Baseball Almanac - 1918 American League Retirements

1918 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 1918.

"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

American League Retirements
1918

# Name Team Pos Age

n/a Lou Bauer Philadelphia Athletics P 20

n/a Bob Berman Washington Senators C 20

n/a Stan Rees Washington Senators P 20

n/a Roy Hansen Washington Senators P 21

n/a Merito Acosta Philadelphia Athletics OF 23

n/a Merito Acosta Washington Senators PH 23

n/a Frank Fahey Philadelphia Athletics OF 23

n/a Chick Holmes Philadelphia Athletics P 23

n/a Roy Johnson Philadelphia Athletics P 23

n/a Red Bluhm Boston Red Sox PH 24

n/a Joe Cobb Detroit Tigers PH 24

n/a Ed Corey Chicago White Sox P 24

n/a George Hale St. Louis Browns C 24

n/a Pat Hardgrove Chicago White Sox PH 24

n/a Tim McCabe St. Louis Browns P 24

n/a Ed Monroe New York Yankees P 24

n/a Herb Hall Detroit Tigers P 25

n/a Walter Bernhardt New York Yankees P 26

n/a Jack Farmer Cleveland Indians OF 26

n/a Eusebio Gonzalez Boston Red Sox SS 26

n/a Deacon Jones Detroit Tigers P 26

n/a Byron Houck St. Louis Browns P 27

n/a Marty Kavanagh Cleveland Indians 1B 27

n/a Marty Kavanagh Detroit Tigers 1B 27

n/a Happy Finneran Detroit Tigers P 28

n/a Happy Finneran New York Yankees P 28

n/a Al Halt Cleveland Indians 3B 28

n/a Jake Munch Philadelphia Athletics OF 28

n/a Weldon Wyckoff Boston Red Sox P 28

n/a Lee Dressen Detroit Tigers 1B 29

n/a Gus Getz Cleveland Indians 3B 29

n/a Otis Lambeth Cleveland Indians P 29

n/a Fritz Maisel St. Louis Browns 3B 29

n/a Ray Morgan Washington Senators 2B 29

n/a Mellie Wolfgang Chicago White Sox P 29

n/a George Cochran Boston Red Sox 3B 30

n/a Dick Hoblitzell Boston Red Sox 1B 30

n/a Otto Jacobs Chicago White Sox C 30

n/a Ed Miller Cleveland Indians 1B 30

n/a Vince Molyneaux Boston Red Sox P 30

n/a Earl Yingling Washington Senators P 30

n/a Lore Bader Boston Red Sox P 31

n/a Ad Brennan Cleveland Indians P 31

n/a Ad Brennan Washington Senators P 31

n/a Joe Casey Washington Senators C 31

n/a Hugh High New York Yankees OF 31

n/a Pete Johns St. Louis Browns 1B 31

n/a Armando Marsans New York Yankees OF 31

n/a Hank Robinson New York Yankees P 31

n/a Jack Coffey Boston Red Sox 3B 32

n/a Jack Coffey Detroit Tigers 2B 32

n/a Zinn Beck New York Yankees 1B 33

n/a Harry Coveleski Detroit Tigers P 33

n/a Jim Curry Detroit Tigers 2B 33

n/a Wilbur Good Chicago White Sox OF 33

n/a Jack Stansbury Boston Red Sox 3B 33

n/a Art Griggs Detroit Tigers 1B 34

n/a Bob Groom Cleveland Indians P 34

n/a Charley Hall Detroit Tigers P 34

n/a Ham Hyatt New York Yankees OF 34

n/a Eddie Matteson Washington Senators P 34

n/a George McQuillan Cleveland Indians P 34

n/a Bob Bescher Cleveland Indians OF 35

n/a Rube Oldring Philadelphia Athletics OF 35

n/a Tubby Spencer Detroit Tigers C 35

n/a Frank Truesdale Boston Red Sox 2B 35

n/a John Hummel New York Yankees OF 36

n/a Wildfire Schulte Washington Senators OF 36

n/a George Whiteman Boston Red Sox OF 36

n/a Rip Williams Cleveland Indians 1B 37

n/a Heinie Wagner Boston Red Sox 2B 38

n/a Paddy O'Connor New York Yankees C 39

n/a Bill Donovan Detroit Tigers P 42

n/a Germany Schaefer Cleveland Indians 2B 43

n/a Hughie Jennings Detroit Tigers 1B 50

# Name Team Pos Age

1918 American League Retirements

Find out which players made their Major League debut in the American League during the 1918 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.

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