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 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
 

American League Retirements

1916

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

Stan Musial ended his Major League career on September 29, 1963. His final hit was a single during the sixth inning off Jim Maloney which drove in his last RBI (which was Curt Flood).

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.