1917 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 1917.

"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

1917

n/a Kewpie Pennington St. Louis Browns P 21
n/a Dallas Bradshaw Philadelphia Athletics 2B 22
n/a Jack Enright New York Yankees P 22
n/a Eddie Bacon Philadelphia Athletics P 23
n/a Tony DeFate Detroit Tigers 2B 23
n/a Ed Murray St. Louis Browns SS 23
n/a Otto Neu St. Louis Browns SS 23
n/a Ralph Sharman Philadelphia Athletics OF 23
n/a Howie Camp New York Yankees OF 24
n/a Pat French Philadelphia Athletics OF 24
n/a Ziggy Hasbrouck Chicago White Sox 2B 24
n/a Otis Lawry Philadelphia Athletics 2B 24
n/a Horace Milan Washington Senators OF 24
n/a Bill Murray Washington Senators 2B 24
n/a Eddie Palmer Philadelphia Athletics 3B 24
n/a Rube Parnham Philadelphia Athletics P 24
n/a Red Torkelson Cleveland Indians P 24
n/a Pete Bigler St. Louis Browns PR 25
n/a George Dickerson Cleveland Indians P 25
n/a Al Gould Cleveland Indians P 25
n/a Red Hill Philadelphia Athletics P 25
n/a Bill Johnson Philadelphia Athletics OF 25
n/a Walt Johnson Philadelphia Athletics P 25
n/a Billy Meyer Philadelphia Athletics C 25
n/a Scrappy Moore St. Louis Browns 3B 25
n/a Jim Park St. Louis Browns P 25
n/a Ferd Eunick Cleveland Indians 3B 26
n/a Pop-Boy Smith Cleveland Indians P 26
n/a Doc Waldbauer Washington Senators P 26
n/a Walt Alexander New York Yankees C 27
n/a Milo Allison Cleveland Indians OF 27
n/a Angel Aragon New York Yankees OF 27
n/a Ray Haley Philadelphia Athletics C 27
n/a William Rumler St. Louis Browns OF 27
n/a Rube Schauer Philadelphia Athletics P 27
n/a Ray Bates Philadelphia Athletics 3B 28
n/a Lee Gooch Philadelphia Athletics OF 28
n/a Buck Thrasher Philadelphia Athletics OF 28
n/a Rube Foster Boston Red Sox P 30
n/a Olaf Henriksen Boston Red Sox PH 30
n/a Ray Miller Cleveland Indians 1B 30
n/a Jack Nabors Philadelphia Athletics P 30
n/a Jim Scott Chicago White Sox P 30
n/a Bill Kenworthy St. Louis Browns 2B 31
n/a Paddy Baumann New York Yankees 2B 32
n/a Jimmy Walsh Boston Red Sox OF 32
n/a Bobby Byrne Chicago White Sox 2B 33
n/a Ward Miller St. Louis Browns OF 33
n/a Tom Richardson St. Louis Browns PH 34
n/a Ivan Howard Cleveland Indians 3B 35
n/a Cy Falkenberg Philadelphia Athletics P 37
n/a Sam Crawford Detroit Tigers 1B 38
n/a Eddie Plank St. Louis Browns P 42
n/a Harry Davis Philadelphia Athletics PH 44
1917 American League Retirements



Find out which players made their Major League debut in the American League during the 1917 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.

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).