2B 33
n/a Ben Egan Cleveland Indians C 32
n/a Jim Eschen Cleveland Indians OF 24
n/a Clarence Garrett Cleveland Indians P 25
n/a Bruno Haas Philadelphia Athletics P 25
n/a Jack Harper Philadelphia Athletics P 22
n/a Oscar Harstad Cleveland Indians P 24
n/a Howie Haworth Cleveland Indians C 22
n/a Herbert Hill Cleveland Indians P 24
n/a Harry Hoch St. Louis Browns P 29
n/a Chet Hoff St. Louis Browns P 25
n/a Tex Hoffman Cleveland Indians 3B 22
n/a Bill Hopper Washington Senators P 24
n/a Dick Kauffman St. Louis Browns 1B 27
n/a Tom Knowlson Philadelphia Athletics P 21
n/a Gene Layden New York Yankees OF 22
n/a John Leary St. Louis Browns 1B 25
n/a Razor Ledbetter Detroit Tigers P 21
n/a Walt Leverenz St. Louis Browns P 27
n/a Sam Mayer Washington Senators OF 23
n/a Sam McConnell Philadelphia Athletics 3B 20
n/a Reeve McKay St. Louis Browns P 34
n/a Bill Meehan Philadelphia Athletics P 26
n/a Doug Neff Washington Senators 3B 24
n/a George O'Brien St. Louis Browns C 26
n/a Pat Parker St. Louis Browns OF 23
n/a Bob Pepper Philadelphia Athletics P 21
n/a Parson Perryman St. Louis Browns P 27
n/a Cy Pieh New York Yankees P 29
n/a Squiz Pillion Philadelphia Athletics P 22
n/a Finners Quinlan Chicago White Sox OF 28
n/a Alex Remneas St. Louis Browns P 30
n/a Ross Reynolds Detroit Tigers P 28
n/a Pi Schwert New York Yankees C 23
n/a Skeeter Shelton New York Yankees OF 27
n/a Joe Sherman Philadelphia Athletics P 25
n/a Pete Shields Cleveland Indians 1B 24
n/a Pete Sims St. Louis Browns P 25
n/a Bill Steen Cleveland Indians P 28
n/a Bill Steen Detroit Tigers P 28
n/a Ira Thomas Philadelphia Athletics C 35
n/a Johnny Tillman St. Louis Browns P 22
n/a Dan Tipple New York Yankees P 26
n/a Tink Turner Philadelphia Athletics P 26
n/a Ernie Walker St. Louis Browns OF 25
n/a Dee Walsh St. Louis Browns OF 26
n/a Jack Warhop New York Yankees P 31
n/a Denney Wilie Cleveland Indians OF 25
n/a Gus Williams St. Louis Browns OF 28
n/a Roy Wood Cleveland Indians 1B 23
1915 American League Retirements



Find out which players made their Major League debut in the American League during the 1915 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.