1916 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 1916.

"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

1916

n/a Bill Carrigan Boston Red Sox C 33
n/a Marty McHale Boston Red Sox P 30
n/a Joe Fautsch Chicago White Sox PH 30
n/a Jack Lapp Chicago White Sox C 32
n/a George Moriarty Chicago White Sox 1B 31
n/a Jack Ness Chicago White Sox 1B 32
n/a Ray Shook Chicago White Sox PR 27
n/a Fritz Von Kolnitz Chicago White Sox 3B 24
n/a Cy Wright Chicago White Sox SS 23
n/a Fred Beebe Cleveland Indians P 37
n/a Al Bergman Cleveland Indians 2B 26
n/a Jack Bradley Cleveland Indians C 23
n/a Bob Coleman Cleveland Indians C 26
n/a Shorty Des Jardien Cleveland Indians P 23
n/a Clyde Engle Cleveland Indians 3B 33
n/a Red Gunkel Cleveland Indians P 23
n/a Rip Hagerman Cleveland Indians P 30
n/a Howard Lohr Cleveland Indians OF 24
n/a Marty McHale Cleveland Indians P 30
n/a Danny Moeller Cleveland Indians OF 32
n/a Ollie Welf Cleveland Indians PR 28
n/a Del Baker Detroit Tigers C 25
n/a Jack Dalton Detroit Tigers OF 31
n/a Red McKee Detroit Tigers C 26
n/a Bill McTigue Detroit Tigers P 25
n/a Billy Sullivan Detroit Tigers C 42
n/a Jess Buckles New York Yankees P 27
n/a Doc Cook New York Yankees OF 30
n/a Roy Hartzell New York Yankees OF 35
n/a Solly Hofman New York Yankees OF 34
n/a Charlie Mullen New York Yankees 2B 28
n/a Jim Brown Philadelphia Athletics OF 24
n/a Doc Carroll Philadelphia Athletics C 25
n/a Cap Crowell Philadelphia Athletics P 24
n/a Moxie Divis Philadelphia Athletics OF 23
n/a Michael Driscoll Philadelphia Athletics P 24
n/a Thomas Healy Philadelphia Athletics 3B 21
n/a George Hesselbacher Philadelphia Athletics P 22
n/a Nap Lajoie Philadelphia Athletics 2B 42
n/a Red Lanning Philadelphia Athletics OF 22
n/a Axel Lindstrom Philadelphia Athletics P 21
n/a Lee McElwee Philadelphia Athletics 3B 23
n/a Ralph Mitterling Philadelphia Athletics OF 27
n/a Mike Murphy Philadelphia Athletics C 28
n/a Carl Ray Philadelphia Athletics P 28
n/a Jack Richardson Philadelphia Athletics P 24
n/a Harland Rowe Philadelphia Athletics 3B 21
n/a Bill Stellbauer Philadelphia Athletics OF 23
n/a Shag Thompson Philadelphia Athletics OF 24
n/a Walt Whittaker Philadelphia Athletics P 22
n/a Marsh Williams Philadelphia Athletics P 24
n/a George Baumgardner St. Louis Browns P 25
n/a Babe Borton St. Louis Browns 1B 28
n/a Harry Chapman St. Louis Browns C 29
n/a Bill Fincher St. Louis Browns P 23
n/a Ray Kennedy St. Louis Browns PH 22
n/a Billy Lee St. Louis Browns OF 23
n/a Danny Moeller Washington Senators OF 32
n/a Henri Rondeau Washington Senators OF 30
n/a Carl Sawyer Washington Senators 2B 26
n/a Claude Thomas Washington Senators P 27
1916 American League Retirements



Find out which players made their Major League debut in the American League during the 1916 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.

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.